He wears that long, white/cream, translucent silk garment that many know as a dhoti. He walks barefoot and visits any temple he can find. Sometimes, in traditional temples, they stop him with a stern, "this is a Hindu temple - for Hindus only" because his skin is white, with a ruddishness that waxes and wanes like the moon. He fobs them off with a "I am a Hindu" in chaste Tamil. They (the so-called sentinels) don't know what to say and let him pass. Inside, he clasps his hands, bows, prays and does what every devout Hindu does. He looks like a 'foreigner'. He is, in the conventional sense. But, isn't everyone? I don't know of a single human being who was borne by mother earth. All were borne by mother human females. Everyone or at least everyone's ancestors, at some point of time, were 'foreigners' somewhere. So, that's no big deal! Is he a Hindu? Yes, but he wasn't born one. What then is a Hindu? One who visits a temple? One who wears a 'tilak'? Or one who believes he is a Hindu? He must be an ISCKON'ite one might think. He isn't. But then, who knows, maybe, he is! He has an altar at home. He lights incense and he prays there, too. He wears a ring, an astrologer advised him to wear. He enters a house (his new home, that is) after performing a vastu puja on a day chosen by a priest. He arranges his furniture and other home paraphernalia in keeping with the dictates of Vaastu. A picture of Ganesha wallpapers his desktop. He is an American. A Catholic and hold your breath for you're not going to believe this...a priest, too. Yes, a Catholic priest... Think about it...this is what a thinking person ought to be...one who is able to draw whatever he finds useful, in any way, from any religion...its philosophy, its beliefs, its rituals, its 'superstitions', too, if you have such a word in your lexicon! He drinks his beer, smokes his cigarettes and all in moderation....and he can talk about different religions of the world, both past and present...he speaks half a dozen international languages with relative fluency...including the ancient Latin...he can discuss about a range of subjects and with impressive erudition...and accept criticism about the religion that gave him priesthood...but not without reason! He is a patriot but will criticize his country and the follies of its leaders with a sardonic smile... He thinks therefore he is! He agrees, though, that a tree may not think (but then, who can tell for certain), but it still is... He thinks and explores...therefore, to me, he is a Hindu... I wonder if I will ever be a Christian Hindu or a Hindu Muslim Christian...I wonder how beautiful the world will be when there are more Hindu Christians, Muslim Christians, Muslim Hindus, Christian Muslims, Jewish Hindus, Zoroastrian Buddhists, Buddhist Hindu Muslims, Buddhist Jain Muslims.... |
