Here is an attempt to trace the advent and development of Hindu thought and philosophy (a better term would be "Vedanta') in the United States of America . This has been prompted by a piece of writing by Lisa Miller, Society and Religion Editor of `News Week', an American journal. In her column dated 15th August 2009 with a somewhat provocative title `We are all Hindus Now' (by `we' she means Americans) she writes that Christianity is on the decline in her country. America is no more a Christian nation although it was founded by Christians. Though 76% of Americans continue to identify themselves as Christians (which in itself is the lowest percentage in American history), recent poll data show that conceptually at least, Christians are becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways they think about God, themselves, each other and eternity. She admits that Hindu scriptures proclaim the Oneness of all and that there are many paths to God, be it Jesus, Koran or Yoga practice and that all are equally valid. This view appeals to reason and is in sharp contrast to what traditional conservative Christians were taught in Sunday schools, which is that Jesus alone is `the way, the truth and the life' and that all other religions are false. Modern Americans, she continues, are no longer buying this Christian notion and that 65% of them subscribe to the liberal Hindu view, including 37% of the most orthodox evangelicals. She notices that more and more are seeking spiritual truth outside Church. In fact, 30% of Americans call themselves `spiritual' and not `religious'. Many of the tenets of Christianity like Resurrection and the sacredness of the body and Last Judgment are increasingly being questioned. Reincarnation or rebirth is accepted as intellectually satisfying. More than a third of the Americans choose cremation. She ends her column with an ironic exhortation `So let us all say OM '. This perhaps is an ironical reference to Time Magazine cover story sometime back on the healing powers of Yoga and the chanting of OM. Again, for the first time Diwali was celebrated in the seat of World Power, the White House, with President Obama lighting the lamp with the chanting of Upanishad prayers. Hindu prayer was read in the US senate in Washington on 12.7.2007. A number of American Universities now offer excellent studies in Hindu religion including Vedanta and Sanskrit. All these are indeed gratifying and we are reminded of the remark of Arnold Toynbee, the famous historian, that the world, which is on the verge of self-destruction, can survive only if it turns to the ancient Indian wisdom
Many have objected to the tone and tenor of Lisa Miller's article, which smack of resentment and subtle derision. Shri S. Gurumurthy, for example, in his article, which appeared in `The New Indian Express' dated 24th August 2009 (`Why Lisa Miller will look at Vivekananda!') rightly poses the question "What is wrong if American Christians refuse to regard the other faiths as false?" "Is this not the right approach", asks he, "to accommodate other faiths in a world of diverse faiths?" Is there not the urgent need for `de-semitisising' the Semitic faiths', accepting all religions as equally true and valid, as this is the only way out of the dangers of religious fanaticism and its consequences of violence and terrorism, which are posing a grave danger to the world? Is this not precisely what Swami Vivekananda passionately pleaded for in the Parliament of Religions 116 years ago when he asked all to eschew sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant fanaticism and usher in a brave new world of religious harmony, cooperation and universal love and peace? Is it not a matter to rejoice that more and more Americans are beginning to accept, like true Hindus do, that other faiths are equally valid and relevant and consequently do not hate others. Hinduism, more specifically Vedanta, proclaims the divinity within all of us and it is our birthright to manifest the same by being conscious of the Unity of Being. This is how Swamiji sums up the crux of Vedantic teachings in his book `Raja Yoga': "Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of life is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or by psychic control or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free, This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details." Vedanta entertains no foolish beliefs and superstitions of any kind; neither does it bound down by any book or dogma, or ritual or mode of prayer. It is all-inclusive and admits no discrimination whatsoever as all are `children of immortal bliss'' and all that is required to realize this eternal truth is to shed our individuality or our body consciousness. It also presupposes the basic unity of all religions as all religions in essence are paths to the same goal (`As many faiths, so many paths"). Hinduism does not hold any monopoly for spiritual wisdom. `The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian' as Swami Vivekananda, inspired and motivated by his self-realized Master Sri Ramakrishna, had cautioned everyone. Instead, each must assimilate the spirit of others and yet preserve his own individuality and grow according to his law of growth. He thundered at the Parliament of Religions that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possession of any church in the world and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. Let us all help and not fight, practice assimilation and not destruction, he advised us at the Parliament of Religions.
