Is Hinduism western culture?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

I am new and I hope nobody's offended by this, but my friend has made some convincing points, which made me sit up and take notice. When I said I was becoming interested in SP's teachings, he said SP was trying to get western people return to their roots.

 

I didn't understand, initially, but what he meant was that Hinduism (or vedic dharma or SD, whatever) was brought to India by the west, and now Indians like SP were doing them a favor by returning that great religion to the rightful owner, namely the west. Is that true? At first, it seemed odd but it makes sense now. Such a great and wonderful religion could've been founded only in the west, nowhere else. So is it OK for westerners to 'lay claims' to Hinduism? Or is that offensive?

 

I don't want to argue about this, I simply want to know your insights and learn more.

 

Hare Krsna!

[Avinash]

Such a great and wonderful religion could've been founded only in the west, nowhere else.

 

Any reasons for thinking that such a religion can be founded only in the west?

[theist]

Why think in terms of Eastern and Western? The forms have an Indian flavor. But Prabhupada said that "Indian dress and cooking styles are not very important."Such things may help keep our interest until we can glimpse the reality.

 

Let's look deeper. He taught the eternal religion of the soul which is the eternal religion. That religion predates all of creation what to speak of this earth and its East West considerations.

 

That religion of the soul is loving service to the Lord. Pure service without expectation of reward, including salvation. This religion lies within you. Prabhupada came to awaken this within ourselves.

 

There is a more superfical way of taking to the Hare Krsna movement but why not try to take to the real thing right off?

[Raghavan]

I agree with what "thiest" has mentioned. But sanathana dharma is ageless and since ancient times India was culturally the best in Her moral values. Concerning the practice, What are called now as western countries were not or could not have been the origin of Sanathana Dharma civilization(later labelled as Hinduism by muslims and westerners), which is very obvious from the rivers described in vedas, that are present only in greater India that includes the present day pakistan, afghanistan, nepal, tibet. The holy river mentioned in the vedas is the Ganges, and not mississipi or missouri or Nile or rivers or europe or china. There are large number of westerners who studied vedas, sanskrit, Gita, upanishads, but none got these strange doubts that Hinduism could not have been started in India, because they all understood that Indian culture is great since its still existing.

What you rate as "Such culture would have orignated only in west" implies that you are racist and does not want to accept an economically backward country can have moral and cultural values, without realising the fact that India was once a very rich country and everybody around the world wanted to go to India for their advancment of knowledge and also for business.

As theist mentioned earlier, SP tried to awaken the soul, since the soul does not belong to west or east. As long as one has discriminative thoughts and self ego, that we are great and nothing more than us is great, as how your sentences are implying or whoever told you like that, the soul can never be awakend inspite of repeated chantings also.

 

Raghavan

[Guest guest]

I have not seen or read any mentioning of Krishna or Rama wearing jeans or T-shirt or the old age pant and shirt of western style, and simillarly the Goddess wearing anything other than sarees. From NOne off the sculptures of India and from Indian paintings, I could see the origin of Hinduism from west. I very much doubt, if any culture or even people were existing on the other side of globe with a distinguished culture during the vedic period. I am yet to hear any history on this. May be I am wrong. The oldest western history I know was from the Greece, and there again the religious beleifs have lots of simillarities in their Gods as in Indian litterature, but not mentioned anything as great as Mahabharata and Ramayana or Baghavatam. ILiad and Odyssey is about great history of ancient past, but I dont see any Supreme Personality of Godhead in both. I have not read them in detail, but in precise version I still did not find.

So sorry, Hinduism is not from west.

 

[Guest guest]

Is Hinduism a western Culture?

 

NO certainly not..I dont think our guys can wait until marriage for any fun....

[Guest guest]

Anyone who says it could only have emerged from the west is either racist, or just ignorant.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Does it really matter from where good things come from? If we take the formation of continents after each pralayam, one can guess even the different yugas were existing after which the continents broke. There is no scientific evidence of human existence beyond a particular era of geography. But this does not mean Humans were not existing.

 

From the scriptures, its clear that HInduism had its origin in India. But so what. Jesus was not born in America for that matter and dont we follow christianity everywhere in world. It does not matter, from where good things come from. God does not belong to any religion,He is one and the same for all. Original christianity profounded by Jesus also had noble thoughts, but things became corrupted in hands of people and so its loosing its value and connection between Jivathma and Paramathma in its way of worship.

