Hinduism, Hindutva and the ‘Secularist’

Hinduism, Hindutva and the ‘Secularist’ The ‘secularist’ is worse than the religious fundamentalist. For, the religious fundamentalist works on an already established fundamental while the so-called secularist creates a fundamental by collecting and concocting lies

Bikash Sarmah

Hinduism is essentially a way of life. In fact, no one is Hindu if he does not appreciate Hinduism as a way of life, and only as a way of life. Agreed, there are countless gods and goddesses in the Hindu ritualistic scheme of things, and there are Hindus who have wasted their precious time in propitiating these deities. But the fact of the matter is that all this is just ritual, not the religion that Hinduism is emblematic of. Hinduism, as religion, seeks to define itself as a way of life or dharma — a word that you cannot translate to English because there is no English word to mean what ‘‘dharma’’ actually is. In other words, Hinduism is not about gods and goddesses; Hinduism in the true sense of the term cannot be about any ritual. It is just a way of life, a philosophy to be practised, an approach to life without any rigidities and compulsions because there is no founder to preach anything. It is self-preaching.It is this radical way of life that Indian politics has condemned in its ‘secular’ practice. Call yourself a proud Hindu without describing yourself as a devout Hindu, and even then you are branded ‘communal’. Call yourself just an adherent of the great Hindu philosophy as enunciated in the Vedanta — that, do not be surprised, inspired the likes of Werner Heisenberg and David Bohm, giants in quantum mechanics that has revolutionized physics — and even then you are pilloried as ‘fascist’. Our so-called secularists have ragged the soul of Hinduism absolutely, just because they think the policy of appeasement of Muslims for electoral gains does not jell with glorification of Hinduism. The Indian secularist is out to cheat his Muslim vote bank, mostly illiterate and impressionable, by demonizing Hinduism in the land of its own birth. What could be more detestable?In How I Became a Hindu, David Frawley harps on what made him embrace Hinduism: ‘‘Hinduism is a pluralist tradition. It teaches that there are many paths, many scriptures, many sages, many ways to come to the Divine to gain self-realization and it should be free for the individual to find and follow whatever way he or she thinks or feels works best.’’ How brilliant, and yet so simple, analysis of Hinduism, this. Frawley ‘‘reads’’ a statement from ‘‘The Coming of the Third Millennium’’ — as ‘‘issued by the Pope’’ at the time of writing of his book — ‘‘in relation to the situation in Asia’’: ‘‘The Asia Synod will deal with the challenges for evangelization posed by the encounter with ancient religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. While expressing esteem for the elements of truth in these religions, the Church must make it clear that Christ is the one mediator between God and man and the sole Redeemer of humanity.’’ Frawley writes: ‘‘This is a direct quote. Now, what is it saying about religious tolerance? Christ is the only way. The Pope is saying that we accept what is true in these religions, but we do not accept them if they do not follow Jesus as the only way. We still have to convert them. That is the message. This is not a message of tolerance and live and let live. It is not a message of let Hindus have their own way and we have ours and both are good. It is not a statement that Buddha or Krishna is equal to Jesus. It is a statement of exclusivism and my contention is that such exclusivism must breed intolerance...’’Readers must be wondering why I am dragging David Frawley here, and with him, Christianity. This is just to point to what a real Hindu, like Frawley, will realize in Hinduism: that any path is good so long as it is virtuous, that is, without vice; that all are equal, whether Buddha or Krishna or Jesus; and most significantly, that Buddha or Krishna cannot be greater than Christ if one is to talk of gods because gods, if they exist, must be equal. It is the courage to say this which is Hinduism, as Frawley appreciates. And he has the courage and honesty to talk about his background too: ‘‘I was raised as a Catholic. My uncle was, and still is, a missionary. We were told that he was going to South America to save the souls of the Native Americans, people we were told were non-Christian and without conversion would suffer eternal damnation. This is the background that I came from.’’ Remember, Frawley is not a ‘‘convert’’ from Christianity to Hinduism as one generally understands. No Hindu organization lured him into Hinduism. Frawley, as practitioner of the Hindu way of life, is still free to pray to Christ because in the Hindu scheme of things, which is absolutely non-absolutist, his worshipping of Christ will not interfere with his Hindu pursuit — that of understanding life and its spiritual dimension, that of decoding the secret of human existence at the psycho-spiritual level beyond the mundane rituals of life. Indeed, Frawley, as an enlightened Hindu, is even free to be an atheist. This is Hinduism, its kernel. And it is against this spiritual tradition that both proselytizers and jehadis have launched their respective wars — one covert, the other overt. Worse, it is this religion that the ‘secularists’ of the country are afraid of glorifying because then they cannot play the nasty political game of minoritism to get votes and wield power.Having said this, there is a need to differentiate between Hinduism and Hindutva. Hindutva is political Hinduism; it is not a way of life. If anything, it is a political way of life. Hindutva has an absolutist tendency because its practitioners — mind you — tend to emulate what their counterparts in absolutist religions do. For instance, Hindutva is a response to jehad at the political level; fortunately enough, there are no Hindu terrorist organizations — it is another matter that an obscurantist fanatic, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, has in recent times called upon the Hindus to form terror outfits. Hindutva is bound to fail because Hinduism is bound to succeed — as it really has by igniting minds all over the world, especially those who have understood both material and spiritual life, whether artists or scientists.This naturally brings us to what the Indian ‘secularist’ plays with, and how. For this champion of ‘pluralism’, a proud Hindu is ‘communal’ — the argument is that he will naturally play into the hands of Hindutva forces. The ‘secularist’ works overtime to prove that Hindutva is Hinduism or its most potent manifestation without, of course, trying to prove the contrary — that Hinduism is Hindutva. Of course he cannot prove this. And here lies the catch. This secularist is also a fundamentalist because he thrives — politically — by concocting a bizarre fundamental and propagating it: that Hindutva alone is Hinduism and, therefore, the non-Hindus (read ‘‘Muslims’’, as they are the ones who matter electorally) must vote for only those who have vowed to fight Hindutva. This secularist is in fact worse than the religious fundamentalist. For, the religious fundamentalist works on an already established fundamental while the so-called secularist creates a fundamental by collecting and concocting lies and giving them the hue of truth for cheap political mileage — and in fact to cheat those of whom he declares as their sole saviour. Will not the Muslims of West Bengal ruled by the most vocal exponent of ‘secularism’, the Left, agree? The Sachar Committee report says they are one of the most backward among the Muslims of the country. And how many sensible Muslims will argue that all these years the Congress, another powerful ‘secular’ force, has approached the Muslim community not with fake but genuine concern for their uplift?Had the Congress not ridiculed Hinduism, the BJP would not have happened. And had the BJP glorified Hinduism without bothering about what the Hindutva advocates would say or, rather, dictate, the Congress would have been a spent force. I am just pointing to the possibility of a truly secular, progressive political front. Everything else will be great governance. source: sentinel assam editorial 04.07.08

