February 26, 2010
Nothing is what it seems
Hits shay haghase nu dai che khkari
Nothing is what it seems
- Pashtu proverb
“All those foreigners,” he said, “are looking for something quite different than the Indians. Both have contrasting demands on their gurus. Indian people – especially those in villages and small towns – are looking for a cure for illness and increased prosperity. Guru means “dispeller of darkness”, but that’s not what the Westerners are after. They’re looking for someone to praise them – to reinforce their self-confidence.”
- Hakim Feroze, Indian sorceror
in Tahir Shah – Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Filed by billy at 4:17 pm under quotes
2 Comments
“They’re looking for someone to praise them – to reinforce their self-confidence”
Yeah, but the Indians that are looking for someone to help them get rich… are they any better than we are? Probably not. Is that what the guy is saying?
I think that if love charms and filters actually worked, the people that make them would be accessories to rape, for what else can you call it when someone uses some sort of power to *make* you fall in love with them? Perhaps the gurus (or curanderos or whatever) that make you rich are guilty of helping you steal from others.
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In context he was just observing the difference in motivation and culture without passing judgment on it.
Actions have consequences. In a complex system, some of those consequences are likely going to be in some sense negative for some part of the system. Part of working magic, or indeed any adult way of being in the world, means accepting the responsibility for the effects, intended or otherwise.
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