Guest guest Posted December 12, 2004 Report Share Posted December 12, 2004 The mention of the prisoners Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela got my mind going. The most famous, most dearly beloved prisoner of all was Jesus, isn't that so? And I guess you could say that he was on death row since death was what the political forces of the time intended for him. I was afraid to start this work with our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated. It was dangerous. I felt overprotective toward the Circle of Love letter writers. But, whn the first person who asked for letters already knew and loved Amma, that was very different from just taking somebody from the general prison population. It was almost as if Amma had already chosen this brother and we were just following up. Besides Amma's love, I believe in the possibility of radical surprise, that apparently lost people still have the passion for freedom and happiness that can energize total personal transformation. And I beleiive that that change can happen at any time, right up until moments before death. Valmiki, who write the internationally known classic the Ramayana was a thief, isn't that so? There are several other famous spiritual leaders who had mighty shady pasts. It is St. Augustine who was pretty disreputable and then changed his ways to become a well-known church father? I'm glad that amma didn't require that I be without faults before I could find her. Aikya Ammachi, Mike Brooker <patria1818> wrote: > > > > > I taught from 4-year olds through 6th grade for 7 > > years. At least > > half that time was in the Southeast Bronx or a > > not-so-great > > neighborhood in Bronx, New York. > > > > Keep the faith. Teaching is tough. > > As a library technician at a community college, the > lack of written English skills really gets me down. > Not so much the immigrant students, but those who were > born and educated in this country. I think that at > the college level you should know the difference > between "there" and "their" or "to" and "too", have > mastered the past participles of certain irregular > verbs (i.e. "I should have gone", not "I should of > went"), and generally be able to compose a sentence > with a subject and predicate. > > > > > My point was only that those who wind up in prison, > > for whatever > > reason, often don't have skills. > > No one questioned the literacy skills of Mahatma > Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or MLK Jr. On the other hand, > they didn't do time in the Big House for drug dealing, > carjacking, or statutory rape! > > > > > Amma's hug is big enough for the "bleeding heart > > liberals" and those > > who are "no innocent angels." > > > > Amma will even hug the paleo-conservatives! Though > her tour mostly visits "blue" states such as IL, NY, > CA, DC and MA - not to mention that bleeding-heart > liberal den of iniquity Canada - she also visits Gee > Dubya's home state of Texas. > > I hope Michael (the prisoner) will get Amma's darshan > after he's served his time! > > Keval > > > > > > Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. > http://info.mail./mail_250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 Hi, I really could say the same, with such a requirement - no chance. And I'm still struggling. Ruediger Aikya Param <aikya wrote: I'm glad that amma didn't require that I be without faults before I could find her. Gesendet von Mail - Jetzt mit 250MB kostenlosem Speicher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I don't know who said it first but I recall coming across the following in Swami Vivekananda's works: "Every saint has a past, every sinner a future" It is also salutary to realize the justice system in the US or elsewhere can generate miscarriages. While the media are typically shrill over OJ type cases where just punishment is apparently evaded, there are probably many more cases involving miscarriage in the other direction that languish unhyped. Some innocent people even pay the ultimate price for crimes not committed. If nothing else, a string of recent acquittals based on new DNA evidence of those wrongly convicted in the past, from even the most conservative States, must provoke thought on the efficacy of the system. And if one probes a little deeper, beyond the delivery of justice to systemic issues underlying the incidence of crime, one might realize that the difference between criminals, however heinous, and law-abiding persons is just so much environment/conditioning. After all, how much of a chance at life does one have if born, say, to a single black mother in a crack-consuming, gang-riven neighbourhood? A pretty good crack? The statistics are telling. In the spiritual context, a certain quote (Brother Lawrence?) comes to mind when I contemplate those who have accumulated cart-loads of bad karma in their current lives: "There, but for the grace of God, go I" IMHO, the letter writing project to prisoners is a wonderful attempt to put compassion into practice. It may not be for everyone; it certainly goes way beyond my own horizons, but those who take on this challenge are to be commended. My humble pranams, Om Amriteshwaryai Namah fg Ammachi, "Aikya Param" <aikya> wrote: > > The mention of the prisoners Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela got my > mind going. The most famous, most dearly beloved prisoner of all was > Jesus, isn't that so? And I guess you could say that he was on death > row since death was what the political forces of the time intended > for him. > > I was afraid to start this work with our brothers and sisters who are > incarcerated. It was dangerous. I felt overprotective toward the > Circle of Love letter writers. But, whn the first person who asked > for letters already knew and loved Amma, that was very different from > just taking somebody from the general prison population. It was > almost as if Amma had already chosen this brother and we were just > following up. > > Besides Amma's love, I believe in the possibility of radical > surprise, that apparently lost people still have the passion for > freedom and happiness that can energize total personal > transformation. And I beleiive that that change can happen at any > time, right up until moments before death. > > Valmiki, who write the internationally known classic the Ramayana was > a thief, isn't that so? There are several other famous spiritual > leaders who had mighty shady pasts. It is St. Augustine who was > pretty disreputable and then changed his ways to become a well-known > church father? > > I'm glad that amma didn't require that I be without faults before I > could find her. > > Aikya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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