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Hindu Response to Western Intellectual
Challenges
December 9, 2014 by admin

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By Vamadeva Shastri (David Frawley)

For the closing plenary session of the World Hindu Congress Nov. 23, 2014.

The congress included seven conferences covering media, educational, women, youth, economic, political
and organizational events. Nearly two thousand people from over fifty countries attended this historic
event, including important religious, political and educational leaders. It was the largest conference of its
type in recent decades.

Hindu Dharma has a vast intellectual tradition covering all aspects of life and culture. Hindu Dharma is not
limited to a theology or dogma but embraces all levels of thought and has among the worlds most
comprehensive and profound philosophical systems. Every aspect of art, literature, science and social
thought has also come under its purview. Hindu Dharmas vast intellectual traditions are worthy of study
by every one.

Hindu Dharma contains the largest set of teachings of any spiritual, cultural or religious tradition in the
world, going back to the earliest historical period. These are enshrined in the Vedas, Upanishads,
Mahabharata, Puranas, Yoga Shastras, Dharma Shastras and many other texts and traditions extending to
Ayurveda, Jyotisha and Vastu.

Hindus have had a profound intellectual response to all cultures they have contacted throughout history,
both taking in what is positive from other cultures and rejecting what is negative.

There have been a number of intellectual challenges to Hindu Dharma from the West over the past few
centuries. Many of these have been misinformed or intentionally aimed at cultural dominance or religious
conversion, following largely colonial, missionary and Marxist biases. Others reflect the different
worldviews and cultural values of Hindu Dharma and western civilization that can make dialogue difficult.

There has been a strong and comprehensive Hindu response to these western intellectual challenges that
has been increasing in recent years. Hindus have created a large body of teachings countering these
challenges that covers all aspects of spirituality, philosophy, science, religion and social issues. However,
this Hindu intellectual response has not been properly studied or promoted even among Hindu groups
and organizations.

Great Hindu Intellectuals

There are many great Hindu intellectuals throughout history, extending into modern times. Swami
Vivekananda, Swami Rama Tirtha, Swami Dayananda of the Arya Samaj, Sri Aurobindo and many others
prior to Indias independence presented extensive studies and critiques of western civilization, both
relative to its positive benefits and its negative qualities. While they have generally affirmed the value of
western science and humanism, they have rejected the materialism and religious exclusivism dominant in
western culture, and the idea of its cultural superiority. When once asked about what he thought about
western civilization, Gandhiji said, It would be a good idea.

This Hindu response has extended in recent decades to Deendayal Upadhyaya, Swami Chinmayananda,
Swami Dayananda of Arsha Vidya, Ram Swarup and Sitaram Goel of Voice of India among many others.
This includes several western Hindus like Hinduism Today and various new books and publications
covering a variety of topics on Hindu Dharma.

Call for an Intellectual Kshatriya

In my book of several years ago Awaken Bharata, I raised the need for an intellectual Kshatriya to meet this
intellectual challenge from the West. We see such a new intellectual Kshatriya arising in India today,
particularly at this World Hindu Congress and its many conferences, and the great network of groups and
individuals that it reflects.

There is a need for new Hindu thinkers who understand the intellectual challenges of the high tech age,
trained in modern media and tools of the internet and social media. Hindus need to understand how
information is presented in the internet and mass media and learn to use these tools to defend the higher
dharma. Otherwise they may lack the right weapons to fight this new information war.

Hindu thinkers should be also trained in older traditions of Vedanta, Yoga and Dharmic thinking of ancient
and modern times, and be able to present an authentic and positive image of Hindu Dharma at a national
and global level.

They should be skillful in language, dialogue and debate, not apologetic or compromising; satyam eva
jayate. They should emphasize the power of viveka or yogic discernment as their guiding force.

The goal of Hindus today should be excellence, to reach the highest truth in all fields of knowledge not
simply to accept existing dogmas as correct or to blindly equate all teachings as equally valid. Hindus
should strive to excellence in all that they do, even if it requires challenging existing paradigms and
institutions, or creating new ones. This endeavor to excel requires a combination of a strong intellectual
discipline with a deep meditative practice.

Such was the path of the great Rishi of old. That Rishi vision should once more guide humanity today.

When people ask me what religion or spiritual path they should follow. I tell them to follow the path that
most directly leads you to the highest truth, wherever it comes from. This is the way of liberation or
Moksha and the essence of Hindu thought.

The World Hindu Congress has presented such a transformative vision of Hindu Dharma for the sake of all
humanity. It is the most important gathering in recent centuries and shows the way forward to a new
renaissance of Sanatana Dharma both in India and in the entire world.

Saffronization of Education

When Hindus seek to challenge the propaganda against them or gain a greater forum for their views, they
are often accused of the saffronization of education, implying religious intolerance and backwardness.

There needs to be a more vigorous Hindu response and presence in Indian academia, which has long been
dominated by Marxists influences that have kept Hindu thought out of Indias educational system. The
shadow of colonial influences remains on Indian education. While the country gained its political freedom
in 1947, it still has not fully proclaimed its intellectual freedom and honoring of its own native traditions of
knowledge and expression.

The truth is not that there is a danger of Indian education being saffronized as some have charged, and as
anti-Hindu forces maintain. So far there has been a control of Indian education by forces that are not only
anti-Hindu but also often anti-national, not supporting the traditional spiritual values that made Indian
civilization great and have brought India respect in the world. While Hindu traditions of Yoga, Vedanta,
Ayurveda and the Vedic sciences are spreading throughout the world, Indias educational system and
media has not given them proper attention.

There has been the idea that Hindus in India should hide their religion and spiritual practices for the sake of
social harmony and not bring them into cultural or educational discourses. Like members of any religion,
Hindus can be proud of their own tradition and also function effectively in society.

Changing this presentation of Hindu Dharma in India is not a matter of distorting but of correcting the
educational system of the country. A more pro-India media is important and one that honors the older
traditions of the country. Besides in the educational system this process of properly presenting Hindu
Dharma needs to occur in Hindu families, temples and in Hindu publications.

Need for a New Indic or Dharmic School of Thought

There needs to be the restoration of an Indic or Dharmic school of thought, honoring the great spiritual
traditions of the region, in order to balance the distortions arising from western thought.

It should have its own institutions and publications, degrees and awards. This requires new Dharmic
publications and media presentations, and new Dharmic schools, centers and institutions along the lines of
Takshashila and Nalanda. Educational institutions in India should remember such Indian traditions, as well
as a gurukulam or mentor based approach to higher education.

There should be a revival of Sanskrit learning, including on social and cultural issues along with honoring
Dharmic thinkers and traditions. We need to bring back Dharmic culture and values into the educational
system, along with Yoga, meditation and Vedanta.

This includes organizing dialogues and debates between Dharmic schools and western schools of thought.
Such new Hindu and Dharmic educational programs can be an important part of the future of India and
spread worldwide.

We see a new dharmic awakening in India today that will likely grow extensively in years to come. A new
dharmic era is dawning. Let us all work together for its full flowering in whatever way that we can!

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