5.09.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
DVD Talk reviews the documentary series "Women and Spirituality", which was recently released in the DVD format.
"There's little doubt that goddess worship has actually picked up significant cultural steam since the original release of these pieces close to 20 years ago. While they're all a little dated, they provide an earnest look into the history and continued observance of gynocentric worship practices and will be appreciated by those interested in the history of religion and especially women's movements. Recommended."
The Women and Spirituality project also maintains a blog featuring several participants from the original documentary series.
Religion Dispatches looks at the recent (somewhat controversial) appointment of a "Supreme Chief" within Haitian Vodou, and the ongoing quest for respect by practitioners.
"Voodoo suffers from a flaw built into both scholarly and popular typologies of religion, that of hierarchical thinking about religions. Beauvoir argues that Voodoo's character derives from its location as a "popular religion." But lacking a sacred text, law codes, or traditions of written commentary, Voodoo is a marginalized tradition - marked as "primitive," as if religions evolve along a given trajectory-compared to those "world religions" that come to dominate empires."
While a tiny, and until recently, officially unrecognized, religion, the article points out that Vodou has a "capacity to persist" that may allow the faith to weather the current social and political storms raging in their country.
The caretaker of a Taoist temple in Taiwan has a problem. Too many deities!
"Yang Liang, who takes care of the small Suxi Temple, said yesterday he used to tend to only five land gods, the lowest deities in folk Taoism. Last February, Yang said, he found two statues of Avalokitesvera, or the Goddess of Mercy, abandoned in front of his temple in west Suao ... Sheltering the abandoned Goddesses of Mercy probably encouraged those who wanted to get rid of their deities to dump them at the temple ... Altogether 12 statues, ranging from Avalokitesvera to Third Prince or San-tai-zhi, were left at the door of the temple Monday. "I can't take care of that many gods," Yang protested."
Yang has posted bulletins around his village imploring locals to please take their gods back, as he doesn't have the space and resources to care for them all. Perhaps he could ship them to willing polytheists outside Taiwan?
As modern Paganism continues to grow, more local journalists start to notice the Pagans in their own backyard. This coverage starts with the inevitable "meet the Pagans" piece. Here, we have a classic example of this phenomenon from Great Falls, Montana.
"...like the others [Melinda Berry] keeps her faith to herself around here. "I came from California, where no one really cares," Berry said. "In the UK they were really open and didn't care. In the military no one really cares. In Great Falls, Montana, people care." But there is a growing pagan population locally and around the state. At least five to 10 people regularly attend the monthly Great Falls Pagans meetings at Hastings. Some area gatherings have drawn upward of 40 people..."
Though "people care" if your a member of a minority faith in Great Falls, Montana, this introduction is far more friendly than the one that arose in Great Falls, South Carolina.
Following up on a story I blogged about a year ago, the Delhi High Court in India has ruled that naked paintings of Hindu goddesses aren't necessarily blasphemous.
"Maqbool Fida Husain, 92, a Muslim who has been dubbed "the Picasso of India", was served with seven private criminal complaints by Hindu groups for the painting Bharat Mata (Mother India), a work representing the nation as a nude woman. The Delhi High Court judged that the picture, for which Mr Husain has apologised, carried no religious content and could not be construed as offensive. "A painter has his own perspective of looking at things, and it cannot be the basis of initiating criminal proceedings," Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said."
This is a big step forward for artistic freedom in India, where Hindu-nationalist "moral police" (essentially the Indian equivalent to the Religious Right in America, only more powerful) are on the constant lookout for violations against their conception of "cultural purity". These Hindu-nationalist groups vow to keep on fighting against Husain and others who transgress against their moral outlook.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: art, goddess, Hinduism, law, M.F. Husain, Max Beauvoir, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Taiwan, Taoism, The Goddess, Vodou, Voodoo, Women and Spirituality
5.02.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
A new issue of the occult e-zine Rending the Veil has been posted. Leading off their Beltane installment is an article co-written by Taylor Ellwood and Lupa on the subject of advanced occult books.
"We think it's important to encourage the writing of advanced books on occultism. There's a small, but steadily growing interest in advanced occult texts. Writing a blog post or a single article, while it can cover an interesting topic, just doesn't provide the needed depth or volume that a book can bring. And while there are some excellent sites for occult writing, including this one, actual texts are needed in order to fully capture and develop some of the more advanced ideas in more detail. Additionally, there's definitely benefit to having your work edited, whether in a (hardcopy or online) magazine, or through the editing staff of a publisher. With all the unedited drek that floats around on the internet, peer-reviewed information, especially advanced, is even more necessary."
Speaking of "advanced" books, keep your eyes peeled for articles and interviews on this blog concerning some groundbreaking new Pagan books by authors like Brendan Cathbad Myers, Emma Restall Orr, and Gus diZerega.
Laura Miller at Salon.com gives Ursula K. Le Guin's new book "Lavinia" a favorable review. Calling it "a tribute to a relatively uncelebrated culture, that of early Rome".
"'Lavinia' is an old writer's book -- Le Guin is 79 -- in the best sense of the word; it is ripe with that half-remembered virtue, wisdom. This, Le Guin seems to be saying, is what it feels like to be the personification of your land and your people, to speak the words and perform the rites of "the old, local, earth-deep religion," to be the sacred guardian of harmony and plenty for a handful of rustic villages and farms, and to carry their past and future in your body. It's not a life any of us know how to live anymore, and most likely not one that most of us would choose, but some of us can still imagine it, and imagine that it was good."
I am very much looking forward to reading this book. You can read my previous post on Le Guin's "Lavinia", here.
Rocketing world food prices aren't just causing concerns over hunger, in India, it has become a serious religious issue as well.
"With prices soaring for staples such as cooking oils, wheat, lentils, milk and rice across the globe, priests like Atrey say they are seeing the consequences in their neighborhood temples, where even the poorest of the poor have long made donations to honor their faith. 'But today the common man is tortured by the increases in prices,' Atrey lamented during one early morning prayer, or puja, adding that donations of milk were down by as much as 50 percent. He had recently met with colleagues from other temples, along with imams from local mosques, who reported similar experiences. 'If poor people don't even have enough for bread, how will they donate milk to the gods?' he said. 'This is very serious.'"
Within Hinduism, milk is seen as a holy substance and is an integral part of daily religious life in India (not to mention dietary life, since many Indians are vegetarians). If a solution isn't found soon, a major crisis of hunger and faith in the country seems inevitable.
Ohio State University's religious studies program has been hosting a lecture series entitled "Through a Glass, Darkly: Public Interest in the Occult." Student paper The Lantern reports on the closing lecture by Lynn Schofield Clark on the intersection of the occult and popular television programs.
