Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Wake Up America

Potomac, Maryland

The ISKCON centre for the D.C. area is actually located in Maryland, in one of the richest neighbourhoods in America. Normally it is a very tranquil place, with forests and white-tailed deer. The last few days, with the power failure (we're on day four or five without electricity), each household (mansions rather) has secured a generator, a noisy contraption, just to keep things running. But we don't have one.

I checked one of the numerous golf courses nearby the renowned Congressional Golf Course where Tiger Woods just played. When it's pre-dawn time, the golf course is all yours. It's serene, except for the generators humming in the residential background. We are left to question, if America becomes exhausted with its energy, what will become of this civilization?

I spoke and spent time with one of ISKCON's members for a few hours in his air conditioned home. It seems like I'm also quite dependent on wanting some cool air. The member, Yash, lives on Prettyman Lane, not far from our centre. We chatted, not so about the energy crisis, but more about the impulsive shopping in the U.S., about loans and second loans, and expensive eating, greed and millions of bucks owed to china each day on debt interest. Where will this all go? Yash said clearly, "China owns America." I mentioned to Yash that perhaps the land of stars and stripes, and those people who live a similar kind of lifestyle, have lost the sense of value and discipline and are headed for collapse. American culture is the new Rome. It will crumble from within. The self-indulgence is in over-drive. Instead of "Good Morning America," it should be "Wake Up America."

This may sound like a fundamentalist whose got all the pat answers, but here it goes anyway. "Invest in your spiritual life and place priorities right." And here's another, "When do we stop pretending that everything's okay?"

Before the evenings rest, both Yash and I concurred that the wise use of money and keeping solid relationships are not taught in school, hence the coming generations are destined to fail. You have to ask, "What are the most important things in life to invest time in?"

6 Km