Hinduism on the other hand is still preserving that fortunately, because atleast the Baghwatgita is not contaminated or adulterated in course of times as its difficult to add or delete in that. More over, one can assume that God Himself is protecting its essence as they are spoken directly by HIM. Krishna belongs to everyone and there is no need for anyone to run away or feel racistic because Krishna's physical form did not play in west. The whole world for that matter is a single country when we think of soul that does not belong to any body and keep changing the citizenship in the cycle of birth.

Patriotism is necessary, but it should not be racism.

 

[Guest guest]

It is possible that westerners were the first inhabitants of India, and they wrote vedas etc., prior to migrating out of India and settling in other countries. That way, yes, hinduism did originate in India and NOT west, as most of you suggest. But at the same time, it would also be true that Hinduism, even though founded in India, was founded by westerners who were living in India at the time. So both points are reconciled.

[Guest guest]

This is called utter nonsense that westerners migrated to India and wrote vedas...Then if the Indian culture is actually western, why there are no morals and family values in any western countries now, while they are still existing in India and even among the Indians who migrated and settled abroad in countries like US.

YOu sound like racist rather than having rational thinking.

[Guest guest]

Sorry, those were not my views but my friend's. I was simply expressing them to get a clear view from the Indian people, but insights from others also welcome. Thanks. No hard feelings, I suppose?

[Guest guest]

So is your "friend" a follower of Srila Prabhupada [assuming that's who you mean by SP]? Not that it would matter one way or another to this ridiculous topic, but Prabhupada was very proud of showing off his western disciples when they travelled together to India. Having tired of materialism themselves, they might help remind the people there of the futility of pursuing wordliness, as many had started to do so fervently.

 

When he first arrived in America, the local Indian population was approached for support to no avail. It was the burned out hippies that responded and wholeheartedly helped his mission. Anyway, it surprised him very much, but I'll stop short of quoting his opinion of "westernized" emmigrants from India...

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

Surely Sanatana Dharma does not come from wetern cullture.

 

It comes from the Lord of Vaikunta and no one else. India or Bharatha Varsha holds a significant position. It is the land where the Lord HIMSELF took avataras as Rama and Krishna. It is the Karma Bhumi as mentioned by Krishna. The rest are all bhoga bhumis. That is why it is mentioned that one is born in India after many lifetimes. It is a great honour to be born in that land, provided they follow Vedas.

[Guest guest]

That's part of the Aryan Invasion or Aryan Migration Theory.

 

Central Asian aryans brought with them the RG Veda when they entered the region today known as India. Ancient Central Asians (Caucasians) are considered the ancestors of present day whites. The theory may or may not be true. Who knows?

[Guest guest]

 

if the Indian culture is actually western, why there are no morals and family values in any western countries now, while they are still existing in India and even among the Indians who migrated and settled abroad in countries like US.

 

there are many people in the west who have morals and family values. Seems all you know about the west is based off of hollwood movies. Hollywood is amoral, but then again so is Bollywood.

 

Best to judge people as INDIVIDUALS and not make such gross generalizations. I went to private religious schools in the west growing up, and was always taught moral and family values. I've never been drunk once in my life, or done drugs, etc. All because of the moral values I was taught growing up. So it is offensive to me to hear someone make such ignorant generalizations against all westerners.

[Guest guest]

Attitudes like the ones expressed by some Indians on this site against fellow human beings in other parts of the world are exactly why I feel even Vaishnava temples should be organized according to cultures. Personally I relate more to vaishnavas from the west and I find them to be much more open-minded and kind-hearted than Indian vaishnavas who are often bigoted and negative towards other cultures/countries/people. This of course stems from an inferiority complex. When a person is happy and contented with their own self and their own life, they see no reason to negatively stereotype other people.

 

Not all Indians are like that. My best friends are Indian vaishnavas and they are not like, but alot are. Westerners can also be like that too, but to a lesser degree in my experience. And they seem happier.

 

Perhaps there should be vaishnava temples exclusively for non-Indians and others exclusively for Indians?

 

Maybe that's the only solution.

