Guest guest Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Thank you! I am beginning to see the picture. Somehow, the comparison of Ganesa's trunk with a limp phallos does not strike me as self-evident. Elephant heads usually have trunks, so the idea would need some rather strong arguments to convince! Otherwise, you are of course right about the lack of sensitivity. Western intellectuals have left the Christian church in droves and here in Norway and elsewhere spend a lot of energy criticizing the Church (in whatever avatara). The church has lost most of its political power, and has become so pacifist that it can't use threats or violence to stop them anymore. It is therefore hardly strange that Western academics bring the same attitudes to other religions where the tradition is not so toothless as in the West. Best regards, and all the best, Lars Martin Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114, 0674 Oslo - Norway Phone: +47 22 32 12 19 Fax: +47 850 21 250 Mobile phone: +47 90 91 91 45 E-mail: lmfosse DO NOT OPEN UNEXPECTED ATTACHMENTS. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS BEING ABUSED BY MALICIOUS OPERATORS. > -----Opprinnelig melding----- > Fra: V.V. Raman [vvrsps] > Sendt: 3. november 2003 18:11 > Til: INDOLOGY > Emne: Re: [Y-Indology] Ganesh > > > <What exactly is it that is so objectionable about the book > Courtright's)?> > > The symbols of religion may be approached with the head or the heart. > Sometimes, the two approaches may harmonize, sometimes they > may vehemently collide. For the head mode, scholarship and > book-reading will do. For the heart-mode, one needs to be > part of and imbued in a culture and/or religious tradition. > Pascal's famous statement: Le coeur a ses raisons que la > raison ne connait pas is very a propos here. If you are not a > Hindu, nor have profound sensitivity for the Hindu tradition, > you will not, indeed you cannot, find anything objectionable > in referring to GaNeza's trunk as symbolizing a limp phallus. > But one is, he/she will find it outrageous, offensive, and > sacrilegious. This has nothing to do with religious > fundamentalism. The sad thing about some scholars in Indology > is their inability to appreciate or understand religious > sensitivities. Those who are bereft of any religious > sensitivity cannot understand this, just as those who are > hard of hearing cannot appreciate glorious music. But if the > deaf start writing treatises on symphonic music, it could > lead to laughable situations. Unlike ancient Egyptian, Greek, > or Roman religions, Hinduism is a living religion. This means > that it is still meaningful to millions of people who take > its tenets and symbols very seriously. To ignore this in the > context of analyzing a religious tradition is equivalent to > dissecting a live human being to study human anatomy. The > practitioner can be charged with murder. > > V. V. Raman > November 3, 2003 > > - > Lars Martin Fosse > INDOLOGY > Monday, November 03, 2003 11:36 AM > SV: [Y-Indology] Ganesh > > > What exactly is it that is so objectionable about the book? > > I found the following description of it on Amazon: > > Synopsis > The elephant-headed god Gane'sa is one of the most > important and popular > gods throughout India and Hindu Southeast Asia. His image > is found in > virtually every Hindu home. In this detailed and > comprehensive study of > Gane'sa, Paul Courtright looks at the mythology and the > psychological > meanings of this god, his rituals and festivals, and the > part played by > Gane'sa in contemporary Indian politics. The American > Council of Learned > Societies named "Gane'sa" the best first book in the history of > religions published in 1985. > > I am just curious. > > Lars Martin Fosse > > > Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse > Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114, > 0674 Oslo - Norway > Phone: +47 22 32 12 19 Fax: +47 850 21 250 > Mobile phone: +47 90 91 91 45 > E-mail: lmfosse > DO NOT OPEN UNEXPECTED ATTACHMENTS. > MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS BEING ABUSED BY > MALICIOUS OPERATORS. > > > > -----Opprinnelig melding----- > > Fra: MLBD [mlbd] > > Sendt: 3. november 2003 14:28 > > Til: INDOLOGY > > Emne: [Y-Indology] Ganesh > > > > > > Dear Dr. Rao, > > > > Thanks for your mail of 29th October 2003 regarding the > > book: GANESHA by PAUL B.COURTRIGHT. > > > > Firstly, I am obliged that you have gone through the book > > and made us aware about the extremely objectionable passages > > including the cover of the book. In fact, the book was > > published in 1985 by OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS and we never > > heard any adverse comments, hence without getting that > > reviewed we undertook the publication since it was originally > > published by an internationally established publisher. We did > > not care to go through the book thinking that this would be > > academically well acceptable. > > > > We are extremely sorry that the content of the book has hurt > > the sentiments of our beloved readers and the community at > > large. We offer our SINCEREST APOLOGIES to all our readers. > > > > We have already withdrawn the circulation of the book from > > the market and discontinued the sale.Further, we ensure that > > no such lapse shall ever occur in future. This need not be > > reiterated that MLBD has ever published any such offensive > > matter knowingly in the entire history of their publication > > for the last 100 years. Being one of the best known > > publishers devoted to Hinduism and ancient Indian culture we > > would never think to tarnish the image of any religion. This > > has been an omission on our part and we are really apologetic > > to the readers for its publication. > > > > May we request you to kindly circulate our letter of apology > > to various religious organisations, centres, and the Hindu > > community at large. A press release for the withdrawal of the > > circulation of the book has already been issued. We are also > > sending copies of this mail to various people around the > > world and would also like to have the E-mail addresses of > > other organisations, who we can inform for further > > circulation of this mail. > > > > ONCE AGAIN WE REGRET FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE AFORESAID > > BOOK AND THANKS FOR INFORMING US OF SUCH OBJECTIONS. > > > > With kind regards, > > > > Sincerely, > > Rajeev Jain > > ------------ > > Motilal Banarsidass Publishers > > 41, U.A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar > > Delhi-110007, (India) > > Tel: (011) 23974826, 23918335, 23911985, 23932747 > > (011) 25795180, 25793423, 25797356 > > Fax:(011) 23930689, 25797221 > > Email: mlbd , mlbd > > Website: www.mlbd.com , www.newagebooksindia.com > > > > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ > > CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF PUBLISHING (1903-2003) > > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Sponsor > > ---------------------~--> Rent DVDs Online - Over 14,500 > > titles. No Late Fees & Free Shipping. Try Netflix for FREE! > > http://us.click./x> lw.sC/XP.FAA/3jkFAA/x3XolB/> TM > > > > > > ----------------------------- > > -------~-> > > > > > > indology > > > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > http://docs./info/> terms/ > > > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > > > > > indology > > > > Terms of > Service. > > > > > > ------------------------ Sponsor > ---------------------~--> Rent DVDs Online - Over 14,500 > titles. 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