Guest guest Posted April 20, 2002 Report Share Posted April 20, 2002 Om Namah Shivaya Thanks so much for sharing your research with us. I would love to look up your thesis when it is done. Please post the URL on this site if you can. When I read the following message from you, I totally agreed with the statement about the difficulties of a thesis dealing with caste. I just finished reading a book by Mark Tully called "No Full Stops in India", and I really recommend it. He addresses caste issues (from a new point of view, esp. for a Westerner) and I found it very interesting. I must admit that my own thinking was traditionally Western re: caste too (tho I'm Indian). He suggests that caste is not such a dirty word as aforethought,...except where it is rigid and oppressive...this is an oversimplification....but that it provides structure to society and community support in a way that is almost extinct today in most modern societies. After all, if caste refers to groups of people and heirarchy, then it exists just as surely today in Western countries as it does anywhere else. The important thing is how fluid is caste distinction...it has been more and less rigid through the millenniums, and it differs even now in different states in India. I think you might like this book if you haven't encountered it already...I recommend it highly... Best wishes, Om Amriteswaryai Namah, Usha Kutty In a message dated 4/20/2002 6:05:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: > Message: 4 > Thu, 18 Apr 2002 16:56:29 -0000 > "aikya" <aikya > Re: How Many? > > Another detail I should add is that my master's degree is in a new > interdisciplinary field called Women's Spirituality at New College of > California. With the program I visited Kerala as part of my study. > While there, thanks to a presentation by a grand-niece of Ayynkli, I > discovered the rivetting topic of caste injustice. I was quite > obsessed with that for a time. I myself have been so blessed by > Hinduism, by Indian people and Indian culture that I could not write > a thesis that solely dealt with caste, especially in the face of the > near total ignorance of most people in the U.S. about Hinduism and > India. The discovery of Ammachi and the bhajans solved my dilemna. > > Aikya > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2002 Report Share Posted April 30, 2002 This is slightly off-topic for this list - please pardon the digression. An interesting book on India and the effect that the caste systems has had is "The Idea of India" by Sunil Khilnani. He argues that since the "religious caste" did not have any political power. the spiritual heritage of INdia was preserved in spite of various invaders (the Moghuls, the British). Although political power was subjugated to the ruler of the day, there was hardly any influence on the spriritual plane especially in South India. Things have changed a lot with all the missionary activites going on in India, but that's a different story probably more suited for some other list ! Namashivaya, girish On Sat, 20 Apr 2002 DJUM wrote: > Om Namah Shivaya > > Thanks so much for sharing your research with us. I would love to look up > your thesis when it is done. Please post the URL on this site if you can. > > When I read the following message from you, I totally agreed with the > statement about the difficulties of a thesis dealing with caste. I just > finished reading a book by Mark Tully called "No Full Stops in India", and I > really recommend it. He addresses caste issues (from a new point of view, > esp. for a Westerner) and I found it very interesting. I must admit that my > own thinking was traditionally Western re: caste too (tho I'm Indian). He > suggests that caste is not such a dirty word as aforethought,...except where > it is rigid and oppressive...this is an oversimplification....but that it > provides structure to society and community support in a way that is almost > extinct today in most modern societies. After all, if caste refers to groups > of people and heirarchy, then it exists just as surely today in Western > countries as it does anywhere else. The important thing is how fluid is > caste distinction...it has been more and less rigid through the millenniums, > and it differs even now in different states in India. > > I think you might like this book if you haven't encountered it already...I > recommend it highly... > Best wishes, > Om Amriteswaryai Namah, > Usha Kutty > > > > In a message dated 4/20/2002 6:05:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, > Ammachi writes: > > > > Message: 4 > > Thu, 18 Apr 2002 16:56:29 -0000 > > "aikya" <aikya > > Re: How Many? > > > > Another detail I should add is that my master's degree is in a new > > interdisciplinary field called Women's Spirituality at New College of > > California. With the program I visited Kerala as part of my study. > > While there, thanks to a presentation by a grand-niece of Ayynkli, I > > discovered the rivetting topic of caste injustice. I was quite > > obsessed with that for a time. I myself have been so blessed by > > Hinduism, by Indian people and Indian culture that I could not write > > a thesis that solely dealt with caste, especially in the face of the > > near total ignorance of most people in the U.S. about Hinduism and > > India. The discovery of Ammachi and the bhajans solved my dilemna. > > > > Aikya > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Your use of is subject to > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2002 Report Share Posted May 2, 2002 Dear Girish, Although I was fascinated by caste and distressed by caste infustice in India, my thesis project is about how singing the devotional songs in the BHAJANAMRITA collection regularly as a spiritual practice change people. Due to the content of them, I expected that they would increase compassion. Working with three co-researchers at the M.A. Center has been a deeply moving and rewarding experience. I'm in the "home stretch" with the thesis now, putting the last touches requested by my advisors. When it is done and has been approved, I plan to put two copies in the MA Center library. It's very inspiring reading. Aikya Ammachi, Girish <girishv@e...> wrote: > This is slightly off-topic for this list - please pardon the digression. > An interesting book on India and the effect that the caste systems has had > is "The Idea of India" by Sunil Khilnani. He argues that since the "religious > caste" did not have any political power. the spiritual heritage of INdia was > preserved in spite of various invaders (the Moghuls, the British). Although political > power was subjugated to the ruler of the day, there was hardly any influence on > the spriritual plane especially in South India. > > Things have changed a lot with all the missionary activites going on in India, > but that's a different story probably more suited for some other list ! > > Namashivaya, > > girish > > > > On Sat, 20 Apr 2002 DJUM@a... wrote: > > > Om Namah Shivaya > > > > Thanks so much for sharing your research with us. I would love to look up > > your thesis when it is done. Please post the URL on this site if you can. > > > > When I read the following message from you, I totally agreed with the > > statement about the difficulties of a thesis dealing with caste. I just > > finished reading a book by Mark Tully called "No Full Stops in India", and I > > really recommend it. He addresses caste issues (from a new point of view, > > esp. for a Westerner) and I found it very interesting. I must admit that my > > own thinking was traditionally Western re: caste too (tho I'm Indian). He > > suggests that caste is not such a dirty word as aforethought,...except where > > it is rigid and oppressive...this is an oversimplification....but that it > > provides structure to society and community support in a way that is almost > > extinct today in most modern societies. After all, if caste refers to groups > > of people and heirarchy, then it exists just as surely today in Western > > countries as it does anywhere else. The important thing is how fluid is > > caste distinction...it has been more and less rigid through the millenniums, > > and it differs even now in different states in India. > > > > I think you might like this book if you haven't encountered it already...I > > recommend it highly... > > Best wishes, > > Om Amriteswaryai Namah, > > Usha Kutty > > > > > > > > In a message dated 4/20/2002 6:05:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, > > Ammachi writes: > > > > > > > Message: 4 > > > Thu, 18 Apr 2002 16:56:29 -0000 > > > "aikya" <aikya> > > > Re: How Many? > > > > > > Another detail I should add is that my master's degree is in a new > > > interdisciplinary field called Women's Spirituality at New College of > > > California. With the program I visited Kerala as part of my study. > > > While there, thanks to a presentation by a grand-niece of Ayynkli, I > > > discovered the rivetting topic of caste injustice. I was quite > > > obsessed with that for a time. I myself have been so blessed by > > > Hinduism, by Indian people and Indian culture that I could not write > > > a thesis that solely dealt with caste, especially in the face of the > > > near total ignorance of most people in the U.S. about Hinduism and > > > India. The discovery of Ammachi and the bhajans solved my dilemna. > > > > > > Aikya > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > Ammachi- > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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