In continuity of what Nita (my childhood friend from Jabalpur) is saying I think we all need to be clear about Hinduism and all religions, to become alert citizens.
Impressive, I am tempted to accept the ideology that is being expressed in the YouTube. I am not aware why I land up seeing something out of the blue. Universe has its own purpose unknown to me. Even though I have little conception of manmade religions I find it hard to get caught in the viciousness of fear. Christianity and even Islam to a certain extent are based on fear. Hinduism as I understand it, is beyond such limitations. Its vastness is impossible to curtail. The basis of Hinduism is unconditional love which Vivekananda spoke in his speech in Chicago and which is why people, world over, are attracted to its philosophy. The other religious powers are scared of this as this unconditional love is beyond their understanding of religion (one of the reasons why Jesus was crucified and Christianity originated). I could be wrong but it will take something other than this kind of limited scope to comprehend why people believe something and another set of people do not believe it.
Any which way it is not possible for me to accept that Hinduism is dying as what is not born cannot possibly die. I presume there is historical documentation as to how and when the concept of Hinduism originated but it is beyond my present scope to recover the validity of a historical origin of a religion which is considered ageless. Antiquity has been a source of validating truth from scriptures written and accepted as part of the tradition that is considered within the framework of Brahmanical Hinduism. Whether Hinduism is limited to Brahmanical perception or are there other perceptions, is a question I leave to scholars of religion study.
I take the liberty to state how I see issues within the framework of stereotypical perceptions of Hinduism without any intention of hurting religious sentiments of people of all manmade religions — the use of ‘manmade’ is on purpose. I take liberty as I was born in a Hindu family which gave me the freedom to speak my mind. Mummum, my paternal grandmother wore a cross on her rudraksha mala and her Puja room accommodated a photo of Makka Madina along with her endless Gods who were dwarfs to me in comparison to my four feet nothing frail looking Mummum whose strength was visible to all around her. Didu, my maternal grandmother wrote Gita in poem form in Bangla. She taught us a few Mantras in our childhood which I still remember to my surprise. The status of my grandmothers does not give the liberty to speak about Hinduism as a religion but I speak taking the right to speech from the Constitution of India which is lesser known (than religion), to many. Moreover, time, one of the most powerful concepts, decides what should be said or done, time does not wait for anyone and once it is gone it does not come back. The present is the time and this time demands of me to share a few concepts of Hinduism which most know but are still unaware. Maya, an elusive notion of Hinduism, governs people to remain caught in web of foggy make believe.
Of all places it had to be Pakistan where I was asked about Hinduism and I started my half hearted attempt to clarify issues surrounding a space which I took for granted. In 2000 I went to study Women’s Studies with world perspective in Institute of Women’s Studies Lahore (IWSL) in physical Lahore in Pakistan. For my scatterbrain perspective Lahore has an identity of its own and inspite of my two visits to Lahore it somehow does not become a part of Pakistan or any country. It seems to remain the city where Bhagat Singh was born, wrote ‘Why Am I an Atheist’ in jail and hanged, a city for which Habib Tanveer wrote a play which is still presented widely — ‘Jin Lahore nahi vekhyaa vo jammyaa hi nahi’ (one who has not seen Lahore has not been born), the city name which reduces six decades from an octogenarian (my sister’s father-in-law) to become a youth to ask, did you visit The Punjab University — I studied there! Universe plays games beyond comprehensions and I got sponsorship to stay in one of the best possible places in the IWSL hostel in the campus along with women from ten countries. I was adopted in my forty third year by my classmate’s mother as her daughter simply because I had come from ‘us paar’ (the other side), her native place which she had left at the time of partition. Her six children, three boys (men) and two married daughters other than my classmate were surprised no end to see her speak non-stop with me, her new found daughter. (Eid in Lahore Olibul May 25)
I repeat myself carried away with thoughts of us paar wali Mata (mother from other side). She would call me and it was during these visits the brothers would tell Mata to not let me go at night as night is the only time they could sit and interact with me.
