HOW I BECAME A HINDU

My Discovery of Vedic Dharma

By

David Frawley

(Pandit Vamadeva Shastry)

THE DEBATE GOES ON

As a follow-up to my debate with Archbishop

Arulappa, Pope John Paul II visited India in

November 1999, about the time that I was finishing

this book. Ashok Singhal, head of VHP, and other

Hindu leaders asked the pope to declare that "all

religions were equal and that Christianity was not

the only path to salvation." The VHP also asked

him to apologize for Christian conversion efforts

done by force or intimidation.

The pope’s spokesman in India, Archbishop Alan

de Lastic, president of the United Christian Forum

for Human Rights, refused on both counts, citing

that it was a matter of freedom of religion that

allowed for conversion. He made no statement that

other religions like Hinduism were valid, nor did

he question the conversion process as did

Archbishop Arulappa. There was no recognition of

past wrongs nor any courtesy at all for genuine

Hindu concerns given Christianity’s past and its

ongoing doctrines of exclusivity. Clearly this

Christian Forum for Human Rights is really a

forum to promote Christianity.

Typical of the pro-Christian media bias Singhal

was called a "Hindu hardliner" for questioning the

pope, though Singhal made a statement affirming

religious pluralism, which involved accepting

religions other than Hinduism as valid. The pope,

meanwhile, was not criticized, though his refusal

to accept other religions as equal to Christianity is

clearly intolerant.About the same time the United

States government released a paper on religious

freedom in the world, prepared by Robert A.

Seiple is not a seasoned diplomat, sensitive to other

cultures and religions as would be expected for the

post. He was for eleven years the head of World

Vision, the largest privately funded relief and

development organization in the world, which is a

Christian charity and connected to various

missionary activities.

Seiple was a former President of Eastern Baptist

Theological Seminary. He is a Christian

missionary, which on the Protestant side is

dominated by the Baptists. A person with such a

background is obviously inappropriate for the role

that he was given, which would be like giving it to

a Catholic priest. Itreflects an American religious

bias not a diplomatic sensitivity and objectivity.

Not surprisingly, his report on religious freedom

highlights oppression of Christians but ignores

oppression perpetrated by Christians, as if

Christian groups were entirely innocent of wrong

doing anywhere!

Such major Christian organizations are only

interested in a religious freedom that allows them

to denigrate other beliefs and convertpeople. They

are unwilling to recognize, much less apologize for

the bloody history of missionary activity. And if

you question them, they will try to turn you into

the one who is intolerant about religion, even if

you accept the validity of many paths!

Meanwhile the Southern Baptists in America

declared that Hinduism is a religion of darkness

ruled by the devil and sent out thousands of prayer

books to this affect. The Southern Baptists are no

mere radical fringe group but the largest Protestant

sect in America with over fifteen million members.

They include both President Clinton and Vice-

President Gore among their members and

Ambassador Seiple as well, none of whom has

specifically criticized them for their views. They

asked all Christians to pray to remove the darkness

of Hinduism and its many idols and replace it with

the light of Christ.

Such groups make the same charges against New

Age Americans who explore occult and spiritual

traditions outside of orthodox Christianity. They

are also still trying to stop the theory of evolution

from being taught in American schools and have

made headway in several midwestern states! So

much for the idea that American Christians are

modern and secular. America includes some of the

most backward religious groups in the world.

While in the modern world it is no longer

acceptable to use racial slurs because these

promote conflict and hatred, religious

slurs,particularly against Hindus, are still in vogue,

though they are roducts of the same intolerance

and bring about the same misunderstandings.

While it is considered to be wrong to call a black

person in America a nigger, one can still call

Hindus idolaters and devil-worshippers. Which, I

ask you, is worse and causes more intolerance, to

ridicule a person’s race or to demonize his culture

and religion? This denigration of non-White

religious traditions also reflects racist attitudes.

Rediff Interview

1. Could you explain your stance on Pope John

Paul II's visit? Since there is a convergence many a

times on his role as the religious head of the

Catholic Church and the symbolic leader of the

Vatican, in your view, in what capacity does he

really come to India?

China, Taiwan and Sri Lanka refused the pope's

request to visit and launch his new activities that

aim at the evangelization of Asia. Hindu majority

India, though not a Christian country, has allowed

him to do so. Therefore the pope should feel

grateful to the tolerant people of India. Clearly no

Western country would give a state welcome to a

Hindu religious leader seeking to promote Hindu

conversion activities in the West.

India is one of the few countries that recognize the

pope as a head of state. The United States and most

Western countries recognize the pope only as a

religious leader. Clearly the Pope is not coming to

India as the political leader of a secular state but as

a religious leader. He is conducting a religious

mass in Delhi, not organizing a trade mission. The

Catholic Church has a long and self-proclaimed

policy of evangelization or conversion and a

special Asia synod to convert Asia. The pope is

coming to India to promote the cause of

Catholicism, which means the conversion of

Hindus.

Naturally he will be friendly in this capacity, but

his purpose has an obvious ulterior motive. He is

not coming here because he wants to make a

pilgrimage to honor the great yogis and swamis of

India or to visit her great temples and tirthas.

Today the Catholic Church is losing power in the

West. Most Catholics are only nominal in their

beliefs. For example, most American Catholics

practice birth control that the church does not

approve of and don't attend church on a regular

basis. The church can still get a fair amount of

money from rich Western economies but is clearly

an institution in decline. Without replenishing its

population base it is facing a severe crisis. India

offers perhaps the best possibility for doing this

with a large population with a history of religious

devotion and monastic activity that could readily

become priests and nuns.

2. Why do you believe it is important for him to

apologise to the Hindus for the forced conversions

in India?

The bloody history of the Church in America,

Africa and Asia is an open book and well known.

The Native Americans where I live in the United

States still tell stories about how the feet of their

people were cut off for refusing to walk to church

or their tongues cut off for refusing to recite

prayers. The church has claimed that its intolerance

is a thing of the past. That the church was

prominent in Nazi Germany and the Fascist Italy,

and never really opposed Hitler or Mussolini,

should not be forgotten.

