[ramakrishna] what i learned from the earthquake...IV

[Guest guest]

rabbitrabbitrabbitrabbit...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Brought up in an Army household, living through black outs and having to dig

trenches in our back garden,that we were taught to run to in case of a

Pakistani air raid both in the 1965 and the 1971 war with Pakistan, i have,

in my youth, and even now to an extent look on Pakistan as hostile towards

India.

 

Looking at the map and the epicenter of the earthquake, it is just a few

miles west of the Pakistani border. If the epicentre had been in Pakistan

and the devastation occured JUST a few miles west, i probably would have not

been as caring, even less caring than i have been for the victims of Turkey,

El Salvador...

 

Strange, what a man-made border can do to the feelings and emotions in my

psyche.It has been conditioned and programmed in me.

 

To rise out of my conditioning and programming and become free of such

'vasanas' is what life is all about, i suppose.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

the end!!

 

For the Pakistanis are the same people, the same language, even the same

culture. How can i feel so differently for them than i do for the people of

Gujarat?

_______________________

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[Guest guest]

Maybe you're also deluding yourself by thinking you are " sympathetic " to the

victims of this earthquake because they are Indians. Maybe deep down you're

thinking how " lucky " you are to NOT have been one of it's victims. That is,

other people's misfortune and suffering has made you feel grateful that the same

thing didn't happen to you. True gratitude shouldn't be based on others

misfortune. Since nationalism is just an extension of ego identification, it's

not likely that you're truly sympathetic. As Sri Ramakrishna said:

" Love for family is maya, love for all people is daya. "

[Guest guest]

Maybe...

 

and maybe i did not mean anything other than what you yourself have

stated.

 

for if you read my messages you will know that i do not disagree with you at

all.

 

i am steeped in Maya.

 

but my aim was not to point out how much more evolved i am than others(which

i am not) by 'showing off' my symapthy (which i am not) but merely to say

that we can learn from all external events that affect us... i did from the

earthquake a bit about myself. And it was humbling...

 

i completely agree with your statement that true sympathy arises not from

other's misfortunes...it should arise even if one is worse off than

others...

 

 

 

 

>jaguarxox

>Ramakrishna

><Ramakrishna >

>Re: [ramakrishna] what i learned from the earthquake...IV

>Thu, 08 Feb 2001 09:47:57 EST

>

>Maybe you're also deluding yourself by thinking you are " sympathetic " to

>the victims of this earthquake because they are Indians. Maybe deep down

>you're thinking how " lucky " you are to NOT have been one of it's victims.

>That is, other people's misfortune and suffering has made you feel grateful

>that the same thing didn't happen to you. True gratitude shouldn't be based

>on others misfortune. Since nationalism is just an extension of ego

>identification, it's not likely that you're truly sympathetic. As Sri

>Ramakrishna said:

> " Love for family is maya, love for all people is daya. "

>

 

_______________________

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[Guest guest]

thank yu for all these messages. i learn from them as well. i do wonder

though... for i am at an age when i feel that if i hear things i ought to have

followed in my youth, i feel down.

 

What are the remedies for knowing one has so few years left and yet suddenly

waking up to know that i could have....should have.....?

 

isn't spirituality and an " awakening " so very " useless " for someone my age...

 

what i am saying Jairam....is where were your email messages 50 years ago???

 

msj

 

On Wed, 07 Feb 2001 22:19:23

jairam seshadri wrote:

>rabbitrabbitrabbitrabbit...

>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>

>Brought up in an Army household, living through black outs and having to dig

>trenches in our back garden,that we were taught to run to in case of a

>Pakistani air raid both in the 1965 and the 1971 war with Pakistan, i have,

>in my youth, and even now to an extent look on Pakistan as hostile towards

>India.

>

>Looking at the map and the epicenter of the earthquake, it is just a few

>miles west of the Pakistani border. If the epicentre had been in Pakistan

>and the devastation occured JUST a few miles west, i probably would have not

>been as caring, even less caring than i have been for the victims of Turkey,

>El Salvador...

>

>Strange, what a man-made border can do to the feelings and emotions in my

>psyche.It has been conditioned and programmed in me.

>

>To rise out of my conditioning and programming and become free of such

>'vasanas' is what life is all about, i suppose.

>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>the end!!

>

>For the Pakistanis are the same people, the same language, even the same

>culture. How can i feel so differently for them than i do for the people of

>Gujarat?

>_______________________

>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

>

>

>

 

 

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