It is pertinent to remember that in his address "Is Vedanta the Future Religion? delivered in San Francisco in 1900, Swami Vivekananda had prophesied that "there is a chance of Vedanta becoming the religion of your country" i.e. America . Like his other prophecies, is this also coming true? If so, it is surely a matter to rejoice.\
The origin and development of Hindu thought and culture in America and its tremendous impact on its people is as amazing and incredible as the meteoric rise of the country from its humble beginning 200 years back to its predominant position in the comity of Nations now.
Hindu thought and philosophy in America before Swami Vivekananda's arrival
It is not right, as is generally believed, that it was Swami Vivekananda who introduced Vedanta and Hindu philosophy to the West and America . True, it was with his Chicago address that Hinduism, specifically Vedanta, won official recognition and popularity in that country. He was the first and the greatest teacher of the message of India who blazed the trail with a brilliant and correct interpretation and exposition of Hindu philosophy, yoga and Vedanta outside India . His mission was to give the American people a correct idea of Hinduism and to remove the misconceptions and wrong notions from their minds.
But even before Swamiji's visit, vedantic ideas were known to many American thinkers and writers thanks to the writings and translations of Hindu scriptures by many English, French and German philosophers. Sir William Jones (1746-94), founder of Asiatic Society, who made his life's mission the promotion of the Vedic studies, is known for his 6 volume works and also the English translation of the `Ishavasya Upanishad', the first translation of any Upanishad in a European language. Sir Charles Wilkins (1750-1836) is known for the elegant and concise English translation of `Bhagavat Gita', the quintessence of Hindu thought, which won the accolade of Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of India and a great patron of the Asiatic Society, that `the study and the true practice of Gita's teachings would lead humanity to peace and bliss'. Soon it was translated into many European languages. Horace H. Wilson (1786-1860), Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, whose translations of Indian `Puranas' and `Rig veda' into English verse (6 volumes) and Sir Monier Williams, also Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, encouraged indological research with his own books like `Hinduism' wherein he states that the Hindu faith is universal and accommodates all other religions. `It is the quintessence of all religious thoughts and it contains all thought systems, past, present and future', says he.
Sir Edwin Arnold's `The Light of Asia' was another significant contribution to Hindu thought.
French scholars like Anquetil Duperran (1731-1805) and Eugene Bernouf, themselves dedicated souls like ancient Indian sages, made Latin and French translations of the Upanshads and other sacred works.
Among the German scholars who promoted Vedantic teaching was Friedrich Von Schelling (1775-1854), Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900) and Paul Deussen (1854-1919). Schelling was all admiration for the Upanishads. Schopenhauer's book `The World as Will and Idea' was influenced by the `Chandogya Upanishad' For him, `Upanishads were the most beneficial and elevating study that the world had ever produced and that it has been the solace of my life; it will be the solace of my death.' The influence of Max Muller, who edited the 51 volumes of "Sacred Books of the East" and other voluminous writings on India and Indology (including the 6 volume Rig Veda with Sayana's commentary), `Three Lecturers on the Vedanta philosophy' etc deserve special mention. In "What can India Teach Us?", this greatest exponent of oriental sacred literature unequivocally declares that the Vedanta philosophy contained thoughts unparalleled in any language of the West and that India, with such philosophy and culture of thought, could indeed teach the West to become more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal and more truly human." His article on Sri Ramakrishna contributed to `Nineteenth Century', the first piece of writing in the West on Sri Ramakrishna, evoked much interest (Later, after his meeting with Swamiji, he wrote the book `Ramakrishna – His life and Sayings'.)
American writers of the 19th century like Emerson (1803-1882) and Thoreau (1817-1862)
were deeply influenced by the `new philosophy' from the East, from these translations and writings. The emergence of the Transcendental Movement in New England , America , during the time was to a large extent the result of this oriental thought. This is reflected in varying degrees in the writings of its exponents. Most of them were convinced that there was something beyond the reach of the senses that was the source of the external world. The transcendentalists' resolved to live from the level of the `Over soul', as Emerson called the `Divine Self'. According to the transcendental theory, the `Over soul' or `Brahman' is `all pervading and that every human soul partakes of this `Over soul'. Hence reverence to all living beings became their article of faith. `To thine own Self be true', they pleaded as every man has within him divinity. Emerson got a copy of `Bhagavat Gita' (the English translation by Charles Wilkins) from Carlyle and found it `his inspiring book and made it his lifelong companion'. He was also influenced by `Katha Upanishad'. His poems like `The Celestial Love',and `Woodnotes' deal in effect with pure bliss consciousness and reveal his knowledge of the immanence of the Supreme Being. He longed for a life of elemental simplicity and moral earnestness in the company of nature. His poem `Brahma' reflects the Upanishadic concept and reaches the highest level of American vedantism. "The higher truths of non-difference between the illusory opposites, the contrasting descriptions of the Absolute and their ultimate transcendence in the Unity of Brahman, are all depicted in this poem.'
