To Use or Not To Use: The Question for Hindu Images and The West

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suhag-a-shukla-esq/

UNITED STATES, (by Suhag A. Shukla) : The N-word -- it's not a sacred image, but it is an example of how the acceptability of a word, whether in common usage, the media or commercial contexts, depends entirely on who's saying it and why. As most Americans have agreed, the N-word's usage is not okay for Caucasians, at times accepted between African Americans, and yet debates continue amongst African Americans over its acceptability. Today it is primarily African Americans, the affected group, who get to set those rules.

 

One would assume then that a similar understanding would be afforded vis a vis Western appropriations of Hindu imagery -- allowing Hindus to set the rules as to what is and isn't okay. After all, there has certainly been intense emotion and eventually deference accorded to imagery associated with the Quran and the Prophet Muhammed. In stark contrast, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) heard a shrill, yet typical accusation of "Hypocrisy!" emerging from corners of academia and media when FOX News carried HAF's reaction to a Newsweek cover depicting President Obama in the likeness of the Hindu God, Nataraja. The cover featured Obama with multiple arms, balancing several policy issues while raising his left leg mimicking the cosmic dance of the Hindu Deity that is considered a manifestation of Lord Shiva.

 

One need only take a quick stroll through the aisles of an Indian grocery store to find Lakshmi brand flour, Ganesh brand rice or Saraswati brand camphor (all brands named after Hindu Gods). These are but a few examples of the infinite commercial invocations of sacred images seen throughout the Indian, majority Hindu context. Why then should Hindu Americans be upset by the Newsweek cover?

 

The answer is simple -- it matters who is using the image, and even more importantly, why. For decades, we've watched Hinduism's sacred images plastered on advertising, packaging and billboards on an ever-increasing variety of consumer products throughout India. Indeed, not every Indian or Hindu use is done with a nod to the sacred, but one will often sense an inside understanding -- even reverence -- in its use. Manufacturing companies in the Hindu world also use images of Hindu Deities to invoke God's blessings for the success of their endeavor, or it may be that the business is a family business with a family name that has religious connotations.

Hindu Yamas : Ancient Resolutions for a New Year

Monday, January 10, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

(Photo : HAF Staff Directors - Sheetal Shah: Director of Development, Suhag Shukla: MD and Legal Counsel; Ishani Chowdhury: Director of Public Policy)

USA (by Suhag Shukla) : Working out more, getting organized, losing those last ten pounds ... these are amongst the top ten promises that millions around the world, including me, have made this weekend and likely break before the end of the month. Hoping to arrive on something less short-lived, something not so self-centered, something greater than me, I'm hoping this year to better illumine my path with age-old Hindu wisdom. They were inculcated in me long ago, but those echoes of the past suddenly seem more relevant. May the spiritual guidance of sages, swamis and gurus inspire my interactions with all those whose paths cross mine, not only to the end of this year, but through lifetimes. For all you yogis out there -- my list of resolutions may just be the same as yours -- they are, of course, the five eternal yamas:

Ahimsa -- Non-harming. I'm a peace-loving vegetarian. I eat local, at least in the summers, and I recycle. It's a start, though I could probably lighten my footprint on Mother Earth even more. But what about being non-harming in my thoughts and words? Can I recognize and respect the Divine in that road-raged driver? Or how about the rude cashier? Ahimsa asks us to be non-harmful in all that floats through our minds and that comes out of our mouths (or out of our keyboards). To this end, I welcome the path of all-around non-hurting.

Satya -- Truthfulness. As a stand-alone value, the truth can hurt -- really hurt. So how can one communicate truthfully but also with courtesy and compassion? One of my favorite swamis from Chinmaya Mission Trinidad shared during a talk, "God gave you two ears and one mouth, so listen more and speak less." Following Swamiji's advice will hopefully enable me to foster more genuine and loving relationships.

Asteya -- Asteya literally is non-stealing, but that's rather simplistic and perhaps too easy for most of us who are law-abiding members of civil society. So in my quest to dig deeper, I need to apply more expansively, what it means to not take that which is not given. To this end, the first thing that comes to my mind is letting go of expectations. These expectations unknowingly, and quickly, transform to a sense of entitlement -- even of something as abstract as compliments. Here on, my motto has to be, "Do more. Expect less."

Brahmacharya -- Brahmacharya as one of the traditional Hindu stages of life is a phase in which a youth (~ages 14-20) dedicates his or her full efforts to gaining both secular and spiritual knowledge. While traditionally this age is a prescription for study, discipline and strict celibacy, brahmacharya in a broader context means self-control or self-restraint in our dealings with the many distractions of our daily lives, be they physical, emotional or mental. Learning the art of not letting thoughts control my ability to be present through mindfulness and meditation has to be a top priority.

Aparigraha -- Abstention from greed, or in more modern terms, letting go of the need for "stuff" -- this is so relevant to our age. I have to admit that I actually have my credit card number memorized because of online shopping. I know you can relate to that. I choose to follow the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, a fellow Hindu and Gujarati who said, "I live simply so that others may simply live."

Wishing you an inspired New Year