[Guest guest]

 

Attitudes like the ones expressed by some Indians on this site against fellow human beings in other parts of the world are exactly why I feel even Vaishnava temples should be organized according to cultures. Personally I relate more to vaishnavas from the west and I find them to be much more open-minded and kind-hearted than Indian vaishnavas who are often bigoted and negative towards other cultures/countries/people. This of course stems from an inferiority complex. When a person is happy and contented with their own self and their own life, they see no reason to negatively stereotype other people.

 

Not all Indians are like that. My best friends are Indian vaishnavas and they are not like, but alot are. Westerners can also be like that too, but to a lesser degree in my experience. And they seem happier.

 

Perhaps there should be vaishnava temples exclusively for non-Indians and others exclusively for Indians?

 

Maybe that's the only solution.

 

As if such segregation should ever be termed a solution.

 

Perhaps that would exacerbate the problem rather than fix it. Alienating groups of people only accentuates the feeling of separateness between them. It only increases the gap of misunderstanding and can't be termed a solution in any way.

 

There are bigoted Indians, true. There are bigoted Westerners as well. Some who belong to one or the other group may even happen to be a Vaishnava (or at least an aspiring one, though not a true Vaishnava).

[krishnadasa]

don bother about things like wher it came from! bother about following it and getting benigited from it

 

hari hari bol

[Guest guest]

 

if the Indian culture is actually western, why there are no morals and family values in any western countries now, while they are still existing in India and even among the Indians who migrated and settled abroad in countries like US.

 

Really? Where are you from?

 

Do you think people in western countries are living in caves and killing one another after sun set?

 

Open up your eyes and look around, my friend. There are a number of desis who are reluctant to pay medical bills of their aged parents as that would mean settling for a smaller car.

 

If you are under the impression that Indians are somehow better at values compared to non-Indians, then you are completely wrong. Indians in general are narrow minded compared to other cultures, a direct reason for the number of invaders who ruled the country with little or no effort for 1000 years and also for India being a weak third world country today.

 

We may not have money to feed our fellow citizens, we may not have guts to take on Pakistan, but we sure have high, inflated opinions of ourselves.

[krishnadasa]

Srila Prabhupada is not an Indian he came for the world. True indians always thought in the word WOLRD rather than some specific country. This kinda thougth was brought us /forced on us by Brits and still sticks to us thats quite unfortunate. Otherwise there was only one king and for the one world and her name was Prithvi/dhatri or earth.

 

Then what made westeners leave the beutiful culture and start following hippy culture. I am afraid u will not have any answere as you didnt really have any culture. NO OFFENCE

 

I see still brits eat something called as blood pudding in thier break fast (pudding made up of blood) well Veda must have told somewhere about this doesn it:smash: ?

 

Wealth and culture flooded in India for many centuries, its only few hundres years she started seeing adharma and akaala......and so is the resultant india//////////

 

Hari hari bol

 

Hi,

 

I am new and I hope nobody's offended by this, but my friend has made some convincing points, which made me sit up and take notice. When I said I was becoming interested in SP's teachings, he said SP was trying to get western people return to their roots.

 

I didn't understand, initially, but what he meant was that Hinduism (or vedic dharma or SD, whatever) was brought to India by the west, and now Indians like SP were doing them a favor by returning that great religion to the rightful owner, namely the west. Is that true? At first, it seemed odd but it makes sense now. Such a great and wonderful religion could've been founded only in the west, nowhere else. So is it OK for westerners to 'lay claims' to Hinduism? Or is that offensive?

 

I don't want to argue about this, I simply want to know your insights and learn more.

 

Hare Krsna!

[Guest guest]

Here we go again....... indians and non-indians fighting over who's culture is best.

 

Doesn't this topic ever get boring to you all?

 

The name of this forum is "audarya-fellowship".

 

Audarya means liberality, magnanimity and open-mindedness.

 

Now hippies are being criticised? Hippies were some of the most liberal and open-minded people ever to exist. That is why many of them took to Yoga, Dhyan, Hinduism, even Vaishnavism.

 

Vice and virtue have always existed side by side everywhere on this planet, in fact, they exist side by side within the psyche of each human being.

 

So to argue which culture is more virtuous or less so, it is redundent.

 

 

Open your hearts people! Grow up!

[Guest guest]

hinduism belongs to the world, not just indians! spread the dharma!

[Guest guest]

If you read "When God Was A Woman" by Merlin Stone, you can get some idea of what was happening in Europe and Middle East prior to the advent of

the Abrahamic religions.