Ambubachi : a prayer to Mother Goddess

— Dr Tapati Baruah Kashyap

Assam is considered to be the land of Shaktism and the temple of Goddess Kamakhya on the Nilachal hill is said to be the most important centre of Shaktism in the world. The temple of Kamakhya belongs to Mother Goddess. The worship of Shakti or Shaktism has been prevalent in Assam from time immemorial. “Ancient Assam was a very important seat of Shaktism. Traditionally Kamrupa has been recognised as the principal centre of the Shakti cult with its chief temple at Kamakhya,” Dr H K Barpujari, eminent historian and scholar in his Comprehensive History of Assam, said.“The concept of Shakti or primordial energy symbolised in a woman is an amalgam of many elements drawn from various sources, Pre-Aryan, Non-Aryan and aboriginal. The processes in fertility and motherhood and the active and energising forces involved therein apparently led to the emergenceof the concept of a supreme goddess who is considered to be the repository of all energy governing the universe. In this aspect, she is said to preside over creation, preservation and destruction,” Dr Barpujari had remarked.The Kalika Purana on the other hand is the most important and informative treatise on Kamrupa Kamakhya and was composed for the very purpose of glorifying the goddess Kamakhya and the glorification of the Shakta Tantric cult at the temple. According to the Kalika Purana, the genital organ of the Devi fell at this part of Nilachal, when her body has been carried hither and thither by Lord Siva. The Goddess is worshipped in various iconographic representations including in the form of a yoni symbolising the creative principle. “The temple is unique from other temples of the Devi in different parts of India in that it enshrines no image of the Goddess. Within the temple there is a cave, in a corner of which stands a block of stone on which the symbol of a yoni has been sculptured,” Dr Banikanta Kakati in his book The Mother Goddess of Kamakhya said.Kamakhya is one of the greatest centres of Tantric worship in India and the temple of Kamakhya is supposed to be the original progenitor of Tantrism. It has shrined of ten different aspects of the Devi, such as Kali, Tara, Surashi, Bhubaneswari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala. The traditional four-day festival of the Ambubachi Mela is an annual festival and is the most important festival observed in the sacred temple town of Kamakhya.The Ambubachi Mela is the most important festival of the Kamakhya Temple of Guwahati. It is believed that the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time. What is worshipped at Kamakhya during the Mela (fair) is not an image of the goddess, but rather a process - and a female process of menstruation. It is believed that during the monsoon rains the creative and nurturing power of Mother Earth becomes accessible to devotees and the Kamakhya temple is closed to worshippers during the Mela. And devotees, male and female, observe similar restrictions like not performing Puja or reading holy books, and so on. And both earth body and female body processes are represented as profoundly sacred.During the festival, thousands of devotees from different parts of Assam and outside the State gather in the temple town. The occasion signifies a cultural integration as pilgrims from not only the neighbouring States, but also from the neighbouring countries, like Nepal come into this temple town for the worship of Shakti symbolised by Mother Goddess. During the Ambubachi Mela, the doors of the Kamakhya temple remain closed for three days. It is believed that the Mother Earth becomes unclean for three days. During this time farmers across Assam do not indulge in any kind of agricultural activity. Daily worships and other religious performances come to a standstill not only in the Kamakhya temple but also even in every private household across the State during the period of Ambubachi. After the completion of three days, the doors of the Kamakhya temple are reopened. But the doors of the temple are reopened only after Devi Kamakhya is bathed and the other rituals are executed. It is then believed that the Mother Earth has retrieved her purity. This is purely a ritual of the tantrik cult.Dr Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi, in her highly acclaimed work Devi has drawn a wonderful picture of the importance of Mother Goddess among different ethnic groups of the northeastern region. “From prehistoric times, Yoni worship had been prevalent in Assam. And the worshippers believed that it would increase the fertility. Buri Gosani worshipped by the Jaintias, Goddess Kamaikha of the Khasis, Khammakha of the Bodos, Kechaikhati worshipped by the Chutiyas and Deoris, Goddess Tamai of the Rabhas, Goddess Haramdi of the Tiwas and the Mother Goddess Kalika of the Tiwas and the Mother Goddess Phajaw of the Garos – all these names bear testimony to the fertility cult as the Shakti cult of Assam,” she said.The primitive people identified the earth with women. Devi Durga symbolises universal motherhood and the earth and soil are always identified with the concept of mother. The traditional belief is that our sacred Mother Earth is also like a fertile woman and Ambubachi symbolises this phenomenon of ancient agricultural concept. The concept of motherhood also embodies the concept of creation and that is why earth is also venerated as mother. Mother Goddess is a Goddess often portrayed as the Earth Mother, who serves as a general fertility deity and the embodiment of Earth. During this period of menstruating, earth itself is separated from the environmental forces. It is belived that if human plough and dig the earth during this period, it violates her and makes her unhappy.Devi Durga is the epitome of supreme power or shakti and from time immemorial. Devi Durga has been worshipped as the mother of supreme power or energy of the universe. Since energy is considered feminine in Hindu religious philosophy, so this supreme energy, symbolised by Devi Durga is the symbol of universal motherhood and who is the source of immense energy. In Hinduism, Divine Mother is the first manifestation of Divine Energy. And with the name of Divine Mother comes the idea of energy, omnipotence, omnipresence, love, intelligence, and wisdom. But, Shakti, the life force is latent in every aspect of human life. That is why this annual prayer of Ambubachi for Devi Durga is undoubtedly a significant event. Source: assam tribune editorial 23.06.08

Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in New York

Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in New York

Is Hindu Renaissance a cure or a curse?

Omar Luther King

This frequently asked question needs to be answered: ‘Is Hindu Renaissance a cure or a curse?’ The reality that I, a Christian by faith, am a descendent of a Hindu by accident of birth of my forefathers may compel me to own the entire Hindu past but that cannot force me to accept the Hindu beliefs, which totally negate the Christian faith. While retaining my loyalty to my biological parents, family, tribe, clan and nation, I am now (after conversion to Christianity) set to be loyal to the global family of God.Our Constitution did not initially inscribe that India should be a secular state. It was after about three decades of independence, sometime in 1976, that the world "secular" was inserted in the preamble of the Constitution. But did that in any way help anybody deal with the crisis of communal conflicts that the Republic of India has been facing since its independence?Spiritually speaking, secularism is the freedom to believe that God exists and that He is the Creator, the Provider, the Protector and indeed the Saviour of the world. May India set an example to the world by being a dynamic nation in which people and their leaders are neutral in matters of religion, neither supporting nor opposing any particular religious beliefs or practices.The constitutional secularism has served mainly as a stick in the hands of our political leaders, who take sadistic pleasure in beating at will the religious communities, groups or institutions that do not practice or propagate ‘ancient tradition’ or ‘indigenous religion’. It is unfortunate that the militant Hindus have discovered in the uniform civil or common code yet another ammunition (and a more powerful one at that) to use against the minority communities. The different systems of personal laws had so far been recognized as legitimate in India and were even permitted to flourish. What has so suddenly necessitated our leaders to think of having a uniform civil code for India? As one who left his ancestral religion to embrace Christianity, I am tempted to explain here why the non-Christians speak disparagingly of Christianity. But my God forbids me from doing so. However, it goes without saying that Christians, unlike Muslims in India, are not only a politically powerless minority but also are always in danger of being victims of the tyranny of the majority. Come the next General Elections, and we will have a fresh lot of political leaders who will, I am sure, not only provide equal protection of the law for all citizens but will also ensure that there is no discrimination of persons on the basis of race, caste, creed, sex and religious affiliation, not to speak of place of birth, as in the cases of Mother Teresa, Sister Nivedita and Sonia Gandhi. Taking advantage of this particular weakness of the Indians (the ability to hate and the unwillingness to love), the politically motivated Hindu leaders and scholars of our country have succeeded within the past few decades in creating the difference between ‘us’ (the Hindus) and ‘them’ (the Muslims and Christians). In the light of the recent political, social, cultural and religious realities, the so-called leaders are justifying the denigration and suppression of the minority communities by the majority community as is evident from the contents of the article under discussion.If in a society the ‘caste Hindu’ who, regarding himself as of ‘higher caste’, hates the ‘untouchable’ who is his brother in religion, how can he love a Muslim or a Christian (from a ‘foreign religion’) living in the same society? To end communal hatred in India, we must seek help from the beyond.Let me end here with these words of G.K. Chesterton: "The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." The quotation is directly applicable to us in the Indian context.