[Buddha-l] Gods in Theravada

[Curt Steinmetz]

I realize that it is far more entertaining to uncritically pass along 
lurid media accounts of crazed Kali worshippers that could have been 
written centuries ago by agents of the British East India Company 
(and/or COE missionaries), but on the off chance that anyone is 
genuinely interested in how the vast majority of the tens of millions of 
Kali devotees around the world pursue their chosen spiritual path here 
are links to the websites for the two most prominent Kali Temples in the US:

Kali Mandir, in Laguna Beach:
http://www.kalimandir.org/Application/Homepage.aspx

Washington Kali Temple, in Burtonsville Maryland:
http://kalitemple-washington.org/

I have worshipped at the Washington Kali Temple myself - the most 
sinister thing one will find there is double parking. I have never 
visited the other Kali Temple, but I assume that human sacrifice 
violates Laguna Beach zoning ordinances for houses or worship.

For those seeking a more academic understanding of the Goddess and Her 
devotees, I would highly recommend June McDaniel's "Offering Flowers, 
Feeding Skulls":
http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/Hinduism/?view=usa&ci=0195167910

And if you like poetry then check out Lex Hixon's wonderful translations 
of 19th century Bengali mystic Ramprasad's divinely inspired poetry in 
honor of The Mother of the Universe:
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Universe-Visions-Goddess-Enlightenment/dp/083560702X

"Though my mind wanders everywhere
I am not to blame.
Goddess Kali,
You are the brilliant magician,
and I am Your sleight of hand."

Curt Steinmetz

P.S. Not to put too fine a point on it, but devotees of Kali are no more 
(and very likely less) prone to murder than are devotees of Jesus. Not 
that that is claiming much.

jkirk wrote:
>  
> On Behalf Of S.A. Feite
> Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 4:24 PM
>
> ............clip....
> She sounds SO nice. ;-)
> http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,322673,00.html?i
> mw
>
> From this article: "Far from ancient barbarisms that refuse to
> die, sacrifice and sorcery are making a comeback."  The article
> links this situation with the increasing poverty vs the
> increasing riches of the elites in India--rich getting richer,
> etc. The same process has been happening here ever since Ray-gun,
> who worked hard to break the social contractin law, and
> succededin eroding most of it, finished off by GW Bush. 
> Today I see the proliferation of vicious racist and hate sites on
> the web as an analogous phenomenon here (USA) to the rage for
> blood sacrificing to Kali in India.
>
> Joanna
>
>
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