What Hinduism needs to conquer the world

[suchandra]

This is an interesting suggestions, pointing towards varnashram. "One of my suggestions is that we build not temples but temple complexes. Moodley’s identification of the inadequacies of our outdated, even if shiny, temples is spot on. These complexes must cater for the larger needs of Hindu communities and not merely be centres of rash rituals and petty prayers. Hindus sleep".

 

<table xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="ArticleHead">What Hinduism needs to conquer the world<!--head0--></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="Byline"><!--byline1--><!--byline0-->

</td> <td class="Published" align="left"> Published:<!--date1-->Dec 09, 2007

THETIMES

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</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!--blurb1-->Your correspondent R Moodley describes the current needs of besieged Hinduism (Letters, December 2).<!--blurb0-->

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<!--par1-->The founder of modern Hinduism is Sir S Radhakrishnan. Sadly, few have read him, much less taken his lead. He offers us wise counsel to thrive in modern society.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->I recommend his masterly books Religion and Society and The Hindu View of Life. He suggests reforms and inveighs against lethargy.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->Social welfare does not exhaust religion, and yet must form its vital component.

 

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<!--par1-->Because Hinduism lacks a hierarchical organisation, it is left to individual bodies and temples to undertake ad- hoc programmes, which, as Moodley rightly indicates, are woefully inadequate.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->While the Arya Samaj, Hare Krishna movement and Divine Life Society do commendable social charity work, large gaps remain, some of which Moodley cites.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->No one systematically tries to check the tide of conversions, and few plan to reverse it.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->I contributed a paper on the problem of Hindu conversions at a conference convened by guru Dr Harilal Gopal Dewa, then the spiritual head of the Mission of the Eternal Religion’s Vedanta Ashram.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->Guruji Dewa is himself a genius with seven university degrees, a keen grasp of current Hindu needs and an alert mind to the quagmire of mass conversion.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->One of my suggestions is that we build not temples but temple complexes. Moodley’s identification of the inadequacies of our outdated, even if shiny, temples is spot on. These complexes must cater for the larger needs of Hindu communities and not merely be centres of rash rituals and petty prayers. Hindus sleep.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->Moodley wisely notes that Hinduism needs philanthropists. India’s Ambanis and Mittals must open their wallets wide if our dear religion is to conquer the world, which was Radhakrishnan’s aim.<!--par0-->

<!--par1-->— Ramesh D Jethalal, Chats- worth<!--par0-->

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