Namaste to each and every one here at this Cultural Center tonight in California. We invoke Lord Gaṇeśa’s blessings to guide us through our evening together. We are glad to see you all sitting on the floor on these beautiful carpets in the traditional way. You are obviously taking pride in bringing more and more of the great heritage of India to America. ¶Tonight we are going to discuss an issue that is essential to the future of Hinduism in America, I would even say in the world. It is a complex matter, but in brief it may be defined as the relationship of Hindus to Hindus, of Vaishṇavites to Śaivites, of northern traditions to southern. I call it Hindu solidarity, and I can assure you that there is no single more challenging or significant lesson that we as members of the world’s oldest religion have to learn. If we can achieve this, and we can, many of our problems will be solved, and Hinduism will take a new place of pride in North America. ¶Hindu solidarity is not a new idea. Mahatma Gandhi literally gave his life to religious unity. Of course, his greatest efforts were focused on the more serious conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, but he was a man for whom unity—but not uniformity—among Hindus was the rock upon which harmony between members of all religions must be based. To him this goal was considered a prerequisite for freedom and for prosperity. Gandhi took religious harmony so seriously that it became for him the fulfillment, the “ultimate triumph of Truth.” Of course, from the 1982 film shown in major cities around the world, you know that Gandhi faced many disappointments, many setbacks. Yet he never despaired. Though we, too, encounter obstacles in this effort, we must not lose heart, but carry on with courage and determination. ¶Gandhi did not force his will on others, but used humility, penance, prayer and purity to convey his ideals to others, to awaken in them the same love, the same tolerance, the same dependence on God. Gandhi followed Swami Vivekananda in impressing America with principles of tolerance, understanding, forbearance and nonviolence—all Hindu ideals. While Swami Vivekananda became known to relatively few here in the West, Gandhi captured the imagination and hearts of all Americans, if not the whole world. He is really a hero in this country, and our own freedom fighters, Martin Luther King and others, took their guidance from him. When he failed, Gandhi would say, “Let us ask for help from God, the All-Powerful, and tell Him that we, His tiny creatures, have failed to do what we ought to do. We hate one another. We distrust one another. We fly at one another’s throat, and we even become assassins. Let us ask Him to purge our hearts of all hatred in us. Let us ask God in all humility to give us sense, to give us wisdom.” ¶The people of America sincerely want the Hindu religion here. And all the Asian Hindus who have come to America, now numbering in the millions, also want the Hindu religion here. They are not all in agreement as to what it is; nor do they even understand the deeper tenets of Hinduism. But the general feeling among them is, “We want Hinduism here in America.” In a recent publication, I believe it was U.S. News and World Report, statistics were given showing that in American today one person in twenty-five is associated with Hinduism, yoga or meditation. Of course, we have millions of other Americans who are atheists, born without any religion at all. There are tens of millions who are Jews, Muslims and Buddhists. Buddhism is very popular in the United States, and Islam is the fastest growing religion. You can see that we are not really a Christian country. We are a mosaic of all races, all religions. The Founding Fathers of America arrived seeking a new world, a new hope, freedom from unenlightened European monarchies. They consciously did not create a Christian nation. Their freedom of religion policy was for all the religions of the world. Much of their symbolism and thinking was derived from the Masonic Lodge and the Deist movement of the times. ¶Thomas Jefferson himself said that the freedoms were to extend to the Hindus, the Muslims and others. He wrote in his autobiography, “[When] the [Virginia] bill for establishing religious freedom... was finally passed, a singular proposition proved that its protection of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the words Jesus Christ, so that it should read ‘a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion.’ The insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend within the mantle of its protection the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination.” §
