Conditions in the world today are certainly troubling, with wars between countries, wars within countries, plus a serious threat of international terrorist acts. The shocking attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, naturally heightened everyone's concern about these problems. One of the immediate consequences of 9/11 was the television coverage depicting people in a number of countries who do not much like, some even strongly hate, the United States, even to the point of wishing violence upon it. Watching these startling reports on television, we were again reminded of the extent and seriousness of the problem of prejudice in the world today.
Attitudes of prejudice toward those who are of a different race, nation or religion can start simply as distrust, which can then deepen into dislike and deepen further into hatred, which can turn into an instinctive desire to inflict injury. Are we born with such attitudes? Certainly not. As children, we are taught them at home, at school and, especially sadly, even in some religious institutions.
Many people have been raised to hate those of different ethnic groups, faiths or countries. The solution, though admittedly a long-term one, is that we need, in the century ahead, to teach all children tolerance, openness to different ways of life, different beliefs, different customs of dress and language. We need to stop teaching them to fear those who are different from themselves, stop teaching them hatred for peoples of other colors and other religions, stop teaching them to see the world as a field of conflict, and instead instill in them an informed appreciation and a joyous reverence for the grand diversity we find around us. Instead of teaching children to be intolerant and to dislike and distrust, hate and inflict injury on those who are different, we can teach them to be tolerant, to like and trust, befriend and help. Of course, the central place to convey such a crucial message to the next generation is in the home. Secondarily, it can be strengthened in classes at the temple and school and through special community activities.
My guru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, stressed in many of his talks and writings that it is in the home that we can enduringly change the world for the better. It is the qualities we cultivate in our children that create the world of the future. Therefore, the most effective long-term solution to the violence in our modern world is to give more thought to what our children are learning as they grow up. In this regard, every father and mother is indeed a guru, in fact, a child's first guru, teaching by example, explanation, giving advice and direction.
The quality we wish parents to develop in the child is a prejudice-free consciousness, an open-mindedness that readily embraces differences in ethnic background, religion and nationality. What specific actions are effective in raising children to be tolerant rather than hateful? As we previously mentioned, we are not born with prejudices. They are all learned at home, at school and elsewhere. This gives us a good insight into how to nurture a prejudice-free consciousness, which is by carefully monitoring expressions of prejudice that children hear at home, school and elsewhere.
Most importantly, tolerance is nurtured through teaching children to appreciate the positive qualities of others, and by completely avoiding remarks in the home that are prejudiced against race, religion or nationality. It is also essential to discuss with our children any prejudice they hear from others at school and elsewhere and correct it. We, meaning we of all nations and cultures, can teach children to avoid generalizations about people and, instead, to think about specific individuals and the qualities they have.
Even positive generalizations should be avoided, as they encourage us not to look at the qualities of individuals. TV and movies can provide useful situations to discuss with your children, not leaving the conclusions to their youthful minds. Tolerance can be developed by having our children meet, interact and learn to feel comfortable with children of other ethnicities and religious backgrounds. Hindu organizations can be proactive in this regard and arrange such broadening activities for the children of their members to participate in.
There are a few key Hindu beliefs that are the basis for Hindu tolerance. The first belief is on the nature of God. Hinduism has a wide diversity of traditions, but followers of the different traditions respect one another and worship side-by-side in many temples. Hinduism has four major denominations. To Saivites the Supreme is Siva. Saktas refer to the Supreme as Sakti, Smartas call the Supreme Being Brahman, and to Vaishnavas He is Vishnu. However, the important point is that each Hindu is worshiping the same Supreme Being. The name is different, the tradition is different, but it is the same Supreme Being that is being worshiped by all Hindus. An ancient verse from the Rig Veda (1.164.46) is often quoted in this regard: "Ekam sat viprah bahuda vadanti," "Truth is one; sages express it variously."
