Guest guest Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 In a message dated 7/15/03 6:58:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: > Message: 3 > Mon, 14 Jul 2003 20:13:23 -0700 (PDT) > Mike Brooker <patria1818 > Re: Re: Who is a Hindu? > > > >after all these > >years, there are still about the same number of > >people who > >come to see Amma? > > Really? The number of devotees has been growing > exponentially since her first U.S. tour back in 1987 > or '88, n'est-ce pas? I would like to go back to the > small gatherings Amma used to have some 15 years ago. ::This is definitely true. I would like to go back to the eightees, when the venues were much smaller indeed, and the darshan times much longer. It is incredibly obvious to anyone who was there from the inception of the US tours. This guy obviously has experience only in the past few years. Even then, however, we outgrew, so to speak the Universalist Church and had to go to a larger venue, such as Columbia. (Why they shifted to the Manhattan Center this year, I do not know. ) > > > It is because Westerners hear the > >words > >'Hindu guru' > > The media is partially to blame for this. I can't > think how many times I have read an article about > Amma's tour in a mainstream mass-circulation newspaper > that refers to Amma as a "guru" or "Hindu spiritual > leader". The articles often perpetuate the cult > stereotype with sometimes irrelevant references to > "exotic Indian music" or even Amma's oversize nose > ring. ::Amma tries to argue universality of message. This is somewhat a gray area, however. After all, the customs and prayers are obviously Hindu, even if the Hindu mentality aims at universality. That is to say, for example, the Catholic religion could say the same thing--note that the meaning of "catholic" is "universal." But Hindu and Catholic traditions are obviously not universal in the sense of customs. Amma remains a Hindu saint or avatar, not a Jewish nor a Christian nor a Muslim saint. Yes, in the sense that a saint is a saint, certainly she transcends all isms, but on the level of customs, clothes, tradition, ideology--the form in which it is packaged is clearly Hindu. I agree with the distaste for mock-Hinduism among Westerners. I find it ridiculous to see them bellowing out invocations to Ganesh, Krishna, etc.These same individuals would usually disparage similar legends from their own tradition, but uncritically accept whatsoever "exotic" beliefs that are available. I am not too hard on them about it, because it comes from an innocent heart; it remains for the individual to decide what is true for him, versus going too far into pseudo-Hindu fare. Simply put, she appears within Hindu tradition and employs their customs: She is a Hindu guru, no bones about it. She does not speak Japanese, she does not use Buddhist stories in teaching, etc. Only in the highest sense is she universal, and that is important, surely, but one cannot hold it against the press if they see her as a Hindu guru. She claims universality only through Hinduism, which is not very universal at all. We could, for example, do a medley of all religious beliefs and traditions; perhaps on different days of the week...a little irony here, but I think my point is made. > > >Let Hinduism be for the Indians. Westerners > >should > >remain true to their own culture and need not get > >swept up into > >the exoticism of the East. > > In that case, for Amma's U.S. programs why don't we > keep our shoes on and sit on pews. Instead of > Hershey's kisses we can receive communion wafers or > Kiddush wine. And instead of bhajans, we can sing > "Rock of Ages" or "Sh'ma Yisrael". IMHO, a lot of > devotees are drawn to eastern spirituality because > their own western Judeo-Christian culture is > spiritually void or they have had bad experiences with > Christianity or Judaism while growing up. (myself, I > got so sick of the Holocaust guilt trip, I became > convinced that God died in a gas chamber in 1943) > > If you'll excuse me, I've gotta go and wash my kurta > and dhoti. ::Yes, I recall when on an Indian train going to Madras, I was the only guy wearing a kurta. All the Indians were dressed Western, and I was dressed Eastern! What's up with dat? > > Keval > > > > SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > http://sbc. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2003 Report Share Posted July 17, 2003 Namah Shivaya, Even then, > however, we outgrew, so to speak the Universalist Church and had to go to a > larger venue, such as Columbia. (Why they shifted to the Manhattan Center > this year, I do not know. ) It is as you say, program size outgrew venue. Many if not all the hosts are being challenged with finding venues that accommodate the growing crowds. Amma's grace will continue to guide to solve. p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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