Yorkville, Toronto
Whistling is Okay?
When I made my way back to the
temple/ashram last night on Hazleton, a young fellow in front of me was
whistling away like crazy. It was a happy tone, like the ones you here guys do
on an outside job in a joyful spirit. This whistler was truly in his own bubble
and went at it for the duration of a block and a half while walking.
I was reminded of an incident in the
Toronto temple back in the early 80’s, when a group of us were practicing some
manner of whistling as part of a theatrical exercise. In the middle of our
ordeal a Hindu couple burst into our room with the most alarmed look. They
tried to stop us. “No! No! No! You can’t do this. This will attract the bhutas
(ghosts).”
Okay, so we stopped making our noise and
over the years I got to know that many cultures have this thing about
whistling, especially in the night, as it attracts evil spirits. I suppose
Hindus believe it. I learned some Slavic countries believe that whistling
invites poverty. In the older British ways, perhaps derivatives from Celtic
ways, ghosts would be aroused. Also in Turkey, there is a similar superstition.
On my walking through the Annapolis Valley
in Nova Scotia, I heard one man whistling to “When the saints go marching in…”
while he was loading a vehicle. He seemed so upbeat and chipper. It didn’t look
like he was fearful of evil coming. It was in the day time.
For myself, I never was a good whistler. I
don’t have the wind perhaps. I can’t even blow the ceremonial conch properly.
Woe is me! Anyways, I guess I won’t be guilty but I am lousy at whistling. I
hope one day I’ll hear Krishna’s flute at some state, the ultimate source.
May the Source be with you!
3 km
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