USA should have enough number of ashram systems/religious centres where people who are desperate can survive on very little money; That may reduce mad mass shootings in USA
I wanted to use the grief that I felt today, as expressed in this post of mine: 26 year old woman joins ranks of mass shooter-killers in the USA; This mass shooting madness in the USA has to stop! http://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2018/09/26-year-old-woman-joins-ranks-of-mass.html, to stir me to think of some suggestions to improve the situation.
Now I don't want to get into USA gun politics. Note that the killer-lady used a handgun and not an assault rifle. So even an assault rifle ban would not have prevented this tragedy.
The impression I have is that USA today has a lot of poor and lower middle class people who are very worried about their livelihood and their lives. Some of these persons, very unfortunately, tend to lose it, and get into these mad mass shootings. Sometimes even rich people face some deep insecurities which seems to be leading them to do these same mad mass shootings.
India has orders of magnitude more poverty than the USA, and life in India can be horrendously challenging for the poor. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India, India has around 170 to 180 million poor people.
The Indian union/federal and state governments have lots of programs aimed at helping the poor get subsidized food, health care and even shelter and education. However, the quality and comprehensiveness of some of these programs like health care, shelter and education are not great, as of now.
But India also has spiritual ashram communities and religious institutions where the poor get some basic material sustenance. Note that the associated religion can be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain etc. So if some individual person has become desperate, he/she can try to lead a simple life in an ashram town or spiritual congregation. Some food, basic medical care and some shelter get provided at low cost. The person can survive somehow unless he/she has some major medical problems. Of course, habits like drinking, drugs and getting into violent fights, leads to persons losing such options.
But if a person behaves decently then he/she can survive on very little money in rural Indian ashram systems/townships.
Does the USA have such ashram systems/religious centres where people who are desperate can survive on very little money, provided they behave in a proper way without getting into alcohol, drugs, violence etc. problems? If yes, are there enough of such places in the USA? Perhaps not.
I think philanthropists in the USA should step forward and join people who are willing to build and run such ashram systems/religious centres/communes in the USA, focused on allowing people to lead simple lives with little money. Note that people who get used to leading such lives, have quite a lot of happiness and peace in their lives. Yes, medical care provided would be basic. But that may be fine for desperate people.
I think if there are many such ashram systems/ religious centres/communes in the USA, catering to the poor, then it would provide a sanctuary, a refuge to desperate people, including some who otherwise may freak out and commit some mad mass shooting. So I think that would help to reduce the number of people who get into this mass shooting madness in the USA.
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Given below are comments from my Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2294019270814637, associated with above blog post contents:
Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Inside Off-the-Grid Virginia Commune Where Everything From Housing to Child Care Is Shared, https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/inside-off-grid-virginia-commune-housing-child-care/story?id=33190577, 19th Aug. 2015
Why don't more poor people join communes?, https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-more-poor-people-join-communes, 11th Feb. 2016
Living On—And Leaving—America’s Biggest Commune, https://www.thedailybeast.com/living-onand-leavingamericas-biggest-commune, 22nd Nov. 2012
Murari's Kirtan Valley, ISKCON of Tennessee, http://www.murarisevaka.com/
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In response to Terry Reis Kennedy's long and informative comment, Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Terry Reis Kennedy, I carefully went through your comment and visited some of the links. Thanks for your valuable information.
I found these articles to be relevant for those who are looking for short course/stint at low cost ashrams in USA.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101989171
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/travel/escapes/12ashrams.html
https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/6-destination-ashrams
But I am more interested in knowing about low cost ashrams/communes in USA that people can join in and stay.
This one (from your comment) seems to be one of such places: https://truthconsciousness.org/ashrams-retreats/ashrams-programs/
But are there not Christian orgns that provide such low cost of living communes to people in USA?
----
Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (slightly edited): Ravi S. Iyer There used to be the YMCA and YWCA...they are now short stay (Young Men's Christian Associations and W=Women's. sorry I have NOT heard of any. Here in Bellows Falls we have the Island Ponders or Yellow People....but it is not a permanent situation and the work is very hard. They are regarded as a cult and they are now worldwide .The Twelve Tribes | Community in Bellows Falls
twelvetribes.org/community/bellows-falls
----
Ravi S. Iyer wrote (slightly edited): Interesting Terry Reis Kennedy. Thanks. I wonder if somebody would start a Sathya-Dharma-Shanti-Prema (Truth-Ethics-Peace-Love) Village in the USA which will follow the cardinal principles of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti & Prema teachings of Sathya Sai. [Ahimsa (Non-violence) too perhaps but with exclusion of self-defense]
It need not promote Sathya Sai alone. It can be a Sarva Dharma (all religions) institution thereby making it easier for Christians, Muslims, Jews etc. who are willing to follow the cardinal principles, to join the Village. In fact, even atheists who are willing to follow these cardinal principles could join.
What do you think about this thought? I would be glad to know your valuable views on it.
----
Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (slightly edited): That would be possible as there is so much open land available in Vermont. It's a great idea. It would have to be a highly motivated individual with huge investors behind the plan. Once money comes onto the scene in the USA, that becomes the Main Focus. But there are people out there in the wide world who would be interested, I am sure.
...
The immediate problem is that remote locations do not have jobs for people who must work or practice their professions in the outside world.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Noted your valuable input Terry Reis Kennedy. Thanks.
----
V V Sarachandran wrote (slightly edited): Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
From what little I can recall from Sociology papers at the university, once a person feels disenfranchised/ alienated/ cut off from what the person considers his peer / reference group, what society terms deviant behavior manifests. The timid may resort to suicide. The bold or those without spiritual background may resort to violence - if I can’t have it why should others have it☹️
In USA the wherewithal for wanton destruction is readily at hand.
