Mahasivaratri, Shiva’s Great Night

If you have any comments for me about this article leave them below as usual. If you have any comments that you would like to share with the non-Hindus at the interfaith site then make them at the publication of the article there. The comments that I have received there so far show that most of the posters are sincere about wanting to know about Hinduism but some of them have a lot of misconceptions.

Interfaith Banner

Dialogue has always been important in Hinduism. Many of the Upanishads (religious texts) take the form of a dialogue, discussing philosophy from different points of view. Many of the Hindu saints were renowned for their debate and dialogue, frequently changing their opinions as a result. In theManisha Panchakam, Adi Shankara starts by asking an outcast to move aside, and ends up concluding that when one knows God, then caste is irrelevant, and that the outcast is Shiva himself. Satsang (literally meaning true company), is respectful dialogue among devotees along with reflection and meditation.  This is positively encouraged by many Hindu lineages. Nowadays this sometimes takes place in closed internet forums, private social networking groups, etc. This is seen as valuable as long as it aids learning and spirituality and does not lead to discord.

As well as having a lively tradition of dialogue within Hinduism, this has always extended to other dharmic religions. This is hardly surprising, as the dividing line between Hindu traditions and non-Hindu traditions is not clear cut. You might say that Sikhs are not Hindus because they reject the vedas, have their own saints, and don’t use murtis (devotional images). However the same is true of many sects that are generally accepted to be non-orthodox branches of Hinduism, such as Veera Saiva and Arya Samaj. Relations between Hindus and members of other dharmic religions are often very close, in many cases Hindus and Buddhists share temples (such as the the Bagh Bhairav Temple in Kirtipur) and festivals. Similarly festivals at my local Mandir are frequently attended by Sikhs, and Hindus often attend festivals in the local Gurdwara. Historically we can see the interplay between dharmic religions. The Hindu school of Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism certainly had an influence on each other, and Jainism played a part in emphasising Hinduism’s vegetarian tradition.

With this ongoing history of cooperation and respect between dharmic religions it is not surprising that Hindus are often at the forefront of Inter-religious dialogue and events. The 2009 “World Religions Dialogue and Symphony” was initiated by the Hindu preacher Morari Bapu, and many local, national, and international events are well attended by Hindus. Swami Vivekananda’s address at the World Congress of Religions in 1893 is often considered one of the best pro-interfaith speeches of all time.

However many Hindus are ambivalent about dialogue with non-dharmic religions. One reason for this is that Hindus attending these events are often seen by others as representing Hinduism as a whole. Many non-Hindus don’t realise how much diversity there is within Hinduism. For a follower of one of the Abrahamic religions I compare speaking for Hinduism to speaking for all Abrahamic religions:  Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Unitarians, Shia Islam, Suni Islam, Ahmadiyya, Bahai, Mandeans, Druze, and all sects of Judaism. Imagine also that a lot of the other attendees had been taught that Branch Davidian and Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan were mainstream parts of your religion. This is the dilemma faced by a Hindu at an interfaith event. When someone does speak for Hinduism, other Hindus are not slow to point out when they say something that does not represent all Hindus. An example of this is the “Declaration of the Second Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit”. Among other things this says:

It is recognized that one supreme being in its formless and manifest aspects has been worshipped by Hindus over the millennia. The Hindu relates to only the one supreme being when he/she prays to a particular manifestation. This does not mean that Hindus worship ‘gods’ and ‘idols’.

Now without going into a lengthy description of Hindu theology, most Hindus see some images of God as being aspects of the one creator God (Ishvara), whereas others are illustrious beings (Devas), and are as separate and individual as you or I. Different schools have different concepts of exactly how separate you, I, and the Devas are, ranging from absolutely separate at one extreme to any separateness from God being illusionary at another. I think it is reasonable to say that the view of Hinduism put forward here by Swami Dayananda Saraswati is overstepping the mark by implying that the statement covers all Hindu beliefs. Some Hindus have expressed this in very strong terms. Sandhya Jain wrote:

This is outrageous. A Hindu guru who upholds the legitimacy for Hindus of the literature of another religion, and tries to make Hindu Dharma pass standards set by that intolerant sect, is betraying the Devas, the Dharma, the bhaktas, the Desh – nothing more need be said in this matter. In one stroke, he has also legitimised the missionary and jihadi hatred of and assault upon Hindu dharma in Hindu bhumi.

