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Why They Stole: Part 2

To: am-global@earthlink.net Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:34:22 -0800 From: "Hank Tomasson" Subject: Why They Stole: Part 2 Baba "A'kasher ta'ra' mor, ekata'ra' eki sure geye caleche..." (P.S. 4716) Baba, from the music of my heart and to the stars of the sky, everything is singing one tune and one melody. Baba You exist and this world also exists; but it is revolving around You because You are the Nucleus. You are the Controller of everything. Indeed, Baba, You are the Essence of this universe-- everything is dancing and revolving around You. Baba, in this beautiful creation of Yours, everyone is wreathed together in one garland. Everyone's sweet heart is attracted to one and all. The illusion about 'mine' and 'others' is evaporating. Here in this world everyone has come to become one. No one is an outsider; everybody is my own. Those who are sadhus, good sadhakas, and devotees-- they see unity in diversity. They view everyone equally and they love all. Whereas that self-centered & ignorant mind operating under the dark spell of avidya maya has brought these problems of selfishness, groupism, and divisiveness. Baba, You are everything, You are attracting one and all. Your whole creation is dancing and revolving around You. By Your grace, everyone's heart and mind is wreathed together. Baba in this way You are lovingly playing Your grand liila...
== WHY THEY STOLE: PART 2 ==
Namaskar, Curious why the general Indian public is abandoning 'Namaskar' and instead involved in 'shaking hands', or why the 'using water' has been swapped out 'for wiping with toiler paper', or why 'laungotas' have become a thing of the past and 'western underwear' is now the only way to go, or why India is now importing more meat than ever before into its borders. All these above changes-- as well as others like them by various native communities in other countries-- are fast taking place today, and have been in the making for a long while. That is the sad and unfortunate plight of so many of these previously colonised nations and subjugated peoples. Here the point is not to only highlight India. Such transformations are also occurring with Blacks in the US, Middle-Easterners in Europe, Native Indians in Brasil, and so many others. It is happening wherever people have been made to believe that their own cultural is 'lowly'. That is the reason why so many communities around the globe are departing from their traditional or cultural heritage and instead adopting the so-called 'shining ways' of another more dominant culture. That is why McDonald's, Levis, martinis, and just about everything western is being embraced in so many lands. Here is more about this most tragic human tale.
WHAT WAS SAID THE OTHER DAY
Let us just backstep for a moment... The other day in an AM-GLOBAL posting, the matter was raised about how the colonial powers took away precious artifacts from various lands and how now certain countries like Greece are asking for their artifacts back. This is a big current events item nowadays in the general society. Plus, it was discussed that those colonial powers took those artifacts not for their monetary value, but rather because those imperialistic nations wanted to exploit those local and native people to the very bone. And it was discussed, that those cultural artifacts must be returned to those native lands etc. All of this was discussed in the posting of 4/3/08, titled "Why They Stole'.
TRAGICALLY-- THE EFFECT IS LASTING
Now here comes some new segments because it is not only that those cultural artifacts should be returned. It is not just a simple case of thievery of an old artifact. Tragically, the common people from the lands of South Africa, India, Greece, Vietnam, Mexico, Nepal, Morocco, and so many places have been stripped of their cultural pride. And we see the ill effect still to this very day. Because the stealing of an artifact is the only the very beginning of a long chain of events. Just see: The main or only way to exploit an entire people is to first rob them of their own cultural identity and legacy, and then impose new cultural norms, i.e. those of the dominant country. Take away their history, heroes, habits, language, and customs, and then instead inject the same from the dominant land. That will shatter the backbone of a people and cause them to fall into an inferiority complex-- such that they will openly renounce everything about their own culture background and history, even the most positive aspects. Their language, their dress, their history, their music, their everything will be dropped into one dark chasm, and instead those oppressed and embarrassed people will run after everything associated with the more dominant culture. I.e. they will embrace the ways of their exploiters. Because they have been brainwashed into being totally ashamed of their native ways.
HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE WORLD
And indeed this is what is going on the world over. And that is the new point that I wish to raise. Namely, wherever artifacts have been taken, in that land pseudo-culture has been imposed, and the people suffer from an inferiority complex, such that they are totally ashamed of who they are, and then they end up as prime targets for economic exploitation. So in any land, where people are swapping out their own cultural heritage for so-called modern living, or the ways of a more dominant culture, then it is sure that those people are getting exploited in one way or another. Baba has pointed this out in so many discourses. Baba says, "A particular group which is motivated by socio-sentiment to exploit others, tries to destroy the local cultural expressions of other groups. It forcibly imposes its language, dress and ideas on other groups, and thus paves the way for exploitation by paralysing those people psychologically. This is how people guided by socio-sentiment perpetuate exploitation in cultural life." (NH-LOI, Disc: 7) That is why this whole issue is not just a simple case of thievery wherein artifacts can be returned and then the whole matter is done. It is not like that. Because when certain people do not like to speak their mother tongue even in their own kitchen let alone in public, and when some people do not like the shape of their hair or the color of their skin, and where people think that all that is good comes from outside their borders, and where people feel that the traditions from their country are of no value, then this all speaks to the point that those peoples have become ashamed of who they are. In that case, inferiority complexes and exploitation must also be nearby. Such is the devious and harmful effect of pillaging a country of their cultural heritage and artifacts. And that is why all across the globe innocent people are chasing after Euro-American manners and ways. Because they have been brainwashed into thinking that that is the only and best way to live.
RETURNING THE ARTIFACTS IS NOT THE ONLY POINT
So it is not just that the museums of New York, Paris, London, Sydney, San Francisco, and elsewhere need only return thousands of artifacts to nations like Zaire, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Jamaica, Peru, and Greece. Although that would be good-- that is not the only point. Rather centuries and centuries of cultural oppression and suppression need to be undone. Innumerable lands were forced to forget about their own cultural heroes and figures as they were wiped clean from the history, and instead they were taught to honor so-called western heroes like Christopher Columbus, Vasco De Gama, US Presidents, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Jane Fonda and the list goes on and on. On the surface it all may look innocent, but the undercurrents of such cultural imposition is horrific. As people have been brainwashed into thinking that their own way of living and their own history is negligible or even sub-human. And still today, in their conscious mind they are unaware that this has happened. The scar is that deep.
SOME REFLECTION
So it is a painful and unfortunate twist. And none should think that the current events story begins and ends with the returning of artifacts to a native area. Rather those stolen artifacts were just the starting point of the demolition of entire cultures. And it should also be known that still today those museum curators in New York, Paris, London, and Chicago have absolutely no intention of even returning the cultural artifacts to those distant lands from where they came. Another aspect is that as we speak the younger generations in those exploited countries have no idea why they are running after western values and western ways. They are just plunged in the idea that those things are better. From nightclubs to McDonalds, from pants to neck ties, from lipstick to cartoons, from coca-cola to the English language, inside and out, the long-term effect of have their cultural artifacts stolen is stinging the youths in those lands. About this there is much more to be said. And certainly none should walk away thinking that the people of India, Vietnam, Mexico, Greece, Phillipines, Zaire, etc are to be blamed. It is not the fault of those colonised nations that they have fallen into this trap. Rather those western exploiters from the US and Europe shoulder the blame. Those top politicians and executives are the cause-- not even the general public of those wealthy nations. Because those is all the nasty trick of those cunning leaders. This is not the work of common people. And one thing is also sure, that each and every member of the human race must be taught, educated, and made to understand the horrors of cultural imposition. The history should be known, the effects should be studied, and everyone should be fully cognizant of what has transpired. Failing that, the people of those lands will never rediscover their cultural heritage and such exploitation is bound to happen again and again. Let us all remember that the current events topic of stolen artifacts is not just a simple matter of return but rather a starting point for undoing centuries of cultural imposition and exploitation. I kindly request others with their own experiences to write in and share their feelings and knowledge.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace He has created the vibration and introduced humanity to neo-humanism and verily that is the only formula for unshackling the world from centuries of cultural imposition and exploitation. Baba says, "In that supreme neohumanistic status, the universal humanity will attain the consummation of its existence. Then nothing will be impossible for human beings; they will be able to do anything and everything." (NH-LOI, Disc:11) Namaskar, Hitendra
****************************************** Future Humans-- Body Shape
Baba says, "The situation that will arise in the future as a result of humanity's ever increasing thirst for knowledge. To meet these developments the nerve cells and nerve fibres will have to become more complex. Consequently, the human cranium will become larger and the size of the head will increase. The hands and feet will become weaker and weaker and human beings may even lose the ability to walk...In the future, the legs will be used less and less and the capacity to move on them will decrease. The arms will become thin, and the head will become abnormally large." (AV-8, p. 8-9)
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