One such night they asked me about Hinduism! Other than being born in a Hindu family I had never thought about Hinduism as being a religion which belonged to me or I belonged to any religion. The family I was born into was part of the upper strata as far as caste was concerned so I had the liberty to disown caste and religion, and society had no right to comment or ostracize me. Still it surprises me that how I remained blissfully ignorant of the dynamics in my personal understanding till I had covered almost four decades when I was first asked about my caste going to work in rural community in South Gujarat. I had given a vague reply about asking my mother and forgot about it soon after. https://bula1957.medium.com/caste-do-i-have-one-d93a76e57a1 Now I think that I was downright stupid that I did not connect caste and religion. I again affirm a major goof up in my socialization. Must be one of the side affects of migration of my paternal, maternal and in-law families during partition, they probably shed their baggage of identities on the way.
Anyway I had adult men eager to learn about Hinduism, which they considered to be my religion. I was incidentally reading History of Religions and just completed chapter on Hinduism so I shared whatever was written in it as it was still fresh. Obviously I do not remember but whatever it was they were amazed to hear the bookish version of Hinduism and they said I was not telling them the complete truth. I told them that they could read from the book. I hardly knew the complete truth and still do not.
Inspite my lack of knowledge I have this strong urge to share whatever I comprehend about religions in general and Hinduism in specific. Women’s studies and status of women in religion is probably responsible for this unfamiliar urge. All religions at best enable human beings to overcome the fear of death. Thanks to the ghost house I spent my childhood I waited for ghosts to come down the stairs which they never did and blocked creation of one of the major concepts of Hinduism, re-incarnation. My women teachers for Science in the Christian school I studied instilled respect for science, built scientific temperament, allowed scope to accept Buddha’s materialism, my mother-in-law’s devotion to Guru Granth Saheb, Bhagat Singh’s atheism and diversity of Indian panorama which envelops South Asia culturally. All religion at worst degrade women. Sikhism is comparatively gender neutral.
I am wonderstruck by the inclusive potentials of a religion, the reason why I think of Hinduism as Philosophy or way of life rather than as a religion. No other religion has blurred boundaries merging illusiveness with reality. No compulsions not even of being a Hindu. Mummum, my paternal grandmother, visited different temples, I do not remember my mother visiting any temple, my mother-in-law tagged me along to a range of temples including Gurudwara but categorically said ‘we are tied, you do not tie yourself’, one masi (mother’s sister) gave logic to God acceptance keeping option open with music and the other rationalized celebration of Durga festival as reason for annual livelihood. God worship or the lack of it is just one small aspect of the vast scope that I can barely comprehend when I think of Hinduism. Dynamism is a major concept other than inclusiveness which I see inherent in Hinduism. It is not possible for me to limit my concept of Hinduism into compartments. Nor can I develop a sense of fear of its dying. Irrespective of what I believe and conceive, what anyone thinks or tries to promote, the plurality of Hinduism, another tenet of Hinduism, will not let it die, it is like rakt beej (seed of blood), when one drops hundreds sprout.
Post Script: I have had the privilege to see my nieces and nephews during different stages of growing from childhood to adulthood, visiting my sisters intermittently. They all address me as ‘Boro’ meaning ‘elder’. My niece Bittu (Poorvi Vijan) was in class three probably when she came to me to ask, ‘What is your religion Boro?’ She had a chapter about religions in her text book. I replied, ‘I do not have one.’ She further said, ‘But you have to have one?!’ I said with a gentle smile, ‘I do not have to have one’ She asked astonished, ‘Then what are you?’ I said, ‘a woman’. This stayed with her. Thankfully it stays with me too. When I wonder that had I been born to another religious background would I have the option to say this, the Constitution of India tells me I would create options not only for myself but for all women, irrespective of my place, religion or caste of my birth.