"Delving into the topic of current television shows, she attempted to explain why interest exists in them. Television shows about mysterious things have now evolved from scripted shows to reality shows such as SciFi's "Ghost Hunters" and the Canadian series "Ghost Trackers," highlighting the increasing popularity of this genre, she said. Clark connected the popularity of the shows to the nation's attitude post-Sept. 11. She said after the unexpected terrorist attacks, the nation's interest piqued in pop culture that shows unresolvable issues."
The lecture series also featured a talk by Pagan academic Sabina Magliocco, author of "Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America". As for "occult television", I don't care how "occult" it gets, I refuse to watch "Ghost Whisperer" (though I do admit to watching "Moonlight" now and then).
A Pagan woman was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder after she told a group of teens and twenty-somethings (that she met regularly with at local Pagan gatherings) that a local man (and fellow practitioner) had raped her and her daughter (she also provided materials used in the attempted murder).
"'This is a group of young people with some strange beliefs ... being led by the passionate, distraught histrionics of an older - and in their eyes, much more powerful - mother figure,' York-Poquoson Commonwealth's Attorney Eileen Addison said. 'They got carried away ... but they got carried away because she encouraged them to do so.' According to testimony, Davidson met co-defendants Stephen Walters, 26, Dianna Breznick, 18, Thomas Rogers, 24, and Aaron Meadors, 23, at a shop in Norfolk that advertises itself as carrying Wiccan and pagan supplies. The group regularly attended a pagan drum circle there on Monday nights. Davidson was known to the group as "Red Phoenix." Barron, who was known as "Lord Othis," also attended the circle."
No proof or charges have been brought against Barron/Othis for his alleged assaults, nonetheless two of the attackers were unrepentant calling his maiming/torture "justice". No matter what the real chain of events that lead to this situation were, the outcome is a shameful one that mocks true justice and brands these Pagans as criminals who replace due process with unrestrained savagery.
In a final note, further memorials to Cora Anderson, who crossed over yesterday, have been posted at The Witches' Voice and the Acorn Guild Press web site. The latter contains a short eulogy from Starhawk.
"Cora was a great inspiration, a wonderful teacher, and a pioneer in the Craft at a time when it was a very hard and lonely path. I will always remember her stories, her humor, and her wonderful blend of mysticism and sheer common sense. I know that she will continue to guide and inspire now, wherever her soul journeys."
Further tributes can be found, here.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: academia, books, Cora Anderson, Hinduism, Lavinia, law, Lupa, occult, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Taylor Ellwood, Television, Ursula Le Guin
2.21.2008
Updates on Past Stories
Thelemites Fight Pedophillia Charges: An Australian couple who posted unsubstantiated accusations of pedophilia and ritual abuse within the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) chapter in Melbourne, Australia have been sentenced to nine months in prison. The prison stay was ordered after Vivienne Legg and Dyson Devine defied a court order to take down the material, and declined to appear at hearings.
"Vivienne Legg and Dyson Devine posted on their website claims that an occult group, the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), was really a pedophile ring in Victoria, and that its activities included hosting parties at which naked children served as waiters and members had sex with and murdered children ... [Judge Marilyn Harbison] said the material was gross, insulting and bizarre in asserting that the OTO tortured and killed children and animals and consumed their organs in blood rituals. It also said OTO members were criminally corrupt, spoke of a culture of corruption at the highest levels of government, and identified politicians as taking part. Judge Harbison said she had to signal to the broader community that tribunal orders were not to be ignored and that breaching the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act was a serious issue."
The offending site in question was finally taken down in January by the hosting provider. Legg and Devine now have to decide if they will apologize to the judge and hope that their sentence is commuted, or if they will appeal their case to the Supreme Court.
The First Wiccan Multi-Millionaire: A local ABC News affiliate checks in with Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, a Wiccan who won an estimated 33 million dollars in the Mega Millions drawing back in September of 2007. According to the report, Bartlett is keeping the promises he made back when he first realized he won the lottery.
"After Dundalk's Bunky Bartlett hit the Mega Millions jackpot in 2007, he said he planned to help a new age gift shop expand. He also said he would continue teaching people about his Wiccan beliefs. Bartlett has been true to his word. The Mystical Voyage store in Nottingham used to occupy 2500 square feet of space. When the expanded store opens next month, it will occupy 6500 square feet -- enough space for several new holistic healing rooms, and a large yoga studio."
Bartlett continues to teach classes on Wicca at the store, as he did before the lottery win. No further word yet about the proposed Willow Springs Sanctuary and Community Center that was announced back in November.
Wicca in India: In the past I have reported on Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, a famous adherent of Wicca in India. Chakraverti, a social activist, started a "Wiccan Brigade" to stem witchcraft killings and female infanticide through a campaign of education and re-framing the practice of "witchcraft" in India. While we have heard no reports on how successful these initiatives have been, it does look like Wicca and other western Pagan imports are gaining popularity in certain Indian cities.
"New age therapies and healing through a host of skills, including hypnosis, tarot reading, astrology and witchcraft are being accepted by a majority of people in Chandigarh, the twin capital of Punjab and Haryana ... Claiming to be India's first Shaman Witch, Renu Mathur helps remove all negative energy surrounding a person through prayer and meditation. She claims that she receives the energy from Gods and Goddesses as also from the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. 'Although this may not seem like a straight fight against superstition because what I am doing is very logical like the use of colours, use of fire, use of crystals all of which has been validated by everybody in all fields. This is just a concentrated form of using them and invocations of a Wiccan or a person like me used has a very scientific oath -'Do what will not harm anyone'. We cannot harm anyone. If we even think of doing so we lose our energies,' said Renu."
It should be interesting to see what the continued co-mingling of Hinduism and Indian culture with modern Paganism will produce. These cross-cultural interactions seem to hint at the promise of a post-Christian future, where theological "sisters" like Hinduism and modern Paganism can enrich one another over the longer term.
Speaking of India, today is the beginning of the Pongala Mahotsavam, a ten-day festival in honor of Bhagavathi (the mother goddess of the Malayali Hindus). Held in Thiruvananthapuram, it is the largest religious gathering for women in the world.
"Women in thousands have started pouring in to participate in Friday's 'Pongala' festival at Attukal temple, famed as 'Women's Sabarimala' for attracting one of the world's biggest female congregations. The Attukal Bhagavati temple here had entered the Guinness Book two years back as a unique religious event that draws over a million women on a single day. The whole city would turn into a sea of women as sun rises on Friday with the road, pavements and by-lanes about an area of six km around being occupied by devotees with the earthen pots placed on brick hearths in front of them to prepare the 'prasadam' (sweetened pudding). The ritual consists of preparation of the prasadam of rice, jaggery, coconut and spices, to be offered to the Goddess to invoke her blessings for peace and prosperity."
An estimated 2.5 million women are expected to participate this year, breaking all previous attendance records for the festival (1.7 million in 2007, and 1.5 million in 2006).