Those who followed in the decades after the US Constitution was ratified were divided one from another because of language, religion and culture. They spoke different languages, followed many different customs and promoted many different religious beliefs. In spite of all this, they worked with and solved the problems. They set their differences aside through the separation of church and state and created friendships by not entering into discussions of church and state, business and politics. They solved the problems and decided not to talk much about religion and decided to work together for a new world, a new nation, a new democracy that the entire world is now beginning to emulate. This is because they came to the conclusion that they must be united to exist, and that working together was imperative for survival in the new world. And this is how the American people work together today. They don’t speak about religion or politics in corporations or businesses. ¶There are good lessons for Hindus in these historical happenings, for the founding fathers of this nation did not destroy their heritage. The Lutherans coming over here from Germany and Denmark did not forsake the traditions of the Lutheran religion; rather, they strengthened them. The Baptists strengthened their religion. The Methodists became strong. The Catholics from Ireland and Italy became very strong here. That’s what they did. What they did not do is just as important. They did not create a liberal Christianity in which everyone was expected to blend with other creeds for the sake of unity. They did not dismantle or dilute their religion. They did not compromise all their culture so they could “fit in.” Nor did the Buddhists, the Taoists, the Shintoists or the Confucianists seek to combine all the sects of their faiths into one. They did not do this. They did not take an axe to that tree. They did not chop away at its roots. They didn’t do that. They knew that individual ways of worship are important, that individual customs are important, important enough to preserve. ¶Many Hindus wrongly believe there is just one Christianity which all Christians support. This is simply not true. There are 33,500 sects within Christianity in this country alone, as published by the highly regarded Dr. David Bartlett. Imagine that! More than 33,500, each having its own separate identity, its own individual beliefs, creeds, doctrines and ways of worship. This is very important to remember. Of course, they are in the ninth and tenth generation now, and everyone speaks English. ¶Recently, while dedicating Flint’s Paśchimā Kāśī Śrī Viśvanātha Temple, Congressman Riley of the state of Michigan and I were on the same platform and he told the gathered crowd, “America is often called a melting pot. But that’s not exactly true. It is more of a mosaic, where everyone fits together and nurtures their own individuality.” Here we have the great cultures of many countries, and we appreciate all the cultures of every country and want the best of each culture from each country. ¶Now we come to Hindu solidarity. I call it “solidarity in diversity.” Solidarity in diversity is really a better term than unity in diversity, just like the mosaic is more accurate than the melting pot. In America we have Śaivite Hindus, Vaishṇava Hindus, Śākta Hindus, Smārta Hindus, liberal Hindus, agnostic Hindus and anti-Hindu Hindus, all working together for Hindu solidarity, a grand Hindu front competent to master and reform Hinduism today. ¶There are different theologies, different philosophies and different scriptures for each of the various Hindu sects. We do not have 33,500 divisions to deal with like the Christians, but we do have a few major ones. Some liberal Hindus would like to get rid of these, but there is no reason why in America and the other countries of the world the major Hindu sects cannot live in harmony. Many swāmīs join with me in this thinking, as do other Hindu leaders. They know that unity does not mean sameness. Sameness in religion is not healthy, not natural. Sameness is a most common, dull, uninspired and unenlightened solution, for it reduces that which is vital with differences, rich in philosophical interpretation and background, to a common denominator. Such a solution would be very harmful to Hinduism in the world, and many of us are firmly against that idea. Hinduism has always taken pride in its broadness. All of history proclaims this to be true. In this most advanced age of civilization shall we abandon that lofty view? Shall we take a sumptuous feast with its rich variety of curries and chutneys and dals and stir it all together into an unappealing stew? Certainly not. I certainly hope not. §
Hindu solidarity is not an original idea. It has become very popular in India itself. Whatever our background, we can and we must maintain our sectarian roots and heritage, cultivate our differences and become strong within them, as the Christians did. There exists a common bond between all Hindus. What is that bond? Number one, it is the belief in karma and dharma. The Śaivites and the Vaishṇavites, the Śāktas and the Smārtas all believe in karma and dharma. Number two is reincarnation. Number three is the all-pervasiveness of God and the sanctity of the Vedas. If we accept these three basic beliefs—along with tolerance for all the religions of the world coupled with the belief that all people, whatever their spiritual path, will one day attain to knowledge of God—then we can say, “Yes, we are Hindus.” ¶Though the branches of Hinduism are many and different, the roots are common to us all. We share so much, and we can never forget this. Sharing a common heritage, we can then, with confidence, follow our own path. If that path is liberal Hindu, fine. If that path is Śaivite Hindu, Vaishṇava Hindu or Śākta Hindu, fine. Let each follow his own