By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY (Feb. 16) -- Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism — sort of. Call it a Hindu-esque sampling of the flavor, images and style of a 6,000-year-old faith but with no actual theology involved. "This is how the culture manages everything," says Luis Gonzalez-Reimann, who teaches Southeast Asian studies and religious studies at the University of California-Berkeley. "Remember Dharma & Greg?" That 1997 sitcom featured a free-spirited gal, named Dharma by her hippie parents. Forget the Hindu idea of dharma as a way of living that leads to spiritual advancement. It just sounded flip. The latest sign of infatuation with the Hindu-esque is NBC's new Thursday night hit My Name Is Earl. It starts with a mangled take on the concept of karma as the low-life main character tries to reverse a lifetime of scamming and stealing by undoing a life list of misdeeds. That's a slick, quick notion of karma, rather than a true reflection of the Hindu idea of action and reaction as the "neutral, self-perpetuating law of the inner cosmos," says Hindu monk Sannyasin Arumugaswami, editor of Hinduism Today magazine. Then there's Alicia Keys warbling in her song Karma, "It's called karma, baby. And it goes around. What goes around comes around. What goes up must come down." But "that isn't karma," gripes Shoba Narayan, Hindu columnist for the spirituality website Belief.net. "That is Newton's Law of Physics." Watch for reincarnation Hindu-esque style if an Ashton Kutcher-produced sitcom lands on TV in the fall. For Pete's Sake is actually an interfaith goof: St. Peter plays bouncer at the Pearly Gates, sending five main characters off to rebirth instead of hell, garbling both Christian and Hindu theology. After all, there's no law that TV or movies must teach correct doctrine, says Dick Staub, a writer on faith and culture for Christianity Today online. Yoga, the 5,000-year-old Hindu physical and meditative discipline, is everywhere now. Yoga Journal says 31% of Americans who have tried it say they're seeking "spiritual development."But authentic Hindu yoga schooling is outnumbered by variations more focused on six-pack abs or non-denominational inner serenity. One entrepreneur hits every trend button with DVDs teaching Kabbalah Yoga, borrowing very loosely from Jewish mysticism. Celebrities long have had an affinity for mystical mishmash. Shirley MacLaine, joking about her many lives, is no longer news. Kutcher, who once sported a "Jesus Is My Homeboy" T-shirt, wed Demi Moore in a Kabbalah-esque ceremony before veering toward the Hindu-esque. And Britney Spears brought her 4-month-old son to be blessed at a Hindu temple in Malibu, Calif., last month. No one begrudges a blessing. "Hinduism is a complicated and beautiful religion but much more complicated to adopt as a lifestyle, particularly in our short-cut culture," says California author Mark Hawthorne, who writes about hidden Hindu elements in popular culture for Hinduism Today magazine. But believers object when riffs plunder serious spiritual teachings or venerable images. Hindu groups' complaints led to cutting Sanskrit chanting from an orgy scene in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut. The American Hindu Anti-Defamation Coalition protested a Chicago strip club that put Hindu deity masks on its dancers, fashion retailers who slapped god and goddess images on underwear and the soles of shoes, and the portrayal of Hare Krishnas as a gang forcing conversions in the video game Grand Theft Auto 2. It's not easy for Americans to recognize when a slight glance crosses over to an offensive slap. Americans' exposure to expressions of Hinduism largely is limited to travelogues of India, Bollywood song-and-dance movies and the Fox TV cartoon antics of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian Kwik-E-Mart clerk on The Simpsons. Hinduism, followed by 930 million people worldwide, 98% in India, actually is a 19th-century term for a spectrum of ancient teachings, just as Christianity covers denominations as varied as Catholics, Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses. As Christians are unified by the centrality of Christ, so Hindus, divided among thousands of sects and sub-sects, are unified by "one, all-pervasive supreme God, though he or she may be worshiped in many forms," says Suhag Shukla. Shukla is the author of a fact sheet on the faith for the Hindu American Foundation, a U.S.-based human rights group that defends and explains Hinduism for an estimated 2 million Hindus in the USA. The foundation finds mass media often present Hindus as polytheistic (not) and idol worshipers (not) and confuses religious teachings with controversial social practices such as providing a dowry. "The truth is one. The wise call it by many names," she says, quoting the Vedas, the 6,000-year-old texts that form the basis of the faith. So what else is new? Hollywood has been mocking Christian culture for years. Recent examples: • NBC's The Book of Daniel, starring a pill-popping Episcopal priest and his family of prolific sinners, already has flopped off the schedule. • An NBC press release says an upcoming Will & Grace episode would include a Christian cooking show called Cruci-fixin's. Two days after the Christian conservative American Family Association blasted NBC, the network said the release was mistaken and the script will contain no such thing. It could be argued that exposing the West to Hindu ideas and images — short of blasphemy — can't be all bad if it provokes further study. "Theology is understood by scriptwriters as an a la carte menu of ideas," says Staub. "Blenderism accepts the relativity of truth. There's no requirement to assert any one thing is right or wrong. Put it in the blender, and there you go." Never underestimate our ability to ignore theological distinctions, says Jana Riess, religion book review editor for Publishers Weekly and author of What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide. "Whatever we appropriate from Hinduism is fairly superficial, and television crystallizes this for dramatic effect," she says. "Hindu ideas evolved over thousands of lifetimes. We don't have the patience for this." 02-16-06 07:52 EST