Hindus who do take part in inter-religious dialogue should be very clear that they are not speaking for the whole of Hinduism. Except in very general terms, nobody can. This is why I make it clear that what I write reflects my own thoughts only.

Another reason that some Hindus are reluctant to get involved in inter-religious dialogue is that it is often seen as an attempt to evangelise or convert, or at least to find information useful when attempting to convert people. This is a genuine concern, as some groups openly suggest that inter-religious dialogue should indeed be used to hone conversion tactics. Jason Barker writes on the Evangelical Christian website “Watchman Fellowship”:

Interreligious dialogue is related to evangelism in two ways: “Christians must practice dialogue with non-Christians (1) to understand the situation of non-Christians and how the gospel answers their needs; (2) answer questions raised by people to involve them in a personal encounter with the claims of God.” This relation of dialogue and evangelism can be seen in the Bible.

… dialogue enhances the efficacy of evangelism. The clarified understanding of other religions will be published in books and articles about the religions, many of which will be read by pastors and evangelists, as well as transmitted to average churchgoers. These people will then be able to present the gospel in a way that most effectively addresses the needs and thinking of people in other religions.

Clearly these groups are not seeing dialogue as a means of mutual understanding but as a means to convert others to their own faith. Other Christian groups see the purpose of dialogue as an opportunity to state their own faith, while not necessarily trying to convert others. J.E. Lesslie Newbigin writes:

On the basis which has been laid down one can speak briefly of the purpose with which the Christian enters into dialogue with people of other faiths. This purpose ‘can only be’ obedient witness to Jesus Christ. ‘Any other purpose, any goal which subordinates the honour of Jesus Christ to some purpose derived from another source, is impossible for the Christian.’ To accept such another purpose would involve a denial of the total lordship of Jesus Christ. A Christian cannot try to evade the accusation that, for him, dialogue is part of his obedient witness to Jesus Christ.

But this does not mean that the purpose of dialogue is to persuade the non-Christian partner to accept the Christianity of the Christian partner. Its purpose is not that Christianity should acquire one more recruit. [emphasis mine]

Though less destructive than the previous reason for entering dialogue, being present only to state your own faith and not understand that of others makes it a futile practice. So, what is necessary for interfaith dialogue to work? I think that Leonard Swidler’s Ten Rules for Interfaith Dialogue set a good basis. I cannot quote them in full for copyright reasons, but the essence is that dialogue should be an open, honest discussion between equals, with all sides being willing to learn, and to attempt to “walk in the other’s shoes” and understand what it means to follow the other’s religion.

Dialogue under these rules has many positives. Probably the biggest benefit is the elimination of misunderstanding, so many people have preconceived ideas about what other religions believe. This is particularly true of Hinduism in the West, so many authors write in good faith about the minority Smarta/advaita vedanta philosophy as though it were Hinduism. We should not forget that Hindus too have misconceptions about other religions.

Inter-religious dialogue also helps us see our own religions from another perspective, which may help us understand and appreciate parts of our own religion, and to find new ways to express them. There are many examples of Hindus seeing their own religion reflected in others, such as the “Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta” by Swami Prabhavananda.

In summary I would say that Hindus should continue their tradition of close alliance with dharmic religions, and engage in genuine dialogue with non-dharmic religions. While it is certainly true that some people will study the dialogue and try to use this to convert Hindus, the benefits in mutual understanding and a new view of Hinduism outweigh this.

We should still avoid “false dialogue”, where one side has no intention of listening, and has come merely to express their own view. This at best wastes time, and at worst aids their conversion attempts without benefit.

