( These selected excerpts are from the well-known book by the same name (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, second ed. 1989). The author, Viswanathan, presents many fundamentals of Hinduism through a lively, imagined dialogue between a 14-year old Indian American and his father. The book, though written at a time when a global renaissance in Hinduism still seemed a distant dream and the Hindu mind lacked clarity on issues concerning Semitic faiths, exudes great confidence about the Hindu identity.
Many Indian Americans today continue to search for satisfactory answers to these questions. Such questioning deserves to be encouraged and we hope Hindu parents will derive inspiration from this dialogue and provide accurate answers to the younger generation. – Ed.)
SON: OK. What am I, a Hindu ?
DADDY: Of course, you are. We follow Hinduism, so we are called Hindus, like the people who follow Christianity are called Christians…
SON: Daddy, before I proceed further, I want to warn you, I am a teenager born in U.S.A., so some of my questions may sound aggressive. I hope you won’t get offended.
DADDY: Son, you can ask me any question you want. Just think of yourself as a district attorney, interrogating me on the witness stand. Trust me, none of your questions will offend me. I will answer all your questions as directly as possible.
SON: Honestly, can Hinduism stand grilling questions?
DADDY: Hinduism has no problem facing any type of questions… Believe it or not, Hinduism recharges itself with modern science… psychology, parapsychology, modern astronomy, the new physics and genetics enrich Hinduism.
Father: The Eleventh
Commandment: Thou shalt not think.
SON: Daddy, what attracts you to Hinduism ?
DADDY: Utmost freedom of thought… that is what attracts me to Hinduism. Where else can you see Krishna, Buddha (who questions the authority of the Vedas), Adi Sankara (who revolutionized the thinking in Hinduism), Charvaka (who originated a materialistic philosophy)… If Sankara and Buddha would have born in some other faith, they would have been burnt alive… Look at what happened to Socrates and William Tyndale (who wrote the first English version of the Bible). Both of them were executed for their Free Thinking. Look what happened to Sufi saints when they proclaimed they are God, in tune with the mantra Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman). They were beheaded. So in Hinduism, you can argue on any subject and you don’t have to accept anything until you are fully convinced about the truth behind it. Again, Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas… Ideas are unwritten laws of the universe… They are open to all who are in the relentless pursuit of truth.
SON: What makes Hinduism really great ?
DADDY: Hinduism is a great banyan tree. On its sakas (limbs) one can see the religious principles of all the great religions of the world… in Hinduism one can find a religion, tailor-made for each of us, whatever be our way of thinking, or way of living. Hinduism recognizes the fact that people are on different levels. Matters do not apply or appeal to all persons in the same manner… That is the reason why, Hinduism which is filled with hundreds of ideas will appeal to everyone.
SON: What makes Hinduism really great ?
SON: Do the laws of Hinduism change from time to time?
DADDY: It used to be like that. The great Rishis who guided Hinduism from one age to another made all changes as per the need of the time.
SON: So, does Hinduism allow the introduction of new laws ?
DADDY: It allows not only the introduction of new laws but also the production of new scriptures. Right now Hindu society has grown very big and unfortunately, most Hindus only know the mythological stories and a few lines from the Bhagavad Gita.
SON: Do Hindus believe in the words ‘sin’ and ‘sinner’?
DADDY: Except in mythology, in no other Hindu scriptures are there any references to sin. Hinduism very scientifically deals with sin, explaining the law of Karma, of cause and effect. All the parables in mythology explain how to deal with sins in a very positive manner. When the child puts his hand in fire, he gets burnt. His action here is due to ignorance of the power of fire, the child did not commit a sin… Hinduism looks at all actions in the manner of the example quoted above. We all sin or do bad Karmas due to ignorance. Ignorance is the root cause of all evils. Knowledge eradicates ignorance. That is the way the idea of sin is explained in Hinduism. Christianity has stressed sin and fear of God and Hell. Hinduism, as I said before, stands against the doctrine of sin… So, to the Hindu who believes in the truth, ‘Salvation is for all’ the words ‘sin’ and ‘sinner’ do not mean much at all.
SON: Does Hinduism believe in the existence of the ‘Devil’?
DADDY: According to Hinduism, a devil is an Illusion or Maya… Hinduism recognizes the Satanic force as the effect of Maya (Illusion) and Maya is caused by Ignorance… Hinduism does not regard the devil as the personification of a dangerous being, but only as a negative force standing against the spiritual upliftment of man.
SON: Daddy, what is wrong with Hinduism today ?
DADDY: There is nothing wrong with Hinduism at all. Some people misunderstand the essence of Hinduism and that creates problems and misery among people…
Karma and Fate are the two most misused words among the Hindus…
Doing wrong actions and then bringing in scriptures to support them is another mistake some do.
Some among the younger generation of Hindus look at Hinduism as a taboo only to be touched when they hit 60. They perceive Hinduism as being full of dogmas without even reading one line from the Vedas and the Upanishads.
Some mix up mythology, Vedic and Upanishadic teachings. That creates unnecessary arguments about scriptures. Arguing on mythological stories is the most stupid act of all.
SON: Daddy, whenever people talk about Hinduism, they bring up ‘holy cow’, ‘untouchables’, ‘many gods’ etc. and they conclude that Hinduism is a stupid religion. Are they right ?
DADDY: They are right in much the same way as concluding that New York means “Harlem and Time Square.” Those ugly, downtrodden places are parts of New York city, but we all know that they do not represent the real New York. Broadway, Museums, art galleries and thousands of multicoloured citizens make New York.
The Advaita philosophy, Bhagavad Gita, Raja Yoga, Pranayama, Mantras etc. are the pillars of Hinduism. Anyone who does NOT want to discuss them is only searching for dirt and they are getting dirt, barrels and barrels of it.
Most critics look at Hinduism with a preconceived notion and a coloured vision. By doing so, they are actually degrading themselves…