If the red slayer thinks he slays,
Or if the slain thinks he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways
I keep, and pass, and turn again.
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Shadow and sunlight to me are the same
The vanished gods in me appear;
And one to me are shame and fame.
`Like his friend Emerson, Thoreau also was well read in the Vedic scriptures. Indian thought permeates his book WALDEN, where he offers an example for realizing one's divinity and fulfilling one's potential in the real world. Create first an ideal and then find the means of making that ideal come true, he argues. "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." He says. The world at large, in essence, is one big family and this awareness, he says, comes to him from the study of the Vedas. It is `like a light of a higher and purer luminary' His works abound in Vedantic thoughts and terms.
`Ex Oriente Lux' or `Light from the East' was the proclaimed motto of his life.
Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, thinks that Emerson and Thoreau are the conduits through whom Hindu thought found its way into American intellectual life. Romain Rolland himself was influenced by Thoreau. The Concord Movement, which was vague in American during those days, was also inspired by Hindu thought. `A week on the concord and Merrimack river ' of Thoreau is an enthusiastic eulogy of the Gita.
The great American novelist Melville in his magnum opus MOBY DICK depicts a whale which has resemblance to the incarnation of Vishnu going down to the utmost depths of the sea to rescue the sacred books.
Walt Whitman, whom Swamiji called `the sannyasin of America ', is another important writer whose poems reflect Hindu thoughts. In his `Leaves of Grass' he freed American verse from the shackles of European conventions. In content, he often turned towards Asia as is evident in his `Passage to India '. The poem he once said, was about `evolution… the unfolding of cosmic purposes'. The world has been welded together
"..not for trade or transportation only,
But in God's name and for thy sake O' soul."
Emerson called `Leaves of Grass a mixture of the Gita and the New York Herald'
In 1842 the American Oriental Society was formed in Boston . This together with the Oriental Library and the Journal of the American Oriental Society did much to promote Sanskrit and oriental studies in America . . Edward Eldridge Salisbury (1814-1901), `the father of American Oriental Studies', William Dwight Whitney, Josiah Royce Edward Washburn Hopkins and Charles Rockwell Lanman were known for their interest in Indian Upanishads and Puranas.
Though the philosophy of the Hindu scriptures was known to many thinkers and writers, it did not percolate down to the people at large. It was by and large thought abstract and speculative and remained in the realm of the ideal. Swami Vivekananda gave life and blood to the dry bones of Vedantic ideas and made them a living reality. Himself the perfect personification of all that Vedanta proclaims, Swamiji demonstrated unmistakably that it could be the most dynamic and positive faith and that it was immensely practical and highly useful. Thus he brought Vedanta from its rarefied atmosphere and made it an essential part of everyday life of the commonest of men. Swamiji saw the
dangers of crass materialism and consequent skepticism reigning everywhere in America . The material and religious tyranny exercised by the Government and the Church at that time was tremendous. The country's immense riches and power were in the hands of a few who manipulated the hapless to work for them. Exploitation was rampant. "All those things that you hear about – constitutional government, freedom, liberty and parliament are but jokes" Swamiji found to his dismay after his acquaintance with the country. Those were also the times of pseudo religious monstrosities in the form of secret, occult, abnormal psychic societies, and of goblins, ghosts and false prophets out to hoodwink and misguide the masses. It was an age of mental unrest and agnosticism. The rise of science and the publication of Darwin 's `Origin of Species' resulted in a repudiation of some of the basic tenets of Christianity. Mammon became the new God and sense gratification became the new religion. A keen observer of men and matters, Swamiji found the country an abominable place and felt himself obliged to cleanse this Augean stable. He poured forth the pristine, elevating elixir of practical Vedantic thoughts with clarity and precision. Rational to the core and universal in appeal, Swamiji's addresses appealed to the heads and hearts of the `new found land'. His addresses and classes on Vedanta and the Yogas (especially the Raja Yoga) made a tremendous appeal to the people at large. Many looked at him as their saviour and redeemer in that turbulent age.
