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Anti-Gay Hindu Groups to U.S. |
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Compiled by GayToday
Bombay, India--Referring to a recent attempt by Hindu fundamentalists to incite anti-gay sentiments in India on the heels of a Sydney, Australia Mardi Gras Committee's usage of sacred Hindu symbols to advertise a Sleaze Ball, a gay activist correspondent in Bombay has filed an updated report with GayToday.
Anti-gay Hindu activists are known, he says, to have ties to U.S.-based Christian fundamentalists. The correspondent admits both he and other gay men and lesbians have been worried, following the extremists' erroneous interpretations of the Australian Sleaze Ball's blasphemous intents, of anti-gay repercussions in India, even though the Ball had transpired in far-away Sydney. "The Australian event has not led to much-feared mainstream mayhem," he writes, "though a group of saffron robed monks did march to the Australian Embassy in New Delhi and burnt effigies, shouted slogans etc.. "Meanwhile, the following gay-friendly letter is circulating via Indian gay cyber network that comments on the rise of neo-Hindu anti-gay right wing with agendas similar to Bible Bashers. "Thought this would make interesting reading to readers who seem fascinated by the Hare Krishna cult: Text of The Letter: Srivaishnava Sangam of Australia 19 Shelley Cres. Blacktown NSW 2148 02) 9679 8860 E-mail: ramisiva-@compuserve.com To the Hindu Organisations 9/11/1999
They do not even represent the world Vaishnava community as a whole but are a specific interest group! Now in order to get attention for themselves they are travelling around the world fomenting trouble and inciting the Hindu communities abroad. Since when does a schismatic faction of the Hare Krishnas speak for all Hindus? Since when did the Gaudiya Math and all its schismatic groups officially become Hindus? Prabhupada himself emphatically declared that his movement was not a "Hindu" sect -- in an article he wrote in the Science of Self-Realisation (1977) he makes his position quite clear:- "There is a misconception that the Krishna Consciousness Movement represents the Hindu religion ......... but actually we are not!" The Bhaktivedanta archives CD-Rom database yields 138 references to Hinduism made by Prabhupada most of which disavow any connection of Krishna Consciousness with Hinduism. All Gaudiya Vaishnavas have consistently maintained that they are not Hindus! In fact they claim that they have a monopoly on the Vedic literature (for them consisting of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad Gita)! And that only their followers will attain salvation! The only time they have ever aligned themselves with the mainstream Hindu communities is when there has been some political reason, such as the dispute over the Bhaktivedanta Manor in England or the confiscation of their temples in America, or to fight charges of them being a cult.
In fact it is Prabhupada that systematically demoted the Trinity
and the Maha-devas - Great Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism; Shiva, Ganesha,
Muruga, Durga, Kali et al -- calling them by the perjorative term "demi-gods"
which means half human-half divine ... not even according them the courtesy
status of fully divine beings! He even demoted Vishnu to a mere expansion of
Krishna!
The majority of Hindus are not Vaishnavas but are Saivites and Smartas! Daily the Gaudiya Vaishnavas recite in their temples the statement -- "to regard the name of Siva as equal to that of Krishna is an offence against the Holy Name"! The Gaudiya Math and all its schismatic groups have consistently attacked the Saivites and the mainstream orthodoxy referring to them insultingly as Mayavadis - "Illusionists" ridiculing and denouncing them as misguided and deluded. In an interview given with Bhavan's journal on June 28th 1976 he referred to Hinduism as a fictitious hodgepodge thing! (sic) which is the cause of India's problems. His spiritual progeny are now the self-declared universal defenders of this "fictitious hodgepodge thing". Defending any imagined or perceived offence to the divinity of the "demi-god" Ganesha (Gaynesha?!) by non-Hindu Gaudiya Vaishnavas is as outrageously ludicrous as Jehovah's Witnesses defending the veneration of the Virgin Mary! The Gaudiya Math's and its offshoot's insidious undermining of orthodox Hinduism is far more serious and objectionable as it comes from within, with spurious legitimacy, questionable reasoning and cunning. It is not the homosexual community that has declared war on Hinduism, but the Gaudiya Vaishnavas! The gay community used Hinduism as a serious theme for rejoicing - nothing more, no malice aforethought, no vengeful concerted attack as the WVA hysterically imagine! Simply innocent, but perhaps misguided humour - (Krishna being the greatest prankster the world has ever known - do we seriously think that he would be upset and offended by the Sleaze Ball when he wasn't even the main subject of the theme?!). I personally have viewed all the evidence and find nothing whatsoever that could be construed as offensive; a bit inappropriate perhaps, but certainly not offensive to Hinduism. In fact with Hinduism being the fastest growing religion in Australia we could not have had a better promotion than having our symbols used in a celebration attended by 13,500 people. Recently Hinduism has received some seriously bad press with the attacks on Christians in India culminating in the dreadful murder of an Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. This was the golden opportunity to reinstate ourselves, at least in the eyes of our fellow countrymen as the most inclusive and tolerant religious group in this country. And to reconfirm our hallowed reputation as peaceful, forgiving, friendly and compassionate people. But this golden opportunity has been snatched from us by a malicious group of fanatical, bigoted American lay-people of limited understanding, who have come to Australia to incite the local Hindu community to behave like radical fundamentalists. Is this what we need?