The point is that if you don't apologize how can

other groups believe that you have really given up

the attitudes that caused such behavior? Such

conversion efforts are hurtful to the communities

they target, even if no overt violence is involved.

The church has harmed many Hindu families and

communities and is still willing to do so, by

turning people against their native beliefs and

customs.

Christians have made some apologies to the Native

Americans and the black Africans for their

oppression of them. Why don't Hindus count in

this? Aren't they also human beings?

3. There have been many deeds in history and at

present that have gone by without apologies and

accountability. Is it worthwhile to resurrect such

issues in the present context? What purpose does

this serve?

The problem is that the same attitudes and

behavior that resulted in such violence in the past

still go on today. The official policy of the Catholic

Church today is still that Hinduism, Buddhism,

Jainism, Sikhism and other Indian religions are not

valid or true. This promotes division,

misunderstanding and can still lead to violence.

Today we have given up the doctrine of racial

superiority that the White Europeans used to

justify their colonial rule. But the attitude of

religious superiority - that only Christianity is true

and the other religions are false -still goes on. Such

religious exclusivism like racism is backward and

prejudicial.

4. What are the atrocities perpetrated against

Hindus by the Christians that you would like to

see the Pope apologise about? Can you name some

of these crimes?

The Goa Inquisition was probably the worst

and involved torture and murder of thousands of

Hindus and the destruction of many Hindu

temples over a period of several decades. It was

done by the same groups that promoted the

genocide of Native Americans. But Church policy

all along has been that Hinduism is bad and unless

Hindus convert they cannot be saved. This easily

gives rise to excesses. After all if I believe that if

you don't join my religion you will suffer in eternal

hell, for your benefit I must do everything possible,

which easily leads to excesses.

5. What are the reasons for the sudden anger

against the Christians?

The anger is not so much sudden as that today we

have a more aware Hindu populace and a larger

media forum for airing such grievances. Oppressed

religious and social groups of all types are now

making such protests. Christians will more quickly

protest against Hindus if they feel that Hindus are

not treating them fairly.Hindus have actually

protested a lot less than other groups, though they

have more commonly been the targets of

denigration. Such a Hindu awakening was

inevitable. The real question is why it took so long.

Another issue is that the Hindu reconversion

movement has started, which Christians find

threatening and highlights this issue.

The greater issue is caused by the increasing

Christian evangelization activities in India. Look

throughout the country, particularly in the South

and you will find them expanding almost

everywhere.

6. Why have they replaced Muslims as the hate

objects for Hindus? Is it true that the VHP's

campaign is driven because Sonia Gandhi is a

Christian?

I don't think that Hindus hate Christians. They are

not targeting Christians for conversion or calling

them devil worshippers as the Southern Baptists,

the largest Protestant sect in America to which

both Bill Clinton and Al Gore belong, are calling

Hindus. Rather Hindus are challenging Christian

prejudices against Hindus that cause mistrust and

hatred of Hindus by Christians. You will find a

picture of Christ in many Hindu homes, but you

won't find any picture of Krishna in any Christian

homes.

Nor do Hindus hate Muslims. It is the general

Muslim view that Hindus are idolaters, polytheists

and kafirs and doomed in the eyes of Allah.

Hindus have no such doctrines about Islam. Hindu

dislike of Christianity and Islam is largely a

backlash against the centuries long efforts to

convert them which are still going on.

I don't think the VHP campaign would stop if

Sonia Gandhi left politics either. That Sonia Gandhi

is a Christian may be a matter of concern for

Hindus because of the Christian seeking to convert

Hindus. Clearly most Christians in America would

not be happy if a Hindu became the head of a

major American political party, particularly if

Hindus were active trying to convert Christians in

America.

Why should there be an evangelization of Asia at

all? Don't we live in a global society in which we

must recognize pluralism in religion just as we do

in culture or language? Are not the great religions

of Asia good enough and a great legacy for the

entire world? Why do Westerners come to India? It

is mainly to find spiritual teachings that they didn't

find in their own Western Christian backgrounds.

Others argue that since only about three percent of

India has become Christian why should one care?

But the areas that have become Christian, like the

northeast, are getting progressively alienated from

the rest of India and seeking to secede from the

country. And the possibility of dramatically more

conversions in the future cannot be ruled out. That

someone has fired a gun against you and missed is

no reason not to take it seriously, particularly if he

is loading a better gun for further shots. The point

is that it is unkind to begin with.

7. As a former Catholic why are you suspicious of

the Pope's campaign? What is it about Pope John

Paul II that makes you suspicious of him?

As a former Catholic, I am well aware that most

Catholics have no real respect for Hinduism. My

uncle became a missionary to convert Native

Americans and save them from hell, and Hindus

are placed in the same category. The current pope

is a well-known conservative promoting

evangelical activity throughout the world, but he

covers his actions with a veneer of social

liberalism.

Today no major Catholic leaders in the West are

saying that Hinduism is a great and spiritual

religion that is worthy of respect like Christianity.

Should they succeed in converting Hindu India to

Catholicism they would happily put an end to the

great yogic and Vedantic traditions that are

perhaps the soul of this country, which would be a

great loss to humanity. We have enough Christian

countries in the world today, but there is only one

India and it is not Christianity which has made the

civilization of India unique and great.

Catholicism has a long history of coopting other

beliefs. It is willing to give an apparent honor and

regard to something, as long as it is placed under

the supremacy of Christianity. For example, the

church subordinated the old pagan Greek

philosophies of Aristotle and Plato, which it made

the basis of Christian theology. It hopes to do the

same thing with Hindu and Buddhist philosophies,

which it hopes to fashion as a prelude to the

message of Christ.

