"Namaste". I had walked far more through the maze of giant buildings looking down upon me and cars whisking by than I had primarily intended to. I was planning to return home at this point. I was pretty sure this was aimed towards me. I found an weather-beaten African-American face with a good-natured smile beaming and his hands folded in the manner of greeting of Indians. "Namaste"-he said again-"How are you today?". "Fine".
"Can I have a moment?". This is when I get apprehensive. "You are an Indian, are you not?" This is not a question but more of an conversation starter. I nod quickly but firmly. "Aap Kaise hai?" (How are you?) Wait a minute. This guy speaks Hindi. The Indian in me is elated but the foreigner in me is suspicious.
"Where are you from?"
"Calcutta".
"Oh really!!! Aapni bhalo achen?" (Are you fine in Bengali).
I am awestruck.
"But you don't look bengali!! " He seems confused. I shrug. Its not the first time.
"Apnar naam ki?" (Whats your name)
He hands me a book. "The book of self-realization". It has a cover of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (a spiritual leader in the medieval India). "I am a permanent member of ISKCON. I have been to Mayapur several number of times. I love India." And then he stops to quote from Bhagawat Gita - "Tomasho Jyotirgamayo " to the best of the imitated Indian accents.
He tries to tell me about Enlightenment, about Krishna, about ISKCON. He is from Chicago. I ask him "How is it possible that an African -American like you gets devoted to an Indian philosophy?"
He says its his calling - Karma - to serve God. He got interested through a friend who was in ISKCON. He had questions which he could'nt answer. He went to one of the sessions of Bhagawat Gita reading.
"It changed my life"- The radiance in his eyes support this- "completely. I have found a new faith in myself".
A pause.
"You know you are tremendously lucky", he says longingly.
"Why is that?"
"Your Bengali culture is so rich and the great thinkers like Ramakrishna and Vivekananda and Tagore came from there". He quotes Ramakrishna - "Joto Moth Toto Poth" (There are as many ways as there are beliefs to reach God).
I am terribly amused and bewildered at this point. I am used to seeing the opposite - American accents, hip-hop music and burgers. And here he is- trying to talk to people to get them to believe in Indian Philosophy and "simple living, high thinking". We discuss spirituality and religion for some time. Then he thrusts the book into my hands, introduces himself as Shankar and with a folded "Nomoshkar, Hare Krishna" departs. I clutch the book in my hands. I feel rejuvenated.
"Can I have a moment?". This is when I get apprehensive. "You are an Indian, are you not?" This is not a question but more of an conversation starter. I nod quickly but firmly. "Aap Kaise hai?" (How are you?) Wait a minute. This guy speaks Hindi. The Indian in me is elated but the foreigner in me is suspicious.
"Where are you from?"
"Calcutta".
"Oh really!!! Aapni bhalo achen?" (Are you fine in Bengali).
I am awestruck.
"But you don't look bengali!! " He seems confused. I shrug. Its not the first time.
"Apnar naam ki?" (Whats your name)
He hands me a book. "The book of self-realization". It has a cover of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (a spiritual leader in the medieval India). "I am a permanent member of ISKCON. I have been to Mayapur several number of times. I love India." And then he stops to quote from Bhagawat Gita - "Tomasho Jyotirgamayo " to the best of the imitated Indian accents.
He tries to tell me about Enlightenment, about Krishna, about ISKCON. He is from Chicago. I ask him "How is it possible that an African -American like you gets devoted to an Indian philosophy?"
He says its his calling - Karma - to serve God. He got interested through a friend who was in ISKCON. He had questions which he could'nt answer. He went to one of the sessions of Bhagawat Gita reading.
"It changed my life"- The radiance in his eyes support this- "completely. I have found a new faith in myself".
A pause.
"You know you are tremendously lucky", he says longingly.
"Why is that?"
"Your Bengali culture is so rich and the great thinkers like Ramakrishna and Vivekananda and Tagore came from there". He quotes Ramakrishna - "Joto Moth Toto Poth" (There are as many ways as there are beliefs to reach God).
I am terribly amused and bewildered at this point. I am used to seeing the opposite - American accents, hip-hop music and burgers. And here he is- trying to talk to people to get them to believe in Indian Philosophy and "simple living, high thinking". We discuss spirituality and religion for some time. Then he thrusts the book into my hands, introduces himself as Shankar and with a folded "Nomoshkar, Hare Krishna" departs. I clutch the book in my hands. I feel rejuvenated.
3 comments:
I sometimes feel foreigners value our culture more than we do. Back in India we try to follow the western culture and become "cool".
There is a old saying in Bengali which when translated comes to the person doesn't understand the value of a certain thing unless its taken away from him or granted to him suddenly.
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