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A funny, but fairly ignorant, comment from my sister.
DaftChris
Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
I was on my computer last night and was on YouTube as well as my Facebook. While checking my messages and status updates, I looked up renditions of "Hare Krishna". No, I'm not ISKON, but I think it's a beautiful mantra; especially the rendition I found. Anyway, while listening to it, I eventually found my self chanting along with it. I had unkowningly starting singing and didn't stop until the chant was over. I felt quite relaxed and exhilarated afterwords.
Today, after school and visiting a friend, I arrived home and when I walked past my mom she asked "What were you singing last night?". A little embarrassed, mainly because I was apparently loud and not because of the song itself, I told her what it was.
She then told me "It kind of freaked out your sister". After some more conversing, I finally found out why it "freaked her out" so much.
She thought I had converted to Islam.
I didn't say it to my Mom, but two thing ran through my mind:
A.) I didn't convert (obviously), but so what if I did? If I did, it would be my own journey and cross to bear. No one else's.
B.) I laughed a little on the inside, because I thought it was funny that she thought such a thing. However, that amusement soon turned to annoyance.
My family is relatively conservative Christian, so it shouldn't really surprise me that she would think such a thing. However, would it kill her (and the rest of them for that matter) to not be afraid of things that are not familiar? I was chanting in another language? I must have converted to Islam! Anything different from what we believe is just not good; especially what THEY believe.
I'm not angry at her, just slightly annoyed. I guess this would be an example of attachment? In regards to her beliefs? I just wanted to share this with the rest of you and get some of your feedback. Have any of you had an experience like this recently?
Today, after school and visiting a friend, I arrived home and when I walked past my mom she asked "What were you singing last night?". A little embarrassed, mainly because I was apparently loud and not because of the song itself, I told her what it was.
She then told me "It kind of freaked out your sister". After some more conversing, I finally found out why it "freaked her out" so much.
She thought I had converted to Islam.
I didn't say it to my Mom, but two thing ran through my mind:
A.) I didn't convert (obviously), but so what if I did? If I did, it would be my own journey and cross to bear. No one else's.
B.) I laughed a little on the inside, because I thought it was funny that she thought such a thing. However, that amusement soon turned to annoyance.
My family is relatively conservative Christian, so it shouldn't really surprise me that she would think such a thing. However, would it kill her (and the rest of them for that matter) to not be afraid of things that are not familiar? I was chanting in another language? I must have converted to Islam! Anything different from what we believe is just not good; especially what THEY believe.
I'm not angry at her, just slightly annoyed. I guess this would be an example of attachment? In regards to her beliefs? I just wanted to share this with the rest of you and get some of your feedback. Have any of you had an experience like this recently?
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Comments
I went to a buddhist meditation retreat a few months back. When I mentioned it to my mum (athiest) she said with a look of concern "It's not religious is it????"
Like you said @DaftChris, so what if it was?
Bless her......(pardon the pun).
Hurry Christen her, Hurry Christen her
Christian, Christian, Hurry, Hurry
Hurry Yahweh, Hurry Yahweh
Yahweh, Yahweh, Hurry, Hurry
Remain as relatively yourself as possible and root out your faults, Doing loud chanting at home is the best way to make others uncomfortable.
The story made me laugh though
I experience this sort of thing all day every day! A recent funny one was a friend of mine described himself as a 'brown' person and an old white lady said 'you can't say brown person, you have to say black person!'... what can you say to that? It was clear that she was doing her absolute best!
How does she feel now that it's krishna? I'm interested as islam and christianity have more in common than krishnaism and christianity.
You may be experiencing a side effect of war - the population should fear the enemy... fear drives brutality.
But then my sister is aware of my warped sense of humor.
I suppose. I didn't know I was chanting that loud. Just being caught up in the music was a breathtaking experience.
@zero
I would love to talk to them about Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., but that's just not possible. It would be a situation where, no matter how much I explained it, they would "go to hell, because thy reject Christ". I think they also equate Hinduism, and to an extent Buddhism, to devil worship.
It would be in everyones best interest if I gave everyone the answers they want to hear and leave in at that.
(I can't believe I just did that.... correct 13th century grammar.....!!
Her expression of love may not correlate wholeheartedly with yours but I guess the underlying motivation is sincere.
If everyone is weird, what becomes of "weird?" Wouldn't it be weirder still -- and miles less interesting -- if no one were weird?
I used to keep Buddhism tucked firmly between closed lips. I didn't want to weird anyone out. With practice, things got easier ... Buddhism is just another version of what I might call very good brownies: I know people who purely hate chocolate ... poor souls.
I find it's rather common for White people to correct other White people who make comments about non-White people, in terms of terminology. Often not really knowing how the non-White people often feel about it.
I remember getting into an intense but somewhat light-hearted discussion with my adopted son about his race. He was from Pakistan, and I insisted he was Middle Eastern (which, of course, was wrong)...but I was basing my comment on his culture which is Muslim. He insisted he was Asian ("just like your Thai friends"), which didn't seem quite right (though technically correct), either.
If you can look at your own desire perhaps you can let it disolve
There's probably not much you can do about your families desires, or any of the other millions of things in the world which may dissatisfy you.
btw, I can relate to your exhilaration over the Hare Krishna chant, or some forms of it. George Harrison has a beautiful Hindu chant on one of his albums. I think any kind of spiritual music has the potential to trigger a high. I wonder if you might be better off setting yourself up in the basement, in case of future spontaneous religious outbursts.
Could work.
(That'll teach me to be a grammar-snob!!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine
In terms of Buddha's cultures, it was my impression that he traveled through various kingdoms in that part of the world.
I know a black American guy whose roots are in Trinidad. He's been there several times....he gets quite offended when he's referred to as 'African American', in the USA.
He usually comes back with something like "There are other countries black people inhabit, you know! You do know there are other countries, right??"
(He lived in the UK for around 6 years for work purposes, so I guess a little of our caustic humour rubbed off on him.....
I get it though. When people say "homosexual" it just has a weird edge to it for some reason. Whenever I hear someone say homosexual instead of just gay... warning bells go off and I expect some sort of anti-gay rhetoric to follow.