Finally, we should clearly indicate when what we are describing is something believed by all Hindus (a very rare occurrence), by most Hindus, by our particular sect, or when it is our own thoughts. This is important for followers of most religions, but particularly to Hindus because of the diversity of beliefs.

Image of the interfaith banner by By Svadilfari on Flickr, which has been made available under the creative commons license. In addition to being available under the usual license terms of this site, this article has been made available to http://homophilosophicus.wordpress.com/ for any use. 

Sohan Giri

I read a facebook post  which is an excerpt from a story by Babu Rampuri. In this story  Sohan Giri jokingly accuses the narrator of taking ancient knowledge and give nothing in return. The narrator sees that despite being a joke, this is actually true:

Although this was just a joke, which the other young sadhus around the dhuni were enjoying, I had to admit that he was right. I just walk in, and because I’m a white boy, and logic and experience dictate that probably there is some money somewhere, the streets of Am-rika are paved with gold (or at least gold-plated), and because of my privilege, I presume that ten thousand years of secret knowledge should simply be handed over to me just for the asking.

This made me think, we should never cease to be grateful that the tens of thousands of years of wisdom which is encompassed in Hinduism is not secret, and for the most part is handed over just for the asking.

It also made me think about how we repay this. For the most part it is with thanks and respect, but unfortunately it is not always so.

Yoga instructors have been allowed to claim copyright on yoga postures that are thousands of years old. Similarly ayurvedic medicines have been patented. This is not just being ungrateful for what has been given freely, but turning round and using the legal system and international patent agreements to say “now you have to pay us to use it”. Fortunately the Indian government is taking steps to prevent this, forming the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library to document yoga, ayurveda and other local resources and knowledge. This was spurred by one of the most despicable attempts at biopiracy, when the Texan company RiceTec patented Basmati rice. If this had not been overturned by the Indian government it would have prevented exports, and if India adopts the patent laws that the US are pushing for would have meant that Indian farmers would have had to pay the Texan company for the right to grow crops that they had been using for generations.

Making it necessary for the Indian government to spend time, money, and resources on defending traditional knowledge and its plants is completely immoral.  Among the gifts of knowledge that are freely given, the West could do with taking a little more satya and asteya (the Hindu yamas, or avoidances of truth and non-stealing).

Image is a low resolution copy of that posted on Facebook by Baba Rampuri, which is considered fair use.

Rolling With Vishnu blog

I previously mentioned treadmarkz, and his blog about disability “Leaving Treadmarkz Across the Universe“. Well, treadmarkz has now started a blog about his spiritual journey in Sanatana Dharma, “Rolling with Vishnu“.

Treadmarkz is a paraplegic devotee of Vishnu. He writes:

My Wheelchair is my chariot and Lord Vishnu is my charioteer as I fight the battles of life.

Treadmarkz is inspired by Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda. I believe that Treadmarkz is doing a service to Hinduism by blogging as a disabled blogger, as many non-Hindus misunderstand karma as blaming people with disabilities for their condition. Nobody should see someone’s condition in this life as a punishment or reward for past karmas. Who is to say that ultimately someone living a life without struggle, when they concentrate on superficial pleasures, isn’t the disadvantaged one.

I have added his blog to my “Westerners Following Hinduism” page, which lists blogs by Western converts to Hinduism.

Leaving Treadmarkz Across the Universe blog

I have some updates about some blogs, but first I want to mention a blog that is not specifically related to Hinduism. The blogger, “treadmarkz”, left a comment  here, saying that my story also described  happened to him when he “searched for something and found Hinduism“. Thradmarkz was born with spina bifida, and his blog  talks about his experiences, to help others with disability. I was particularly interested in his posting about when the British football coach Glenn Hoddel was sacked for expressing a belief in reincarnation. I remember being outraged by that at the time, even though it was long before I became a Hindu. Maybe something from my past lives was shaping my opinions even then. I think that a lot of people misunderstand what Hinduism says about disability, we can never simplistically say “that person must have led a bad life previously”. Treadmarkz has done us great service by discussing this issue openly to an audience of people with disabilities. If you read this treadmarz, thank you.

