Name change conflict

[Divine Kala]

Thank you, everyone, for the advice. I think I shall stick with the name my mother has given me for now but if I ever decide to take the plunge (and I have fancied becoming a renunciate every now and then) I think I will have my mother choose the name. After all, she gave me the name I bear now and and I feel it is only right that she choose the name I will bear later in life.

My neighbours, who are Indian Hindus, say that a name change is not all that important, as well, but I worry for when I go on pilgrimage. I wish to be able enter temples and be taken as a genuine devotee, not some western tourist who only wants to go inside to gawk at the heathen idols! (I find that Christian/Muslim take on murtis offensive, btw, and will readily argue the point with people.)

[Adhvagat]

Divine Kala, this particular worry of how you're going to be viewed on a pilgrimage and whether or not you'll be let into temples reminded of this post of Believer:

My ramblings on a lazy Sunday morning.....

Many Western Hindus are more Hindu in their practices than the average Hindu in India. And many others latch on to some aspect of it by doing yoga or joining an asharam or taking up a guru who does not require them to forgo their current belief system. For the later kind, the deviation from their faith is only to improve their physical fitness or buying some peace of mind. The Indian temple priests have no way of differentiating between the two types. They are just trying to protect their sacred temples from becoming tourist attractions. I can understand that it would be frustrating and insulting for a 'real' Western devotee to be denied entry into a temple in India. But forcing your entry into one by claiming that 'Vedas are for everyone' is, in my judgement, not the answer. If one temple is not welcoming, move on to the next one. As in 'real life', we work around the problems we face. I cannot go around in my everyday life in the US, constantly beating the 'all men are created equal' drum, to get what I want. I work around the real and perceived problems to get as much as I can of what I want and be happy with that. Heck Hindus, who have been labeled by Islam and 'the Osama' as their sworn enemies, are not totally immune from suspicion. Even the female Indian ambassador had to go through the touchy-feeley groping by the TSA men, in full view of all. Why do people get so upset when they are merely denied entry into a temple. If your aim is to worship the Lord, why does it have to be in a specific temple? Just work around the issue instead of making a big 'stink' about it.

One incident that comes to mind is the ISKCON founder trying to visit the Jagannath temple in Puri in the company of his Western followers. The Western followers were denied entry and everyone was offended. After his disappearance, many of the 'converted' followers left ISKCON and went back to their original faith, proving that not every devotee who came with Prabhupad was sincere in his devotion to Vaishvanism. Another example is that after she married a 'parsi', Indira Gandhi was not allowed into that temple. In my earlier post about this story, one of the forum members objected claiming that even after marrying a 'parsi', she was still a Hindu and should have been allowed in. Cultural differences put people at a disadvantage in understanding things. In India, a woman follows the religion of her husband. By marrying a 'parsi', she ceased to be a Hindu. Her son in turn got himself an Italian Catholic bride, whose children follow Roman Catholicism. Hindu values had no consideration, no respect, no significance to these 'mallechas'. So why should they be allowed to visit the Jagannath temple - one of the most sacred Hindu temples? If the temple priests err on the side of caution, it is for a reason, not out of whim.

In the final analysis, all shades of Hindus have to come together and resolve the differences and issues facing them as a family. I know that being sidelined because of one's color is not the right thing to do, and I wish something could be worked out to be inclusive and to let the Western devotees have a darshan of His Lordship in every Indian temple. But the age old traditions would require some cataclysmic events to make them change. Until that happens, it is, what it is. No need to get mad. If the focus is on spiritual advancement; then not being able to visit a temple is just a pebble on the road, to be sidestepped in the course of your journey. If the pebble becomes 'THE' problem, then the journey itself is flawed!

In the thread he originally posted this, people were saying that it was an offense to not be let in into temples and what not. I consider what he said a valid view, specially for me, a person who doesn't consider a name changing ceremony so soon, perhaps not even in this life yet. However if I tan myself a bit and put some tilak I can disguise myself as an Indian devotee.

[Eastern Mind]

Thank you, everyone, for the advice. I think I shall stick with the name my mother has given me for now but if I ever decide to take the plunge (and I have fancied becoming a renunciate every now and then) I think I will have my mother choose the name. After all, she gave me the name I bear now and and I feel it is only right that she choose the name I will bear later in life.

My neighbours, who are Indian Hindus, say that a name change is not all that important, as well, but I worry for when I go on pilgrimage. I wish to be able enter temples and be taken as a genuine devotee, not some western tourist who only wants to go inside to gawk at the heathen idols! (I find that Christian/Muslim take on murtis offensive, btw, and will readily argue the point with people.)

Vannakkam DK: Very few temples are like that. I wouldn't worry about it. Certainly I know of none in the west. I think for that, you have to personally 'feel' like a Hindu, and then the other Hindus there can sense it. If you become a bit familiar with the customs it helps as well. A good example is the camera. I never carried one because I wasn't there to take pictures. What's a camera got to do with receiving darshan?

In the very strict temples, the policy is blatantly racist, not a non-Hindu one anyway, so no name change would even help.

Aum Namasivaya

[sarangi dasi]

I am feeling very conflicted within myself. On the one hand I understand that assuming a Hindu name and going through the namakrana ceremony will cement, for both me and others, my commitment to Hinduism as a religion, lifestyle and philosophy but on the other hand I have to admit that I really, really like my given name and respect it as a gift given to me by my mother at birth. She gave me this name, who am I to change it, regardless of religious leanings?

I honestly do not know what to do.

The Divine has infinite names. So what is the problem with you having two? One for your relationship with your family roots (and for legal/official purposes) and a spiritual name as well.

In any case every orthodox Hindu child has two names following birth, a public one and a secret astrological one. Then, later in life, they may have a spiritual name when they go through some initiation. Even then, some sects accept the idea that each of us has an eternal personal identity in the divine realms. And so it goes.

If you want to be "monogamous" about a name perhaps you need to reconsider whether you are ready to embrace the broader spirit of SD.