In South India Catholic priests dress up like Hindu

Swamis and call their organizations ashrams but

are still actively engaged in conversion. Their

Hindu dress is not done to honor Hindu traditions

but to make Christianity more acceptable to the

local population, like McDonalds offering

vegetarian burgers in India for Hindus who won't

eat the usual hamburger.

Similarly the pope will probably speak of the

greatness of India and the need for brotherhood

and human rights but he will certainly not say that

Hindus don't need to convert to Christianity. He

will portray Christianity as a religion of

compassion, equality and democracy to appeal to

the poor in India, though historically Christianity

has commonly been aligned with monarchies,

colonial armies, fascist states and ruling juntas.

Hindus may confuse such statements of general

human regard with real religious tolerance or even

with an acceptance of Hinduism. They may

confuse a coopting of their religion with a real

regard for it. The new Catholic strategy is that

Hinduism is all right as far as it goes but will only

reach its real fulfillment when it accepts Christ.

This is the same only conversion ploy, only done in

a more covert way. The American Protestants, who

still portray Hinduism as a religion of the devil, are

at least more honest about their views and their

intentions.

8. The Pope is a state guest, invited by the

Government of India, doesn't the stance of the

VHP undermine India's secular tradition and

embarrass A B Vajpayee – even his alliance

partners do not agree with such protests.

Not at all. In America visits of foreign heads of

states are often marked by protests.

When the Chinese president was here recently

many Americans, mainly of Chinese ancestry,

protested the visit, including some that were

democrats. Such protests are part of democracy.

Islamic groups in America have protested the visit

of Israeli leaders as well. The pope cannot be made

immune to such protests. They are part of secular

traditions that don’t require the people in any

country to bow down to a foreign leader, whether

he is a religious figure or not.

9. If in spite of the pressure applied for the

apology, if the Pope does not apologise won't it be

a loss of face for the VHP and other organisations

demanding for the same?

I don't think anyone expects the current pope to

make such an apology, though a future pope might

do so. But the case has to be brought out anyway

for the sake of truth and for posterity. The fact that

it is coming out is beneficial for Hindus. Hindus

have long been too quiet about the attacks against

them. Hindus tend to bow down to any religious

leader as a holy man, even one who does not

respect their traditions or honor their gods and

sages. It is actually more important that Hindus

change than that the pope changes.

The pope doesn't want to apologize to Hindus

because he doesn't want to recognize Hinduism as

a valid religion. He won't even mention the word

Hinduism. He will call Diwali an Indian cultural

festival, not a Hindu religious event.

10. What impact do you think the Pope's visit is

going to have on socio-religious culture of India?

Hopefully it will make Hindus more savvy about

what is going on in the world. Current missionary

plans to convert India, both by Catholics and

Protestants, are the greatest in history in terms of

financial backing, media manipulation and

manpower support. An entire new attack is being

launched. China is also emerging as a new target.

Religious tolerance is not a one way street. We

cannot ask Hindus to honor Christianity when

Christians, starting with the pope, don't honor

Hinduism, however much they may talk of God,

humanity or peace.

Why can't the pope say that Christianity is not the

only way and that Hinduism by itself can be

enough? That would be an expression of tolerance

and open-mindedness. Why are Hindus who

accept the validity of many paths called

"hardliners" while a pope who refuses to do so is

honored as a holy man? Is not pluralism a sign of

tolerance and exclusivism the hallmark of

intolerance?

Catholicism today is not a pluralistic tradition

honoring different religious and spiritual paths as

valid. It is an exclusivist tradition dominated by a

leader who will not accept a Buddha, Krishna,

Rama or Guru Nanak as a Son of God but only

Jesus. Hopefully the pope's visit will get people to

really think about these matters.

A Hindu Response to the Pope's Call for

Evangelization

These events also inspired me to make a statement

on the Pope's call for the evangelization

(conversion) of Asia, which I have included below.

The Age of Evangelization is over! It is now the age

of science and spirituality and exclusivist religions

of all types, which reflect a medieval mentality,

should be discarded as out of date. Evangelization

is an effort to impose one religion upon humanity

and to eliminate other beliefs as invalid or

inadequate.

The idea that only one religion is true is on par

with narrow views that only one race or one

culture is true. Religious exclusivism belongs to the

era of racism and colonialism and reflects a similar

bigotry and prejudice.

Asian peoples, oppressed by years of racism,

colonialism and missionary activity are now

awakening to the value of their own cultures and

religions. They now know that there is much more

genuine spirituality in their own traditions than in

those of the West, which is why many westerners

come to India for spiritual guidance.

The coming planetary age does not belong to the

conversion-seeking religions of the West, which

divide humanity into the believers and the nonbelievers,

but to the spirituality of consciousness

such as revealed in Hindu and Buddhist

philosophies which unite humanity into one great

family.

It is time for Christians to come to India to learn

about God, such as the yogis and Swamis of the

land have realized, and to stop preaching about a

God they do not really know or represent.

We Hindus welcome a new era of Self-realization

and God-realization for all people beyond the

boundaries of church and dogma, honoring all

individuals, all cultures and all spiritual aspiration.

God is not the property of a church or of a belief

but is the true Self of all beings. Let us honor that

Self in all beings regardless of their religious

affiliation.

SYSTEMS OF VEDIC KNOWLEDGE

The Vedas contain keys both to cosmogenesis and

to individual transformation. They provide

complete systems of both cosmic and selfknowledge

which are interrelated. Our true Self is

the universal Self and the world of nature is its

manifestation. My encounter with the Vedas

extended to different branches of Vedic science,

particularly Ayurveda and Vedic astrology. This is

not something unique to me but inherent in Vedic

knowledge that helps us understand all life both

externally and internally.

I started the Vedic Research Center in 1980 to

promote a deeper study of the Vedic mantras. This

became the American Institute of Vedic Studies in

1988 with additional programs in Ayurvedic

medicine and in Vedic astrology. But the Vedic

mantras remained thefoundation, support and goal

of all these other disciplines.

