Do you claim yourself to be a Hindu or Nepali? Or are you just teasing yourself with some kind of flirtation to spiritual materialism, ego and ignorance? Labeling yourself to religion, culture, cults and clubs might give you some sort of comfort, or even a feeling of security and self-existence. However, until we investigate and understand the true essence behind which in this case is Hinduism; we will always remain a hypocritical fool. Here’s an article from Sobha Sharma-Kandel Didi which provides an eye-opening discussion of Gender and Caste discrimination in the name of Hinduism which has inflicted our society with lots of hatred and suffering. The writers questioning nature, experience and extensive research on Hindu scriptures are articulately presented and sends a powerful message to all of us. Please have a read and educate yourself. THE JOURNEY OF A BRIT NEPALI THROUGH HINDUISM Speaking from personal experience, as a first generation Nepali who was born and bred in the UK. It seems quite confusing when faced with many religious, cultural ideas and superstitions that abound in our society. Growing up in a time where there were hardly any Nepalis in the UK, it was maybe even more isolating than now and sometimes there was an identity crisis. Going to school speaking English and donning an English persona to fit in socially and culturally but then at home adopting a totally Nepali way of life was a big culture clash. When going to Nepal for the first time, it was a major culture shock, and being a curious soul that I am, I constantly bombarded my parents with innumerable questions on everything to do with religion and culture. My parents being good devout hindus just explained well that’s the way it always has been, and your forefathers did this or that…… BUT WHY? I would ask. Faced with impossible questions my parents took me to a priest who also could not answer my innocent queries to my satisfaction. Maybe it was the British education system that forced me not to memorise and learn something and simply follow instructions like a mechanical robot but I wanted to actually understand WHY am I supposed to do this or that. Coming from a family of high priests I was able to ask some relatives for explanations, but all answers were unsatisfactory. There were a lot of contradictions in our culture and I wanted answers. It was a very frustrating and confusing time. Maybe this is the way the youth of today feel, maybe this is how my kids also will one day feel, especially if I am not able to answer their innocent questions, especially if I am myself practising these huge contradictions in my own life. In the name of religion there is so much inequality in our culture. Gender and caste discrimination were two things that really made me think that something is really wrong in our society. Nowadays the Nepali youth will probably see social injustices in our society and turn away from our religion and culture and embrace other religions or even become atheist/agnostic. They may think that religion is the root cause of poverty and suffering and in order to be successful they must embrace modern thinking. However I chose an alternative way Instead of relying on people with incomplete knowledge I thought the best way to tackle the problem is to read the scriptures yourself and do your own research. This is what I found out on the two topics that disturbed me greatly. 1.Gender discrimination- In Hinduism the status and role of a woman is not only high but she is deemed as “shakti” or power, for she holds the power of creation. Hindus worship God in the form of divine mother . The goddess Saraswati is the goddess of learning and knowledge, music and creativity. Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity and Goddess Parvati is the goddess of fertility, the three holy trinity of goddesses form the ultimate power known as Devi. In the Rig veda it states that wife and husband are equal parts and should respect one another and both should join and take equal parts in all works, religious and secular. It is also stated that where a woman is honoured the gods preside there and there will be prosperity but where a woman lives in grief, the family perishes and there is no prosperity hence men who seek their own welfare, should always honour women. A mother is given the highest status of all- maitri devo bhava- Let your mother be God to you. Despite all these teachings it is a shame to see that Nepalis still give women a low status in the family and society. Being a mother and a housewife are seen as menial roles, when in fact the mother is the primary teacher, health educator and caretaker of the whole family. If the woman suffers then the children suffer and then the future generations suffer and hence the society and the country suffer. What is the situation of Nepal today ? Could it be due to the low status of women? It is a huge contradiction isn’t it? On one hand we are being told that woman is a goddess, supreme mother of the universe and how a woman should be equal and on the other hand in real life women are given a lowly status and are not respected. You can see numerous evidences of this- especially in Nepal where a male child is desired first and foremost, it is a superstition that only a male can help the parents attain so called heaven after death by performing the last rites and only a son can carry the lineage. I found out that Hinduism is not rigid in any way, it offers many paths to salvation, not only a son but also a daughter can perform last rites.In Vedic times, there were incidents of the putrika--a daughter who could assume the role of a son. There are other wrong beliefs too as far as a woman having the right to chant the Gayatri Mantra is concerned. Many in Nepal believe that women do not have the right to study the Vedas and hence she has no right to chant the Gayatri Mantra that has emanated from the Vedas. This is a very deluded belief. Amongst those Rishis who are said to be responsible for the manifestation of Vedic Mantras, many have been female Rishis. We find many such evidences from which it is clear that females too performed and helped others perform Yajnas like their male counterparts. They were Masters of Spiritual Sciences, many women directed either their husbands or fathers in these Spiritual Sciences, including Manu’s daughter Ida. In the ancient times, females ran their households and were immersed in meditation on God too. Those who ran their households were called “Sadyovadhu” and those women who were immersed in Vedic studies, meditation on God and other spiritual practices were called “Brahmavadini”. . Amongst them, the Brahmavadinis were adorned with the sacred thread (janai) , they were initiated into Agnihotra (fire sacrifices) and studied the Vedas and begged for alms/food. Sadyovadhus too were ordained with the janai (sacred thread). This sacred thread ceremony for women was conducted during their marriage ceremony. There is evidence of women becoming Brahma and Upadhyay (classes of priests) during Yajnas. In the Rig Ved, women are ordained to attain the Brahma status via their pious character. So it is clear that both men and women have equal rights over Vedic studies, conducting Yajnas and chanting the Gayatri Mantra. 