Guest guest Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 Below are some excerpts from a provocative and thoughtful essay published this week in Outlook India. It was written by Aditi Banerjee, currently a student at Yale Law School. The points she raises are of convcern not just to Indians in America, but to anyone who considers her- or himself a Hindu. A link to Aditi's full essay, which is quite long, follows the excerpt: A HINDU IN AMERICA One of the difficulties of engaging with Hinduism in America is that we live in a predominantly non-Hindu setting. It is easier to practice Hinduism in India, where the culture and the religion have become so intertwined, where Dussehra merits a holiday, where interpretations of the epics have been shown on wildly popular TV serials, where grandparents share the stories of the Puranas with children, where the resources for learning about the religion are more readily available than they are here. There is a subtle yet powerful Hindu ethos in India that is absent in America. Immersion in the ethos of Hinduism, of course, does not a Hindu make, but it does facilitate engagement with the religious aspects of the tradition if one so chooses. To learn about Hinduism in America, on the other hand, one has to be particularly proactive and wade through often inaccurate and biased scholarly work before arriving at balanced and authoritative texts. Temple priests are often so removed from the realities of the American experience that they end up turning off curious visitors rather than presenting the tenets of the faith in an accessible and attractive manner. Add to this the negative stereotypes prevalent about the religion and its poor representation within popular culture and the general media, and it is not at all surprising that the Hindu-American identity if present at all is weak. The result is that very few Hindus in America think of themselves as being Hindu. One may very well ask, so what? Why does this matter? Why is it something we should, as a community, expend energy and resources in trying to change? .... A Hindu-American identity may lead to more engagement with the spiritual aspects of Hinduism, and I think that could be a good thing. Religion and spirituality do not always go hand in hand, but I do believe that religion can often serve as a path leading to spirituality. ... Through Hinduism's development of the sciences of yoga and meditation, and the vast stores of wisdom and profound thought revealed in its scriptures, the tradition offers those who seek to understand it one possible avenue towards enlightenment and spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Even discounting the spiritual value of Hinduism, greater awareness of the religion within the Hindu-American community is critical for its development in the intellectual and political realms. Misrepresentation of Hinduism occurs to a depressingly large extent within popular media and culture today. Local bookstores carry more texts on the sexual aspects of Tantra and Hare Krishna cults than they do on the Upanishads or the epics. Understanding of Hinduism in the U.S. today is filtered through the portrayal of Apu on "The Simpsons" or a few glossy pages from textbooks exoticizing many aspects of the faith. More is known in mainstream American society about caste, dowry, and cow worship than is known about the underlying philosophical concepts of Hinduism. We cannot blame others for our own failings. The reason why Hindus are so poorly represented in campuses, in the media, and in society is because we do not demand or provide anything better. If academics perceive greater demand for balanced and thoughtful scholarship on Hinduism, the supply of such scholarship will increase. Unless Hindus take up the responsibility of learning about their religious background, characterizations of the religion as one primarily concerned with caste hierarchy, subordination of women, primitive rituals, and myths fraught with Freudian sexual undertones, will self-perpetuate. Of course, freedom of thought and expression should be encouraged in academia, but more conscious reflection on the part of Hindus and non-Hindus alike about the religion may augment the diversity of ideas reflected in American scholarship on Hinduism. Unless Hindus begin to think of themselves as Hindu, there will be little community momentum for creating a stronger, more balanced Hindu presence in academia, campuses, the media, and society at large. Furthermore, a better understanding of Hinduism can generate knowledge valuable to American society and the world in general. Consider how the renewed interest in yoga (as yoga is understood in America today) has contributed to the wellbeing of many Hindus and non-Hindus alike. Consider current research demonstrating the benefits of regular meditation to mental and physical health. Consider the growing adoption of a holistic approach to medicine as embodied in Ayurvedic science. Precisely because Hinduism has no internal institutional structure, it is susceptible to politicized and contested definition. Hinduism is being defined today by many thinkers hailing from the fringe extremes of the ideological spectrum, particularly in the arena of Indian politics, leading to increasingly polarized and untenable conceptualizations of the faith. Much as a moderate Muslim majority is needed to win the ideological war against terrorism, a moderate Hindu majority is needed as a counterpoint to the battle between the extreme versions of Hinduism being peddled today. A strong and growing Hindu-American community can help bring the debate over defining and portraying Hinduism to the center. ... But this will never come to be unless there's a revival of awareness about Hinduism among both Hindus and non-Hindus. This world will not come to be unless Hindus take the initiative of learning about their faith and proactively engage with and reform the practice of our religion. As American Hindus, we have the resources and influence to play a central role in the evolution of Hinduism in its cultural, spiritual, intellectual, and political dimensions. Some may say that I am trying to publicize and politicize what should remain personal and sacred, that I am too self-consciously Hindu, that I am trying a little too hard, that I want it a bit too badly. Perhaps they are right; perhaps I am insecure about being Hindu, defensive about it, protective of my religious identity. But in a world where being Hindu is seen as antithetical to being enlightened, progressive, and modern; where being Hindu is equated with Hindutva; where to really learn about the religion I had to unlearn everything I was taught about it in school; where Hindus know less about their own religion than they do about others; where those who most strenuously proclaim themselves as Hindu are often the least Hindu of all; where Hinduism has become separated from humanism; what other choice do I have? To view the full essay: http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp? fodname=20040128&fname=aditi&sid=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 > interpretations of the epics have been shown on > wildly popular TV serials I assume that these are in English rather than in Hindi or Bengali or some other language. Why not petition television networks in the West to show these here? Americans love shows such Xena and Hercules and Star Trek, not to mention the hugely successful Lord of the Rings movies. I suspect that if American television were to show these, they would be very popular and teach Americans much about Hinduism. Sister Usha ===== Sister Usha Devi Founder, Divinely Female and worshipper of the Sacred Flame that shines inside every woman SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting./ps/sb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 Great Idea. I hope someone has some connections with the media. Benton --- Sister Usha Devi <sisterusha wrote: > > interpretations of the epics have been shown on > > wildly popular TV serials > > I assume that these are in English rather than in > Hindi or Bengali or some other language. Why not > petition television networks in the West to show > these > here? Americans love shows such Xena and Hercules > and > Star Trek, not to mention the hugely successful Lord > of the Rings movies. I suspect that if American > television were to show these, they would be very > popular and teach Americans much about Hinduism. > > Sister Usha > ===== > Sister Usha Devi > Founder, Divinely Female and worshipper of the > Sacred Flame that shines inside every woman > > > > SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. > Try it! > http://webhosting./ps/sb/ > SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting./ps/sb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 Great idea. I'd love to see these epics on tv, and I agree with my Auntie Usha that they would probably catch on in the US. First, you need to pick a network. I think UPN and the Scifi Network are the most likely targets. Find out who makes those sorts of decisions there, then bombard them with thousands of letters. Let me ask you guys the questions: What are the names of these series, and who in India produced them or holds rights to them? It would be useful to be able to tell the US people where to go to obtain the films. Oh, right! I almost forgot PBS!!! Public Broadcasting System. Half the stuff they show on that network is foreign, mostly British. And they are always showing interesting historical and educational things. They might be very wiling to show something like this if enough people ask them. Worth a shot. Sister Yvonne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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