Ayurveda

In India I visited Ayurvedic schools, Ayurvedic

companies and Ayurvedic teachers throughout the

country. This occurred mainly through the help of

Dr. Vashta, who had many connections in this

regard. I saw modern trained Ayurvedic doctors

who understood allopathic medicine as thoroughly

as any Western doctor. But there were also

traditionally trained doctors carrying on old family

secrets passed on by personal instruction only who

shunned modern medicine altogether. Some

Ayurvedic doctors used alchemy, healing sounds,

and meditation, adding a great spiritual depth to

their approach. Others had a profound knowledge

of how the body works on an energetic level and

how to change it with the right food, diet, exercise

and impressions. In addition India, with its

biodiversity and wonderful climate, contains a

wealth of botanical resources that can be of great

help for healing and should not be lost.

I came to understand how this ancient system of

healing survived the onslaughts of time and is

reviving itself in the modern world. Clearly

Ayurveda has a wealth of wisdom to offer all

people. It helps us understand our individual

constitution and the unique environmental

circumstances in which we live.

Unfortunately, Ayurveda in India does not have

the respect or support due it or necessary to sustain

its proper facilities and practices. Like other Vedic

teachings it is looked upon as out of date rather

than as a form of eternal knowledge.

I began to write a series of books on Ayurveda and

also introduced courses in it. With several

colleagues we helped found Ayurvedic schools in

the West and developed educational material for

them. I watched Ayurveda grow rapidly from an

obscure foreign healing system to a common part

of alternative medicine in the West. I was also

surprised to see how readily Ayurveda led people

to other aspects of Hindu and Vedic dharma,

perhaps even more so than the study of Yoga did.

Many Western Ayurvedic students are connecting

with Hindu deities like Ganesha and Hanuman or

Shiva and Durga. They are usingmantras and pujas

as part of their practices and for the preparation of

medicines. Through Ayurveda a Vedic and yogic

life-style is gradually being introduced to theWest.

Vedic concepts like Agni and Vayu are gaining

recognition for insight into health both physical

and mental as well as for understanding yogic

practices. Such a practical Vedic basis

willeventually draw people to all aspects of Vedic

science.

Vedic Astrology

I continued to study Vedic astrology and over time

began consultations and teaching of the subject.

Just as with Ayurveda I introduced books and

courses on it. In 1992 along with several colleagues,

we organized the first major Vedic astrology

symposium in America, which was a great success.

Dr. B.V. Raman, India’s foremost astrologer of the

century, was our keynote speaker.

In 1993 we started the American Council of Vedic

astrology (ACVA) which has since become a large

organization and has started tutorial and training

programs in the subject. Most notably ACVA has

succeeded in creating a genuine Vedic astrology

community in the West.

Along with Vedic astrology I became aware of

Vastu, the Vedic science of sacred geometry,

architecture and directional influences. While

astrology shows us how to orient ourselves in time,

Vastu shows how to orient ourselves in space.

These two aspects of Vedic science are bound to

become much more important for the future.

Jyotish (astrology) provides for graha shanti or

harmonizing with celestial forces, the powers of

time. Vastu provides griha shanti or peace in the

house or dwelling, the forces of space. These two

give us the right orientation in time andspace.

Ayurveda provides deha shuddhi or purification

of the body. Yoga provides chitta-shuddhi or

purification of the mind. These two give us

harmony in our personal life of body and mind.

Vedanta provides Self-realization that is the

ultimate goal of all these.

Just as with Ayurveda, Western Vedic astrology

students are also interested in mantras, deities and

pujas that are an important part of the system,

particularly for remedial measures (for balancing

planetary influences). Ganesha has become the

visible deity of Vedic astrology in the West.

Students are also interested in the planetary deities

and the mythology of Vedic astrology. They see the

great wisdom in this subtle science and recognize

its Hindu foundations.

Dr. B. V. Raman

Dr. B.V. Raman was another important figure

guiding me on the Vedic path. He is best known as

modern India’s greatest astrologer. For sixty years

up to his death in 1998 he was the leader of the

Vedic astrology movement in India, through his

popular Astrological Magazine and his many in  

depth books on the subject. Most notably, Dr.

Raman presented Vedic astrology in an English

idiom that made it accessible both to the English

educated elite of India and to foreign audiences. I

came across his books in the early seventies but

would only come to meet him in India many years

later. I eventually took a special initiation with him

for the purposes of learning astrology.

Dr. Raman has given a well-documented set of

political predictions over the years, like the rise

and fall of Hitler, or the resignation of Richard

Nixson, forecasting these events well in advance of

their actual occurrence. No other astrologer of the

century, East or West, has equaled his record. Yet

Dr. Raman was far more than an astrologer. He

was a statesman and a thinker, a modern sage with

a cosmic vision based upon a deep Vedic

perspective. He was a great defender of Vedic

values and causes, challenging modern distortions,

Eurocentric biases and scientific dogma with

clarity, consistency and determination.

Dr. Raman encouraged me not only to develop

Vedic astrology in the West but also to develop the

other aspects of my Vedic work. Above all, we

shared the same desire to rewrite the history of

India in harmony with the vision of the sages. I

spoke several times at events in Bangalore that he

organized and visited with him on a number of

occasions. Dr. Raman looked at my astrological

chart according to his special system and provided

various insights to help with my life and work that

have proved to be invaluable. Vedic astrology is a

science of karma and can enable us to understand

the purpose of our incarnation.

I met with many other astrologers in India,

particularly in Delhi, which has a number of good

astrologers like Dr. K.S. Charak or Dr. Dinesh

Sharma. Most of them are dedicated spiritual

Hindus as well and use Hindu mantras and rituals

to balance planetary influences. Clearly Vedic

astrology is well and alive. Recently many

excellent new books on Vedic astrology have come

out, showing how to use the system in the modern

world with breathtaking accuracy and depth!

Vedic Physics

Vedic science is the science of consciousness. It can

integrate spiritual sciences like yoga with material

sciences like physics. I also had occasion to meet

with important scientists introducing a Vedic

perspective into the scientific community.