This kind of 'spiritual consumerism' is definitely a trend in the west these days. I mean as regards 'non-denominational yoga' and stuff labelled in similar ways. 'Get enlightened in only ten minutes a day!' - that sort of thing. I think it's because of the general mentality that people have these days - on one hand, everything has to be packaged - made to look like another 'product', and also, it seems that the way information is now controlled by mass media has led to a very short attention span in many. In short, anything that demands any effort is too much trouble - unless it promises some immediate gratification, usually in material terms. The other aspect - ie the use of Hindu images by filmakers, strip clubs, tee-shirt designers and so on, comes from a simple exploitation of the 'romance of the east' I think. It's easier to appropriate an image from somewhere than to come up with something original, and there is a kind of appeal - a mystery - about India in the minds of many. There is also a mis-conception I think, in the minds of many that the Hindu gods are in some sense 'sex gods'. Clear enough that all that comes from ignorance - something I fear the media are eager to increase in people in general. Post-modernist philosophers have pointed out that these days, nothing really original is being done in art (films fall broadly into that category) and everything is really collage - a mix of whatever elements of past art etc can be cobbled together. In this process, 'nothing much is really sacred' - A good instance of this came to my attention some time ago when the work of an artist whose name escapes me at present was exhibited in London. One of the pieces, entitled 'Piss Christ' consisted of a figure of Jesus on the cross suspended in a bottle of the 'artist's' own urine. Basically, these are IMHO talentless morons who wouldn't know art if it hit them in the eye. They're just tring to be controversial to get attention. It all seems to cater to a sick culture peopled by individuals whose minds have been twisted. They are a million miles away from any real interest in Hinduism or any other spiritual path. Ah well - rant over for now
My Guru once said our eyes are not for Doordarshan (television), but for bhagavad darshan (divine vision).
Its all part of the kali yuga isnt it? The whole state of art and spirituality and their ties with consumerism these days. Mindless media. Blah. I guess I repeat what BBB sais as well. I could rant for a very long time here but I feel its best to just let these things slip by unnoticed. SB 12.2.2: In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power. SB 12.2.3: Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brāhmaṇa just by his wearing a thread. SB 12.2.4: A person's spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person's propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar. SB 12.2.5: A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has merely taken a bath. SB 12.2.6: A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation. SB 12.2.7: As the earth thus becomes crowded with a corrupt population, whoever among any of the social classes shows himself to be the strongest will gain political power. I've also read spiritual hypocrisy and mockery as sure signs of the kali yuga, as well as the use of words like freedom and peace yet they are never acted on. I am a citizen of the U.S.A., and I just recently graduated highschool. After all I've learned about Hinduism and other religions, I am sickened by what I've seen, especially in my fellow youth. What the media feeds these poor children, and how easily they suck it all down. Morals, spirituality, kindness, the ideas of peace and freedom, are all laughed at by these kids. This boggled my mind for a while, I just didn't understand how things could be this way. I guess its all a part of the ages though. It actually affected me quite negatively for a while as well. I just couldnt relate to any of my peers, and no matter how hard I tried I just ended up depressed and miserable. I do believe that this behaviour and what the media shows these kids, and the lack of true art or any aesthetics at all for that matter, and the lack of spirituality are the number one cause for depression, fear, anxiety etc. I dont understand what the powers that be are trying to achieve here...making everyone mindless slaves I guess. They stuff us full of ritalin and antidepressents, pretending that these things are somethign wrong with US, when it is really something wrong with TV, and the food we eat, and the terrible music we are supposed to listen to. Blah, I'm just glad I escaped it before it sucked me in. I wish I could speak clearly and in detail on the way I feel about the current state of things, but its just so abstract and messed up to me I cant even begin to sort it all out. Luckily I found religion, and a few REAL artists to form a band with.