Other Blog News

Also, Art’s blog “Bamboo Thoughts” has now permanently moved to a WordPress, and can be found at http://bamboothoughts.wordpress.com/. Art has recently gone through a sort of spiritual malaise, but I am pleased to say that  he is now getting past this. I am sure that he will welcome advice and encouragement.

Aruna Sharan has started a second blog, Sādhanā Day by Day. She is using this for posts about her daily practices and general philosophical questions, leaving her original blog Sons of Gods: The Mahabharata to discuss the Mahabharata and her new book telling the story.

The Mahaprana Blog

A commenter has just informed me about the blog “Mahaprana: Sanskrit, Yoga Philosophy & Transpersonal Counseling“. The blog is  by Joshua Michaell a Saiva Hindu who teaches  Sanskrit, Yoga, Philosophy, and Meditation.  He writes about his travels, tea and a wide variety of subjects with a spiritual connection.

I have added this blog to my page listing blogs by Western Hindus. I have also marked some blogs on the page which have not had recent activity as inactive.

Typical Teasdale cottage

I was thinking about a story I heard in Teasdale, about why the cottages there are painted white. There are several versions of this story, but this is the one that I was told to me by a Teasdale  sheep farmer.

The Baron of Teasdale was out hunting and he got lost when the weather closed in. Even today Teasdale is wild and remote, its possible to walk miles from the nearest sign of human habitation. In those times it must have been a frighting place to be lost in. The Baron wandered in the rain and thick cold fog, until darkness fell,  and he could go no further. He came to a dry stone wall, lay down to shelter the best he could from the wind and the rain, and spent a very cold and uncomfortable night.

When daylight arrived the fog had lifted and he saw that he was sheltering against the garden wall of a farmer’s cottage, one which he actually owned. He sought help from the Tenant farmer, and was welcomed in to get warm and dry near the fire.  and he was given a warming meal.

Later he rewarded the farmer and his family, and decreed that all his properties should be painted white, so that if anyone was caught out in a storm they would be able to see nearby cottages and find refuge more easily.

That story may or may not be true; there are different versions of it on the internet. It struck me though that the Barron thinking that he was lost, then discovering that he was close to shelter is very like the feelings of people who convert to Hinduism. After searching for spiritual meaning we discover that we are already there. In our heart we are Hindu, and always have been. Things come into place, signs that this was meant to be. In our searchf or God we discover that God is inside, we were never parted. Many people who have come to Hinduism express this feeling, that they are discovering that this is what they already were.

I also wonder, should we “paint our houses white”, as a beacon to others? Hinduism has traditionally kept to itself. Though generally welcoming, it has done little to make its presence known to or understood by outsiders. It is like the grey stone house in the fog, you could pass by without knowing that shelter is at hand. Perhaps this is out of suspicion of other beliefs – who don’t only advertise their own houses but given half a chance will drag people from their existing homes and burn them to the ground! Certainly we want to avoid enticing people away from their own beliefs if they are happy and fulfilled in them, but I think that we should let people who search for us know of the great things we have to offer . Perhaps this blog is my attempt to paint my house white.

Image is “Cottage on north side of B6277, Teesdale“, © Copyright Trevor Littlewood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. 

Why am I doing this on a religious blog? The reason is that the SOPA and PIPA rules will allow anyone to get an American court order to take down a site for copyright violation, even if that violation is in a comment left by someone else. This means they can remove any .com or .org or other non-national address from the internet, leaving people in the rest of the world with no recourse unless they can afford to go to America and appeal the decision. They can also force search engines not to list sites, and service based in the US like WordPress to remove sites. Since contesting this wll cost money, it is quite likely that most actions will be unopposed.