Unfortunately, since I am not trained in physics I

haven’t always been able to understand what they

say.

But clearly all the things that we hear of in modern

science like space travel, time travel, entering other

dimensions or communicating with beings from

other worlds, are already at least imagined in

various Hindu texts from the Puranas to the Yoga

Vasishta. Indeed there is nothing in science or

science fiction that the Hindu mind has not already

thought about. The main difference is that Hindu

yogis controlled the forces of nature through the

power of their own minds and not through

technology, which is a much more dangerous way

to harness these forces.

It is time for the spiritual science of the Rishis and

Yogis to be united with the material science of

scientists today. We will undoubtedly see many

more greatHindu scientists in the future. And

scientists of all backgrounds will be drawn to a

Vedantic view of the Universe as Brahman and

Atman.

Sanskrit, the Language of the Gods

The Sanskrit language is a living being. It is

Saraswati or Vak, the embodied Goddess of

wisdom. The very language itself teaches you,

particularly the Vedic language in which sound

and meaning closely correspond and the words

reflect the cosmic creative force. This is why

Nirukta or etymology is a limb of the Vedas. It was

not just a grammatical study but a means of

understanding how the universe is created.

Sanskrit is a language of such beauty and brilliance

that it captivates the mind and, like a muse,

inspires us to deeper insight.

Sanskrit is the vehicle for what Hinduism really is.

To discover the essence of Hinduism on should

learn Sanskrit and contact its power, beauty and

depth. Most of the prejudices against Hinduism

disappear when one learns the language behind it

and the actual meaning of its terms and principles

which are so easily distorted in their English

renderings. Language is the basis of culture. The

language of a country carries its entire cultural

legacy. Through Sanskrit one ca n come into

contact with the wisdom of India and its many

sages who transcended our ordinary human

awareness and contacted realms far beyond both

body and mind.

Yet Sanskrit is more than just a language of India,

it is the very language of the Gods and the spiritual

language of humanity. Until we as a species

discover Sanskrit, the native language of the soul,

our culture is bound to be confused and will lack

connection with our higher spiritual purpose.

Sanskrit also helps us understand science, as it is a

language that reflects cosmic intelligence and its

unfoldment.

I have done much mantra sadhana with special bija

mantras that I have received. This has probably

been my most important spiritual practice. Such

mantras change the energetics of the mind and

make it receptive to higher forces. They connect us

with the deities or powers of consciousness that

govern the universe. The original Vedic Yoga is

based on mantra, not asana or yoga postures.

Mantras are like asanas for the mind and make it

flexible to become a vehicle for the higher Self

(Paramatma).

In 1996 I visited Askharam, the headquarters of

Samskrita Bharati and was interviewed for their

magazine Sambhashana Sandesha. Samskrita

Bharati is the main Sanskrit organization in India.

It has done crucial work teaching conversational

Sanskrit to millions of people and reviving Sanskrit

as a living language throughout the country.

Krishna Shastri, head of the Samskrita Bharati

movement later visited with me in the United

States. He was a young man and a dynamic

speaker and charismatic personality. He could get

anyone to start speaking Sanskrit, even those who

knew nothing of the script or the grammar. The

living power of Sanskrit comes through him. This

new Sanskrit movement is essential for the revival

of Hinduism.

Hinduism has its own language, which is perhaps

the greatest of all human languages and the very

language of creation. Sanskrit provides a firm

foundation on which all of Vedic and yogic science,

on which all of human knowledge, can be built and

integrated according to a higher purpose.

Yajnas, Pujas and Temples

Vedic Yajnas or sacrifices were not mere primitive

rituals but sophisticated and scientific ways of

harnessing the secret powers of nature to affect

changes in our karma, both individually and

collectively. These yajnas center on fire rituals and

fire offerings. Fire is the elemental force through

which we can connect with all the powers of

nature. As the central of the five elements it

mediates between the formless spiritual realms

above (air and ether) and the formed material

realms below (earth and water).

Hindu devotional rituals or pujas are precise

practices to connect us with the higher worlds of

intelligence, joy and creativity that oversee this

lower, limited physical realm. Pujas generate

subtle influences (tanmatras) that link us with the

deities or cosmic powers.

Our real role as human beings includes performing

such rituals to link this physical world with the

subtle realms beyond, without which we remain

isolated in the darkness of the senses.

Hindu temples are scientifically designed

instruments to gather and magnify our higher

aspirations on a collective level. They serve to link

the human world with the Divine world. The

temple icons channel higher energies and deeper

knowledge to us. They allow astral forces to

become embodied in the physical world. They

allow the Gods to descend and work among us.

The great temples of South India are probably the

best example of this. I keep many murtis (Hindu

icons) in my home, which is a kind of temple. I

have Shiva, Devi in many forms, Ganesh,

Hanuman, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, and more. They

serve as a constant reminder that we are not alone

but live in a universe permeated with Divine

forces. I see no contradiction between such images

and the formless Absolute (Brahman). They

represent the many sides of Brahman which is

infinite.

Vedic Ecology

The Vedic worldview is firmly rooted in honoring

our Mother Earth, for which various forms of Earth

worship or Bhumi Puja are prescribed. For proper

meditation we must first do prayers to sanctify the

ground on which we sit. Vedic ecology reflects this

Vedic methodology for connecting with the Earth

and helping unfold her many secret powers. Vedic

rituals and Hindu Pujas are part of this process.

The Earth is not inanimate but a force of hidden

consciousness unfolding a secret Divine Will for

the higher evolution of all creatures. The Earth is

the Divine Mother incarnate. In the wilderness she

is Parvati, the wife of Shiva, who leads us to

wisdom and transcendence. In the fertile plains she

is Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, who bestows love

and nurturance.

