– David Frawely
Dr. David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) discovered Hinduism in his quest for the truth at a spiritual level. He left behind the Catholic Church and formally embraced Vedic Dharma. His personal discovery, spanning over many long years, included a study of the deeper fundamentals of Hinduism and its allied branched – Yoga, Vedanta, Tantra, Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. He has written ten books and many articles on the communal debate in India and ancient Indian history which have inspired many Indians and Westerners to re-evaluate the negative perceptions of India and Hinduism projected by the biased media and academia. These selected extracts are from his autobiographical account, “How I became a Hindu – My Discovery of Vedic Dharma.” He is an inspiring role model for Westerners who and Hindu Americans. He is presently the Director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies (www.vedanet.com) can be reached at Vedicinst@aol.com
Hindu Dharma came to me over a long period of time, in many forms, through many people, as well as through a deeper consciousness. From leaving the Catholic Church to officially becoming a Hindu took a number of years. It was never a question of leaving one religion and looking for another one better, but of a quest for truth at a spiritual level. This at first made all outer religious formalities irrelevant but later showed me the importance of culture and community in sustaining one’s spiritual path.
Disturbed by media or textbook images of Hinduism or bewildered by its multifaceted nature, people ask me: “Can one access the deeper teachings of Hinduism, like Yoga and Vedanta, without having to go through the outer aspects of the religion as caste, ritual or temple worship? Does one need to formally become a Hindu to benefit from its spiritual teachings?”
One must cast off prevalent misconceptions about Hindu Dharma before being able to answer these questions. Hindu Dharma does not dwell in a mere formal social identity, but in following one’s own dharma. Its rituals reflect nature and are not artificial. Its deities symbolize different aspects of our higher Self and the cosmic mind. While one doesn’t have to officially become a Hindu before being able to use its teachings, one cannot access the deeper aspects of Hinduism without becoming something like a Hindu in one’s life and mentality.
One might also ask, “What would an American or a Westerner have to lose by becoming a Hindu?” You would have to give up exclusive beliefs that say that there is only one true God, prophet, saviour or scripture. You would have to become reconciled to your Pagan ancestors and respect their way of life. You would have to accept pluralism in religion. You would have to bring spirituality into your daily life through some form of prayer, chanting, study, contemplation or meditation. But you wouldn’t have to stop thinking, or cease to be open to the truth. You wouldn’t need to restrict yourself to any creed or dogma. Above all, you wouldn’t have to give yourself away in the process. You would need only to strive to understand yourself at a deeper and universal level.
Hinduism never seemed to be something foreign or alien to me, or inappropriate to my circumstances, living in the West. It is the very religion of nature and consciousness in the broadest sense, which makes it relevant to everyone.
For me, true religion and spirituality comes from nature. It arises from the ground. The soul in nature lives beneath the earth, in the soil, dwelling in the roots of plants and sustaining the vegetable kingdom. The fire at the centre of the Earth that upholds geological processes on the planet is a form of the Divine fire that dwells within our hearts.
The most important insights that have come to me usually occur while walking in nature, particularly hiking in the high mountains. In the wilderness, nature can enter into our consciousness and cleanse our minds of human-centred compulsions. I think that liberation is like wandering off into nature, climbing up a high mountain, and not coming back to the lowlands of human society.
Hinduism is a religion of the Earth. It honours the Earth as the Divine Mother and encourages us to honour her and help her develop her creative potentials. The deities of Hinduism permeate the world of nature. For example, Shiva is the God of the mountains, while Parvati is the mountain Goddess. Shiva dwells in high and steep rocky crags and cliff faces. Parvati rules over mountain streams, waterfalls, and mountain meadows with their many flowers.
Hiking in the mountain country, one can find natural Shiva lingas. Beneath high rocky peaks that take the form of a linga, a basin naturally forms as a mountain lake that becomes the yoni. In this way, Shiva and Parvati manifest everywhere in nature. They don’t belong to a single country or book only. It is not necessary to live in India to be a Hindu. In fact, one must live in harmony with the land where one is located, to be a true Hindu.
I see Hinduism as a religion eminently suited for all lands and for all people because it requires that we connect with the land and its creatures – that we align our individual self with the soul of all beings around us. Hinduism finds holy places everywhere, wherever there is a river, a mountain, a large rock, or big tree, wherever there is some unusual natural phenomenon be it a spring, a cave, or a geyser.
In this way, I can speak of American Hinduism and call myself an American and a Hindu – an American connected with the land and a Hindu connected with the spirit and soul of that land. Hinduism has helped me discover the forces of nature in which I live, their past and their future, their unique formations and their connections with the greater universe and the cosmic mind.
A real American Hinduism would not be a Hinduism scaled down to the needs of American commercialism, turned into a new fad or hype of Hollywood or Wall Street. It isn’t merely yoga postures for football players or for movie stars. It is an experience of one’s Self and true nature not only in the context of the American landscape but also as connected with the Earth, universe and the supreme consciousness.
Hinduism honours the Divine Self in all beings and helps us develop our individual potentials organically and in harmony with all of life. That is why it can never accept any final dogma or prescribe any stereotyped creed or practice for everyone. Its goal is to help us realize ourselves, through learning about the universe we live in that is a reflection of our deeper soul.
As time continues, this Hindu sense of the cosmic Self and world Soul will dawn on more and more people, regardless of their location or culture. It is simply the unfoldment of life itself and its deeper spirit. This will gradually transform humanity and bring us back into the fold of the universal religion beyond names and institutions. We will once more become caring citizens of the conscious universe instead of human-centred exploiters of the natural world as we are today.
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