In the past religious groups have used copyright law for monetary gain, to keep secrets, suppress splinter groups,  and most worryingly to avoid criticism and debate.  With SOPA in force if someone didn’t like a comment on a blog they could apply for the site removal. Very possibly the first a blogger would know about it is when the blog disappeared. If the blogger did get any notice it could well be a message saying “Turn up in a court in New York, Honolulu, or Anchorage if you want to object”.

I will blank this site out tomorrow before I go to work and enable it again at 20:00 gmt. I would urge other bloggers to do the same or at least put a notice up.

Edit: As others pointed out WordPress provided its own blanking option. Since I had already posted the times at which I would block and unblock my website I decided to use my own. 

A site for gay and lesbian Hindus

I recently received a comment which said :

“.. But at least some youngsters move to hindu , coz they arent acceptd in Christianity coz they are Gay/bi etc.

Hindu spirituality has nothng to do with it. But Being a hindu or hindutva ,the way of life of a hindu is against such acts as christianity is.

‘Vivekabhudi’ or power to differentiate right-wrong is what which makes human different from animals. And hinduism is for those who have this viveka. So people who dnt even have the diligence of animals are not suited for hinduism.

Such people who misuse of Unorganised structure of hinduism really make us hindus ashamed.

In a second comment the commenter adds:

But I have seen a trend that when people bi/gay nt get acceptd by Catholicism they turn hindu. This is not a place for going when you have no way. Secondly hinduism is clearly in line with nature that female-male equation.

I was going to write a response to the comment, but I realised that the response would be fairly long, and I had a feeling that I should write it as a post. Part of me did not want to write on this controversial subject, some readers are bound to disagree me. I have a feeling that it is not a subject that I should just leave alone though.

Points of Agreement

First of all, I will discuss the areas where I agree wholeheartedly with the commenter. People should not come to Hinduism just because they are not accepted by Catholicism or any other religion. Hinduism is a path towards liberation and God. If you are not going to try to follow this path there is no point in being a Hindu. Unlike some religions, Hinduism does not say there is any merit or promise of “salvation” is attained by just being a Hindu. In fact, theologically someone who wants to make no effort in a religion is much better of following Christianity, where the creed is that you are saved just by belief and being a Christian, and that you will be forgiven however you behave.

Hindus Upset With Brand & Perry Over Marriage Split

Secondly I agree that Hinduism has standards of dharmic behaviour, to which we should all aspire. Sometimes people adopting Hinduism do act in adharmic ways, which is embarrassing to Hindus – though it is not only gay and lesbians who do that.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry had a Hindu wedding. Russell Brand was a regular attendee at the ISKCON temple in Watford.

When Russell and Katy Perry split up, Rajen Zed said:

They should have taken marriage more seriously as it is a sacred rite in Hinduism.

… In Hinduism, marriage is the most important sacrament. The married couple is looked upon as a complete module for worship and participation in cultural and social acts.If celebrities opt for a Hindu wedding, they should be prepared to adhere to the commitment, devotion, responsibility, sanctity and morals, which are attached to it.

I agree with this. We don’t always manage to hold dharma all the time, but at least we should try.

Also, I would add that there is no need for gays and lesbians to leave Christianity simply because they are gay, as there are churches accepting gays and even a gay Catholic forum.

Hindu Views on Homosexuality

There are many views about gays and lesbians among Hindu groups. There are even some groups that cater specially for gays, such as the Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association who’se website image is at the top of this article.  These groups are as far from the mainstream Hindu schools as the gay Catholic forum is from the Vatican though.

There are some things that I believe all Hindus can agree on though. Homosexuals the same as everyone else have the divine spark of God within them. The HAF site quotes Swami Viveknanda on its article on homosexuals:

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship or psychic control or philosophy – by one or more or all of these and be free.”

All will eventually attain moksha, homosexuals will not be damned eternally because of this birth.