Unfortunately, most Hindus have forgotten this

Vedic view of the Earth and don’t protect their

natural environment. They have not added a

Hindu point of view to the ecology movement,

which is perhaps the main idealistic movement in

the world today. Hinduism can help spiritualize

the ecology movement and reconnect it with our

ancient sense of the sacred Earth Mother and give

us the tools to communicate with her. But this

requires awakened Hindus who understand this

tradition and its importance.

Part of the challenge of modern Hinduism is to

reclaim its connection to the Earth. Bharat Mata or

Mother India is also Bhumi Mata or Mother Earth.

India embodies the Earth and its perennial wisdom

by its connection with the Sun. Healing the Earth

should be integral to all Hindu causes and to all

spirituality everywhere.

Yoga

Yoga in the broader sense refers to the different

spiritual paths of jnana (knowledge), bhakti

(devotion), karma (service) and raja yoga (internal

practices). Yoga is the essence of the Vedic

approach that involves uniting us with the greater

universe of consciousness. It is the technology that

applies Vedic wisdom in an experiential manner.

Yoga is the main practice of Hinduism, which from

its music and dance to its philosophy and medicine

employs yogic methods and insights. Once one

understands the Hindu roots of Yoga and the yogic

orientation of Hinduism, one’s practice of yoga is

enriched and one’s understanding of Hinduism

becomes authentic.

I visited various Yoga centers and ashrams such as

exist throughout in India. Among the most

interesting was Vivekananda Yoga Kendra in

Bangalore. This broad-based organization teaches

Yoga in a comprehensive manner, including

spirituality and psychology, and also takes a

rigorous scientific perspective. It conducts large

conferences bringing important people from all

over the world. It shows the integrality of Yoga,

Vedanta and Hinduism, which function best when

used together. Such schools show how Yoga is

developing in India and reaching out to the world.

Many more such institutions are necessary for the

future. They are more important than churches or

temples.

TOWARDS A NEW WESTERN HINDUISM

Western Yoga Teachers and Yoga Groups

In the period from the mid-eighties I worked with

various western yoga groups. While this occurred

mainly through Ayurvedic medicine I brought in

the Vedas, Vedic astrology, Vedanta and

Hinduism. I tried to present an integral Ayurveda

that did not stop with the body but considered

prana, mind and consciousness – a full life science.

In the process I came to know many leaders in the

Yoga field, both western asana experts and

prominent gurus from India. I was able to

experience their teachings first hand and learned

how they functioned behind the scenes. In the

process I discovered that few American yoga

students considered themselves to be Hindus. Few

knew what Hinduism was. Many blindly accepted

common media and missionary stereotypes as true.

Most didn’t know Vedanta or what the Vedas dealt

with. Many didn’t regard these as important.

Western Yoga Teachers and Yoga Groups

In the period from the mid-eighties I worked with

various western yoga groups. While this occurred

mainly through Ayurvedic medicine I brought in

the Vedas, Vedic astrology, Vedanta and

Hinduism. I tried to present an integral Ayurveda

that did not stop with the body but considered

prana, mind and consciousness – a full life science.

In the process I came to know many leaders in the

Yoga field, both western asana experts and

prominent gurus from India. I was able to

experience their teachings first hand and learned

how they functioned behind the scenes. In the

process I discovered that few American yoga

students considered themselves to be Hindus. Few

knew what Hinduism was. Many blindly accepted

common media and missionary stereotypes as true.

Most didn’t know Vedanta or what the Vedas dealt

with. Many didn’t regard these as important.

Many were connected to a particular guru from

India but had little sense of the tradition behind the

teacher. Their tendency was to look to their specific

teacher as the source of the teaching, the avatar of a

new universal religion, and not a traditional

Hindu.

Others were so busy popularizing yoga that they

didn’t take the time to really understand its

background. The result was that the American

Yoga movement lacked connection with the greater

Yoga tradition and its Hindu foundation. It often

slipped into commercialism, if not vulgarity.

In America the outward and physical aspects of

yoga predominate with a cultural fixation on the

body. The sensational aspects of spirituality are

also popular, with a seeking of quick spiritual

experiences and the tendency to create personality

cults. In America everything becomes a business.

The result is that the teacher with the best

advertising and self-promotion becomes the most

famous and is looked upon as the authority,

though their real knowledge may be limited.

Yet more and more Yoga students do want to

know the tradition behind Yoga and are not

content merely to be good at yoga postures. Over

time I have seen an increase in Hindu elements in

the western Yoga community. Hindu deities like

Shiva, Devi, Krishna and Ganesha are becoming

accepted. Hindu chants, songs and rituals are

getting popular. There is a growing interest in

Sanskrit. A new interest is arising in Vedanta

through teachers like Ramana Maharshi and in

Yoga philosophy through the Yoga Sutras.

Other aspects of Hindu dharma are coming into

the Yoga community including Ayurveda, Vedic

astrology, and Vastu. People are drawing

connections between these disciplines and noting

their common basis. Once a person has been

exposed to this broader culture of Hinduism, they

usually go deeper into the system. Hinduism is

percolating into the West through various avenues

and incarnations. Because of misconceptions about

Hinduism, American yoga students may say they

are not Hindus. Yet if you explain Sanatana

Dharma to them, including karma, rebirth,

sadhana and Self-realization they quickly accept

such a teaching as the approach that they follow.

The New Age Movement

Christian fundamentalists in America see

Hinduism as their main threat through the New

Age movement, a fact that they have highlighted in

various books and programs. They refer to the

New Age movement in America as an American

Hinduism taking shape. They identify both the

New Age and Hinduism as the same old

paganism, idolatry and pursuit of the occult that

the Bible criticizes. Their recent aggressive

missionary effort in India is a counter attack

against the Hindu guru influence in America that

they have long felt threatened by.

However, the New Age movement in America is a

diverse phenomenon. It includes votaries of every

sort of mystical tradition East and West, much

interest in Native American and shamanic

traditions, and a strong fascination with the occult,

astral travel, channeling, Atlantis, UFOs and ETs

(Extra Terrestrials). It is allied with every form of

alternative medicine, bodywork, new psychology

and self-actualization movement. It has a strong

vegetarian, pacifistic and pro-ecology tendency.