Swamiji found the whole western civilization was about to crumble to pieces in the next fifty years or so if there was no spiritual and moral foundation to sustain it. As Mrs. Burke points out, "He came with the purpose of getting help for India, of telling the American people of his country's real needs and real genius; but he stayed only to give, pouring himself out for the sake of America, for he could not see hunger in any form, spiritual or physical, without filling it.' His teachings provided the much needed initial qualitative change which eventually saved the Western civilization from total annihilation. His speech at the Parliament of Religions in 1893 set in motion a wave of spirituality that was soon to engulf the whole western world. The `counter conquest', as A.L. Bashim has pointed out, `a conquest not with guns and bloodshed, but with love and sympathy thus began. Out of the 9 years of his public ministry from the Parliament of Religions in 1893, unto his death in 1902, he gave over his four productive years to the West. The intensity of his work, the output of spiritual, intellectual and literary and organizational work, besides the travels involved during this period is unprecedented.
"Buddha had a message for the East as I have a message to the West", he proclaimed. "The West will one day learn to feel proud of this emissary of modern India and learn from him the philosophy of comprehensive spirituality and total fulfillment as the way to its own redemption from a soul killing materialism. When that response comes from the West the tunnel connecting East and West would be complete and a new culture, neither eastern nor western, but just human, would be evolved making for the spiritual growth of man everywhere and tending to develop a `mankind awareness' in all nations and making the fulfillment of the purpose of the advent of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in the modern age" observes Swami Ranganathannadaji. This is indeed what we are witnessing now. The cumulative effect of his addresses in many cities and towns of America like New York , Chicago , Boston , California , San Francisco etc., his classes on Thousand Isle Park and other places, his published books on Vedanta and the four Yogas (especially Raja Yoga) and wide travels was unprecedented. To make his work lasting, he founded the Vedanta Society in New York . Soon, Vedantic Societies were established in other cities. At present there are about 20 Vedantic Societies of the Ramakrishna Order which are continuing Swamiji's work in right earnest. Let us not forget that Swamiji's mission in the West was to spread ideas, not churches. His intention was not to make anther religion. In fact he was reported to have said that had he preached the divinity of his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, the world would have worshipped him as another God.
In this mission, i.e. spreading ideas and changing the attitudes and transforming men and not creating any new religion, the Vedanta movement has succeeded quite well. Though the numbers attending these centers may be small, the impact has unquestionably been pronounced. Carl Jackson, the American historian, has said `few other religious bodies of such Lilliputian size have equaled the movement's impact or historical significance. Swamiji predicted that thoughtful and rational people could not but be drawn to India 's ancient philosophy, especially the Vedanta, for the new impulse they are seeking for spiritual food and drink". There was nothing narrow or partisan in his approach. All religions, according to him, if practiced sincerely can lead to the same goal, as all share the same basic principles. He did not want Christians to become Hindus. Far from it, he wants them to `go back to Christ', as they have deviated from Him. What are needed are change of hearts and a firm conviction that we are all essentially one and that all partake of the same divinity.
He never deprecated material progress. All that he wanted the West to realize was that excess of wealth, power and knowledge without holiness can make us all devils. True, he loved India for it possessed the treasures of spirituality to save the world from ruin and destruction. He wanted his countrymen to learn many things from the West – their material progress, dedication, organizational ability, skill, work culture and civic sense. We do need material prosperity just as the West need spiritual sustenance. It is a mutual give and take approach that he advocated. Combine `science and spirituality', he exhorted all. "What is India or England or America to us? We are the servants of that God who by the ignorant is called man. Renunciation and sacrifice are his watchwords" He was truly a global citizen full of sympathy and compassion for all. He called himself `a voice without a form' He often spoke of the `Virat", the cosmic soul, and urged everyone to think of himself and the world in that context.
