Tattva

When we look at history, we can see various instances of young people having made a difference. In our Puranas, Dhruva and Prahlad were two children who embodied the spirit of selflessness and bhakti (devotion). Maharaja Ranjit Singh ascended the throne at the tender age of 12 and ultimately established one of the greatest kingdoms in history. In the US itself, amongst other things, it was perhaps the youth power in various college campuses that helped in forcing the US government to withdraw from Vietnam in the 1970s.

While this is all well and good, of what relevance is all this today? In what way can a modern Hindu youth relate to these or any other instances that convey the impact that youth have? Do we have a role in preserving Hindu Dharma?

At a broad level, what we now know as Hindu Dharma is based on the Vedas which encompass an ocean of material and spiritual knowledge. Various Samskrit hymns give a glimpse of our philosophy: “Ekam sat viprah bahudaa vadanti” (Truth is one and sages call it by many names), “Sarve bhavantu sukhinah” (Let all be happy), and “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the whole world is one family). The essence of the Vedas has also been captured in The Bhagavad Gita and great epics like the Ramayan and Mahabharat.

How do we see the practical manifestations of this dharma? This is where yoga, rituals, marriage traditions, sanskars like namkaran (name giving), upanayan (thread ceremony), and many others come into play. Family values, seeing the divine in guests along with other such customs make up our Dharma.

As Hindus brought up in the US, most of us are exposed to poojas, wedding rituals, perhaps some daily prayer, and a whole host of different traditions. The level to which we imbibe and accept these things varies. Some Hindus can very easily take Indian food to school while others cannot. Some are comfortable explaining why many Hindus are vegetarian or why we seemingly “have so many gods.” Some wouldn’t mind questioning the teacher if he/she seems to be saying something incorrect about India. Some others may not feel the need to do so. The general impression amongst many people is that second generation Hindus are not as attached to traditional values.

What can Hindu Youth do?
Living in the United States, it is but natural for all to want to be a part of the American dream, i.e. to work hard, to be whatever you want to be, and to achieve material prosperity. Individual rights and freedom are highly valued. So, aren’t we thus torn between different ideals? To some extent, Hindu youth especially those raised primarily in the US may have some periods of doubt and uncertainty about their identity. Nonetheless, there are some real examples as well as many possibilities which Hindu youth can undertake to contribute to the progress of Dharma in society.

For one thing, when we see the multitude of Hindu organizations in the US, we often find that only a minority amongst them have youth leadership or at least some level of youth responsibility. This is perhaps one of the most important roles that youth can play in preserving Hindu Dharma. Now that we have a critical mass of second generation Hindus, it is time for more of us to step up to this challenge. Most of us have faced the challenge of growing up as a Hindu in America. Many of us may have been questioned as to why we worship so many gods. Some of us may have been made fun of as being “Appu” in the Simpsons.

Someone else may have asked why we are vegetarian or do not eat beef. Even today, not all Hindu parents are completely comfortable answering these questions. Thus, creating an environment where Hindu children and youth will be able to imbibe our values becomes important. After all, who better to relate to children and youth than older youth?

Need to come together:
I remember visiting a Swaminarayan temple where one of the Swamis was actually born and raised in the US. Someone else told me that after the weekly balvihar/youth gathering, some of the teenagers played basketball and some swamis would join them. I thought that was truly unique. In many Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh (HSS) chapters, the impact of dedicated youth can be seen wherein children try and imitate older youth more easily than they would imitate their own parents. In different colleges, we see various Hindu student activities which are all big steps forward in creating satsang. Adi Shankaracharya said:
“Satsangatve Nisangatvam Nissangatve Nirmohatvam Nirmohatve Nishalatattvam Nishachaltattve Jeevanmukthi”

Broadly translated, it means that satsang (loosely: “good gathering”) leads to non-attachment (nisangatvam), which then leads to the lack of any delusion, which then leads to firm understanding and ultimately liberation of the soul (jeevan mukthi). Thus to promote and preserve our Dharma, being part of and taking leadership in some form of satsang will ensure a firm base upon which future generations of Hindus can thrive. However great one may be individually, it is collectively that success is achieved. In fact, the British General Wellington who defeated Napoleon supposedly said, “The Battle of Waterloo was won on the fields of Eton.” In other words, in a symbolic sense, playing and growing up together created its own strength. A similar principle applies for Hindu society. People need role models, and youth and children can more easily relate to older youth as role models.

Making an impact:
How to increase awareness of Hindu values in the non-Hindu community is also a challenge that may be more easily undertaken by youth. There are so many opportunities to make our presence felt. While modern society has achieved tremendous technological advances, we also see ever increasing levels of stress in the society. Divorce rates and crime rates in the US far exceed those in most Asian countries. Global warming and other environmental problems are posing serious threats. People face health-related problems and stress due to a hectic, unbalanced lifestyle. We as Hindus can make a difference here.
Yoga has become a big phenomenon in the US as more people realize the pitfalls of eating too much refined sugars, red meat, etc. However, how many yoga schools recognize that yoga comes from the Bhagavad Gita , the Vedas, or Patanjali’s yoga sutras? How many realize that asanas are only one step in the overall process towards the ultimate peace of mind envisioned by yoga philosophy? Thus, we see the need for more Hindus to become trained yoga teachers. One of our senior Hindus in Delaware has taught yoga in prison. The same has been done in India by the renowned police officer Kiran Bedi.
Just recently some Hindus participated in the Times Square (New York City) Solstice festival organized by various yoga studios. “Save the Families Institute” in Atlanta deals with some of the problems faced by inner city African Americans. A couple of Hindu youth volunteered for a summer to better understand those issues and participate in some community programs. The key organizer of the institute specifically approached HSS as he felt Hindu society provides an ideal role model with regards to stable families and family values. So it is clear that we have seen some positive beginnings in bringing out values in Hindu Dharma which can be of benefit to all.

An area where Hindus have begun to make some impact is in increasing the awareness of Hindu human rights around the world. Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is composed primarily of second generation Hindus and their annual human rights report has raised the awareness about Hindu human rights not only in the general public, but also in the US Congress. HAF also played an important role in the efforts against the California State Board of Education leading to some changes in textbooks that had earlier portrayed Hindu Dharma in a negative light.

Many more opportunities beckon. Second generation Hindu priests, daycare centers, doctors, etc. can incorporate some alternative medicine and holistic therapies. People in the film industry can make inspiring movies. The opportunities for Hindu youth in America are endless. What has been presented is merely a glimpse of what could be and to some extent, what has been accomplished. Just like Rome was not built in a day, it is a long-term process to address all the challenges and opportunities which present itself to Hindu youth. However, let us all remember to practice Hindu values, learn more about our history and culture, and share these values with the larger society in whatever way we can, so that all our collective efforts will eventually lead to the realization of “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam.”

Balakrishna Sastry is an MBA student at University of California, Irvine. Between 2006-2007, he was a full time volunteer of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. You can contact him at balakrishna.sastry@gmail.com.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am and is filed under Editorials/Reflections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.