2.Caste discrimination- According to the ancient Hindu scriptures, there are four varnas. The Bhagavad Gita says varnas are decided based on Guna and Karma. That means your constituition and your actions.Manusmriti and some other shastras mention four varnas: the Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests), the Kshatriyas (kings and warriors), the Vaishyas (traders), and Shudras (agriculturists, service providers, and some artisan groups). Offspring of different varnas belong to different Jātis. Another group excluded from the main society was called Parjanya or Antyaja. This group of former untouchables (now called Dalits) was considered either the lower section of Shudras or outside the caste system altogether. Passages from scriptures such as Manusmriti indicate that the varna system was originally non-hereditary., that is not based by birth. So who is a Brahmin? What does it really take to be a Brahmin? In fact that question was put to Yudhishtira by the Yaksha - rajan kulena vrttena svadhyayena shrutena vabrahmanyam kenabhavati prabruhyetatsu nishcitamKing, how does one become a Brahmin: by birth? character? study of the Vedas? education? Tell me precisely.shrnu yaksha kulam tata nasvadhyayo nacashrutamkaranam hi dvijatve ca vrttameva na samshayhaListen, Yaksha, it is neither birth nor education, nor even the studyof the Vedas. Without doubt, it is character alone that marks a Brahmin. Yudhishthiras answer is crisp, clear and unambiguous when he replies, Na samshayaha ... there is no doubt about it: it is not birth, it is not education, it is not the study of the Vedas but it is vritta (character) alone that determines a Brahmin.What is Yudhishthiras definition of character? He has already answered the same question in a previous passage in the Mahabharata, the dialogue with King Nahusha: He is known as a Brahmin ... in whom truthfulness, liberality, patience, deportment, mildness, self control, and compassion are found. And he may gain knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, beyond happiness and unhappiness ... on reaching which they grieve no more. Therefore is today anyone a true Brahmin? I doubt it. In the Vedas it was accepted that even one of unknown lineage(caste) was considered capable enough to imbibe Spiritual Science. Aitereya the son of Itara became the Seer of Aitereya Upanishad. Maharshi Vedvyas, the son of a fisherwoman, attained the highest slot in the Rishi tradition. The Kshatriya King Vishwamitra attained the Brahmarshi status only after pursuing Gayatri worship. Hence by giving up deluded concepts, one should imbibe Gayatri worship and encourage/allow everyone else to follow suit. As you can see the caste system as it is present today is a corrupt version of the original, the bhagvad gita also states that in kali yug- this age of darkness- everyone is a sudra. As you can see through proper research of the Vedic texts one can conclude that Hinduism is a open minded and practical religion but unfortunately the misinterpretation of the scriptures has brought about superstition in our culture and unfortunately caste discrimination. So many so-called hindus did not know the basics of the religion, so how can they teach their own children? Just reciting mantras and doing pujas doesn’t mean you are a hindu, observing fasts and conducting elaborate rituals also does not mean you are a hindu , especially when you practise social injustices every day of your life. Being born a Brahmin also does not mean you are an automatic Brahmin, just like a son of a doctor is not automatically an MBBS. The son has to study and qualify and practise the profession. The son has to display the characteristics of a doctor. The caste system is flexible, it allows one whose constituition and actions is like a Brahmin to qualify as a Brahmin but unfortunately this practice is not common. Even a girl can have the bratabandha ceremony done, it is stated in the Vedas that it used to be done but I guess women were dominated by men somewhere down the line. The essence of Hinduism and in fact any religion is compassion for fellow human beings and being a good person with high moral standards. The pujas, fasts and rituals are there to give you a spiritual discipline and help you focus just like a student needs to study daily to perfect their knowledge and prepare for their exam, thus Hinduism has it’s own way of life but just following the religion/culture blindly and not understanding why the rules were there in the first place and then not acting as a good human being is against the very moral fibre and essence of Hinduism. In Nepal it is easier to say you are a hindu because it is a way of life there, everywhere you go there are temples and every time there seems as if there is a new festival going on, even if you do not understand the whys and hows of it, you would be obliged to partake in them. In UK, it is a different scenario, as a parent now myself, I keep on thinking how can I make my children be good human beings and be able to distinguish right from wrong and be compassionate to their fellow human beings. The answer is teaching them our religion and culture, from the day they can understand. I would like to urge nepali parents who fear that their children will lose their identity, is to teach the children the language first and foremost, the mother tongue will connect them to their motherland and also to teach them our scriptures. Inevitably difficult questions may be asked but please do not give them simple answers, they need to know, for they are our future and in this day and age there is a big need for high moral standards and compassion in the world. The parents themselves must first realise that today’s youth will not accept answers like “ our forefathers did it that’s why we do it” they would want to know why. The best thing is to read the scriptures together and explain them, even show the children religious movies and