i watch the comedy show "my name is earl" and like it and think its conceptualization of karma is appropriate... am i surprised some hindoos it presentation of karma? any two hindoos can rarely agree on anything as hindooism is an amalgamation of a hybridization process that keeps reinventing itself, the idea of saying what can and what can't be the hindoo process is as well a process of ill-definement
I don't think we should take the attitude 'oh, this is Kali Yuga, so there's nothing to be done'. Or think all we can do is seek some kind of escape from the world in general. There is actually some divergence of opinion as to the Kali Yuga. Sri Yukteswar, guru of Paramhansa Yogananda for instance says this is not Kali Yuga, Sri Chaitanya said that within Kali Yuga comes a 500 year golden age, and Sri Aurobindo saw the current conflicts etc as evidence of a kind of pressure on humans to evolve further in terms of consciousness. The so called 'leaders', whether they are politicians or media tycoons or religious fanatics are equally as ignorant as those whom they seek to manipulate and control. They certainly seem to be intent on creating a population which is wholly controlled and 'dumbed down' - last thing they want is people who can think for themselves. Better to keep them in fear whilst waging the latest 'war' on terror, drugs - it doesn't really matter as long as people are kept in fear, and the illusion is maintained that we are just not capable of looking after ourselves without 'big brother'. And religious fundamentalism serves the same end - it is meant to keep people stupid and in fear. However, I think there is hope. Things like mass media are really neither good nor bad in themselves - it is what use is made of them that makes it negative or positive. TV for instance could be used in positive ways. Rock music/Dance music etc can have a spiritual message, rather than the usual one of either sex or disaffection. The more the conflict escalates between Islam and the west, the more fundamental values will have to be called into question. As climate change takes hold, people will be forced to change. When the oil drips dry....... Or it's possible that the current global 'culture' will just collapse, leading to an age of chaos, but out of that, in the longer term the real human future here on earth may emerge.The 'kingdom of heaven'. Myself, I'd rather see things change harmoniously - but it may be that everything is too entrenched for that to be realistic. So all this could be the birth pangs of a new world. Either way, I think this next century is make or break time for mankind.
I do believe that there are plenty of signs that the so called kali yuga is taking place right now, but I definantly don't believe that means there is no hope for anything. For instance, I'm extremely thankful that I found Hinduism and other similar things, and I think just that fact proves not all is lost. There are plenty of individuals that know how to avoid the tricks of the media, or to use them to their advantage. And indeed there is a network of underground musicians still creating positive artful rock. There will always be some people, no matter how dark things look, that will bring life right back up again. Although that 500 year golden age does sound pretty appealing, it is best to just stay positive now and not wait around for the "right time" to be happy and spiritual. I also see where Aurobindo is coming from when he speaks of the pressure to consciously evolve. To bad we(U.S. and others Im sure) are forced to be a part of a society that refuses to grow up or make a positive change.
The beautiful thing about kali yuga is this: IN satya yuga, deep meditation, asceticism etc were the most effective sadhana. In threta and dwapar yuga this shifted towards elaborate rituals and extensive observance of dharma. In kali, none of that is required. Just chant the name of God, that is the sadhana for Kali Yuga. Further, although the external world may be in one yuga or the other, each individual has the power to bring any particular yuga within himself. To one of extremely sattvic mind, with deep powers of ocnentration and intellect, it is satya yuga, even in Kali. And to the philanderer in Satya yuga, it is still kali only. So why worry about the outside world. Forget that, it sucks you in and it sucks you dry. Look to create the satya yuga within yourself, bring about an inner reneissance, then see what wonderful things you can do to heal the world.
that's all and good but were in ascending dwapara yuga and not kali... just look around and see how everyone is loving each other
"But believers object when riffs plunder sErIous spiritual teachings or venerable images." - From the article at start of this thread In the seva foundation started by ram dass and others, that does compassionate action such as helping blind people, whenever somebody uses the word serious, they have to put on the serious glasses which are marx brothers glasses... the point is, taking it all so heavy is missing the point, a sense of cosmic humor is a service to all. People need to lighten up about religion! It is a fucking cosmic joke, all of it, everything is a cosmic joke... Religion is a series of punchlines designed to lighten up our chi, get us floating in the divine oneness and develop deep compassion with our cosmic giggle... not fucking getting all heavy and upset about fun people having fun with religion. It's about fun, leela. leela leela, the divine leela of the one consciousness that exists beyond time and space and in all of time and space I hope, and I pray that more and more people get the cosmic joke of religion and stop taking it soooo seriously. Ram Dass - "I see also how there is a certain cosmic giggle about the whole thing, but that's just so socially unacceptable - even to me." You see... it is ok, people just aren't ready for the cosmic giggle about the cosmic joke... so I guess people will take religion heavy, get all uptight about whatever, start wars over religion, crusades and what not... We're not ready for breatherianism either I suppose, because getting the cosmic joke is a beggining stages... I have no doubt that breatherians have a really fucking great sense of humor Whenever you have the chance, laugh as much as you can. By this all the rigid knots in your body will be loosened. But to laugh superficially is not enough; your whole being must be united in laughter, both inwardly and outwardly. Do you know how this is to be expressed? You literally shake with merriment from head to foot; so that it is impossible to tell which part of your body is most affected. I want you to laugh with your whole countenance, with your whole heart and with all the breath of your life. Anandamayi from Anandamayi--Her Life and Wisdom by Richard Lannoy Horray!
