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Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

author, poet, teacher, and performer

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    • THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
    • The Safety of Edges
    • Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar
    • Body and Earth
    • A Feast for the Tongue
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Openness to All People and Amma’s Pride

October 9, 2025

Amidst the ongoing political and cultural turmoil we see in the United States and around the world, I often return to the opening verse of the Kural’s chapter on kindness.

Kural 991 not only shares a key to the art of kindness, but exemplifies the astonishing openness of the entire Kural itself.

Take a listen:

Amma’s Pride

A friend recently told me about a 21-minute documentary that’s going to be screened virtually this weekend. From everything I’ve read, it promises to be deeply thought-provoking and moving.

Amma’s Pride, rooted in Tamil working-class culture, chronicles a mother’s unwavering love and support for her trans daughter, Srija, as Srija fights for legal marriage and acceptance in South India. It won the Best Short Documentary Award at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala and is now qualified for the Oscars.

In the spirit of openness to all people, I invite you to watch the film during the 48-hour virtual screening starting on October 11th, National Coming Out Day. The films producers hope to have a least 100,000 people watch the film around the world. I’ll be one of them and hope you’ll consider joining me.

You can order tickets with an early bird discount, equitably priced by region, through this link: https://watchmyfilm.com/movie/ammas-pride.

You can learn more about the film here:

May we all continue to find ways to stand for openness and kindness in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.

More about my Kural translation
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