Labels: Attukal Pongala, Australia, Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett, goddess, Hinduism, India, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, OTO, Thelema, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.24.2007
Who Cares About Minority Faiths?
Generally speaking, the lead-up to the Presidential primaries and caucuses is when we start to form our opinions on the character of the Presidential candidates. This is when the smaller constituencies (and issues) are given some face time, when the dialog isn't so scripted, and we get a clue about how they would handle individual issues important to us. I have been looking for signs and portents concerning how the Presidential front-runners will address issues important to non-Christian minority faiths, and so far the waters have been murky, with most of the attention being paid to Christian swing voters.
"Clinton and Obama have both hired strategists to coordinate faith outreach. Obama also has a faith point person in each of the three early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. His campaign held a series of "Faith, Action, Change" forums with New Hampshire voters and hosts weekly conference calls for religious leaders. Team Clinton has assembled a Faith Steering Committee, with working groups targeting individual denominations. Edwards' campaign says it is leaning on his Campaign Manager David Bonior to help rally Catholics, considered a key swing constituency."
While it is generally agreed that the Democratic candidates are somewhat more sympathetic to minority faiths than Republicans (especially considering the large number of conservative Christians running this time around), no candidate should get a free ride simply because they would be "better" than their opponent on a certain issue. Frankly, what I have seen so far hasn't endeared me to any of them (on this issue). Two opportunities have now passed for the Democratic front-runners to make a stand for those of us who check "other" in the religious category. First, despite the demands of Hindu groups, no candidate has spoken out against the Christians who heckled Rajan Zed's opening Senate prayer.
"Let me also say that the presidential candidates should address this issue for reasons that go beyond the notion of common decency. They should address this situation because it gets at a fundamental constitutional and ethical matter -- whether we believe that the government must treat all religions equally."
Now the three Democratic front-runners (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards) have blown off a historic Democratic forum on Native American issues, stating scheduling problems for their lack of attendance.
"American Indian leaders vowed 2008 would be different - Indian country would be one of the stops on the road to the White House. But a historic presidential forum at the Morongo Band of Mission Indians' reservation in Southern California has attracted only three of the eight Democratic candidates: Bill Richardson, Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich ... "If they won't come talk to us now, they certainly won't be responsive to us if they get in the White House," said Kalyn Free, a Choctaw from Oklahoma who is organizing the Democratic forum, called "Prez on the Rez." Top contenders said they could not attend because of scheduling conflicts. The event is the first attempt to bring a presidential debate to Indian country."
The event "Prez on the Rez", drew hundreds of elected tribal leaders from across the country, and the three lower-rung Democratic candidates that did attend (Bill Richardson, Mike Gravel
"It will have an impact. The reality played out here today will have an impact in Indian country," said Frank La Mere, chairman of the Democratic National Committee's Native American Coordinating Council. "There is some fence mending to be done between now and the Iowa caucuses."
This makes two opportunities for the main Democratic hopefuls to take a stand concerning the rights of religious minorities (not to mention address dire issues like outsider rape, corporate despoiling of sacred grounds, and ongoing issues concerning tribal sovereignty) that have been missed. One wonders if their campaign strategists have them avoiding any action that could be deemed "unchristian". If so, we may have to end up guessing as to who might actually take the concerns of religious minorities seriously. But I'll keep reading the news looking for further signs as to which candidate will step away from wooing moderate evangelicals and Catholics long enough to speak about religious freedom for everyone.
* Of special note is that Mike Gravel received a standing ovation from the crowd when he vowed to free Leonard Peltier if elected.
Labels: American Indian, Hinduism, indigenous, Native American, Presidential election, Prez on the Rez, Religious Freedom
8.15.2007
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
An inebriated woman from Waukesha (in Wisconsin, near Milwaukee) was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after neighbors complained that her "Witch chants" were too loud.
"When an officer arrived, he heard the woman yelling in the backyard and found her wearing headphones, a T-shirt and underwear, Babe said. The officer tried to get her attention by shining a flashlight on her but she continued yelling her chants. At one point she poured lighter fluid on the fire, which was 10-feet from her residence, he said. She was burning rubber car mats and a cooler, Babe said. When the officer was able to get the woman's attention she refused to cooperate telling the officer she was performing a religious ritual. She continued to be belligerent and the officer could smell alcohol on the woman's breath, Babe said."
Brenna K. Barney (aka Brenna Raven Moonfire) is claiming that the police were infringing on her religious beliefs, but I haven't found any new moon ritual that calls for the incineration of plastic coolers or rubber car mats. Maybe it's a Waukesha thing.
If you want Pagan-themed vanity plates in Vermont, better not get your hopes up. A Federal Magistrate has ruled that the Vermont DMV hasn't discriminated against a local Christian for refusing a Bible-themed vanity plate on the grounds that the DMV refuses all religiously-motivated vanity plate requests.
"Niedermeier also wrote that the state DMV has not singled out Byrne based on his religious belief and properly applied the statute prohibiting religious statements on state vanity plates. "Since May 2004, the DMV has rejected plates referring to the Bible, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Wicca," the magistrate judge wrote. Byrne sued the DMV in federal court in January 2005 after the agency rejected three of his requests for a vanity license plate."
Of special note is the fact that the Alliance Defense Fund is representing the Christian motorist. The ADF is also the legal team for the preachers who are filing suit in Michigan after cops told them to stop harassing a Pagan event.
Prospect Magazine's August issue features an essay from philosopher Roger Scruton on why Atheists are wrong when they question the existence (and worth) of God, since religion is really about the human need for sacred experience.
"Nor do you have to accept the cosmology of monotheism in order to understand why it is that this experience of the sacred should attach itself to the three great transitions - the three rites of passage - which mark the cyclical continuity of human societies. Birth, copulation and death are the moments when time stands still, when we look on the world from a point at its edge, when we experience our dependence and contingency, and when we are apt to be filled with an entirely reasonable awe. It is from such moments, replete with emotional knowledge, that religion begins. The rational person is not the one who scoffs at all religions, but the one who tries to discover which of them, if any, can make sense of those things, and, while doing so, draw the poison of resentment."
I appreciate the fact that Scrutun moved (a bit) beyond the restraints of monotheism in making his arguments, even if he most likely sees modern Pagan religions as "superstitious cults".
Speaking of superstition, former Irish pop star Shane Lynch (from a boy-band called "Boyzone", a sort of Irish 'N Sync) has found Jesus and talks of his harrowing experience with the world of Witchcraft!
"Mr Lynch, who was born and raised a Catholic in Dublin, also talked about his problems with violence and alcohol which followed his success and about how he became involved with witchcraft. "It was destructive," he said. "I was into Ouija boards, tarot cards, seances and worse. I was in a really bad place." But he said that, five years ago, finding God turned around his life. "I was anti-God when I was involved in the demonic side of things," he said"
One shudders to think at what was "worse" than playing with tarot cards, perhaps he was engaging in common demonic Witch activities like attending festivals or arriving late for ritual.