----
Ravi S. Iyer wrote: V V Sarachandran, Thanks for your views and your sociology perspective.
----
Now I don't want to get into USA gun politics. Note that the killer-lady used a handgun and not an assault rifle. So even an assault rifle ban would not have prevented this tragedy.
The impression I have is that USA today has a lot of poor and lower middle class people who are very worried about their livelihood and their lives. Some of these persons, very unfortunately, tend to lose it, and get into these mad mass shootings. Sometimes even rich people face some deep insecurities which seems to be leading them to do these same mad mass shootings.
India has orders of magnitude more poverty than the USA, and life in India can be horrendously challenging for the poor. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India, India has around 170 to 180 million poor people.
The Indian union/federal and state governments have lots of programs aimed at helping the poor get subsidized food, health care and even shelter and education. However, the quality and comprehensiveness of some of these programs like health care, shelter and education are not great, as of now.
But India also has spiritual ashram communities and religious institutions where the poor get some basic material sustenance. Note that the associated religion can be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jain etc. So if some individual person has become desperate, he/she can try to lead a simple life in an ashram town or spiritual congregation. Some food, basic medical care and some shelter get provided at low cost. The person can survive somehow unless he/she has some major medical problems. Of course, habits like drinking, drugs and getting into violent fights, leads to persons losing such options.
But if a person behaves decently then he/she can survive on very little money in rural Indian ashram systems/townships.
Does the USA have such ashram systems/religious centres where people who are desperate can survive on very little money, provided they behave in a proper way without getting into alcohol, drugs, violence etc. problems? If yes, are there enough of such places in the USA? Perhaps not.
I think philanthropists in the USA should step forward and join people who are willing to build and run such ashram systems/religious centres/communes in the USA, focused on allowing people to lead simple lives with little money. Note that people who get used to leading such lives, have quite a lot of happiness and peace in their lives. Yes, medical care provided would be basic. But that may be fine for desperate people.
I think if there are many such ashram systems/ religious centres/communes in the USA, catering to the poor, then it would provide a sanctuary, a refuge to desperate people, including some who otherwise may freak out and commit some mad mass shooting. So I think that would help to reduce the number of people who get into this mass shooting madness in the USA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given below are comments from my Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2294019270814637, associated with above blog post contents:
Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Inside Off-the-Grid Virginia Commune Where Everything From Housing to Child Care Is Shared, https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/inside-off-grid-virginia-commune-housing-child-care/story?id=33190577, 19th Aug. 2015
Why don't more poor people join communes?, https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-more-poor-people-join-communes, 11th Feb. 2016
Living On—And Leaving—America’s Biggest Commune, https://www.thedailybeast.com/living-onand-leavingamericas-biggest-commune, 22nd Nov. 2012
Murari's Kirtan Valley, ISKCON of Tennessee, http://www.murarisevaka.com/
----
In response to Terry Reis Kennedy's long and informative comment, Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Terry Reis Kennedy, I carefully went through your comment and visited some of the links. Thanks for your valuable information.
I found these articles to be relevant for those who are looking for short course/stint at low cost ashrams in USA.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101989171
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/travel/escapes/12ashrams.html
https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/6-destination-ashrams
But I am more interested in knowing about low cost ashrams/communes in USA that people can join in and stay.
This one (from your comment) seems to be one of such places: https://truthconsciousness.org/ashrams-retreats/ashrams-programs/
But are there not Christian orgns that provide such low cost of living communes to people in USA?
----
Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (slightly edited): Ravi S. Iyer There used to be the YMCA and YWCA...they are now short stay (Young Men's Christian Associations and W=Women's. sorry I have NOT heard of any. Here in Bellows Falls we have the Island Ponders or Yellow People....but it is not a permanent situation and the work is very hard. They are regarded as a cult and they are now worldwide .The Twelve Tribes | Community in Bellows Falls
twelvetribes.org/community/bellows-falls
----
Ravi S. Iyer wrote (slightly edited): Interesting Terry Reis Kennedy. Thanks. I wonder if somebody would start a Sathya-Dharma-Shanti-Prema (Truth-Ethics-Peace-Love) Village in the USA which will follow the cardinal principles of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti & Prema teachings of Sathya Sai. [Ahimsa (Non-violence) too perhaps but with exclusion of self-defense]
It need not promote Sathya Sai alone. It can be a Sarva Dharma (all religions) institution thereby making it easier for Christians, Muslims, Jews etc. who are willing to follow the cardinal principles, to join the Village. In fact, even atheists who are willing to follow these cardinal principles could join.
What do you think about this thought? I would be glad to know your valuable views on it.
----
Terry Reis Kennedy wrote (slightly edited): That would be possible as there is so much open land available in Vermont. It's a great idea. It would have to be a highly motivated individual with huge investors behind the plan. Once money comes onto the scene in the USA, that becomes the Main Focus. But there are people out there in the wide world who would be interested, I am sure.
...
The immediate problem is that remote locations do not have jobs for people who must work or practice their professions in the outside world.
----
Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Noted your valuable input Terry Reis Kennedy. Thanks.
----
V V Sarachandran wrote (slightly edited): Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
From what little I can recall from Sociology papers at the university, once a person feels disenfranchised/ alienated/ cut off from what the person considers his peer / reference group, what society terms deviant behavior manifests. The timid may resort to suicide. The bold or those without spiritual background may resort to violence - if I can’t have it why should others have it☹️
In USA the wherewithal for wanton destruction is readily at hand.
----
Ravi S. Iyer wrote: V V Sarachandran, Thanks for your views and your sociology perspective.
----
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