Also I think that all Hindus agree that anyone who has homosexual tendencies but remains celibate is as virtuous as a heterosexual renunciate. Some Hindus say that this is the only dharmic course for homosexuals, though many go beyond this. In an article in Hinduism today about Hindu attitudes to a proposed constitutional change in Guyana’s law, Amar Ramessar, president of the Yuvaa Shakti Sangh at the Radha Krishna Mandir, says:

“I would urge any person to live a dignified life, which leads to a peaceful coexistence with the society. Prejudices are born out of ignorance and fear; our work can help in the education necessary to overcome them.”

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami writes in Dancing With Shiva:

Sons and daughters who are gay may not benefit from marriage, and should be taught to remain loyal in relationships and be prepared to cope with community challenges.

This is not just liberalism, in many other ways Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami is conservative. I believe it is a recognition that for homosexuals, trying to live in a hetrosexual relationship would lead to disaster and adharmic behaviour. Not everyone can live the life of a renunciate. For the wrong people, attempting to do so will lead to hidden shameful illicit affairs – and this applies to both homosexuals and heterosexuals.

My personal opinion is that followers of Satguru Subramuniyaswami should see his advice to gays  as an instruction to the rest of us to  treat gays who follow his advice with respect. If they are having long term relationships, doing their duty to the community, God, and holy people, then they are acting dharmically. Whatever karma brought them to this situation they are acting in the best way possible to them.

Bisexuals

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned bisexuals here. It seems to me that a bisexual is really in the same situation as a hetrosexual. Hetrosexuals have the duty to be chaste in marriage. They may at times find themselves attracted to members of the opposite sex, but it is their duty to ignore this.

For bisexuals its essentially the same situation – except they may also occasionally find themselves attracted to members of the same sex too! Again they must ignore it.

I see no reason why most bisexuals cannot live the same dharma as a hetrosexual, choosing either the path of a renunciate or a housholder. Occasionally a bisexual might meet a soulmate of the same sex, who they cannot live without. In this case they should follow Gurudeva’s advice for homosexuals, and live a dharmic commited relationship with that person

The low resolution image of screenshot of “the Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association” website is considered to be fair use. Similarly the image of Russell Brand and Katy Perry is a low resolution copy of an image from the W. E. N. N website article ”Hindus upset with Brand and Perry over Marriage Split”, which is considered to be fair use.

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir

Today i visited our mandir for the first time in over three weeks. I usually try to attend weekly, but a combination of having the flu, being away for a work related conference, and visiting my father kept me away. I can see why Gurudeva says we should visit the temple on a regular basis. I felt that I was being welcomed by the devas, and spiritually refreshed.

Image is a low resolution copy of image on the Mandir’s site, and considered fair use.

ridiculously reverent blog

Thanks to the  commenter ‘S’ for letting me know about this blog.

The Ridiculously Reverent  blog is by kāmya, an American woman living in Canada. she is a vedic Hindu, a devout devotee of Indra. She writes as a devotee to share her love of Indra and her ideas.  She is currently blogging about a pilgrimage to India and Nepal, I will be interested to see the itinerary and what she gains from it spiritually.

I have added this blog to my page listing blogs by Western followers of Sanātana Dharma.

Sons of Gods: The Mahabharata blog

The author of this blog, Aruna Sharan, left a comment om my post “Not all Western Hindus are white Hindus”, telling me about her blog.

She is a is a black Hindu who grew up in Guyana, South America, and a follower of path is Vedanta Advaita, as taught by Ramana Maharshi. The blog is mainly about her monumental effort to produce an English version of the Mahābhārata story. She is aiming to produce a version  which  will be  “a book the length of an average novel, a continuous story distilled down to its vital essence but dramatised so as to captivate the reader, with living, breathing characters, spiritually alive and written in an accessible style yet retaining the powerful spirit of the original”. 

I particularly enjoyed reading her page “Cover Art“. Here she describes how on seeing a picture that she wanted to use as the cover of her book on an old calendar , she started the almost impossible task of finding the author and obtaining permission to use it. All she had to go on was a signature of the author! However as she investigated things just fell into place, as they so often seem to when someone is on a spiritual path.

This is an established, well written blog and well worth a visit. I have added it to my page listing blogs by Western followers of Hinduism.