Sydney's Homosutra
To be associated in the Australian psyche in a category with the likes of Fred Nile, the Gun-owners lobby, Australians Against the Promotion of Homosexuality, One Nation and the Taliban-like Muslim fundamentalists? The World Vaishnava Association has sided with the American fundamentalist Christian Right--assimilating their entire program and agenda, substituting the name Krishna for Christ. Hinduism does not need self-styled watchdogs with a Christo-fascist Southern Baptist agenda of world evangelisation to 'Krishnianity'. The Gods as well as the 'demi-gods' do not need hypocrites masquerading as 'devotees' to defend them -- they are quite capable of defending themselves; if indeed they are cosmic realities! Krishna defeated hundreds of demons single handed without the help of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and even gave salvation to numerous demons, even unasked! He also displayed his ALL-INCLUSIVE cosmic form to Arjuna without the prompting of the World Vaishnava Association. The WVA is using the concept of "blasphemy" to evoke a community response. Blasphemy is a Judeo-Christian-Islamic construct, there is no concept of blasphemy in Hinduism. Hinduism is a pan-en-theistic faith -- believing that the Godhead is in everything, pervades everything and is at once immanent and transcendent, with divinity being everything -- sentient and insentient and everywhere how can one possibly offend It or blaspheme It.? The fundamental basis for incitement to protest is philosophically and theologically fictitious. This is the reason why the official Hindu position on any matter should be given by the learned clergy -- the monks, nuns and priests, not by mistakenly well-meaning but partially informed lay-persons! We, the Srivaishnava community, who are Hindus, believe that Sriman Narayana, the Godhead (being both male and female) grants their protection and Salvific Grace unasked to all beings, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, sectarian allegiance, colour or creed. All sentient beings are manifestations of the Supreme Godhead and should be treated as such -- Sriman Narayana was certainly attending the Sleaze ball -- as the inner Self of every individual that participated! He was there in the role of the instigators, the sponsors, the organisers and the participants; all 13,500 of them! The Godhead; Lakshmi and Narayana have amused themselves by themselves -- what is the problem? If the Lord can appear as a fish, turtle, pig or as a half man- half lion, or as a cosmic phallus (Lingam) as a cosmic vulva (Yoni) etc. why should "Gay-nesha" be offensive - are the WVA and their supporters suggesting that 'gay' humans are less worthy than fish, turtles, pigs and monkeys? Ganesha as the personification of Wisdom acts in mysterious ways, perhaps this was his way of manifesting the eternal truths of the Dharma to people who are victimised, suffering, ostracised and engrossed in materialism and who need these teachings more than anyone else!? How do we know how many people developed insight into their ontological condition, or were awakened to the spiritual dimension. Even if one single individual developed the intention to surrender to Ganesha, to pursue the path of enlightenment, to begin Dharma study and practice as a result of the Sleaze Ball it would be a resounding success! The essence of Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) is not found in paper-mach'e images or card-board cut-out temples, or painted icons, or bindis on foreheads; it is found in the hearts, minds and practice of its adherents. The external symbols, constructs and forms are irrelevant to the eternal Dharma--Dharma is practice of the teachings not paranoid concern, nurturing and protecting of flimsy, gaudy tinsel and trimmings. The "sacred" symbols are universal, not personal vehicles for conveying the teaching, but vehicles may be used, misused, abandoned or rejected -- the essential teaching of Sanatana Dharma remains forever inviolable in its practice. I humbly suggest that the WVA and all Hindus turn to the 12th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita and start a serious study of the 32 qualities of surrendered devotees which are enjoined upon us by Krishna (the 8th incarnation of the Supreme Godhead --Narayana) as being the culminating goal of Dharma practice; the first five being --absence of hostility to any being, sincere goodwill and compassion for all sentient beings, freedom from proprietorship and egoism - and they would better be employed in assimilating them and teaching them to others, rather than misrepresenting and attacking an Australian minority community with which most Hindus live in peaceful harmony, and having the audacity to claim to speak for a ancient, great, tolerant and venerable tradition of which they are not part! Sri Rama Ramanuja Acharya Mathadipati & Dharmakarta Sri Vaishnava Sangam Vice-president Australian Council of Hindu Clergy |
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