Gautam Buddha is indeed a Hindu

[Sherab]

Interesting. Well, I agree that in previous lifetimes people may have been born in India etc. However, what is the reason they went 'away'?

And look, my statements are based on the experience I have had with many westerners. As stated before, there may be several examples of great Hindu devotees from the West. I am just saying it is REALLY hard to find them!

Ia gree 100%. In fact, Himalayan Academy suggests one becomes hindu, and culturally hindu as well.

I agree with this.

TTA, maybe you could help culture me, besides proper pointing, not accepting things with the left hand, not talking in between doorways, and the anjali mudra.

Stuff like music, dress, etc.

I'm willing to learn all of this, and you seem quite proud of your heritage - one that will be MINE also.

Namaste

PS. Imo, if anyone is a good hindu, they will also behave as a hindu.

[Eastern Mind]

TTA: Thank you for the long and lengthy post. You have earned my respect by your clarity.

But I still need to clarify some of my points, I see.

I never said you were a racist. What I said was that some of these ideas come across as racist. There's a difference. Not really knowing you, I would give you the benefit of the doubt. I'm sorry it came across as such.

1) I understand how the subconscious mind from early programming doesn't leave. I am still fond of rural settings. I didn't drop that because there's nothing adharmic to it. I did drop a whole lot of other stuff though, like meat eating.

2) I have many of the same feelings of westerners as you do. I don't appreciate the total lack of culture, the ridiculous misconceptions of India and Hinduism, nor the clear lack of the yoga practitioners of even an acknowledgment to Hinduism. Basically, they plagiarise. Himalayan Academy ('westerners') published a book called Yoga's Forgotten Foundations on the subject.

I still think you may jump to conclusions about all westerners, overgeneralising as it were. But that's a natural process as well. It falls into Lord Ganesha's name 'Lord of Categories". The mind simply does not have room to put each person we meet into a file by itself, so we naturally lump them together. At my temple,I am the main landscaper volunteer. Most of the Indians who come who don't know me or have seen me in veshti natuarally jump to the conclusion that I am a temple employee, and ask how much I charge to do landscaping, hoping to hire me for their backyard. When I point to the temple and say, "I'm His helper only," they are taken aback and go into an overly apologetic thing that is quite humourous to me.

Aum Namasivaya

[Spiritualseeker]

Tat I must say I see you as a very narrowed minded person. Well your ego that is. Your true being is nothing like that. You are a soul with a body not a body with a soul, but you forgot that and thats okay because we all have forgotten that. It seems like this false identity (the ego) of yours is causing you to project stereotypes and basically from my point of view i see it as racist. I see nothing wrong with a white man or a black man as a hindu priest or a yogi. What is the difference? If one has transmission from reliable teachers then why not accept him or her? But it seems you have been blinded, but then again its just my opinion.

The reason why this upsets me is its because western religion is very dry in most cases. So us westerners go out and seeking Eastern religion. Why? Because mostly eastern religion is not dualistic. It is telling us that we can experience the truths here and now and not in some far away future or some far away heavenly realm. But then on our journey we meet a hindu man who says: "Your not a true hindu white boy" or "I cannot take you serious because of your skin color". This is utter ignorance. This is the type of foolishness during the time of the buddha when he accepted an untouchable and others objected.

Makes me also wonder if i made a mistake signing up for kriya yoga lessons from SRF. Afterall I wont ever be "hindu" enough for you.

-juan

[TatTvamAsi]

Tat I must say I see you as a very narrowed minded person. Well your ego that is. Your true being is nothing like that.

Juan you have really understood Hinduism! Congratulations!

[TatTvamAsi]

The best way to learn Hindu (Indian) culture is to live among Hindus.

As Nithyananda stated in some video, if you're young enough, and you seem to be, take some time off and live in India for a few months and absorb Hinduism as opposed to reading about it on the internet in your cozy bedroom.

There is nothing I can "teach" you. I am not a guru. I am striving to learn the way of living where every action "I" take is NOT for myself but for the Self (as a conduit to that Supreme Principle). This "detached immersion" is the real test in Hindu dharma and boy is it difficult.

Namaskar.

Ia gree 100%. In fact, Himalayan Academy suggests one becomes hindu, and culturally hindu as well.

I agree with this.

TTA, maybe you could help culture me, besides proper pointing, not accepting things with the left hand, not talking in between doorways, and the anjali mudra.

Stuff like music, dress, etc.

I'm willing to learn all of this, and you seem quite proud of your heritage - one that will be MINE also.

Namaste

PS. Imo, if anyone is a good hindu, they will also behave as a hindu.

[satay]

Admin Note

Namaste,
This thread has gone off topic.