In a final note WorldNetDaily, that bastion of balance, defends the honor of Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), who has come under fire for intolerant comments he made concerning Rajan Zed's prayer before the Senate. Unlike the "left-wing bloviators", WND isn't going to resort to distorting the truth in order to score rhetorical points!
"Hindus believe in a virtually infinite number of gods and worship cows, monkeys and snakes. Our Founding Fathers, on the other hand, believed in one God: The Creator God revealed in the Old and New Testaments, the God who is the source of our inalienable civil rights and liberties ... India, the prime example of a society shaped by Hinduism, is a land of wrenching poverty and mind-numbing filth and disease, which is why Mother Theresa, animated by the Spirit of Christ, went there in the first place."
So you see Hindus worship snakes and monkeys and it is their FAITH that has created all the misery and torment in India. Obviously generations of interference, oppression, and colonial rule by "good Christians" had NOTHING to do with the social problems they are facing now. Good thing WND is around to set the record "straight".
That is all I have for now, have a good day.
Labels: Alliance Defense Fund, Christianity, Hinduism, Paganism, Religious Freedom, Wicca, Witchcraft
8.03.2007
Update on Hindu Prayer Controversy
Rather than going away, the incident involving the first Hindu to give the opening prayer before the Senate seems to be picking up stream. US Hindu groups have demanded that Presidential candidates respond to the incident (none have at this point), and that demand is now being echoed by the Baptist Join Committee for Religious Liberty and by professor of religion Melissa Rogers.
"Let me also say that the presidential candidates should address this issue for reasons that go beyond the notion of common decency. They should address this situation because it gets at a fundamental constitutional and ethical matter -- whether we believe that the government must treat all religions equally."
The Washinton Post's "On Faith" blog has posed a question on the issue to its panel of religious leaders, academics, and experts. From these panelists I'm particularly fond of Chester Gillis' answer.
"Granted that the vast majority of Americans believe in God, we have only officially been "One Nation under God" since June 14, 1954, when President Eisenhower signed the law adding these words to the Pledge of Allegiance (which itself was written in 1892), so the notion of a nation of believers is relatively recent in our history. If we are going to give religion a place in public life, then it should not just be one religion. We are a nation of many religions. Just as the military employs chaplains from a variety of religions, so, too, representatives of these religions should have equal opportunities to offer public prayer. Those Americans who say "give me that old time religion" simply need to recall that Hinduism - truly an old time religion - predates Judaism and Christianity."
Rajan Zed also gives his take on this subject as a guest On Faith panelist.
"All of us are looking for the truth. Dialogue brings us mutual enrichment. We may learn from each other as we are headed in the same direction. We should at least cooperate in the common causes of peace, human development, love, and respect for others."
Finally, the Indian press (which has been reporting this story with great interest) notes that the Rev. Rajan Zed was given a heroes welcome upon return to his home in Nevada.
"Rajan Zed, whose historic first Hindu prayer in the American Senate early this month faced protests from the visitors' gallery, was honoured in Nevada. Various religious and community leaders came together on Wednesday and honoured Zed for his "selfless service" in bringing different communities together ... Zed, who is the director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nevada, was garlanded by Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., president of Nevada Clergy Association. He was presented with a plaque by Rabbi Myra on behalf of the interfaith community of northern Nevada, which said, 'The interfaith clergy and leaders of northern Nevada proudly recognise and honour this unprecedented achievement.'"
Will any of the candidates speak up on this issue? Which future leader (if any) will present themselves as concerned about the rights of minority religions in America? Millions of "other" voters await a sign.
Labels: Hinduism, On Faith, politics, Polytheism, prayer, Presidential election, Religion, Senate
7.28.2007
Which Candidate Will Step Up?
Remember the controversy last week over a small group of Christian protesters interrupting the first Hindu to give the opening prayer in the US Senate? Well it seems that American Hindu groups aren't satisfied with Harry Reid's defense of the religion, and are asking all the presidential hopefuls to denounce the Christians involved in calling chaplain Rajan Zed an "abomination".
"U.S. Hindu organizations are urging presidential candidates to denounce the protesters who disrupted the Senate as the first-ever Hindu opening prayer was being delivered this month ... Although the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington issued a statement July 17 saying its members were "deeply saddened" by the interruption, no senators present spoke out against it publicly, according to the Hindu American Foundation and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Both organizations said they are disappointed with the legislators, and they sent letters this week to presidential candidates and senators, asking them to condemn the incident."
So if you were wondering which candidate (from either party) is going to be the most receptive to the rights of minority faiths, here is the moment of truth. With the three Democratic front-runners embracing their Christian allegiance as hard as they can, will any of them dare to defend conceptions of the divine that go beyond the Abrahamic norms? Will Republican candidates stay utterly silent for fear of further offending the already dissatisfied conservative Christian voting bloc that are especially influential during the primaries? I'll be watching the news to see where those of who check "other"
* There are over eight million "others" in American now, including a million modern Pagans, approximately two million Hindus, close to four million Buddhists, hundreds of thousands of Native American practitioners, 60,000 Taoists, and close to a million Santerians.
Labels: Hinduism, politics, Polytheism, Presidential election, Religion, Senate
7.19.2007
The Hugging Saint
Author and "techgnostic" Erik Davis profiles Indian guru Mata Amritanandamayi (aka "Amma") and her ever-growing worldwide organization for Salon.com. Davis, while acknowledging the cosmic "warmth" of Amma's famous hugs and praising her notable humanitarian efforts, also points out that many Westerners are ignorant of the unseemly ties Amma's organization has to Hindu nationalism in her native land.
"Of course, with abundance comes power, and power means politics. Amma's flock certainly includes individuals and organizations associated with right-wing Hindu nationalism, or Hindutva. Many Hindutva ministers of state are Amma devotees, including former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and her ranks swell with members of the RSS and VHP, nationalist organizations that have been accused of, among other things, helping foment the bloody Gujarat riots in 2002. These are complex issues, of course, and Amma is the very opposite of fascist demagogue. But many of the liberal Westerners lining up for their hug have no understanding of how their guru plays in reactionary or "fundamentalist" circles in a modern India with a large Muslim population. And the global managers of her brand are perfectly happy to keep it that way."