There is a new paganism in it, with a growing

interest in ancient Celtic, Greek, Egyptian,

Babylonian and Minoan lore. There are Native

African elements as well with a similar movement

starting among Black Americans.

Yet most New Age people do share a belief in

karma and reincarnation. They accept the existence

of a Creator but also look to a higher Self. In this

regard their underlying philosophy is like Vedanta.

Many New Agers look up to India and its gurus,

even if they are not disciples.

Though the New Age movement has much

fantasy, if not self-indulgence within it, as it

matures it will probably come to resemble

Hinduism that broadly accepts all means of

accessing higher awareness. A new futuristic form

of Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is likely to arise

combining a resurgence of the Vedic tradition from

India, related mystical, native and pagan traditions

throughout the world, as well as futuristic ideas for

the coming planetary age. An awakened and

expanded Hinduism may indeed become the

planetary religion in form as it has always been in

spirit. For this Hindus need to reach out to such

groups and forge a common alliance with them.

American Hinduism

Hinduism never seemed to be something foreign

or alien to me or inappropriate to my

circumstances living in the West. It is the very

religion of nature and consciousness in the

broadest sense, which makes it relevant to

everyone.

For me true religion and spirituality comes from

nature. It arises from the ground. The soul in

nature lives beneath the earth, in the soil, dwelling

in the roots of plants and sustaining the vegetable

kingdom. The fire at the center of the Earth that

upholds geological processes on the planet is a

form of the Divine fire that dwells within our

hearts.

The most important insights that have come to me

usually occur while walking in nature, particularly

hiking in the high mountains. In the wilderness

nature can enter into our consciousness and

cleanse our minds of human-centered

compulsions. I think that liberation is like

wandering off into nature, climbing up a high

mountain, and not coming back to the lowlands of

human society.

Hinduism is a religion of the Earth. It honors the

Earth as the Divine Mother and encourages us to

honor her and help her develop her creative

potentials. The deities of Hinduism permeate the

world of nature. For example, Shiva is the God of

the mountains, while Parvati is the mountain

Goddess. Shiva dwells in high and steep rocky

crags and cliff faces. Parvati rules over mountain

streams, waterfalls, and mountain meadows with

their many flowers.

Hiking in the mountain country one can find

natural Shiva lingas. Beneath high rocky peaks that

take the form of a linga, a basin naturally forms as

a mountain lake that becomes the yoni. In this way

Shiva and Parvati manifest everywhere in nature.

They don’t belong to a single country or book only.

It is not necessary to live in India to be a Hindu. In

fact one must live in harmony with the land where

one is located to be a true Hindu.

I see Hinduism as a religion eminently suited for

all lands and for all people because it requires that

we connect with the land and its creatures – that

we align our individual self with the soul of all

beings around us. Hinduism finds holy places

everywhere, wherever there is a river, a mountain,

a large rock, or big tree, wherever some unusual

natural phenomenon be it a spring, a cave, or a

geyser.

In this way I can speak of an American Hinduism

and call myself an American and a Hindu – an

American connected with the land and a Hindu

connected with the spirit and soul of that land.

Hinduism has helped me discover the forces of

nature in which I live, their past and their future,

their unique formations and their connections with

the greater universe and the cosmic mind.

A real American Hinduism would not be a

Hinduism scaled down to the needs of American

commercialism, turned into a new fad or hype of

Hollywood or Wall Street. It isn’t merely yoga

postures for football players or for movie stars. It is

an experience of one’s Self and true nature not only

in the context of the American landscape but also

as connected with the Earth, universe and the

supreme consciousness.

Hinduism honors the Divine Self in all beings and

helps us develop our individual potentials

organically and in harmony with all of life. That is

why it can never accept any final dogma or

prescribe any stereotyped creed or practice for

everyone. Its goal is to help us realize ourselves

through learning about the universe we live in that

is a reflection of our deeper soul.

As time continues this Hindu sense of the cosmic

Self and world Soul will dawn on more and more

people, regardless of their location or culture. It is

simply the unfoldment of life itself and its deeper

spirit. This will gradually transform humanity and

bring us back into the fold of the universal religion

beyond names and institutions. We will once more

become caring citizens of the conscious universe

instead of human-centered exploiters of the natural

world as we are today.

CONCLUSION

Hindu Dharma came to me over a long period of

time, in many forms, through many people, as well

as through a deeper consciousness. From leaving

the Catholic Church to officially becoming a Hindu

took a number years. It was never a question of

leaving one religion and looking for another one

better, but of a quest for truth at a spiritual level.

This at first made all outer religious formalities

irrelevant but later showed me the importance of

culture and community in sustaining one’s

spiritual path.

Disturbed by media or textbook images of

Hinduism or bewildered by its multifaceted

nature, people ask me: "Can one access the deeper

teachings of Hinduism, like Yoga and Vedanta,

without having to go through the outer aspects of

the religion as caste, ritual or temple worship?

Does one need to formally become a Hindu to

benefit from its spiritual teachings?"

One must cast off prevalent misconceptions about

Hindu Dharma before being able to answer these

questions. Hindu Dharma does not dwell in a mere

formal social identity, but in following one’s own

dharma. Its rituals reflect nature and are not

artificial. Its deities symbolize different aspects of

our higher Self and the cosmic mind. While one

doesn’t have to officially become a Hindu before

being able to use its teachings, one cannot access

the deeper aspects of Hinduism without becoming

something like a Hindu in one’s life and mentality.

One might also ask, What would an American or a

Westerner have to lose by becoming a Hindu? You

would have to give up exclusive beliefs that say

that there is only one true God, prophet, savior or

scripture. You would have to become reconciled to

your pagan ancestors and respect their way of life.

You would have to accept pluralism in religion.

