The Indic Story

Tales of the Velvet Rock : II

 

 

 

 

To hear an Indic say that his culture set up a rock or rather a rock idol in the temple for worship may come as a surprise to many. However what you will not yet hear an Indic say is that ' that's my father in the house ... the man is essentially dead as far as emotions go ... something like Stone Cold Steve Austin on WWE.'

 

In a practice that has been in place for almost 500 years, the Indic learns to talk in prayer to a rock, and discern its response himself, since obviously the rock will not talk back. He does this as a ritual to placate and engage the passions of his father in the house and relate to him as if all is normal.

 

He may well realize later it works great in the workplace, with the traffic policeman and of course the tax dept. The reader would realize that something like this may well be funny, if not for the fact that it is curiously growing into the greatest truth many people are coming to realize as the only coherent way in which to relate to their social environment today.

 

Having said that, perhaps I ought to add that in coming to accept this as a growing and natural experience in the world, we are at rest, without having to wonder if something is wrong with that! Perhaps its always been that way ... a case of too much ' Brady Bunch ' that somehow appears to have assured us heartily that it's possible to be in a warm and secure place always, as regards relations.

 

There's no water in the desert.  We accept that without resistance. And when we get past the stigma of something that isn't there, that wasn't there in the first place, we realize that it is just so and in the human context, it appears to promote the culture of individualism. In common parlance, it's learning to stand on our own two feet.

 

In doing so, we are still able to return to the old homestead for Christmas and share in a meal. We are after all still family. But what that says about Indic worship is strangely a work of genius as much as an experience of the dark side of the moon.