And
Indian saffron
Nothing better
characterizes the gulf between Hinduism and modernity than the guru, but gurus
have brought Hinduism to the West and given modern times a saffron tinge. Many
Hindu gurus are teachers and exponents of a spirituality they claim is relevant
to the modern world.
Tradition is everything
in India. How people bathe, eat, worship, marry, die are all dictated by
ancient customs that have evolved over the centuries and withstood numerous
invasions. These customs once ensured the smooth functioning of society. Today,
democracy and a liberalizing economy are straining the old order, and yet the
hallowed ways endure. In fact, the Hindu path to spiritual elevation through
meditation and seeking inner peace is popular both outside and inside India,
and the god men/women draw devotees from around the world.
Indian sacred system
has two parts. The first is Hinduism as a way of life, a religion without a
church, or a central text, syncretic in its orientation and invertebrate in its
organization. The second is the collection of god men who are singular as
individuals but impressive in their diversity.
The god men are masters
in organization theory. Their religious organization is Semitic. As
organizational geniuses, they combine the charisma of the leader, the
traditional modes of community around the Darshan and Satsang and the discourse
with the best management theory. The best run organizations in India like the
Sai ashram, Mata Amritanandamayi educational, media, social service
institutions; Rajneesh ashram campus or Swami Narayanan Sect can make TATA and
Infosys sound like management armatures. Their idea of corporate social
responsibility is superficial and ridiculous.
The concept of Arsha
Bharata Sanskruthi is highly philosophical and spiritual in its essential
existence. This concept was in practice during the Vedic and Puranic periods.
The idea of spiritual liberation and universal-self originated during that time
when the soul was free from material spirituality, which dominates the present
time. The Vedic personas were truly powerful sages who can control the power
with the help of Nature. The ancient Indian culture is the most precious and
rich culture ever existed in the history of humanity. We will underline it when
we go through the Vedic literature which comprises of the precious wisdom and
knowledge that prepares the base for all the modern sciences and inventions.
But, things have changed a lot. Americans and Europeans, the most stupid people
in the world, who can be easily cheated through some oriental rituals, are
attracted by the oriental and exotic tastes of believe systems, which they find
interesting and time passing. They are attracted by the exotic practices, such
as mantras, colors, rituals which are taboos for them and finally, the saffron
so called god men and women. Americans and Europeans are just like moths that
are attracted by the lantern in the night, for the modern Indian Saffron frauds
make use of them for their so called spiritual liberation and all these Whites
follow the paths of the modern Guru who peeps in to the White’s pocket.
There are several
things that make the god men phenomenon. It is anchored in all class searches
for meaning and faith as the class turns competitive and mobile. They provide
both the collective and individual messages and advices in anxious time. His
spiritual therapy, as Art of Living combines religion, psychoanalysis and good
career tactics in effective packages. The Indian god men see little
contradiction between science and religion and usually tech savvy. The ashrams
usually have the best IT technologies. Each god men control a community, a
constituency, a spiritual electorate which can be converted to secularly
purposes. But, the politics is more subtle. The elite is affiliated to a
variety of god men. Politicians, bureaucrats and corporate dons go to them for
advice. As those involved in risk, they seek solace.
God men/ women industry
in India is like a mafia, which has been responsible for creating separate
sect, fundamentalists, etc. It seems
that the most of the god men are the propagators of Hinduism. Certainly, Hinduism
has its pure spirit. It’s not good to have the agents like god men because we
don’t need any agents to access to the entity called or named god. But it’s sorry to make a statement here that
we find these god men/ women propagate Hindutva not Hinduism today. Recently in
an interview with Sri Sri Ravishankar, founder of Art of Living, in India which
he talks about Hinduism and Hindutva, “Hinduism is all accommodating and all
inclusive. Hindutva has political color to it. Hinduism is more religious and
spiritual. Organizations and political parties promote Hindutva….” we find god
men have political influences in hand so they have police in hand. It’s getting
clearer for us in the modern days that what these people are doing today is
just the business and politics of spirituality.
The great innovation in Hinduism in modern
times has been the assumption of a dominant position by the guru as god man,
but the institution of guru has always been an essential feature of Hinduism.
Certainly, we have to admit the fact that these gurus have brought about a
spiritual movement in the last one decade. It seems that these men and women
are scripting India’s second wave of Hinduism. In the first wave of 1990’s,
mobilized Hindus around Ayodhya. The second wave promises a life full of bliss.
It uses yoga, Ayurveda and sacred texts as the visible symbols to bring back
India’s golden Hindu past. It also uses power to universalize the Hindu
philosophy.
We are living in a
ready-made world where everything is available in the ready-made form packages.
The so called spiritual gurus are also accommodating the ready-made
spirituality. Foreign tourists have flocked to India seeking spiritual
awakening and an escape from their hectic lives in the west (watch the film eat pray and love). We find a common
characteristics among the followers of these gurus- they need instant
solutions, instant ‘miracles’, they need something ‘in front of them’. These
followers actually search for god, truth, peace and meaning, which they will
never find ever in their lives unless and until they realize that no one can
give them god, solutions and peace. They have find it out by themselves, that’s
the motive of our life and that’s the journey of life, the searching for
something which will never be found. It
is good to suggest them all the great Indian philosophy ‘tat twam asi’ (you,
the individual self, are the universal self). These gurus claim divine powers
and the ability to alter the natural course of events. Regular folk seek them
out for spiritual advice, healing and favors. The elites visit them,
politicians ask for support on the campaign trial. Bureaucrats drop by for
career advice.
Baba Ramdev, co-founder
of Divya Yoga Mandir Trust; Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living;
Morari Bapu of Ram Katha exponent; Mata Amritanandamayi, she owns a number of
institutions; the late Rajneesh, founder of Rajneesh Ashrum Campus; the late
Satya Sai Baba, founder of Sai Institutions and ashrams. It’s their business.
Though they say they will not enter politics they are the major figures who play
behind every politics. The spiritual congregations are often peppered with
subtle or not-so-subtle socio political messages. When one of his activists
recounted his narrow escape from Naxalite during a trip to conduct Art of
Living classes, Rvishankar, in a rare emotional moment, told the evening
Satsang at the Bangalore ashram,’ the naxalites and communists are the nations
and people’s enemies. The only way to defeat them is through the ballet.” Once
Ramdev took an apparent dig at the Bahujan Samaj Party, “one party treated
upper castes as touchable; the same party is courting them today because it
suits their politics.” Ramdev is the most notorious among those gurus. If you
go through the Indian newspapers of last few years, you will come across the controversies
made upon Ramdev. Whatever or whoever they are, they are just humans. Even
though they claim themselves as reincarnations, they are still humans. Almost
all of these gurus have come across a numerous controversies: The 1980s saw
Rajneesh facing criticism for supporting ultra-liberal views on sex and alleged
drug abuse at his ashram; the late Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi too has faced
allegations on sexual abuse and exposes on the alleged gimmicks behind his
miracle acts; Ramdev was also the hot topic for media on his ayurvedic powders
and the fact behind the human bones found in it.
This paper has no
intention to harm their reputation all around the world. It is also to be
stated that they are propagating humanism as well as universal love. They do
great social works that they have rehabilitation and educational institutions.
Summing up, no one can show you god and there is nothing inside the saffron and
white cloths. You can find solace inside you if you sit for a while and think.
Take your time and find your soul, it’s with you, but you fail to recognize it.
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