You would have to bring spirituality into your

daily life through some form of prayer, chanting,

study, contemplation or meditation. But you

wouldn’t have to stop thinking, or cease to be open

to the truth. You wouldn’t need to restrict yourself

to any creed or dogma. Above all, you wouldn’t

have to give yourself away in the process. You

would need only to strive to understand yourself

at a deeper and universal level.

The Importance of Culture

Being a Hindu means recognizing the spiritual

teachings that have most helped me in life. The

name is not of great importance. The tradition

behind it is what matters. Hinduism, Hindu

Dharma, Sanatana Dharma, Yoga, Vedanta, yogic

spirituality, Vedic science and other such terms

reflect different aspects of this same vast teaching.

Yet we must settle on one name for convenience of

communication in the modern world and that

appears to be Hinduism because this term has

already gained recognition. There is no reason why

the other positive appellations of this tradition

cannot be felt with the term Hindu Dharma, except

for the rigidity of unquestioned anti-Hindu

stereotypes in our culture.

Personally I believe that Hinduism, particularly as

defined as Sanatana Dharma, is the best religion in

the world.

Hinduism has the most holy books, the most Gods

and Goddesses, the most sages and yogis, the most

temples and tirthas, and the most intricate

knowledge of the occult and spiritual planes. It is

the oldest of religions and the most diverse and the

most adaptable, which are all points of great merit.

Yet it doesn’t bother me if someone else prefers

another religion anymore than if someone else

would prefer a different food. Let there be

abundance in the spiritual life, as in all life. Let

people follow whatever religion elevates their

hearts and minds. Let each person have his or her

own religion, as each one of us is a Divine Soul

with a unique perspective on life. Let each one of

us become a God or Goddess in our deeper

consciousness, free of all dependency upon

external forms and limitations. Away with sin and

guilt. Let the Divine arise within everyone!

The ultimate goal of human life is to transcend

culture and personality to the unconditioned pure

being. But the means to do this is through our

culture and way of life. Perhaps this sounds

contradictory.

goal is to reach the infinite and eternal. But we

must do this from our particular standpoint in time

and space, body and mind. Our individuality is

embedded in a certain cultural matrix and its

forms, just as the language that we learn to speak

shapes our thoughts. To reach the universal we

must have the right organic foundation at local

level. We need to create a culture that can lead us

to it, by helping us discovering our cosmic

potentials at an individual level. This is what

Hindu Dharma provides in many different ways.

The spiritual life is an eonic journey, taking many

lifetimes and leading us through many different

worlds. Very few souls, only handful in each

generation, will complete their journey in a

particularly incarnation. Spiritual growth requires

the proper culture and tradition to sustain our

collective aspiration from life to life. Otherwise a

few rare individuals may be able to progress

spiritually but the great majority cannot go far, just

as only a few of the many seeds cast on

uncultivated ground can flourish.

THE MEANING OF THE TERM HINDU

In the Vedic age the land of India was called Sapta

Sindhu, the land of the seven rivers. The same

name appears in the Zend Avesta, the holy book of

the ancient Persians, as Hapta Hindu, with the

Sanskrit ‘s’ replaced with an ‘h’, a sound shift that

occurs in various Indian dialects as well. The

Greeks called the land India or Indika, which also

derives from the term Sindhu, removing the initial

sound altogether. So clearly Sindhu or Hindu was

a name for India going back to very ancient times.

India was Sindhu Sthana, the land of the rivers or

Sapta Sindhu Sthana, the land of the seven rivers.

Sindhu has three meanings in Sanskrit. It means a

particular river now called the Indus, a river in

general, or the ocean. Clearly Sindhu in the land of

Sapta Sindhu refers to river in general and not

simply to the Indus as a particular stream only.

It meant India as a great land of many rivers. The

main river in Vedic India was the Saraswati and in

later times became the Ganges. So Sindhu Sthana is

also Saraswati Sthana and later Ganga Sthana, not

simply the region of the Indus.

Dharma, Sindhu Dharma or Hinduism is the name

of the culture and religions of this great and

diverse subcontinent. Hinduism as Sindhu Dharma

has three meanings following the meanings of

Sindhu.

1) It is the river religion (Sindhu Dharma). It flows

and develops like a river. Not limited by an

historical revelation, Hinduism continues to grow

and develop through time without losing track of

its origins in the eternal.

2) It is a religion of many rivers, a pluralistic

tradition that accepts the existence of many paths,

many sages and many holy books and is always

open to more.

3) Sindhu means the ocean. Hinduism is a religion

like the ocean that can accept all streams without

overflowing. This is also the meaning of Hinduism

as Sanatana Dharma or the universal tradition.

Sindhu became Hindu not only among the

Persians but also in some dialects in India,

particularly in the West of the country. By the

twelfth century in the Prithviraj Raso by the poet

Chand Baradai, probably the oldest work in the

Hindi language, we already find the term Hindu

proudly used in India for the religion and people

of the region.

Since Hinduism as Sindhu Dharma refers to all the

religions and philosophies of India, it naturally

includes Buddhist, Jain and other Indic traditions.

In this regard Hinduism is not limited to the Vedic

tradition and accepts both Vedic and non-Vedic

streams.

On the other hand, the Vedic tradition itself is

pluralistic and is not limited to existing Vedic

paths. It is based on the great Vedic statement,

"That which is the One Truth, the sages speak in

many ways (ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti)."

The Vedic tradition, therefore, has the basis to

integrate all the dharmas of India including those

that regard themselves as non-vedic.

Yet beyond India, Hinduism can accept all cultures

that seek to live in harmony with the universe and

respect all creatures. Such a definition would make

Hinduism a religion not merely of India but a way

of organically adapting the universal truth to the

needs of time, place and person everywhere.

Hindu Dharma is a human or Manava Dharma,

encompassing all aspects of human life. It shows

what all human beings require for health,

happiness, creativity and liberation.

May its blessings come to all!

Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(End..) 

(My humble Thankfulness to Brahmasree David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastry)  for the collection)