--- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I received a nice invitation from a friend to check out Amma who is > coming to Alexandria Virginia this weekend. It was a great litmus > test for how I feel about spiritual people to decide if I would go see > her or not. > > My first instinct was "sure, why not". I have only heard good things > about her from people who traveled with her and know her personally, > and I have a pretty positive regard for her work from a humanistic > point of view, people can really use some lov'n from what I can see. > I thought the whole scene would be a gas. > > As I gave it more thought I realized that I do have an aversion to > entering a room where the context is set up that the person I am > seeing is spiritually elevated above me. The only time I encounter > this at all is the few times when I have gone to the Buddhist temple > with Thai friends. I am not so caught up in my POV that I can't enjoy > kneeling in front of these guys and letting them bless me. The main > gift brought for monks at the temple is rolls of toilet paper! They > don't seem very elevated to me. But I give them a pass on their > "spiritual" pretensions that their saying something to me and waving > their hand effects me in any positive manor. It seems like a child's > game that I can go along with. "marko...polo...marko...polo" Plus I > enjoy the whole surreal nature of the scene there. (OK, I am there > for the hot food and hot chicks!) > > So I intended to check out Amma and enjoy another culture. Then the > reality sunk in that I would be competing for her attention with > people who REALLY wanted to see her. They would be lining up for > darshon tokens hours ahead of time (according to one of the > organizers). So quickly I became the typical spiritual dilettante > "Inconvenient to meet a saint? Oh no I am much too busy for that." I > am all caught up in many shows this weekend and know that I wont have > the kind of dedication I used to have when waiting hours and hours for > MMY. But the question remained about who I would go see and under > what conditions and why? > > Pope- Too much trouble, I hate crowds and I don't think much of him. > I would never kiss his ring but might enjoy sneaking in a furtive ass > grab in an embrace! > > MMY- Small group with possibility for questions, yes. I would never > go through the hours needed even if I was allowed within 5 miles of > him. Would I give him a flower? Out of nostalgia absolutely. I know > we really have nothing to say to each other that would matter now. > Although I view him as a bit off his rocker he is fascinating and > even more so now that I don't view him as I once did. > > Amma- I would welcome an easier meeting. I still might try to check > out the scene and skip the darshon. Part of me felt a bit > disingenuous thinking of her hug as more valuable or special than my > GF's or other people I love in my life. I don't feel a need for more > love from a stranger. But I also see her work in a positive light > because the world could use more good vibes and acceptance. I thought > the videos of her hugging people looked beautiful, the people were > obviously moved by it. Perhaps the fact that it is a stranger makes > it more abstractly powerful? As a performer I have to say that I get > hugged regularly by strangers and it is all good vibes but not > transcendent for me. I am still obviously conflicted about going! > > Ravi Shankar Since we are about the same age I would have trouble > with any version of deference that would be required. I still think > of him as the ambitious charismatic guy I used to talk with on the > Vedic Science course in India. He was just formulating his plans to > go on his own and was trying it out on me a bit. I haven't found > anything I have read from him very insightful, but I guess it is about > the practice and I am not going to put my guitar down that long. I > would probably not enter a situation that was so rigged on the power > set up. I am his equal and those are the terms I would require. > > I can't think of anybody else. When I meet my music heroes like Rory > Block or John Hammond I feel a thrill. But even though their > experience and years in the business puts them on another level a bit, > they are cool and treat me with respect. I don't feel as though they > are being condescending and I don't feel that I am admiring them as > whole people, just their musicality. > > Perhaps Geezer and Turq have more insight on meeting famous people. I > would probably feel over the top meeting Paul or Ringo. That might be > close to the old MMY darshon buzz. I have heard that even very famous > people act like school girls around them. My GF hung out with Ringo > and said he was the most natural unpretentious rock star she had ever > met. (Grateful Dead, not so much) > > I wouldn't care to meet George Bush or any (other) actor. (Since > Angelina has gone all Mia Farrow, I have to drop her from my list) I > can't think of any famous person spiritual or not that I would want to > wait in a long line to meet. > > I would wait in line as long as it took to meet Son House, Robert > Johnson or Charley Patton if they rose from the grave. I would top my > MMY hours waiting around record for those guys. > > Very interesting question, anyone else want to play?
Hey Curtis! People who I very much respect have said good things about Amma to me as well. And these are folks who have functioning BS detectors. I just missed her a few weeks ago as it turns out. By the time I saw the article in the paper she was already gone. But I can understand your trepidation in going as well. I too have mixed feelings, that have much more to do with injecting myself back into a guru scene....any guru....than anything to do with specifically Amma. Like you, when I think of people I'd love to meet, it's mostly a parade of musicians, most of them are dead. Miles, Bird, sure Robert Johnson (did work with his step son Robert Lockwood...man did he have some stories!), Muddy, Wolf (worked with Hubert Sumlin who also had the killer Wolf tales), Grant Green, Trane...man, it's endless. I've been lucky enough to get to work with many of my childhood heros over the years. For the most part, I feel more comfortable around them then just about anyone. There's something familiar and sort of hyper real about folks who can transport you emotionally with music. Would I like to meet MMY again now? I dunno...he seems so out of it that it might be very uncomfortable. Ten or fifteen years ago I used to fantasize about meeting him again one on one with no one around and attempting a real conversation. In any case, then or now, it ain't gonna happen. Who else? Michael Moore, Ornette Coleman, Bill Maher, Howard Stern...this is going to get endless too. And of course you. The offer stands. Great post Curtis. They always are.