Another growing issue within Amma's organization (Mata Amritanandamayi Math) is the growing commercialism that some believe is tainting Amma's message of universal love and acceptance. This has lead to Amma vinyl dolls, documentaries glorifying her works
"One ex-devotee, who is wary enough of the organization that she asked me to simply call her Lakshmi, describes the Amma scene as a competitive, back-biting and self-righteous culture where volunteers are encouraged to work beyond the point of exhaustion in order to please Mother. "There is a very strong focus on selfless service," she wrote in an e-mail. 'However, much of the 'selfless service' in the West involves assisting people who have enough money to pay for retreats so that there is no paid labor during these programs.' Lakshmi left the organization partly because she 'realized that seva might be short for slave labor.'"
Davis ends his article by talking about some of Amma's famous followers (including J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.), and expressing the curious dynamic of the seemingly down-to-earth "saint" and her powerful worldwide influence where she is considered something of a living goddess.
"Amma once again takes the stage. The curtains part, and she is sitting in an elaborate throne beneath a parasol bedecked with flowers. The plain white sari is gone, replaced with crimson robes, carnations and a crown. This is Devi Bhava, a popular ceremony where Amma visibly performs the presence of the Goddess. The devotees are lined up to the sides of the stage, the front lines of a battalion of devotees whose assault on this plump fisherwoman would last all night. As they surge toward Amma, her face blooms into a radiant, unrestrained glee, and for a spell she looks much less like a cosmic matriarch than a great big kid."
This article is very instructive of how little we truly understand religion in India. Often we have simplified ideas of gods, gurus, and Gandhi, and it can lead us into idealized conceptions of complex political and spiritual realities (which in turn, leads some to fiscal and spiritual ruin). This situation has inspired some, like blogger Jody Radzik of Guruphiliac, to expose the feet of clay that many of these gurus and "saints" possess.
"While we understand that gurus are held sacred by many, they are also public figures deserving of scrutiny. Our primary aim is to inject a little humor into what can be an excessively self-righteous enterprise, and to illustrate the primary truth that no matter how divine their devotees believe them to be, gurus poop on the same pot we do."
In the end, it comes down to being cautious of where you place your faith, in the words of another famous guru "be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves" when choosing a spiritual leader or teacher.
* Curious about Amma I rented and attempted to watch the documentary "Darshan: The Embrace" only to find it entirely too fawning, and worst of all, quite boring.
Labels: Amma, Erik Davis, Guruphiliac, Hinduism, India, Mata Amritanandamayi, Salon.com
7.13.2007
The Limits of Christian Tolerance
Yesterday in the Senate chambers, three Christian protesters shouted down a Hindu chaplain before being forcibly removed by the Capitol police. This was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu (the House of Representatives had a Hindu chaplain open their session in 2000).
"...two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer. They shouted 'No Lord but Jesus Christ' and 'There's only one true God,' and used the term 'abomination.'"
The protesters, who are members of Operation Save America (apparently there were no fetal Americans in peril at that particular moment), have the full backing of their organizations director the Rev. Flip Benham who chastised the Senators for not imitating Christ by acting like rude jerks.
"Not one Senator had the backbone to stand as our Founding Fathers stood. They stood on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There were three in the audience with the courage to stand and proclaim, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' They were immediately removed from the chambers, arrested, and are in jail now. God bless those who stand for Jesus as we know that He stands for them."
One can only wonder which Founding Fathers he means, the Deists? The Freemasons? Thomas Jefferson certainly stood by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but only after he edited out all the supernatural elements and "errors". But that doesn't stop certain conservative Christian "historians" from putting forth anti-polytheist interpretations of religious freedom in America.
"The Hindu prayer was also questioned by a Christian historian who maintained that since Hindus worship multiple gods, the prayer will be completely outside the American paradigm, flying in the face of the American motto 'One Nation Under God.' ... 'In Hindu (sic), you have not one God, but many, many, many, many, many gods,' the Christian historian David Barton maintained. 'And certainly that was never in the minds of those who did the Constitution, did the Declaration [of Independence] when they talked about Creator - that's not one that fits here because we don't know which creator we're talking about within the Hindu religion.'"
Sadly, instead of stepping up and blasting these religious bigots, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (who had invited Chaplain Rajan Zed) gave some flat platitudes about Hinduism and peace.
"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly father regarding peace,"
Which I think proves a point that politicians today are more concerned with not alienating Christian voters (even Christians voters who would never vote Democratic), than they are with standing up for the principles our country was founded on. You can be sure that any of our Presidential candidates running for office now will be more than willing to throw non-Christian faiths under the bus the minute they risk losing a bit of popularity in the polls. Sadly it looks like we aren't ready to fully welcome non-monotheist expressions of faith into our political system.
Labels: Hinduism, Operation Save America, politics, Polytheism, prayer, Senate
7.03.2007
Wicca, India, and Infanticide
The intermingling of modern Paganism/polytheism with Hinduism isn't just happening from the Western side of the fence. Some Indians are adopting Wicca as a means towards progress and social reform within their country, the most visible example being activist Ipsita Roy Chakraverti. Chakraverti made international headlines last year for forming a Wiccan "brigade" to help curb witchcraft slayings in rural areas of India through education and outreach.
"People from different walks of life and even governments had asked me to institutionalize Wicca, but I was waiting for the right moment...Now is the time we stood up against people who persecute and kill innocent women..."
While I never saw any reports on how that program was progressing, it seems Chakraverti's efforts have not gone unnoticed, and she has been tapped by the Indian government to head a panel dealing with the issue of female infanticide.
"Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, a Wiccan and social activist, has been nominated by the government's National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) to head a panel tasked with improving the status of young girls, they said. Around 10 million girls have been killed by their parents over the last 20 years, the government says, as female infanticide and foeticide, although illegal, are still prevalent with boys preferred to girls as breadwinners ... The Wiccan campaign has made inroads into several rural pockets across India and has helped raise awareness against victimising young women and girls as witches. Authorities expect that this influence could be expanded to promote the overall well-being of young girls."
Chakraverti sees this as a "triumph" for Wicca in India, which she equates with the practice of Dakini or Yogini Vidya
* Translated, "Yogini Vidya" means a powerful female practitioner/sorceress who worships the goddess as wisdom personified.
Labels: Hinduism, India, Infanticide, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft
6.17.2007
Meeting the Living Goddess
There has been a rush of recent press over the visit of a Nepali Kumari (living goddess) to the United States. Sajani Shakya, who is ten years old, is considered a living incarnation of the goddess Taleju Bhawani (who in turn can be considered an incarnation of Durga or Kali) and will remain so until she reaches puberty.
Sajani Shakya
"Even by the standards of the luminaries who sweep through Washington, the little girl in front of Lafayette Elementary School almost six miles north of the White House was special. Politicians, power brokers and the occasional celebrities who come through town hope to b respected and maybe, in a childlike place in their grown-up hearts, genuinely liked. Sajani Shakya, 10, is worshipped. In Nepal, Sajani is a living goddess, one of about a dozen such goddesses in her homeland who are considered earthly manifestations of the Hindu goddess Kali. Sajani arrived in Washington on Monday to help promote a British documentary about the living goddesses of the Katmandu Valley and to see a bit of the United States. She is the first of the Nepalese living goddesses to come to the United States because the girls live mostly in seclusion."