path. Let each perfect himself and purify himself within the context of his individual way. We must know and get the strength from the heritage of our roots. That is a real strength; that is a genuine Hindu solidarity. It is not strength for us all to call out for others to be exactly as we are. A tree has one trunk, one root system, but for survival its branches must reach in many directions. The different directions are not a weakness in the tree. In fact, its very life depends on this diversity. The very life of Hinduism has always depended on a similar diversity. That is why I say it is not uniformity or sameness that we seek together. It is solidarity, the strength which comes from appreciating and cultivating our differences, not denying them or trying to restrain or even destroy them altogether. ¶It is a strange fact that there are temples today that enshrine three Supreme Gods within them—Śiva, Vishṇu and Śakti. This never used to happen, because people were secure and firm in their beliefs. Imagine, three Supreme Gods in one temple. Who can understand such a thing? This is a new phenomenon. It is not Āgamic. It is not traditional. It is like having three prima donnas on one stage, and the only result will be confusion, strife and unhappiness. What are the children going to think about this? As they are growing up, they will say, “When you make up your mind, Mom and Dad, who is Supreme God, let us know. In the meantime, we are going to live, have fun and be Americans. Hey, when you decide, let us know.” ¶First we need to know, deep inside ourselves, who is the Supreme God. Is He Śiva? Is He Vishṇu, Kṛishṇa, or is She Durgā? Having made that determination, we can gather like-minded people together to design and build a temple to our Supreme God. There is no power in a temple to more than one Supreme God, no power at all. Better not to build such a place, which will just be a social hall. That is not religion. That is opportunistic compromise. That is politics trying to run religion. Rather, build a temple to Śiva and worship there with your whole heart. Build a temple to Vishṇu and worship there with your whole heart. Build a temple to Śakti and worship there with your whole heart. But don’t compromise, don’t confuse yourselves and your children by trying to please everyone in every temple. Let there be good, strong temples to Śiva and good strong temples to Kṛishṇa and to Vishṇu and to Śakti. Each devotee can then worship God or Goddess properly, with full commitment and devotion. §
There have been civilizations that have become ashamed of and then abandoned their religion and their temples because of Christian and Communist propaganda. Where is the Greek religion today? Their temples are mere monuments. Where is the Native American religion today, with all of its mysticism? And where is the religion of the Native Hawaiian people today? They practiced a profound religion that was in many respects very similar to Hinduism. They worshiped Lord Gaṇeśa, and called Him God Lono. They worshiped Lord Subramaṇya and they called Him God Ku, who is our Kumāra. Their Goddess Pele was Pārvatī, whom they feared. Their Supreme God, our Lord Śiva, was called God Kane, represented by a single upright sacred stone, much like our liṅga. ¶Then, about a hundred and fifty years ago, Christians came in force to Hawaii. They set about to convert all of the “pagan” Hawaiians. They set up printing presses and schools. They convinced the queens and kings to close the temple doors, which they did. What followed is a sad history of decline and fall. The 1,500-year-old Polynesian culture dwindled and died. Intermarriage began. Today, 200 years later, the language, the culture, the religion, the worship and the race are nearly gone. Of the 500,000 Hawaiians that Captain Cook encountered in 1772, only about 500 are left today. There are virtually no pure Hawaiians anymore, all because the temple doors were closed. Such is the vulturism that the Christians, in their commercial, colonial, imperial expansion, perpetuated on the Hawaiian people. We live in Hawaii. We know all of this. ¶We do not want Hinduism in mainland America to suffer that fate, and so we urge all of you to protect yourselves from the forces that may try to demean and destroy our Hindu temples. By protecting the temples, we protect the religion. Proceed with confidence. With a united will, a solidarity, a Hindu front, we are a loving fortress unto ourselves. ¶You are all to be commended for your efforts to open the temple doors in this community. I ask each and every one of you to bring your heritage, the best you understand it, all of it, here to the United States of America. Don’t try to create a new religion here, a Neo-Indian religion. The one you have is perfectly fine, the best in the world. Those of you who have been educated in Christian schools, your minds have been turned against Hinduism at a young age by the clever teachers in the school, and thoughts have gone into the subconscious mind that are there militating against your bringing up temples and bringing the culture here, thinking it may be not quite right to do. Release those thoughts from the subconscious mind and realize that we are all in a country that grants us religious freedom