Devi's Revenge?

[Guest guest]

"India today tops the world in illegal abortions and female

infanticide. The prevalence of sex-determination tests reflects a

tradition that prefers boys"

 

I don't think so India is the only country guilty of illegal

abortions and female infanticide. What about China? Just because

there is no reliable statistics to show, it does not mean it is not

happening. Recent articles in the magazine, too have highlight the

decreasing numbers of brides in China.

 

My opinion, I would not say DEVI's Revenge. DEVI is not like us

immortals taking revenge on each other. I would say its DEVI's

way of

teaching us that you can never control nature, as Nature have its own

agenda.

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

, "Nora

<ashwini_puralasamy>" <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote:

> "India today tops the world in illegal abortions and female

> infanticide. The prevalence of sex-determination tests reflects a

> tradition that prefers boys"

>

> I don't think so India is the only country guilty of illegal

> abortions and female infanticide. What about China? Just because

> there is no reliable statistics to show, it does not mean it is not

> happening. Recent articles in the magazine, too have highlight the

> decreasing numbers of brides in China.

>

 

So what are you trying to say here Nora? In China you are only

allowed one child so of course there is female infanticide it is along

with the articlles that DB mentioned a horrible practice. This is

'the dark side' of India. Something that a lot of Westerners

convienently ignore. Maneka Gandhi first brought up the subject of

'wife burning' to the forefront in the early '70's. This is all

intertwined with the dowry system that leads many poor to lives of

indentured servitude. There is a book called "Nectar IN A Sieve"

written many years ago. A friend of mine (a nurse practioner) cared

for a village women who had been burned by her inlaws. She wasn't

even 'allowed' to go to the hospital. She survived for months as each

day this women would peel off the dead skin and apply antibiotics.

The women eventually died.

> My opinion, I would not say DEVI's Revenge. DEVI is not like us

> immortals taking revenge on each other. I would say its DEVI's

> way of

> teaching us that you can never control nature, as Nature have its own

> agenda.

> Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

 

 

Perhaps 'revenge' is not the presise word. For me it is good as any

other. I like a devi that 'kicksbutt'. Thank you for bringing these

issues to the forum DeviBhakta. f

[Guest guest]

Namaskar, Chumki and Nora, and thanks for your comments. But I think

you have misunderstood my phrase "Devi's Revenge" -- I am not

envisioning a wrathful Goddess hurling thunderbolts at hapless

humans; there are plenty of other faiths out there that offer

such "believe or be damned" theologies; we need not trespass on their

territory here.

 

Rather, I am thinking of a fundamental tenet of Shaktism -- that of a

mutual, cyclical relationship between the Goddess (here in the form

of Mother Earth or Mother Nature); in which we take what we need to

live, but also give back so that She who supports us may live

healthily on as well, and nuture those who come after us.

 

Whenever our cultural prejudice, shortsightedness, pig-headedness or

simple greed blinds us to the natural balances that sustain us, we

are asking for trouble. Because Nature must always find its balance.

And if we shift to the "taking" side of the equation too heavily, and

ignore the "giving" side, Nature will harm us when She seeks a new

balance. It is not an act of anger or punishment -- it is simply our

own idiocies flying back and hitting us (and, especially, our

progeny) in the face.

 

The killing of girl children -- whether through science, neglect, or

intentional act motivated by cultural conditions -- is an act of

violence not only against the individual childern thus affected, but

against the balance of Nature. There are any number of human rights

organizations who have studied this topic; Nora is correct to note

that it happens in China as well as India -- the report I linked

covered many countries in Asia. But since this is a Shakta forum, and

since the birthplace of Hinduism is India, and since many if not most

of our members are from India or of Indian descent, that was my focus.

 

Perhaps my use of the phrase "Devi's Revenge" obscured my point. The

Alternative title I was considering for that post was "You Can't Fool

Mother Nature." Maybe that would have been the better choice; check

this out:

 

When I took the phrase "you can't fool Mother Nature," and plugged it

into the Google search engine, I got 552 results -- covering

everything from El Niño (a weather phenomenon believed to have

resulted from human-created climate changes on Earth), the havoc

wreaked by genetically modified plants (when they mix with natural

varieties) and animals (such as extra-large salmon, "farmed" as food

products, when they escape and breed with natural salmon); the

shortcomings of store-bought infant "formula" compared to human

mother's milk; and on and on ...

 

The phrase "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature" yielded 826 results,

discussing (yes, margarine commercials, but also) the destruction of

the eggs of birds exposed to certain chemical insecticides; reports

on global warming and thinning ozone; the "suicide" beachings of

whales who lost their bearings as the engine noise of military and

commercial ships killed their ability to use their natural sonar

navigation; and of course -- nuclear and biological weapons, in which

life-giving forces of Nature are harnessed by humans and placed in

the service of death-dealing technology.

 

The examples go on and on, of course. I apologize for any flaws in

presentation, but I believe my point remains valid. I'd be happy to

hear others' viewpoints on this.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe