Practicing Hinduism In Predominantly Non-Hindu Cultures?

[Guest guest]

While Usha is probably correct (that many non-Hindus around the world

would enjoy and learn a lot from India's compelling theological

movies and television series), I see her point as only one tiny slice

of the larger issue raised by Ms. Banerjee, and so I would ask

members to share their thoughts on a bigger question:

 

**********

 

Is it ultimately possible to properly practice Hinduism in a

predominently non-Hindu nation or culture? How? What compromises must

be made? What compromises are unacceptable?

 

**********

 

To get you thinking, here is Ms. Banerjee's essay again (or click Up

Thread to read original post):

 

---

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

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

To begin, as N. Madasamy has asserted on this site, aspects of

Hinduism stretch

back in an unbroken saffron thread to the Stone Age; and

this includes the worship of Mahadevi, herself - is this indeed the

colour's significance: golden Gauri?

 

This is one, personal reason why Hinduism is so important, I feel; it

connects with the beginnings of humanity (and of human

spirituality), which must be sought even further back in time: but

has come to a superb flowering - within Mother India...

 

We as a species, have spread throughout the globe - why should we

abandon our belief in the sacred? What is 'backward' about believing

in the ultimate spiritual composition of the universe?

 

I rather feel that the majority of the 'developed' cultures are

living within a quasi-hypnotic state, fascinated by the technology

which this increasingly global culture seems to substitute for real

life.

 

Cherish your religion Hindus, wherever you are - it is a portal to

the only thing that is actually real in this world: everything else

is ultimately a fascinatingly complex illusion: 'Maya'.

 

Jai Ma -

 

m6

 

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

> While Usha is probably correct (that many non-Hindus around the

world

> would enjoy and learn a lot from India's compelling theological

> movies and television series), I see her point as only one tiny

slice

> of the larger issue raised by Ms. Banerjee, and so I would ask

> members to share their thoughts on a bigger question:

>

> **********

>

> Is it ultimately possible to properly practice Hinduism in a

> predominently non-Hindu nation or culture? How? What compromises

must

> be made? What compromises are unacceptable?

>

> **********

>

> To get you thinking, here is Ms. Banerjee's essay again (or click

Up

> Thread to read original post):

>

> ---

> 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