From: jroth@aegis.or.jp (Joel Roth)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Shall we introduce ourselves?
Date: 9 Nov 92 12:32:35 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

I was thinking that before we start thrashing out the deep truths
about life and secrets of living here, it might be nice to start with
a few introductions. As I plan to be reading and posting here, I'll
just start the ball rolling by introducing myself. It couldn't be
worse than the dreck on the tube (but more dull that home movies?)
You'll find my thoughts on the topic itself if you look down further.

So let us begin with appropriate fanfare. Tut tutta Taaaaaaaahhhhhhh

I came to visit Japan for six months and stayed for 13 years.  (Shock!
Horror! I'm not supposed to be old enough to be saying such things.
When did it happen??)

Anyway, I first came because I thought I'd get enlightened by doing
Aikido. Maybe others have, but after a few years I was getting
disillusioned (the teachers are _not_ all enlightened beings?) and
wasn't seeing any marked spiritual development in myself.

I then stumbled on a India-based meditation group, which seemed to
provide answers and people practiced what they talked about.  (It was
near my house--in Tokyo at the time--and free, otherwise I wouldn't
have gone. It just seemed like another anonymous group with opinions on
things metaphysical.) It turned out to change my thinking about myself
and a lot of other things, and seemed to bring some beneficial changes in
my behavior and attitudes as well. What was an interest gradually became
an avocation. The student found it was possible to learn a great deal
by accepting the role of teaching.

Days, weeks, months, and years went by. Little Red Riding Hood (Oops!
Wrong story.)

So why am I still here? By default really. While learning to meditate
I picked up the translator's trade. So now I have two things--a kind
of career (if translation can be called that, and I think it is a
_respectable_ profession--I respect it) alongside a certain amount of
what could be termed social service, spending time talking with people 
and introducing them to basic principles and methods of meditation.

I seem to have enough to keep me busy without being overburdened, so 
life.in-japan is okay by me. Not many social obligations, I find
people helpful if I respect their limits, work is plentiful, theft is
rare, etc. There are lots of good things to be said about the place
and its people.

And now to my agenda for fj.life.in-japan

When I talk to people about what it means to be natural, centered,
relaxed, peaceful, calm, flexible, accommodating, clear, focused,
directed, etc. their imagination works on these rather life-affirming
concepts, with the effect that they (and myself) feel a distinctly
nourishing mental and physical effect.

In the same way, flame wars on the net can evoke strong destructive,
hateful, or violent feelings, just through the content of the words
and images communicated, and wholly separate from "right" or "wrong".

I would hope that while talking about life here, plenty of positive,
nourishing, entertaining, encouraging, and inspiring sorts of posts
could find a home as well as the occasional complaints and grudges
that we foreign residents may nurse about our adopted country.

Regards,

--
Joel Roth                     jroth@aegis.or.jp (reachable only from Japan)
Brahma Kumaris World
Spiritual University          1-2-15-501 Nakamichi, Higashi Nari ku,
Raja Yoga Center, Osaka       Osaka, Japan 537, 81-6-971-7251