Here be Good, Here be Evil...

So I got a few calls from members of the immediate family last week... I mean, they call often, but last week it was a 'worry-call'... "Are you OK? Ha? You OK?" - that type.

As many know the Indians in Australia have 'recently' (apparently) undergone racial abuse. Well, to be quite honest, I think us Indians - we really are one of the most 'uncool' bunch within the international community. Our accents, dress sense, sweat glands, all that stuff -- mostly, the majority is quite 'uncool'.

But see that's the thing. The Indian community is one of the very few communities in the world that primarily focused on the inward development of mankind. Our religion, culture, it all really established a stronger focus on the spiritual awakening of the being. So we were extremely rich once upon a time - the "Golden Bird" as they called us. And we were rich because the broader community was fed religion that said, "Money is not important." So it didn't really hold as much value as it does now.

And then the English came in, saw all the gold, and said "Fuck!", and took over. They 'civilised' us... They introduced us to suits and forks and knives... and perhaps just confused us?

Have you noticed how this world we live in is really just a "white man's world"? Our concept of development and success and 'progress' is based on what primarily was established by the English. I, being an Indian, was raised to eat with my hands. Do I do that? Well, yeah mostly I do - depends on what I eat. But if I ate rice with my hands in public I assure you I'll have a few heads turn... "Barbaric Indian man!"

You seen those people who use a fork and knife for a pizza?

It's a fuckin pizza, man! Get over it!!

Sorry, I lost my temper there.

But getting back to the racism bit -- aren't we all racist?

Come on...

What you really want me to prove this to you now? You really so strongly believe that you are not racist?

Hehe, hey, you know, a South African once called me a racist... Well, implied anyways...

And I yelled in my mind - "I am racist!? I'm a fuckin Indian - YOU are a South African, and you think I am racist!!!?"

Who's ever heard of a racist Indian?

But Indians are racist too... Within India you, of course, have the South Indians and how often North Indians just say "you Malabari!" Then you have the "Jai Maharashtra" morons.

Oh, Indians are racist. But not only within India - even outside. They call the white people "Gora", mostly in an insulting tone.

But, see, if I get deep into the problem, it's not about racism at all... It's about division. It's about categories...

I was telling the love of my life yesterday about how, after having had some intensive sessions with J. Krishnamurti, I have been trying to observe myself. And I have come to realise that I cannot truly just 'observe' my being, because whatever I notice within myself I immediately categorise it as 'good' or 'bad'... I make a judgement over what I observed, which isn't observing really.

I then observe the fact that I always end up categorising everything as good or bad -- but that categorisation itself I categorise as bad...

You get it?

That chain of stupidity...

And this isn't just me - we all do it. We all categorise. You read this post (if you have gotten this far) and categorise it in your mind... "Yes, I agree" or, "Interesting thought" or, "I wonder what he looks like?"

I look hot, baby.

But it's this constant categorisation that is instilled in our being because of which we just cannot appreciate one another. The world revolves around us - each individual. And the individual has circles around him/her - each circle representing who is closest to him/her (thus, s/he will discriminate the least against the ones in the inner circle). Religion, race, education, looks, accents, lifestyle, food, knowledge... It's all based on that outer cover.

What ever happened to that stupid Moral Science class where they told me "Don't judge a book by it's cover"?

But, what books and what covers... We're all reprints anyways. Reprints of our fathers, our mothers, our religion, our race, our education... Just reprints.

I have never actually met a 'first edition' in my life.

Never.