cartoons. During storytelling, you could tell hindu fairytales to the children. When following festivals like dashain and tihar instead of focusing on food and drink, it would be nice for the children to know the real reason of the festival and the story behind it. As the children get into their teens you could give them an English translation of the Bhagavad Gita. I went to the university of London and met many British Indian students on my course, they seem to know so much about their culture and religion from a very young age, the parents regularly take their children to the temple, they learn their language up to GCSE level and also their religion. The parents regularly make the children attend cultural and religious activities. At university it was amazing to see them actively take part in cultural shows like divali functions, navratri functions, Hindu students association, ISKCON etc. These students were modern, intelligent and successful but they also knew about their culture and religion which gave them a head start in life. We can see how successful the Indians are in Britain and I believe that this is a direct result of their faith and hard work and spiritual discipline. The family of a friend of mine from university recently did a week long saptah in the UK which was shown on the Aastha tv channel. Some of my friends are not only first but second and third generation British Indians. I hope our children also will follow this route and that us Nepalis can also pass on our great culture and heritage and the true meaning of Hinduism to the future generation so that they can prosper and the world can be a more peaceful place than it is today.What is the point of being educated if we do not use the education for the betterment of self and society? Fact file For the Nepali youth- Be proud of your culture and heritage In language Sanskrit (meaning cultured or refined), the classical language of Hinduism, is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. The vastness and the versatility, and power of expression can be appreciated by the fact that this language has 65 words to describe various forms of earth, 67 words for water, and over 250 words to describe rainfall Sir William Jones, speaking to the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on February 2, 1786, said: The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and in the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident; so strong, indeed, that no philologer could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists. All but one European language derives from Indo-European (Basque), and the oldest Indo European language of all is Sanskrit. English mother father Sanskrit matar pitar Greek mater pater Latin mater pater French mere pere German mutter vater Armenian mair hair In mathematics Pythagorean Theorem principle discovered (Baudhayana, Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, 600 BC, 1000 years before Pythagoras) Decimal System (references dating back to 100 BC) Prefexes for raising 10 to powers as high as 53 (references dating back to 100 BC) Time taken by the earth to orbit the sun calculated as 365.258756484 days (Bhaskaracharya, Surya Siddhanta 400-500 AD) Law of Gravity (Bhaskaracharya, Surya Siddhanta 400-500 AD) Calculation of Value of pi as a ratio of 62832/2000 (Aryabhatta, 497 AD) Earth’s rotation about its axis, orbits around the Sun and is suspended in space (Aryabhatta, Aryabhateeyam, 500 AD) Discovery of Zero (mentioned in Pangala, Chandra Sutra 200 AD) Why Do Hindus Worship Many Gods?Human beings through history have formulated many different names and forms for the Divine or Eternal. Just as we have many names and forms for other things, whether it is foods, or types of art, so too, in religion a similar great diversity has been created.The Western world has prided itself in monotheism, the idea that there is only One God as the highest truth. Western religions have said that only the names and forms which refer to this One God are valid but those which appear to worship another God, or a multiplicity of divinities, must be false. They have restricted the names and forms they use in religious worship, and insist that only one set is true and correct and others are wrong or unholy. As a universal formulation Hinduism accepts all formulations of Truth. According to the universal view there is only One Reality, but it cannot be limited to a particular name or form. Though Truth is One it is also Universal, not an exclusive formulation. It is an inclusive, not an exclusive Oneness - a spiritual reality of Being - Consciousness - Bliss, which could be called God but which transcends all names. The different Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism represent various functions of this One Supreme Divinity, and are not separate Gods. Having many names for something is not necessarily a sign of ignorance of its real nature. On the contrary, it may indicate an intimate knowledge of it. For example, Eskimos have forty-eight different names for snow in their language because they know snow intimately in its different variations, not because they are ignorant of the fact that all snow is only one. The many different deities of Hinduism reflect such an intimate realization of the Divine on various levels. Why Does Hinduism Portray God as a Woman?Hinduism contains many feminine forms of the Divine like Kali, Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. These represent different feminine qualities and functions of the Divine which contains both male and female energies. For example, Kali portrays the destructive energy, Lakshmi the nourishing, and Sarasvati the creative, while Durga is the Divine Mother in her protective role. Hinduism also has many dual male-female forms like Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Uma-Mahesh, and Lakshmi -Narayan in which the female form is usually addressed first. The different masculine forms of the Divine in Hinduism have their feminine counterparts. As Sanatana Dharma or a universal tradition Hinduism recognizes that the Divine contains both masculine and feminine attributes. Without giving proper honor to the feminine qualities a religion must be incomplete and one-sided, which must result in its teachings having negative consequences. Without recognizing the feminine aspect of Divinity one cannot claim to know God. To recognize the feminine is necessary to restore wholeness, completeness and universality.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:16:34 +0000
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