Indian ascetics

[Sam Garg]

>Not really. It was more a statement of concern about the religious >values
>of Sannyasa and how what you see in photographs is not >necessarily what is
>central to Hindu tradition(s). If you still >doubt it, go to India and talk
>to Nathpanthi and Dasnami Mahants.

I was not aware that the Nathpanthi and Dasnami Mahants were the official
spokespeople/ registrar for all naked Indian ascetics.

>I'm not trying to portray all Indian sadhus in a negative light. >Just that
>many of them, especially in cities, are not necessarily >what they appear
>to be.

Agreed.

>Yours is a comment on Indian poverty.

Not quite.  Yours was the comment on Indian poverty. Mine had to do with the
pain & suffering involved in exposing 100% skin to the harsh Indian climate
& insects.

>Mine was a comment about how some use this poverty and mix it with >the
>appearance of an ascetic in order to survive. The average Indian >has his
>own ways of evaluating who is real and who is fake, but >those who take
>photographs of exotic India look at it from a totally >distorted
>perspective.

What distorted perspective?  Name one other country/ religion, exotic or
otherwise, which would allow naked sadhus roaming freely all over the place.




Sanjay
______________________________________________________



>From: Vidyasankar Sundaresan <vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
>To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: Indian ascetics
>Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:53:19 PDT
>
>>Found the first paragraph to be informative.  Unfortunately, the rest
>>appears to be in jest or a typographical error.
>>
>
>Not really. It was more a statement of concern about the religious values
>of
>Sannyasa and how what you see in photographs is not necessarily what is
>central to Hindu tradition(s). If you still doubt it, go to India and talk
>to Nathpanthi and Dasnami Mahants.
>
>>>They are quite likely to be people who have migrated into towns and
>>> >cities
>>>in search of employment, but who have found being a mendicant >a better
>>>business proposition.
>>
>>Of course, a skeletal body; weather beaten, insect bitten, dehydrated
>>skin;
>>calloused soles; matted hair etc clearly indicate a much 'better business
>>proposition.' Highly recommended as a choice alternative vocation or even
>>as
>>a supplement to your day job!
>
>I'm not trying to portray all Indian sadhus in a negative light. Just that
>many of them, especially in cities, are not necessarily what they appear to
>be. Yours is a comment on Indian poverty. Mine was a comment about how some
>use this poverty and mix it with the appearance of an ascetic in order to
>survive. The average Indian has his own ways of evaluating who is real and
>who is fake, but those who take photographs of exotic India look at it from
>a totally distorted perspective. If you really haven't seen the photographs
>of pot-smoking sadhus, walk into a bookstore and look at the "Art" or
>"Eastern Religions" sections. Or for that matter, at an issue of New Yorker
>magazine from not too long ago. I believe there was a little comment about
>it on the RISA list recently.
>
>Vidyasankar
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com