Shakya is one of several living goddesses profiled in a new documentary entitled "Living Goddesses" (MySpace Profile). The film looks at the tensions faced by the living goddesses during the 2005-2006 conflicts between King Gyanendra and the Maoist movement (who were eventually backed by the major political parties in Nepal), and wonders at their fate in the newly secularized Nepal.
"The film was made from 2005 to 2006, and it captures a Nepal that was roiled by protests against the monarchy and demands for establishing a democracy. The same people who took part in protests against the king also worship Sajani, Mr. Hawker said. But as Nepal modernizes and changes, Ms. Whitaker noted, parents are less keen for their daughters to become goddesses. "The potency of the cult diminishes," she said."
The future of the living goddesses remains uncertain. Some feel the practice is abusive, and have called for the abolishment of Kumari. There is also the possibility that the practice could be ended if the monarchy is completely dissolved in upcoming elections. Others (including the parents of Sajani Shakya) are attempting to find a middle path where the Kumari receive a full education and live as normally as possible outside their ceremonial duties.
"Visiting Washington this week while the film, "Living Goddess," screened at the Silverdocs documentary film festival, Sajani greets visitors at her posh hotel room wearing pink pedal pusher pants and a white T-shirt "When not doing her religious duties, she's a normal kid," said Marc Hawker, the movie's cinematographer ... At home, Sajani wears a school uniform, does homework, and plays tag with her friends in the courtyard in front of her house."
You can view a trailer for the "Living Goddess" documentary at their MySpace page, where they also have reprinted several mentions in the American press concerning Sajani Shakya's visit to America.
Labels: Buddhism, Hinduism, Kumari, Living Goddess, Nepal
6.01.2007
War and Paganism
The "On Faith" blog asks its panelists about keeping faith in times of war. Amongst the various monotheist perspectives comes the views of Wendy Doniger, a professor of the History of Religions at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. Doniger, an expert in Hinduism and mythology, ventures into polytheist views of war.
"Some religions avoid the moral ambiguity about war that Christianity wrestles with by having a god who is frankly warlike, who drinks hot blood and is precisely the sort of person you would think could have thought up a place like the detention camps in Guantanamo. Hindus, for all their philosophical idealism (or perhaps, more precisely because that idealism frees them to think the very worst of apparent reality), are much more realistic about the relationship between god and war. They worship gods like the goddess Kali, who has a necklace of human skulls and a girdle made of childrens' hands, or the god Shiva who, like Nero in Rome, dances/fiddles while the universe burns--indeed, whose dance is precisely what makes the universe burn.
The Bhagavad Gita, one of the major texts of Hinduism today, is a conversation in which the incarnate god Krishna persuades the hero Arjuna to fight in a war against his friends and cousins, a war from which Arjuna had recoiled."
But lest one begins to think that polytheism wholly condones making war, Doniger points out that for every god/dess of war, there are divinities dedicated to peace, healing, and tranquility.
"But some of the Hindu gods (and even these same gods, in another mode of worship) also promise a deeper, more philosophical peace, not the sort of peace that comes when you've won the war by massacring hundreds of thousands of people whose land you wanted to take over, but the peace that comes when you've figured out that there is no reason ever to have war at all. This seems to me a highly reasonable sort of faith."
This view of Hinduism easily translates into European polytheist structures. While the Greeks had the war god Ares, he was not trusted and was rarely worshiped except in times of conflict. The Roman Mars and several Celtic warrior-gods all had healing aspects. Most polytheist cultures have gods and goddesses of healing, peace, and beauty to balance out the more battle-prone divinities (and most held out for a time when all wars would be at an end). In short, war was seen as a tragic part of life, one that would eventually be overcome, and polytheist conceptions of the divine bear that out.
Labels: Hinduism, On Faith, Paganism, Peace, Polytheism, War, Wendy Doniger
5.11.2007
The Naked Art Controversy
Is it blasphemous to paint nude deities? That is the center of a widening controversy concerning painter Maqbool Fida Husain, currently India's most (in)famous artist. Husain, long one of India's most celebrated painters (including receiving honors from the government), began to find himself deeply controversial after a book of his work published in the mid-nineties pictured Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude. This ongoing issue reached a head recently when a painting he submitted for a benefit auction picturing a nude Bharat Mata (the personification of India as a mother goddess) raised the ire of Hindu nationalists.
A detail from "Mother India" by M F Hussain
Recently, litigation brought against Hussain by a hardline Hindutva group resulted in the seizure of his home and property after he refused to return to India to face trial.
"Leading painter Maqbool Fida Husain is losing his home and other properties after failing to appear before a court trying him for hurting religious sentiments by painting "Mother India" as a naked woman. Husain's paintings have often depicted revered Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude, sparking criticism from nationalist parties and activists. A decade ago, radicals even attacked his Mumbai home."
Husain, who lives in self-imposed exile due to death-threats and harassing litigation (there are over 900 cases registered against him), was able to get the Indian Supreme Court to overturn the lower court's seizure and it looks like the case against him will be moved to Delhi where there is less moral fervor against the artist.
"The Bench also issued notice to Shrivastava on Hussain's petition seeking transfer of his case from Uttarakhand to Delhi, where four other criminal cases lodged against him in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat had already been transferred by the apex court. He has sought transfer of his case to Patiala House Courts here in view of "hostile environment" prevailing in Uttarakhand...In July 2000, the apex court had ordered the transfer of similar cases filed against him in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar to the court of an additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in New Delhi and later the Delhi High Court quashed the complaints."
In the wake of these developments the Indian artistic community has risen up in support of Husain's artistic freedom, and has condemned the ongoing campaign of harassing litigation against the painter.
"Reacting to the turn of events, the artist community has strongly condemned the campaigns against Hussain. "It's not just Hussain's but the entire artist community's lives which are at stake. Anybody and everybody can file a case against us now. Anyone can infringe upon our lives," said an upset Krishan Khanna, Hussain's contemporary ... Equally upset and enraged at the "vicious campaigns" against Hussain, other members of the community like filmmaker Syed Mirza, social activist Nafisa Ali, theatre personality M. K. Raina and a host of other artistes, art critics and art gallery owners came together yesterday afternoon and expressed their support for the maestro."
Even more to the point, Suhas Roya, prominent Indian artist, points out that nudity and eroticism has long been a part of Hindu art.
"Nudes are everywhere in our country - they are part of our history and culture. Khajuraho and Konarak are full of examples of eroticism. But we should be aware that emotions do run high in our country and fanatics do exist. I have done series of nudes myself, but there's been little publicity. Maybe because Husain said his depictions were of gods and goddesses. Everything Husain does gets a lot of media attention. And sometimes people feel nudes are used as gimmicks to get attention."