 

All over the world there was a worldwide Vedic culture. For example in South America the pyraminds were built by the principles of silpin sastra of Vishwakarma. There is a sthapati who builds Agamic temples by the ancient

Indian traditions who has been to South America and he observed it is the

exact same contruction process.

 

There was ocean travel from India {Bharat varsa} all over the world. Some

of this ocean travel went all the way to South America, which is considered

"the West". This influenced the Mayan and Aztec cultures. When the Spanish

came and did the genocide there, then alot of the written records were lost

that would show the connection between the two cultures more readily.

 

The North American Native American tribes came originally from Asia across

the Bering Sea strait that connects Alaska with Russia. Tibetans have commented on how very Tibetan many Native American traditions are:

from the jewelry to honoring mountains as sacred, etc. All of this came

from the eternal Sanatana Dharma culture in a diaspora.

 

When Native Hawaiians, who are ethnically related to Asian Indians, meet

with Native American tribes, they also remark on the many similarities that

there cultures share.

 

So now we have covered Oceania, North and South America = all of Vedic

origins and Sanatana Dharma was practiced there in a local form, adapting itself to time, place, and circumstances.

 

Now we move to Europe and the Middle East. In that part of the world the

Goddess was worshipped; in the Sanatana Dharma culture each God has

a female counterpart. This was also true in pre-Christian Europe and the

Middle East, which includes Africa and Egyptian civilizations.

 

In Rome there was the Pantheon, in which all of the gods were worshipped and people had freedom of religion. Roman soldiers worshipped the Goddess

Victoria before battle aka Nike. The Roman civilization grew and flourished

as long as Victoria was worshipped before battle. When the State withdrew

support for worshipping her then the hordes from the North successfully

succeeded in sacking Rome and laying it to waste.

 

In the indigenous stories of Northern Europe, Rome, Greece, Egypt there are

stories of Gods and Goddesses. Our days of the week come from this as well

as the planets' names. The pre-Gregorian calendar was a Vedic calendar i.e.

a moon-based calendar.

 

So we now have covered Europe and Africa. In all of these cultures there is also different forms of tulasi aka sacred basil. There is the basil used by

Italians that grows outside of each home, Thai basil, and in Japan there is

Chiso. In each culture it is used like tulasi to purify and placed on top of food.

 

As far as languages go, the root of all the Romance languages [European] is Sanskrit. And in Japan, one person I spoke to there said that the Japanese

consider Bon-ji [sanskrit] to be the mother language of not only Japanese

but of Chinese [where Japanese language comes from originally].

 

Let's look at the word "Bon-ji", or "Sanskrit" in Japanese language. "Bon"

refers to "Vrndavana", sometimes spelled "Brindaban". The "Brin-da" was dropped and "Bon" sound remains. On each person's gravestone for their

ashes in Japan is a Sanskrit letter or writing. They feel it is purifying.

 

To appease the dead and help them in the next life, the Japanese do a

"Bon" dance. What is that other than mimicing the singing, dancing, playing of drums, to please the Supreme in harmony with all Life that lives as is done in our eternal Home Brindaban?

 

The story of Radha and Krsna is in each culture too as is the Ramayana. The Ramayana manifests itself as the story of Peach Boy in Japan. The story of Radha and Krsna is manifest in the story of the two separated lovers who are

reunited once a year during Star Day in China, Japan, and Korea. The male

protagonist is a simple cowherd boy and a princess fell in love with him.

 

I could go on and on. Suffice to say that the eternal Sanatana Dharma is everywhere on this planet already in hidden form. It changed only due to

unique circumstances in each culture. Also sometimes the knowledge had

to be hidden and sometimes whoever was left who knew the truth died in

certain areas.

 

Won't you please join me in celebrating the beautiful similarities of all cultures

in the form of looking for the eternal Sanatana Dharma principles everywhere?

Remember gopis saw Krsna everywhere, such was Their love for Him. So we

too, if we purify our hearts, can also see Krsna everywhere. I sincerely hope

and pray that you can have this wonderful benediction and blessing.

 

Wherever I travel in the world I see Vedic culture and I am astounded. Let's

work together to encourage and enliven each other to see the hand of the

Divine everywhere. Jaya Sri Radhe Shyam!