Sidestepping

This following statement might be politically incorrect to say, but I feel like saying it anyway - the recent unrest in the Middle East has reaffirmed my choice to have Hinduism be my vehicle for peace of mind and spiritual perfection. I don't know if that's offensive to say, coming from myself, a white male American citizen who so desperately wants to be Hindu, but at the very least I hope it's understandable to my readers. If I may explain why I feel this way...

I admit, I am no expert on Islam, or any of the Abrahamic faiths for that matter (not even Christianity). But the us-versus-them rhetoric that seems to permeate the dialogue between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam these days really turns me off from all of the above. I don't want to be involved in this sort of conflict. Even if one side is clearly the greater oppressor than the other, taking a direct stand for either side is liable to tear my soul apart, because it will feel like either way I am betraying a part of humanity.

A lot of European Christian art of course depicts Jesus as a white male. And while I remember there being a law in Islam that says the prophet Muhammad (or any prophet for that matter) cannot be portrayed visually, a lot of emphasis is placed on Muhammad being an Arab (as far as I know). So much emphasis is placed on the so-called "race" of these figures that one can't help but infer that these faiths are favoring God being a certain skin color.

This goes into one of the biggest reasons I have gravitated towards Hinduism and its plurality of Gods. Okay, so maybe most of the Gods in Hinduism are depicted with Indian features (again, as far as I can tell). But you'd be forgetting that there are plenty of Gods in Hinduism that have features that can't really be said to favor any human - Lord Shiva is often depicted with his skin being blue, Lord Ganesha has the head of an elephant, and Lord Hanuman has attributes of a monkey, including a tail! You know what that says to me? It says that God can be anyone! Black, white, brown, candy-striped, or maybe not even human. Just because I'm white doesn't mean God in Hinduism would favor or disfavor me, because God can be anything.

Maybe the above is a bit of an oversimplified explanation, and maybe a simplistic way of looking at things...but I don't intend to offend anyone with this post. I'm just expressing how - and why - I feel in light of recent events. If I say anything offensive, please say so, that I may work to correct myself. Just keep in mind I'm entitled to my opinion.

The Real Real World

*Takes a moment to remove dust and yellow tape...*

Namaste to all my readers...it's been a while! Sorry about the long absence. If you're wondering why it's been so long, well, a lot has been going on in my real life. A LOT. So much so that this blog had to be put on the back burner for a while. A lot is still going on, but I still have time to write a post where I can share some wisdom I've discovered.

That wisdom is pretty simple, actually - we spend so much time losing ourselves in information around us, that in trying to figure out what's important and worthy of our attention, we forget about our own experiences. We spend so much time living other people's lives that we forget about our own.

That is why there is meditation and yoga, and why it is so important in this day and age. Sure, the Internet can help connect you to the world outside, but you need something to connect you to the world inside.

I'm not saying one should completely cut off the outside world - no human can be an island, after all. But there has to be a balance...and that balance is one I've finally started to get a grip on.

As a result, big things are happening. Amazing things. Things I'm proud to be a part of. And hopefully I will be able to share them with you very soon.