through its constitution. It is our privilege and duty to claim that religious freedom, to enforce that religious freedom, to implement it and not be shy about our faith. This is not a shy country. ¶I visited the Hindu temple in Flint, Michigan, a few days ago. Someone had written in the sand in front of the temple, “Jesus Saves.” I inquired, “How long has that been there?” They said a few days. I asked, “Why didn’t you take your foot and rub that out? No one has the right to come on this property and write such things in front of a Hindu temple.” Everyone was too shy. We need strength, not shyness when these kinds of things happen. We rubbed it out. ¶How do we show that strength? We have to go to the Christian ministers in that community and tell them politely but firmly that their children are desecrating our temple and demand that this stop. We have to ask them to talk to their congregations, to explain Hinduism to their congregations and tell them that we are not putting up with this sort of nonsense and harassment. If one of the children of the Hindu community went to the Baptist church and wrote “Hare Kṛishṇa” or “Śiva Śiva” on the sand in front of the church, you would hear about it from the Baptists. They would come right over here saying, “I would like to talk to the spiritual leader of this organization about a very important subject.” Then you would have to tell your children not to antagonize the Christians or desecrate their property. ¶We also have to question our children as to any and all badgering by Christians in their school. This taunting in public schools violates the First Amendment of our Constitution, which guarantees the right to religious freedom. Such abuse should not be allowed in the schoolyard, in the halls, before or after class, in the cafeteria or in the bathrooms. When a child threatens another child, saying his soul will perish or burn forever in Hell, is that not a serious crime? After all, the soul is more important than the body, and if it’s a crime to threaten to harm someone’s body, should it also not be considered a crime to threaten harm to another’s soul, a crime which starts with the priest or minister’s speaking out hatred and bigotry from behind his pulpit? ¶These are called hate crimes, and more laws are being passed to prevent them. But until the laws are clear, parents should know that complaint is a great power. Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Jains and Buddhists are rising up in one voice and speaking with parents, parish priests, ministers, school teachers, principals and boards of education to give children release from the religious taunting and badgering which they have to put up with day in and day out. How is it possible to study and receive a good education under such unhealthy, antagonistic conditions? We cannot let fear paralyze us. Go to the Christians and state your case. Proceed with confidence. You will prevail. §
What is our strength? One Supreme God and many Gods. First we have to decide who is the Supreme God. Are you a member of the Śaivite Hindu religion? The Vaishṇavite Hindu religion? The Śākta Hindu religion? The Smārta Hindu religion? Having made that decision, you will have hope and peace of mind. You will have solace when you need it, and something to pass on to your children. Knowledge is strength. Commitment is strength. Knowing where you stand and what you are, that is strength. Worshiping many Gods is our way, but they are not all the Supreme God. They are His helpers, His creations. There is only one Supreme God, though we call Him by various names. The many Gods, the Mahādevas, will help us. They are specialists created by God. ¶Hinduism today is a religion of today and tomorrow. It is not just a religion of history books and yesterday. Our religion gives us strength today. It is a religion which worships one Supreme God, with vast scriptures that prescribe the worship and illumine our minds with knowledge about the one Supreme God. Never forget this. Never forsake your Vedic Hindu Dharma, but fulfill it, and you will be rewarded, generation after generation after generation. ¶There is a movement from within Hinduism itself which poses yet another threat to our religion, a threat to all the sects. I call it “liberal Hinduism.” Liberal Hinduism is a “Chellappa stew,” a confused mixture of many things thrown into a one bowl. This movement was started by your forefathers, and it has to be corrected by us through being good Śaivites in this life. ¶What does liberal Hinduism teach? It teaches that it is not necessary to go to the temple, that yoga is not necessary, that all religions are one, that we need not listen to the swāmīs, and that sectarianism is wrong. What the followers of liberal Hinduism don’t seem to realize is that if they destroy the temples, the sects and the swāmīs, they will be destroying Hinduism itself. ¶Liberal Hindus hold an idea that all religions are one. They must not have studied the various religions, or they would have to conclude, as we did in America after years of comparative research, that all religions are not one, not at all alike. I was told that all religions are fundamentally one when I was young, and I believed it until I found out years later that it is a lie. All