Pluralism contd.

[Guest guest]

Dear Jay and Swami Yogeshanandaji

 

Thank you for your detailed rebuttals of my points. I wanted to respond to

your points individually, but think this discussion can better be taken

forward by summarizing my views differently. Also, my views are rooted in

the ground realities in India today, not in a London inter-faith

discussion.

 

<snip>

 

===============response========================

 

Dear Swaminathan

 

Religious Pluralism is not some 'cosy coffee club' operating in London.

Pluralism - the Hindu version of it says - " many ways to the same ultimate "

and is the central teaching of modern Hinduism promoted by Sri Ramakrishna

and Swami Vivekananda.

 

Your comments and the article you mentioned deal mainly with the issue of

how the Hindus are losing out.....and blaming this on 'the false concept of

sameness of all religions'. (the article does not specifically blame

pluralism but talks of 'neo-vedanta' of Vivekananda in such terms).

 

(1) Pluralism means... " We accept and promote 'plural or many' views and

approaches in spirituality.... If the Hindus misunderstand this concept and

interpret this as 'sameness' then we have to educate them properly rather

than abandon pluralism!

 

(2) Malhotra's comment that we have to accept 'difference with respect' is

precisely the mainstream Christian approach. This Christian approach can

best be described as 'apologetic exclusivism'. I do not think

Vivekananda would like modern Hinduism to go the same way.

 

(3) Then we come to the third issue .... " Hinduism is becoming diluted with

the talk of sameness' Malhotra has his heart in the right place but his

analysis (though seems very detailed) is faulty and misses the point.

Hinduism does not teach 'all religions' are same so the question of

sameness and how it is diluting Hinduism does not arise.

 

What is diluting Hinduism is the real apathy shown by mainstream Hindus for

their religion. I have been telling mainstream Hindus ....'You are Hindus

in name only....your religion is Bollywood.. Wallowing in sentimentality and

choreographed lust day in and day out is destroying you....The spiritual

fabric of this nation is being torn to pieces by this disease, yet you

cannot even recognise this as an escapist opium fed to the whole nation'. In

my view this is the serious issue faced by modern Hindus in India and

abroad. It is lust and greed that destroy spirituality not some debate on

how to compare ourselves with other religions. Check out, almost every

family in India (even those living in rural villages); unless they get a

dose of their daily Bollywood film or soap opera on satellite channel,

cannot go to sleep. The situation is the same in the West. Hindu youth in

the West relate far too easily with Bollywood than with Hinduism.

 

I wish that good thinkers and workers like Malhotra focus on such issues

rather than get carried away by the academic analysis of blaming pluralism

(through indirectly equating it to 'sameness of all religions'.)

 

" Pluralism is watering down our religion " does not wash with me! The real

issue is to promote spiritual values in our daily lives and try and

encourage these in the lives of our fellow beings.

 

I am aware of the good work done by Malhotra so do not wish to put him down

but I wish he would not get side-tracked in this fashion. Instead of raising

the status of spirituality in our nation, he seems keen to blame

others for our problems.

 

jay