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sitproperly on Nov 8th 2007 Gaudia Vaisnava, New Vrndavana

Karmi towels are maya!

Sometimes, in Krishna consciousness, we do things a certain way because “that’s how they do it in India.” Our culture originates there and sometimes certain things carry over that don’t really seem to make sense to outsiders (or even to us if we really think about it).

Things that don’t really have a spiritual benefit. Like only eating off of stainless steel.

It’s cleaner, right? Sure is – just as clean as anything what now with the invention of soap! Even so, I will pretty much only eat off of stainless steel.

And don’t forget Bollywood movies, brass trinkets and anything with a “Made in India” sticker on it!

And what about Gamshas? Ah, yes, the towel of the demigods! Are they really all that great? Honestly, I’ve used a gamsha since becoming a devotee and have rarely used anything else. Maybe at the occasional motel…

But really nothing more. Even when I stay at a friend’s house, I’ll bring a gamsha. I like it! It packs really neatly and it’s small. It also dries really quickly. And no lint! I hate lint.

Oh sure, some of my friends giggle, “why you using that Krishna towel!?” And if they ever try it out, ohh they generally hate it. I’m pretty sure you have to be a practicing devotee to really get the gamsha.

Nikki started using gamshas for a bit and hated them. She switched back to regular towels – a big fluffy gray one. Oh but when she was backpacking for the summer, what did she request? That’s right.. THREE of my gamshas! She even paid me for them!

Yeah, once you go gamsha, you never go back.

I need new gamshas. I’m down to one (never replaced the ones I sold to Nikki). And look at it…

It’s pathetic. But it’s lasted me at least five or six years. Can hardly beat that, huh.

Why the crap am I posting about this? Well, I just wanted to let the readers know that I use a gamsha and I’m not ashamed! And now, faced with this breath-takingly important crossroads, I choose to take a stand and buy a few more gamshas when I’m at New Vrndavana. Yeah, I could go back to big fluffy karmi towels chalked full of mode of badness and MAYA!!

But I know better.

And remember, kids… karmi towels are Satan’s fluffy fingers!!

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