religions are good insofar as they teach devotion and good conduct, but they are not one. The Christians know that their religion is totally different from Hinduism. They live under no illusions, because they know that the very foundations of Śaivism—namely, karma, reincarnation, yoga, God’s existence in all things and the soul’s ultimate merger in God—these beliefs are not their beliefs. Did you know that for a Christian to believe in any of these things is heresy? Absolute heresy. There is very little beyond a belief in a Supreme God and some good moral laws that is common to nearly all religions, but there are many, many differences. ¶As Śaivites, we love everyone. We appreciate and encourage all religious paths. That is our way. But that does not mean that we should abandon our beliefs and practices to embrace Islam or Buddhism. That does not mean that we should put Jesus on the altar in our shrine room, which is exactly what the liberal Hindus do. I was at a Śaivite institution the other day and was shocked to find that Jesus, Kṛishṇa and Buddha were there together on the altar in the prayer room. There was no image of Gaṇeśa or Murugan or Śiva, yet they called themselves Śaivites. I asked what it meant. They explained, “We believe in all religions, Swāmī.” They were worshiping every God except their own! That complacent syncretism is the result of faulty, liberal Hindu thinking. ¶The Christians don’t have Lord Gaṇeśa presiding over Sunday services. Of course not. It would be unthinkable. For Śaivites to put Jesus or Mary on the altar is an invitation to every Christian missionary to enter your home, to enter the minds of your children. It is the first sign of the breaking of your faith. That is certainly how the Christians take it. They will see you as a prime target, and they will say among themselves, “It won’t be long now.” §
Liberal Hindus preach against sectarianism—against Śaivism, Vaishṇavism, Śāktism and orthodox Smārtism. They teach that sectarianism is some kind of antiquated evil, an unenlightened view of life, a thing of the past. They are absolutely wrong. Sectarianism is the strength of religion. If you ask a liberal Hindu what he is, he will tell you, “I am everything. I am a Christian. I am a Jew. I am a Buddhist.” Of course, the Christians know full well that he is not a Christian. The Jews are certain that he is not Jewish, and the Buddhists will tell you that he does not follow the Buddha’s path. In the West they think he sounds stupid. ¶The liberal Hindus are out to destroy sectarianism, to break down Śaivism, Vaishṇavism and Śāktism—all in the name of modernization or to unite the people for some political reason. The same thing is happening in America, where liberal Hindus are trying to coax everyone away from their sect into a one group so they can have more political power in their lobbying in Washington. It is a sad thing that people go right along with this line of thinking, giving up thousands of years of beautiful tradition for no reason at all. It is totally insidious. So, here we have the Christian forces working against Hinduism, the Muslim forces working against Hinduism, the atheistic forces working against Hinduism and now, worst of all, the liberal Hindu forces working against Hinduism, which is worse because they are working from within the religion itself. ¶What is the solution? We have to define the boundaries of each sect in order to protect and preserve this most ancient of all the world’s religions. We have to realize that the liberal Hindus are just creating another sect, and we must refuse to join their modern sect. We want nothing to do with those who call for the end of sectarianism. Those who abandon Śaivism to embrace this liberal Hindu path will later take the next natural step and give up Hinduism altogether, calling themselves nothing, or calling themselves everything, which amounts to the same thing. ¶To understand how liberal Hinduism fits in, it is helpful to use the Western terms orthodox, reform and liberal, because this is a problem that all of the great religions have had to face. Śaivism is the orthodox and original form of the Sanātana Dharma, the eternal path. Vaishṇavism and Śāktism are the reform sects which developed later but retained most of the ancient patterns of practice and belief. Liberal Hinduism is the liberal branch which postulates a form of the religion which is entirely unorthodox and diverges from the path set down by our Gods, by our scriptures, by our ṛishis and other holy men. ¶The Tamil people should take a lesson from the fate of the Jewish religion. The liberal Jewish movement is bringing about the end of the race, which means the end of the religion. It is doing this through its modernistic concepts, through its sweeping compromise of the duties and disciplines set down for Jews to follow, through its disregard for Jewish ethics, values and practices. We have to take heed. It is happening in India and in Sri Lanka, too. ¶What is not well understood here is that in America traditional, sectarian religious people and groups are respected, provided they are firm in their convictions and are really leading a religious life and not harming others. It is human to respect strength and conviction. Śaivites who