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I found Indian culture by way of studying Sanskrit. I was homeless, I spent too much time in libraries, and I needed a hobby. So I put my nose into the "Teach Y
by Eleison23 4y ago
I found Indian culture by way of studying Sanskrit. I was homeless, I spent too much time in libraries, and I needed a hobby. So I put my nose into the "Teach Yourself" series and after learning enough to be dangerous, I dug into volumes of the Vedas, Panchatantra, and Panini. After some brief contact with ISKCON I reaffirmed my Catholic faith, but my fascination and respect for Hinduism and Indian history hasn't waned. I simply built on that by studying the St. Thomas Christians, the history of Goa and the Malabar Coast, and all the factions of "Malankara Church".
I have found a basic Sanskrit vocabulary to be useful, in terms of knowing what people's names or titles mean, or understanding what Buddhists are talking about. And it was even striking to me when identifying similarities with other Indo-European languages. And for me, India has a unique mix of exotic foreign-ness and British-Empire familiarity that I am inexorably attracted to it.
This is an important book. Being colonised and oppressed by the British can lead to the literal rewriting of history and the forgetting of a nation's past. So, kudos... I mean, namaste, to historians who put together research like this!
- tintedfireglass 4y agoISKCON is a wierd cult. It has a completely different interpretation of hindu texts, has completely different customs and principles and feels like a completely different religion to me as a hindu. Not sure why ISKCON caught on in the west so much!
- newusertoday 4y agocan you elaborate a bit what do you mean by completely different interpretation? any examples you can quote if possible would be helpful.
- tintedfireglass 4y agoIt's just my anecdotal experience. Hinduism is a decentralized and diverse religion so my Hinduism might be different from my neighbour's Hinduism. The temples we pray in, the festivals we celebrate etc. are all different. My observation of ISKCON is that they are very conservative and sexist in their beliefs and more North Indian in their customs compared to other hindu organizations like the Rama Krishna Math for example. As a South Indian when I go to an ISCKON I feel like I'm in a building of a different religion. I personally feel that the ISCKON's interpretation of the Gita is kinda casteist and sexist and feels like "upholding the status quo". Note : this is anecdotal and my opinion and I will try to get some snippets on iskcons interpretations of the Gita if I find it.
- fellellor 4y agoHinduism has no official interpretation. ISKCON is some typical Bhakti movement organisation. Not everyone‘s cup of tea.
- fellellor 4y agoThe Goan Christian experience under the Portuguese is not free from the horror that is typical to stories about colonialism. In any case you are a true scholar. Most people don’t accomplish this much even when they have resources at hand.