Reading about this case reminds me of our country's culture-wars over controversial religiously-themed art. From the "Piss Christ" to the chocolate Jesus. But instead of a gallery show getting canceled or funding pulled, the artists are hounded and made to fear for their lives, freedom, and property. It shows what far-right religious ideologues are willing to do when given enough cultural and political power.
Personally, I think blasphemy is a matter between divinity and the individual, not an arbitrary line to be used against those who have different thoughts and opinions. Not to mention that a large percentage of goddess art through many different ages and cultures was never afraid to show life-giving attributes. I'm not the only one to see this controversy as somewhat out of character for Hinduism, the Hindu blog wonders if an unhealthy influence from Abrahamic faiths are to blame.
"The naked body is not something to be ashamed of, in fact it is the temple of the Divine in Hindu theology. It is the Abrahamic religions that preach distaste and hate towards the physical body and therefore require their monastic orders to cover their bodies from head to toe. It will do a lot of good if the Hindu groups realize their folly in following traditions alien to their own."
Whatever the underlying reason for this storm, one hopes that the courts will drop these charges against MF Husain, and that he will be able to safely return to his home country once more.
Labels: art, goddess, Hinduism, India, law, M.F. Husain, Polytheism
5.08.2007
Praying to the Hindu God(s)
On Monday, the notions of public religion in America got a bit broader. The Nevada State Senate opened its session with a prayer to the divine led by a Hindu.
"History was made when the Senate of the US state of Nevada opened its session with chanting of Hindu prayers for the first time since it was established in 1864. Director of Interfaith Relations of the Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada Rajan Zed chanted the prayers to open the session on Monday. Wearing saffron robes, 'rudraksh' necklace and traditional sandal paste 'tilak' on the forehead, Zed began with a hymn from the Rig Veda. "I open my prayer with an invocation to the divine, whatever it may be and however we may conceive it"...President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki, introduced Rajan Zed and all Senators stood up as he started chanting the prayer."
Nevada now joins the U.S. House of Representatives who had a Hindu chaplain open their session in 2000, and the Minnesota Senate who has had a Hindu perform opening prayers on more than one occasion. During the prayer, Rajan Zed remarked on the groundbreaking nature of the event.
"Today is a glorious day for all Nevadans and historical day for us when opening prayers from ancient Hindu scriptures are being read in this great hall of democracy,"
What makes this event (and others like it) so groundbreaking is that these Hindu prayers to a divine power implicitly include polytheistic conceptions of god.
"Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has no datable beginning but some scholars put it around 3,000 BCE. It has no founder, no one authoritative figure, no one deity worshipped by all, and no single prophet or holy book."
So while it may seem innocuous to some, there is something inherently radical about a public prayer that welcomes such a broad variety of belief and worship. One hopes that we can only hear more prayers of this sort in the future.
Labels: Hinduism, Polytheism, prayer
4.18.2007
India and Hollywood
According to some recent press it seems that India is the next big thing for Hollywood, with several American production companies and directors making films about or in the subcontinent.
"While the Walt Disney Company is all set to shoot a historical in India by the year-end, Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanovic, of the Oscar-winning No Man's Land, has planned a visit later this year for his next film that will supposedly include Indian actors. Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, was filmed across colourful Rajasthan three months ago."
Also planned is a film starring Johnny Depp. The planned epic from Disney seems particularly ambitious since it aims to portray the entire history of the nation.
"Though representatives of Disney's mega-budget film are not ready to make a formal announcement, the film, which will present a panoramic journey of India from the Aryans to Independence, will be shot at Nitin Desai's picturesque Karjat studio."
It should be interesting to see how much religion ends up in these films. Much of the Indian-influenced entertainment that is seen by Americans glosses over Hinduism (or makes jokes concerning it), often sticking to the much more relate-able issues of class and familial struggles. But I can't imagine how Disney could make such a film without dealing with religion, a central part of life in India. Though it is important to note that the film will end with independence (most likely featuring a lot of Gandhi), and won't try to tackle the thornier political, social, and religious issues that have developed since then.
In any case, it should be interesting to see how this rash of films will be greeted in America. Will Disney encounter any flack from the Christian right over making an "un-Christian" film, and could this trend spark a new interest in all things Indian?
4.06.2007
Religious Disarmament
The issue of religious identity in India has always been complex. When the colonial powers entered India it didn't take long before "Christianization" tactics became common (most notably under British rule, where they manipulated education, conversions, and the caste system to effect "de-Indianization").
"It is my own belief that if our plans of education are followed up, there will not be a single idolater among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence." - Major B.D.Basu, "Rise of Christian Power in India"
The after-effects of these anti-Hindu policies would help foster a Hindu nationalist (or Hindutva "Hinduness") movement that sought to reverse the cultural damage done by Christian colonialism. After India won independence, political parties sympathetic to Hindutva like Bharatiya Janata Party slowly came to prominence thanks to polarizing events like the mis-use of social service funds by Christian groups for proslytization efforts, and governmental corruption and authoritarianism during the mid-1970s.
Once in power
Now Jesuit sociologist Rudolf C. Heredia, in a new book entitled "Changing Gods: Rethinking Conversion in India", is calling for a "religious disarmament" regarding conversions in India.
"In today's pluri-religious society, change of faith can precipitate religious antagonism - or it can facilitate social diversity and tolerance. While religious commitment is essentially a matter of personal conscience and choice, it inevitably impacts other levels of individual and social life ... Challenging the traditional orthodoxies which promote or oppose religious conversions, the author sees no religious merit in political posturing or conversion for socio-economic gain. Instead, to defuse tensions, he advocates rethinking religious conversion in India with a determined religious disarmament, discarding aggression."
In the book Heredia, who studies marginalized peoples in India, claims that conversion efforts by Christians in India often backfire and help fuel further violence and mistrust.
"In most cases, he says, conversion fails to alter their devotion to the pagan gods and goddesses but involves them instead in the 'politics of hate'."
Heredia seems to be calling for a withdrawal from typical conversion efforts and towards a new dialog based within mutual respect. That such a move is the only way to diffuse religious enmity and mistrust between Hindus and Christians. But it remains to be seen how successful such a effort can be when evangelical culture seems obsessed with pushing forward missions in India. So any religious cease-fire may be long in coming, or it may never come if some analysts are correct.
"Keeping in view the confrontational stand of the Hindu Nationalists and Christian management discussed above, the possibility of a resolution of the on going Hindu- Christian confrontation for the last 500 years is very remote."