are firm and proud of their religion will be respected wherever they go throughout the world. But people do not respect those who don’t know what they believe or those who will say they believe one thing in order to get something, in order to fit in, or for whatever reason, while in their heart they believe something entirely different. Liberal groups do not receive the same respect. They are not looked up to but are ignored and then absorbed back into society. ¶The American Śaivites want the true Śaiva Samayam, not a watered-down, intellectual concoction created by a few discontented Hindus in order to get along with Western scholars. People are becoming more educated, more enlightened, and they realize that the orthodox Śaiva Dharma is far more profound and rewarding to their soul. They love and want to worship Lord Śiva. They love Lord Gaṇeśa and go to Lord Murugan for help. What is the solution? We have to preserve scripture and temple worship. §
We approach the temple in a much different way, a humble way. We believe that the Deity lives in the temple, that He comes from the inner worlds, hovers over the stone image in His golden body of light and, as the priest invokes Him, blesses those present. Everyone is elated. Everyone feels His holy presence, and an advanced soul may even see Him there. So, we approach the Deity with a pure mind. We approach Him in trepidation. We want to look our best, for when He takes over the stone image in the sanctum and sends forth His rays of blessing, we don’t want to look disrespectful in His eyes. We therefore prepare the body and the mind before going to the temple. We get our aura looking just right. The aura is the sum of vibrations that emanate out around the body. The colors of the aura are dark or light depending on the nature of our thoughts and emotions. We prepare our aura by chanting mantras, hymns and prayers. We prepare our body by bathing and dressing simply and properly, not in the sexy way that young girls are dressing nowadays. Then we go to the temple, and the Deity actually comes on the inner planes and blesses us, listens to our prayers, clears our minds and calms our emotions. ¶We take that holy vibration home, back into the community, where we respect our elders and they guide us wisely. Then culture flourishes, because culture has its source right there in the temple. When culture is flooding out of the temple, our actions are productive and our minds are creative, our speech is pure, our hearts rejoice and we become good citizens. Religion makes us good citizens, because we are peaceful inside and want peace in our land. Peace comes first from the individual. It is unrealistic to expect peace from our neighbors unless we are peaceful first, unless we make ourselves peaceful through right living, right worship and right religious culture in the home. ¶How can we destroy all of this? It’s simple. Stop going to the temple. Culture will begin to go. Refinement and love will begin to go. Arguments will be heard in the homes. Divorces will fill the courts. Stress and mental illness will become the common experience—all because we stopped that one, great, mystical practice—temple worship. ¶The temple is the great psychiatrist of the Hindu religion. When we forget that, we suffer the consequences of our neglect, personally and as a nation. The temple has mystical powers that surpass the greatest psychiatrists on the planet. Our priesthoods have the tools to invoke and perpetuate this power. The temple can not only analyze your problem, it can give absolution. You can leave the temple wondering what it was that was bothering you on the way to seek the help of the Deity—so complete is the power of the temple. ¶We are proud to say that we worship God and the Gods. We object to the liberal Hindu propaganda which denies the existence of our Gods and installs its limited knowledge in their place. We object to the notion that all religions are one, and we believe that for us Śaivism is the greatest religion on the Earth and has no equal. I think that Śaivite leaders should rise up against liberal Hinduism and remove it from the minds of the children and the general population. It is a cancer for which there is no miraculous cure, so it has to be surgically removed to preserve Śaivism. That is the only solution available. ¶Well, you can see that our religion is faced with a lot of serious problems. Yet, there are good, sensible solutions if we, the united Śaivites of the world, all pitch in and work together and have a little selfless sacrifice to offer. I feel the spirit coming up among Lord Śiva’s devotees. But it is not enough. More has to be done. We need religious leaders to come forward from among the gṛihastha community, tens of thousands of men and women who have something to offer, who can serve and teach the Śaiva Dharma. We need Śaivite schools of a fine caliber to be built and managed by devout Śaivites. We need all of you to spread the religion to the next generation, many of whom are not receiving proper religious training. We need field workers and teachers and missionaries to serve Lord Śiva in His work. This is necessary in the technological age, necessary in order that Śaivism will be the religion of the future, not of the past. §