A tradition that encourages complete devotion and worship of a human teacher is ripe for exploitation. I believe in gurus, but I also believe in always keeping your eyes open to make sure that you aren’t being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous one. [Hindu-blog.com has an excellent post on avoiding fake swamis] When we think we have found the answers, or found someone who has the answers, it can be easy to dismiss things we are uncomfortable with. I... Read more
The first question is: redemption from what? If you’re so stuck in a Christian mindset that you think people need to be saved from something (from some person thousands of years ago, who may have been mythological, eating a fruit?) then you’re unlikely to ever understand Hinduism. When a belief system is that different from your own, you really have to be able to step outside your understanding of how to world is structured or you’ll never be able to... Read more
Something I hear a lot from fellow religious people is this sentiment: I might think other religions are wrong, but at least I understand where other people of faith are coming from. Atheism is something completely alien. I can’t understand someone who doesn’t believe in any kind of God! I used to feel the same way. You can see bhakti in people of other religions. Often I can see how my conception of God overlaps with someone else’s concept of... Read more
It’s been a little while since I’ve spoken about our baby making efforts. We’ve been trying to conceive for ten months now. From everything you hear in health class or see on TV, you’d think making a baby is the easiest thing in the world (Hec, just look at most of the women in my family and you’ll get that idea too!). Look at a girl the wrong way and she gets pregnant! I knew it wasn’t that simple because... Read more
The last time a pair of Mormon missionaries knocked on my door (two years ago), I was not in the mood. I shortly told them that I had a religion already and I was very happy with it. They asked if I would tell them about it and I declined, suspecting that they were not going to be truly listening or learning anything about Hinduism. But last week two girls knocked on my door and I didn’t feel as forceful... Read more
The office where I work doesn’t have a lot of diversity mostly because it’s so tiny. There are about ten full time people and occasional contractors. I’m the only woman in this branch. The only person of color is a co-worker who is half Indian and half Irish. In a money-saving effort, I don’t usually go out to lunch with the guys, so I don’t get to have very meaningful conversations with them. A while back, though, I did decide... Read more
As Hindus, I think we have a unique call to help others. Unlike the religions of the west, the religions of “the book,” we believe that every living creature has God within it. Our true Self, our true nature as human beings is divine. We treat others as we would like to be treated because that “other” is us. Every other person on the planet struggling is us struggling. Because of the belief in reincarnation, that bad situation half a... Read more
It’s been three months since I pared my closet down to 33 items and put the rest away in the storage closet. That means it is time to take out all my clothes again and pick another 33 for the next three months. How I did I do? Well, I cheated a little bit. I did end up pulling a few things out of my storage closet for particular events. I also really discovered that I need to do laundry... Read more
We have our winners of my clay baby Krishna statues! I’ll be sending emails out to both of you to get your addresses. Thanks so much for everyone who participated and everyone who took a look at my store. It’s been a real joy so far getting to craft religious items. I love in particular making the crochet baby Krishna dolls, which smile up at me with such joy and serenity. Read more
Vasant Panchami, sometimes also called Basant Panchami, is a festival that welcomes the spring and it is also Saraswati’s birthday, so it is a time to celebrate learning and study plus an auspicious time to begin any academic pursuit. This year it falls on February 4th. The name means the fifth day of Spring. Long ago this festival was more focused on Kamadeva, the Hindu cupid. It still has a sense of love and is kind of like a Valentine’s day.... Read more
The White Hindu
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In