Holy Cow! – Part 1 [Nirvana = Marijuana]
Okay the title of this post has been purposely ripped off from Sarah McDonald’s Book with the very same title. I read this book almost 8 months back and was really surprised by things that foreigners seem to notice that we Indians just glance at and move on. We aren’t shocked, surprised or horrified about things that we see around us. It is not because we are insensitive but because we know. I don’t know how exactly I am going to explain the “we know” attitude about the things happening around us. But here goes:
While walking on K.D road with my friends a bunch of little beggar kids circled us and started asking us for money. [I don’t encourage begging, I don’t give money to beggars and no I will certainly not agree that by giving them money I am helping them] We have learnt to break away from them and even these kids know who they can prey on. Walking behind us was a Singaporean lady, and two American men. The lady looked at the kids and immediately fished out change and started giving these little kids some heavy change, the men followed suit. The kids were pleased and you’d think they’d leave these people alone, but oh no, not so soon. These people were being really generous, so the kids called their other friends who were near by and the trio had to fish out more money. One of the men said, “They don’t show them behaving like this in Slum dog Millionaire.” [S.M has only highlighted one tiny aspect of a very large India. There isn’t a single country where poverty is just a myth. It exists every where.] People who have watched the movie equate India with poverty and fail to see beyond it. It is understandable; you don’t get the real picture unless you are a part of a particular culture, or an observer of the culture in its natural surroundings. I don’t blame the man for fantasizing that he would probably inspire a young Indian kid who just might-like the kid in the movie have the potential to win a million rupees. My friend and I decided that the kids had troubled the trio long enough and shooed them.
Apparently they are here for 2 month long intensive yoga training and are also a part of the Art of living course. It’s funny how they think they are healing from all the stress that they had been carrying around them all this while and India is where they decided they would get Nirvana. To quote the man, “Make the soul take charge of the body and not the body take charge over the soul”. The man spoke as if he were in a very blissful daze. All three reeked of cigarette smoke and the guy talking had a faint but very obvious stench of alcohol. Though not a course member of the Art of living, I do know that the first few things one has to give up is – Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, tea, coffee (!!!) and cool drinks and non vegetarian food. The program encourages people to nourish their systems from fresh fruits and steamed food – as told to me by a friend who lasted in the program for 3 days. [She is a tea addict; the first thing she did was get home and drink gallons of tea]
What is the point of coming all the way to India and pretending to be a pseudo seeker? They are better off joining A.A or the likes instead of spending all the money and time and making themselves believe that they are in fact closer to the truth about life and after.
Rumors are that Art of living and ISCKON grow marijuana in their backyards and that’s why the place is swarmed with foreigners. Easy dope, the closest that these people will ever get to Nirvana.
While walking on K.D road with my friends a bunch of little beggar kids circled us and started asking us for money. [I don’t encourage begging, I don’t give money to beggars and no I will certainly not agree that by giving them money I am helping them] We have learnt to break away from them and even these kids know who they can prey on. Walking behind us was a Singaporean lady, and two American men. The lady looked at the kids and immediately fished out change and started giving these little kids some heavy change, the men followed suit. The kids were pleased and you’d think they’d leave these people alone, but oh no, not so soon. These people were being really generous, so the kids called their other friends who were near by and the trio had to fish out more money. One of the men said, “They don’t show them behaving like this in Slum dog Millionaire.” [S.M has only highlighted one tiny aspect of a very large India. There isn’t a single country where poverty is just a myth. It exists every where.] People who have watched the movie equate India with poverty and fail to see beyond it. It is understandable; you don’t get the real picture unless you are a part of a particular culture, or an observer of the culture in its natural surroundings. I don’t blame the man for fantasizing that he would probably inspire a young Indian kid who just might-like the kid in the movie have the potential to win a million rupees. My friend and I decided that the kids had troubled the trio long enough and shooed them.
Apparently they are here for 2 month long intensive yoga training and are also a part of the Art of living course. It’s funny how they think they are healing from all the stress that they had been carrying around them all this while and India is where they decided they would get Nirvana. To quote the man, “Make the soul take charge of the body and not the body take charge over the soul”. The man spoke as if he were in a very blissful daze. All three reeked of cigarette smoke and the guy talking had a faint but very obvious stench of alcohol. Though not a course member of the Art of living, I do know that the first few things one has to give up is – Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, tea, coffee (!!!) and cool drinks and non vegetarian food. The program encourages people to nourish their systems from fresh fruits and steamed food – as told to me by a friend who lasted in the program for 3 days. [She is a tea addict; the first thing she did was get home and drink gallons of tea]
What is the point of coming all the way to India and pretending to be a pseudo seeker? They are better off joining A.A or the likes instead of spending all the money and time and making themselves believe that they are in fact closer to the truth about life and after.
Rumors are that Art of living and ISCKON grow marijuana in their backyards and that’s why the place is swarmed with foreigners. Easy dope, the closest that these people will ever get to Nirvana.
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