experiencing kirtans at chantlanta, 'meeting' Shiva, considering appropriation, looking into Sikhism

[belenen]

icon: "mysterious (a photo of the snow leopard Shynghyz from the Tama Zoological park, staring straight at the camera)"Two weeks ago I went with Heather to an event called Chantlanta and experienced kirtans for the first time. I had mixed feelings about the leaders of the chants and event (it felt like there were appropriation issues, especially in

Comments

[queerbychoice]

I'm pretty sure - since we have a lot of Sikhs around here - that Sikhs are generally welcoming of people who are not going to convert, as long as you observe polite customs about how to dress and behave (described here. The traditional headcoverings are different for men and women, though, and I think local congregations might vary in how much they care about the particular style in which you cover your head.

[lilywolfsolomon]

Yeah, I got to know some Sikhs when I was in Michigan and what I got is, they were simply delighted to share their perspectives and practices, offering generously without any expectation but following one's own truth. This is pretty much the sense I got from them: http://www.realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1248368159&ucat=7

[belenen]

thanks for the input!

[lilywolfsolomon]

I have a half-finished entry where I write about words in a very similar way! When you asked me to describe my spirituality I had this memory of writing in my journal years ago, an insight I had about the power of speaking a word and how these take on significance in the Jewish tradition. If God created with the word, and we are made in God's image, then we can create with words, too. I believe that just speaking words especially in ritual context does have cosmic effect.

This is a Krishna chant, not a Shiva chant, but I find this to be really beautiful and heart-chakra expanding, the sort that makes me wonder, like you said, where it would take me if I let it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofZiK_G40t0

Someone played this at New Culture Camp on the last day while I was holding Chrissy and rocking to it, and this was right before I kissed them... there's a lot of beautiful memories attached to this chant for me. :)

[callmebee]

Two things. First, I'm reading a book called The Chicken Kabbalah (which is sort of a grand overview of the Kabbalah). In this tradition, words are significant and powerful. It was interesting to me how I was reading this book less than five minutes ago, thinking about letters and words and their importance, and then I read this entry. I think its a sign for me to use my words with care and to remember they DO have power

[raidingparty]

The "Catholic" and/or "Christian" thing also seems a tendency towards tribal identification; I know a half-dozen folks who would put down "Muslim" because of their upbringing even if they don't know which way East is from their apartments.
In other words: I can understand the dislike for people who don't exemplify the beliefs with which they supposedly identify, but they still have pretty valid reasons for checking that box.
Granted, some things would be so much nicer if people practiced what they preached... but then again, certain aspects of religion get so much nastier as well.

[belenen]

thanks for sharing! I found this really interesting <3

[kmiotutsie]

I'm excited to follow you on this journey and see what you come up with. I too really love chanting and have participated in chanting groups with no money exchange, but it's been a long time. And I've been grappling with the culturally appropriative aspect of yoga for quite some time, but with more intensity over just the past few months. When you say "I think that there is a respectful way for me to participate in kirtans," what is it? Not that I think you can't, but what came up??

[belenen]

I think the respectful way would be 1) in a way that the original creators of them would appreciate and 2) in a way that doesn't give money or prestige to appropriators. So I just gotta figure out what that way is!