Fw: HinduLeadersPlanVisits toU.S.Cities toDiscussPrinciples of Faith & Deflate Myths

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For those residing in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, this article

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HinduLeadersPlanVisits toU.S.Cities toDiscussPrinciples of Faith &

Deflate Myths

 

 

"Hinduism is one of the major religions, but most Westerners don't know

[much

about] it," said Shardanand, "have a very distorted idea about what we are,"

he said.

 

Courtesy : Washington Post

Shashi Aggarwal <ManoranjanTV

 

URL : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10378-2001Aug14.html

 

Destination: Enlightenment

Hindu Leaders Plan Visits to U.S. Cities to Discuss Principles of Faith and

Deflate Myths

By Bill Broadway

Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, August 18, 2001; Page B09

 

In a new survey of Americans' attitudes about Hindus, 666 people --

two-thirds of those surveyed -- said they have no familiarity with Hindu

beliefs and practices.

 

When asked the first thing that comes to mind when they hear "Hinduism,"

most

said "cow worship,many gods and temples" or "India." When asked if they

wanted to learn more about the religion, 59 percent said no.

 

Members of the Hindu Leaders Forum, a global network that commissioned the

survey, are not surprised at Americans' limited knowledge of their faith,

which with 800 million adherents worldwide is the third-largest religion

after Christianity (1.9 billion) and Islam (1.2 billion).

 

But they are concerned that interest remains low in the United States, where

the Asian Indian population doubled between 1990 and 2000, according to the

Census Bureau. The Embassy of India estimates that 90 percent of those 1.5

million Asian Indians are Hindu. About 88,000 Asian Indians -- about 79,000

Hindus -- live in the Washington-Baltimore area.

 

"Hinduism is one of the major religions, but most Westerners don't know

[much

about] it," said Shardanand, a retired NASA physicist who has lived in the

Washington area since 1963. Those who do know something about Hinduism "have

a very distorted idea about what we are," he said.

 

To further understanding by people of other faiths and foster pride among

Hindus, the forum has begun a 38-country, 47-city yaatra, or pilgrimage, to

spread the message that "the world is one family."

 

This is the first international yaatra in more than a century, organizers

say, and it will bring spiritual leaders from India to have discourses with

local Hindus. The guests will visit five major U.S. metropolitan areas:

Events are scheduled Monday in Miami, Tuesday in Atlanta, Wednesday in

Washington, Friday in Chicago and Saturday in Los Angeles.

 

The Washington event is scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. at the Gaithersburg High

School Auditorium. The program includes talks and discussions on such topics

as the fundamentals of Hinduism, religious-related violence and the global

environment. An Indian musical group will perform.

 

Shardanand, who is organizing Wednesday's program, said that most Indians he

knows have not experienced the kind of job discrimination faced by many

immigrants. The majority of Indians coming to this country have been allowed

to stay because of their expertise in science and technology and generally

have done well in business and academia, he said.

 

But negative attitudes about Hinduism persist, especially the belief that

the

religion condones the caste system that has been practiced in India for

thousands of years, Shardanand said.

 

Other misconceptions are that Hindus do not believe in a single omnipotent

God and that Hindus have no free will because they believe in reincarnation.

 

What hurts most, he said, is the assertion by some Christians that Hindus

"are sinners" because they don't profess a belief in Jesus as savior and

instead worship thousands of divine manifestations of God. Those same

Christians believe in a Trinity -- God the Father, God the Son and God the

Holy Ghost -- and many pray to the Virgin Mary or to one of thousands of

Christian saints, he said.

 

And what about Hindus' devotion to cows? That concept, too, is often

misunderstood and trivialized, Shardanand said. Hindus believe that all

animal life is sacred. The cow, once an integral part of Indian culture as a

source of transportation, tilling and life-nourishing milk, symbolizes

nature's care of humans.

 

"We respect all religions, and we hope others will respect ours," he said.

 

The Gaithersburg event is intended to clarify Hindu beliefs, if not clear up

misconceptions. More than 1,000 area Hindus are expected to attend.

 

There will not be exhibitions about Hinduism, but visitors are "free to talk

to anybody," Shardanand said.

 

Opportunities to learn about Hinduism occur at a dozen Hindu temples in the

Washington area, he said. All are open daily for morning and evening

prayers,

and numerous festivals take place throughout the year. The Association of

United Hindu and Jain Temples of Metropolitan Washington provides

information

about each temple on its Web site, www.dcunitedtemples.org.

 

Although some congregations meet in houses or schools, five have built

temples with Hindu-style architecture, and two more are under construction:

Chinmaya Mission, on Norwood Road in Silver Spring and the Hindu Temple of

Metropolitan Washington, on Riggs Road in Adelphi.

 

Seating at Wednesday's event, at 314 S. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg, is

limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Call

301-670-9429.

For details on the global tour, go to www.hindunet.org.

 

© 2001 The Washington Post Company