Just Around the Corner

Around the time we moved to these parts, a Hindu group comprised mainly of New Zealander women (apparently) established an ashram just down the road.  In this part of the county, there is a long tradition of hippies, New Agers, ranchers, good ol' boys, trailer trash, and cedar choppers coexisting.  Low population density and good fences help to keep things peaceable.  In fact, this sort of funky rural heterogeneity, a.k.a. "diversity" is much prized among the too-self-aware.  I once eavesdropped on a conversation in a local "natural medicine" shop (which appropriately served the best coffee in our part of town) in which the shop owner was describing her decision to move her business to her home in this area.  The gal talking to her said, "Oh yes, that area is so diverse."  To which I said, "Yes, is as diverse as it can possibly be without actually having any colored people."  That cleared the room.

His HolinessI digress.  The ashram has a very good fence- I know the fellow who built it.   "Oh, they're weird but pleasant and they pay their bills on time"  was his take.  Once a year they have a big Indian fair with elephant rides and mediocre curry and lots of saris for sale.  All in all, the ashram would fall into the category of "local color" although the strangeness of many white converts, mostly women-led families,  living on campus following the spiritual leadership of Prakashanand "Swamiji" Saraswati does tend to conjure up untoward suspicions among the less enlightened.  Well, sometimes...

Barsana Dham founder arrested on 20 counts of indecency with a child

To paraphrase a favorite newstory that I saw many years ago, "You hear about these things happening but you never think it would happen to your [local] cult."

I wonder if this would knock "His Holiness" off the high rung of the Karma ladder. 

Comments

[aelfheld]

For some odd reason, much against the spirit of the age, I find that I'm not comforted at all by oecumenical perversion.