Santosh,
I am talking of enlightened practices in the behaviorial environment; and
also of enlightened 'reason' that leads to superior practices; whilst you
are misleading readers into enlightenement vis soul and power of the
almighty etc.
What I have said, IMPLIES that one does not have to be a Christian to be an
an elightened practitioner of certain practices that are the effect of good
reason and being a Christian helps towards this; Hindu philosophy on the
other hand, in practice, seems to be the anti thesis of this. This is my
view; and I have no intention nor do I want to be dragged into any discourse
on philosophy; because I am not competent in that area. So I stick to what I
see, in the practical evolution of these theories.
You have tried to take away from me, my propogation of 'practical (non
ghettoisation) harmonious living of different cultures' and actual
participation in the essence of various cultures, without adherence to
taboos and hang ups of the past.
What is in practice is what counts, ultimately! A truly multicultural person
or community should be able to make choices and partcipate in the good
within various cultures, without some taboo or dogma holding them back.
Or else IT SIMPLY MEANS SEPERATE LIVING, SEGREGATION and APARTHIED like
system, without even minimal integration! What you are content with is
multicultural ghettos tolerating and respecting others, yet living in their
own 'narrow' world.
I am not content with that! That is why I want India to be an integrated
great society, where brahmin and chamar will sit at the same table, and
partake of each others food etc; where Hindu of any caste, will be'
liberated' enough to partake and discourse with a Muslim, Christian, Jain,
or non believer,( and vice versa). In this scenario it would mean that a
liberated Hindu or Muslim would be able to sit and eat what he likes in a
non Hindu, non Muslim eating place. As a Christian or with Christian
'liberated' cultural background, I should be able to meet with any person
who may not be of my persuasion, and partake of our choice of food etc, in
any or all places without negative encumbrances.
This sort of exchange is possible for me in enlightend modern countries, but
not in India.
Recently I met some Indian athletes who were here in Melbourne for the
Games; we had a civic reception cum Indian Cultural event hosted by the
Indian Community, to make these guys feel at home as well as to project
Indian Culture to Australia and the world. This was held at the Town Hall,
the use if which was made available for free by the Lord Mayor and his
Council. Outside there were stalls displaying Indian cultural wares and food
stalls of the traditional narrow unliberated variety of food. I asked two of
these visiting Indians as to what places they would go to eat in and tour in
multicultural Australia. Their answer was that they would tour as much as
possible but they would only visit Indian Restaurants and Indian homes, as
one was a vegetarian and the other was used to only mutton and chicken India
stye. I said: but in multicultural Australia one can get best of vegetarian
food and the best of lamb and chicken in almost all restaurants, not only
Indian. I also said to them: "when I first set foot outside India in the
1960's, I went to a non Indian restaurant where I could taste and partake in
the wonderful variety of food and culturally diverse cuisines. That they do
not know what they are missing! They should open themselves up, instead of
being bogged down in their narrow vision of the world:
To which they kindly replied that they would like to; but for the fact that
whilst in India they are brought up thus; and therefore just not unable to
partake in other cultures. I said, I could and did, because I was truly
liberated from dogma and traditions.
You see, that is why I say that the Goan Christian or Indian Christian
culture is truly liberated and enlightened! So we can make ourselves at home
anywhere and everywhere and with anyone; and partake of 'joie de vivre'.
This is how it should be for everyone; Damn the taboos and the stuck up
ideas of the past!
This is my last posting on this thread; Thanks to all for reading me.
Sincerely speaking,
Nasci Caldeira.
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Santosh Helekar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Goanet] Enlightened Christian
Date: Sun, 7 May 2006 16:26:42 -0700 (PDT)
The common understanding of multiculturalism and
enlightenment has no resemblance with what has been
described in this thread so far. In the secular tradition enlightenment is
synonymous
with knowledge achieved by the free exercise of
reason. Indeed, the Age of Enlightenment is deemed to
be a rejection of myth and superstition, etc.
Actually, India has a much longer tradition of rationalistic thinking of
this type embedded within the ancient pre-Hindu scriptures.
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