This is an issue that modern Pagans should be kept aware of. Hinduism has long fascinated modern Pagans in the West (just look at the popularity of some Hindu deities and practices amongst some modern Pagan practitioners), and could be a natural ally in religious struggles both abroad and at home. The seeds of this have already been planted in legal cases involving Pagans were Hindu groups have filed amicus curiae in support, and amongst Pagan and Hindu commentators who have worked to foster closer relations between the two religious groupings. Some Wiccans have even headed to India in an effort to curb witchcraft slayings. A logical next step is to become more educated in Christian evangelistic efforts to places like India where pre-Christian tradition remains healthy and vital.
* While a center-left coalition has recently regained national power in India, Hindu nationalism is still a dominant force through many parts of India, and the BJP remains the dominant opposition party.
Labels: Christianity, conversions, Hinduism, India, Paganism
4.02.2007
Extremist Monotheism and Terror
Often ignored in the larger discussions of extremist Islam and its battles (both idealogical and physical) with the Western world is that the religious imperatives underlying those struggles aren't limited to "decadent" Westerners, but include any faith that could pose a challenge to their monotheism.
"Security surrounding the Dalai Lama has been tightened after reports of an attempt by the al-Qa'ida-linked terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba to assassinate the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader ... In a recent document, Osama bin Laden denounced "pagan Buddhism" as part of his general attack on anything not Islamic. The assassination threat picked up by Indian authorities is thought to be based on bin Laden's denunciation and the extremist jihadi movement's hatred for anything and anyone that is not Muslim."
Also on the Lashkar-e-Toiba ("The Army of the Pure") hit-list is Sonia Gandhi, current chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, a center-left coalition that recent gained control of the Indian government after years of rule by the more nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party. While an Islamic terror group in Pakistan-administered Kashmir wanting to kill Indian leaders is nothing new or unique, what is new is the focus on Buddhism and the Dalai Lama (who holds no political power in India).
But then radical Islam's hostility to Buddhism isn't entirely new either. The Taliban's destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan (an act condemned by Pakistan) drew international attention and condemnation (some claimed that Osama bin Laden was behind the effort). It all comes down to the fact that monotheism, when taken to its worst extremes, desires the destruction of any faith that challenges its singular "truth". While extremist forces within Islam may seem preoccupied with "the West", we should never forget that non-monotheistic faiths will always be on the hit-list of such madness.
Labels: Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Hinduism, India, Islam, monotheism, Paganism, Polytheism
3.04.2007
The Largest Mother Goddess Gathering
Today is the close of a 10-day annual festival in honor of Bhagavathi (the mother goddess of the Malayali Hindus). The Attukal Pongala is celebrated every year at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, and is the largest woman-only gathering in the world (around 1.5 million in 2006 and expected to grow this year).
Devotees offering pongala at the Attukal Bhagavathy
temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
Photo: S. Gopakumar
"A sea of women on Saturday made holy offerings of freshly cooked rice, coconut and jaggery to a Hindu deity in what the Guinness Book of World Records says is the largest gathering of women on earth. Millions of women devout prayed to Attukal Devi, the reigning deity of the Bhagawathy Temple here, to fulfill their wishes. "I have been coming for consecutive years and this is due to the blessings of Amma (Mother Goddess). I have also vowed to come here and offer prayers for the years to come," said Chippi, a Malayalam film actress."
The world "Pongala" means "to boil over" and aptly describes the tens of thousands of cooking pots offering up boiled rice and other delicacies to the goddess. The climax of the ritual on the ninth day is the ceremonial lighting of hearths for these offerings.
"At 10.45 a.m., the temple priests lit the ceremonial hearth in front of the temple amid chanting of devotional hymns, fireworks, Panchavadyam and chendamelam. This provided a signal for thousands of devotees right across the city to light up their hearths to prepare various kinds of naivedyam, the offering to the deity. Public address systems also relayed the cue to the pilgrims. A huge pall of smoke rose over the city."
The festival ends tonight after a statue of the goddess returns from a procession to the the Sree Dharma Sastha temple at Manacaud.
Labels: Attukal Pongala, Bhagavathi, goddess, Hinduism, India
1.23.2007
Paganism and American Pluralism
The India Forum has published an article by Jakob De Roover (a post-doc fellow at Ghent University) concerning the future of "pagans" from India (or NRIs Non-Resident Indians) within the context of American pluralism. De Roover points out that the American idea of pluralism (the affirmation and acceptance of diversity) is strongly rooted in Protestant Christianity and will not accept non-monotheistic "pagans" easily.
"...the American model of pluralism is unable to accommodate these pagan traditions. This is the case, because its structure has emerged from a co-existence of Protestant denominations. Maximally, the resulting model could encompass other variants of the religions of the book: Catholicism, Judaism and Islam. Incorporating the pagan traditions of India, however, will require a fundamental rethinking of American pluralism."
De Roover uses the California Hindu textbook controversy as an example of the problems facing the religious accommodation of Hindus in America, and shows how the American version of pluralism tries to make non-monotheistic religions reshape into a more recognizable Protestant form.
"The structure of American pluralism and the nature of the Hindu traditions give rise to two options. These options present themselves as routes that can be traveled by the NRI community in the coming years. On the one hand, the pagan traditions of India could renounce their true nature and transform themselves into variants of biblical religion. Then they will soon fit in as well in the American model of pluralism as the Jews and Muslims. On the other hand, these pagan traditions can remain true to their nature and explicitly represent themselves as completely different from the religions of the book. Then they will turn into a major challenge to American pluralism: the very structure of this model will require rethinking in order to accommodate the Hindu traditions."
According to the article, the route taken by prominent American Hindu groups is one of transformation in order to make themselves less "pagan" seeming.
"A limited number of foundations have been appointed (or have appointed themselves) as the representatives of the Hindu traditions in the U.S.: the Hindu American Foundation and the Vedic Foundation are most prominent. These foundations play according to the rules of the notions of church and religion that are intrinsic to American pluralism. They challenge the unfair portrayal of the Hindu traditions in the American educational system. But they do so in a manner which advances the transformation of these traditions into inferior variants of Christianity. They intend to present the true doctrines of Hinduism and do so by making it look respectable to American Protestants. That is, the many devatas are transformed into different ways of worshiping the one true God. Hinduism becomes a proper monotheistic faith. A variety of pagan Indian traditions are excluded because they are embarrassing to the sanitized biblical model of American pluralism."
This discussion is hugely important, not only for Hindus living in America, but for the variety of modern Pagan faiths and traditions. In fact this very discussion has been ongoing in our community in debates over Pagan participation in Unitarian-Universalism and other congregational models. Do we retain our essential "pagan-ness" or do we, over time, slowly mold into an more acceptable form so that we can reap the benefits of the more mainstream monotheistic faiths? If congregational models become the "mainstream" of modern Paganism, are they even "pagan" any longer?
Labels: Hinduism, India, Paganism, Pluralism, Unitarian-Universalism