This statement from the Rig Veda can be expanded beyond Hinduism to include all the world religions. In fact, a Tamil verse often chanted in Siva temples states, "Tennadudaiya Sivane Potti, Enattavarkum Iraiva Potti." This translates as: "He who is praised as Siva in the South of India is praised everywhere else as God." What this means, of course, is that people around the world worship the Supreme Being, and Siva is one of the many names of the Supreme Being. Gurudeva's statement in this regard is "Saivites profoundly know that God Siva is the same Supreme Being in whom peoples of all faiths find solace, peace and liberation."
Hindus also believe that there is no exclusive path, no one way for all. Religious beliefs are manifold and different. Hindus, understanding the strength of this diversity, wholeheartedly respect and encourage all who believe in God and do not seek to interfere with anyone's faith or practice. Since the inner intent of all religions is to bind man back to God, Hindus honor the fact that "Truth is one, paths are many." Nonetheless, Hindus realize that all religions are not the same. Each has its unique beliefs, practices, goals and paths of attainment, and the doctrines of one often conflict with those of another. Even this should never be cause for religious tension or intolerance.
Another Hindu belief that gives rise to tolerance of differences in race and nationality is that all of mankind is essentially good, that we are all divine beings, souls created by God. Hindus do not accept the concept that some individuals are evil and others are good. The Upanishads tell us that each soul is emanated from God, as a spark from a fire, then begins a spiritual journey, which eventually leads back to God. All human beings are on this journey, whether they realize it or not. So when a Hindu sees a person whom others call bad or evil, he thinks to himself, "This is a young soul, acting in terrible ways, but one day, in the course of many lives, he will realize his errors and adhere to dharma." The Hindu practice of greeting one another with namaskara, worshiping God within the other person, is a way this philosophical truth is practiced on a daily basis. The Upanishads assure us that "Ayam atma Brahma," "The soul is God."
This is taken one step further in the Vedic verse "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam," "The whole world is one family." Everyone is family oriented. Most of what we do is for the purpose of benefiting the members of our family. We want them to be happy, successful and religiously fulfilled. And when family is defined to be the whole world, it is clear that we wish everyone in the world to be happy, successful and religiously fulfilled. The Vedic affirmation that captures this sentiment is "Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu," "May all people be happy." **
Gurudeva often emphasized the relationship of one's beliefs, attitudes and actions. He stated: "Every belief creates certain attitudes. Our attitudes govern all of our actions. Belief in karma, reincarnation and the existence of an all-pervasive Divinity throughout the universe creates an attitude of reverence, benevolence and compassion for all beings. The natural consequence of this belief is ahimsa, nonhurtfulness."
In the second half of the twentieth century, Hindu concepts became more and more popular and influential in the West. Every year more Westerners take up the belief in karma and reincarnation as a logical explanation of what they observe in life. One of the most visible uses of Hindu values in the West in the 20th century was by Dr. Martin Luther King. After many years of thought, Dr. King selected the Hindu principle of ahimsa, as exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi';s tactic of nonviolent resistance, to overcome the unjust laws of racial discrimination in the US. In 1959 Dr. King spent five weeks in India discussing with Gandhi's followers the Mahatma's philosophy and techniques of nonviolence to deepen his understanding before putting them into use.
By the way, a line from Dr. King's famous "I have a Dream" speech beautifully states the ideal of avoiding ethnic generalizations and instead seeing each individual for the person he or she is: "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Perhaps in the 21st century the world can again turn to Hindu values, choosing this time the value of tolerance, raising children with a prejudice-free consciousness as a way of creating a future for this planet that is free from war and terrorism. And such tolerance should not be mere passive acceptance of those who are different, an aloof tolerating, but rather a heartfelt empathy and proactive effort to befriend and help.
In conclusion, each time you find yourself saying or even thinking a generalization, either positive or negative, about people based on their ethnicity, religion or nationality, correct yourself and restate your thought taking into account the actual qualities and character of specific individuals. Help your children do the same. By impressing the mind regularly in this way, over time our attitudes toward others will move closer and closer to the ideal of a prejudice-free consciousness. Tolerant individuals help communities function with less friction and misunderstanding and thus help make the world a more peaceful place.
