Thursday, June 7, 2007
ON WRITING A BOOK CALLED "HINDUISM FOR TODAY"
NOTE: The following post, dated June 7, 2007, is left intact to show a work in progress, namely, my book "Hinduism for Today." The book since is published and details are at the beginning of the blog, right after the welcoming post.
Namas-te!
After almost a year-long break, I have resumed writing my book, called "Hinduism for Today: A Seminar in Hindu Thought and Spiritual Philosophy".
I am currently on the sixth chapter of the first draft. At times I have not felt good about what is going on in the book, but for the most time I have enjoyed it as a rewarding form of expression. I am now particularly enjoying the process. Things seem to be going well. But when time comes to revise the draft, it has to be seen if I will continue to feel good.
The book flows in a dialog form. There are eight characters there, talking seriously about Hinduism and what shape it should take in this day and age.
Four men and four women are all Hindus but they come from different viewpoints. The four men are called Sevak, Sanatan, Navin and Anish. The four women are Darshana, Madhyama, Sanskriti and Mahila. I see myself in all the eight partly but a bit more so in Sevak and Darshana.
Sevak is the coordinator of the group. It was his idea to bring people together for a carefully thought out exchange. He gently leads the group, but Darshana and Madhyama also play the leadership role from time to time.
In the first chapter each is asked to describe oneself with just one adjective preceding the word "Hindu." Accordingly, Sevak describes himself as a constructive Hindu and Darshana calls herself a philosophical Hindu. Sanatan, Navin and Madhyama declare themselves as orthodox, reform and moderate Hindus respectively. Sanskriti, Mahila and Anish call themselves cultural, feminist and atheistic Hindus.
In the first few chapters a prolonged discussion ensues where the group attemps the difficult and even hazardous task of defining Hinduism. They end up with a long definition which is shortened by Madhyama.
Subsequent chapters see Sanatan present his version of conservative Hinduism, followed by Navin describing his idea of how Hinduism needs to be reformed. Navin's presentation occupies the sixth chapter where I am currently, as of June 7, 2007. The next chapter will see Madhyama attempt a grand synthesis and actually come up with a moderate, middle-of-the-road form of Hinduism for today. She is going to get some help in this from Sevak and Darshana. Sanskriti, Mahila and Anish will then fill in real-life furniture and decoration into the house built by Sanatan, Navin and Madhyama on the foundation of the definition achieved in the early chapters.
The dialog vacillates between lively and sprightly exchages on the one hand and serious arguments on the other. Lot of fun there!
I am interested in having commentarial feedback. If you would like to take an early peek at the draft, email me asking to send you early chapters by email attachments.
The book has kept me busy so the second part of What is Hinduism? is delayed. Sorry about that.
OM TAT SAT!
--Ramesh
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2 comments:
fascinating idea! would love to have a peak!
- gaurang
This is a copy paste approach:
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It is taking me a long time to get to the blog to prepare and post the second part of "What Is Hinduism?" piece. For one thing, it is extremely hard to post anything from Word documents which I have plenty of. So, I am forced to write anew everything.
***
From a word document:
The Seat of the Soul – Gary Zukav
A Fire Side Book – Published by Simon & Schuster
Copyright 1989 – ISBN 0-671-69507-X Pbk.
KARMA
Most of us are accustomed to the belief that our participation in the process of evolution is limited the duration of a single lifetime. This belief reflects the perspective of the five-sensory personality. From the point of view of the five-sensory personality, nothing of itself lasts beyond its lifetime, and there is nothing in the experience of the five-sensory human that is not of it-self. The multi-sensory human, too, understands that nothing of itself last beyond its lifetime, but it is also aware of its immortal soul.
The lifetime of your personality is one of a myriad of experience of your soul. The soul exists outside of time. The perspective of the soul is immense, and the perception of the soul is without the limitations of the personality. Souls that have chosen the physical experience of life, as we know it as a path of evolution, have, in general, incarnated their energies many times into many psychological and physical forms. For each incarnation, the soul creates a different personality and body. The personality and the body that, for the five-sensory human, are the experiential entirety of its existence are, for its soul, the unique and perfectly suited instruments of a particular incarnation.
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