Indiana Jones and Impressions and Witnessing. (Deepa Mehta's movies)

[Guest guest]

Ammachi, "kasi_visvanath"

<kasi_visvanath> wrote:

>

> Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!!

>

> Namaskarams!!

>

> the trouble is the many people who go to movies

> mayh not be as knowledgeable about Indian culture/religion as

> Amma's devotees might tend to be...and these westerners would not

> have anything to compare Ms. Mehta's version of reality

> with...thus they will NOT be able to view the movie with a

> critical perspective, as they do not KNOW the issues as they might

> be seen by someone who has some exposure to Indian culture /

> religion and its issues...thus they are very vulnerable to the

> moviemaker's views on things...

>

> In Amma's Divine Love

> and In Her Service,

> as ever,

> your own self,

>

> visvanathan

>

> Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!!

 

Hi all:

 

To really understand what Vishvanathan is saying, let us do an

exercise.

 

I am pretty sure most of you have seen Steven Spielberg's "Indiana

Jones and the Temple of Doom". I am also very certain that when you

saw it (mid-to-late 80's?) you found it extremely hilarious and

entertaining. I sure did. and that, that is probably the IMPRESSION

(important word) you carry of that movie to this day.

 

Ok ... now with your current heightened sensitivity of who/what Kali

is and what she actually represents, go see the movie again for how

Indiana Jones meets the "evil" tantrik priest and how Kali is

represented. Also, record your observations of the food he is served

at the Maharajah's place and the plating.

 

Do let me know if all this really does not bother you at all even

now ..... if it does not make you feel like the everyday reality is

highly distorted by a film-maker just to suit his interest of making

a movie (hilarious or otherwise).

 

If you extend the same to Ms Mehta's movie, I think this is what

Vishvanathan means by "these westerners would not have anything to

compare Ms. Mehta's version of reality" ..... One's critical

observation skills would be a moot point without the background

knowledge.

 

which somehow brings me to a key (spiritual) point (note that at

this point, there is no reference to the 'movies' theme etc):

Our attitudes are shaped by our perceptions which are shaped by our

IMPRESSIONS of our MEMORY of our experiences.

 

Even more convoluted is that:

these all form a cycle (most likely of a vicious nature) where they

influence each other to form our 'vasanas' and insure our

continuing 'prarabhdha' (momentum of a jiva-based life). The

additional inputs to this cycle are new moment-to-moment experiences.

 

True Objectivity for most is all but impossible. Hence most teachers

ask us to be still and WITNESS (Saakshi Bhava). Simply witnessing

(resisting the urge to explain an event or be "on top of it" or "in

control of the situation") is perhaps the finest thing we can do to

get out of the many such vicious cycles each one of us has.

 

A greater skill of WITNESSING will lead us to be able to be more

truly objective of anything and anybody.

 

and in this state, we will always be RESPONDing and not REACTing.

 

I consider this as the state of being practially self-realized. but

these are just my random musings, so don't take it to heart if you

are inclined to disagree (which I am sure most are, anyways). .

 

Jai Ma!