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Vedanta in America after Swamiji's visit
Swamiji threw open the positive aspects of Hindu philosophy to a wider audience and its impact has been growing apace since then. Josephine Macleod, the American disciple of Swamiji did much to spread the message of her master, wherever she went. She collected influential people and fed them with his ideas, peppered them with her enthusiasm. Swami Shivananda, impressed by her work, told her, "it is for this work Swamiji has left you to scour round the world in search for great men'.
Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, was so much impressed by Swamiji's works that he studied them deeply and wrote the two classic works "Life of Ramakrishna' and `Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Ideal', which soon became popular. He called the Master and his disciple as `the perfect symphony of a universal soul'.
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Rolland, in turn, influenced the American novelist Henry Miller. Though known for his sexually explicit novels and censorship battles, he deplored the soullessness of Americans and their craving for material goods as substitutes for genuine happiness. A spiritually motivated writer, he invokes Swamiji as the greatest sage of our age. His story `An air-conditioned nightmare' opens with a `citation for Swami Vivekananda'. Throughout, he mentions and cites Swamiji and Sri Ramakrishna. He calls the latter as `the very incarnation of love and wisdom'.
Swami Prabhavananda (1893-1976) of Ramakrishna Order established the Vedanta Society of Portland and later moved to Los Angels where he founded the Vedanta Society of Southern California in 1930, which now is the largest Vedanta Society in the world.
He made a great impression in the minds of many writers and intellectuals of the time by his erudition and selfless service. Christopher Isherwood, Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard were but a few who were drawn to him. These writers deeply influenced by Vedanta, passed these ideas to their readers. Huxley (1894-1963), though English spent the later part of his life in America , living in Los Angels. His books contain Vedantic thoughts besides references to Hindu scriptures. His `Perennial Philosophy' is through and through Vedantic, wherein he muses, `the end of human life is contemplation of the direct and intuitive awareness of God.'
Gerard Heard, the pacifist humanist and mystic historian, like Huxley, moved to America towards the later part of his life and settled in California . He learnt Vedanta and it was he who introduced Huxley to Vedanta, meditation and vegetarianism. Anglo-American novelists like Auden and Isherwood immigrated to America in 1939 and lived in California , met Heard who had by then built his own monastery at Trabuco Canyon (which was eventually gifted to the Vedanta Society of Southern California). They all formed an extraordinary band of mystic explorers which in addition to Swami Prabhavananda, Huxley, Gerald Heard and Isherwood included such great men like Chris Wood, John Yale and J. Krishnamurthy. Together they produced several translations of Hindu scriptures, wrote a number of essays on Vedanta, besides novels, plays and screen plays – all imbued with the themes and characters from Vedanta and Upanishads. Isherwood (1904-1986) also wrote the biography of Sri Ramakrishna, `Ramakrishna and his Disciples'. `Vedanta and the West' was the official publication of the Vedanta Society of Southern California and it offered essays by many of the leading intellectuals of the time. Besides the writers mentioned above, who contributed articles regularly, the journal also saw the writings of Alan Watts and W. Somerset Maugham, the well-known American novelist and short story writer.
Swami Prabhavananda and Isherwood collaboration also saw publications of book like `The Song of God', `How to know God', `The Yoga', `Aphorisms of Patanjali' and Shankara's `Crest Jewel of Discrimination' (Vivekachudamani). Translation of `Bhagavat Gita', which was acclaimed as a `distinguished literary work' by Time Magazine, remains a text book in many colleges in America . T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), anther American writer, learnt Sanskrit and philosophy and was well versed in Hindu scriptures and Buddhist thought, which prompted him to write that `the great philosophers of India make most of the great European philosophers look like school boys!'. Considered one of the foremost writers of the age, his poems, plays and criticisms were infuenced by Hindu thought. His much acclaimed `Wasteland' is a poem about the outer barrenness and inner emptiness of the Western men, whom he considered as `hollow men'. The World War had laid the lands and minds of men waste. No other writer had depicted the spiritual and moral vacuum of his age as poignantly as Eliot. The way-out lies, he suggests, in the Indian way. He refers to the Buddhist and the Vedantic texts for modern man's redemption. In the last section of the ` Waste Land ', he explicitly invokes the Upanishadic injunctions `Da Datta, Da Dayadhvam and Da Damyata" (Give, sympathise, control). There are references to Ganga , Himavant etc and the poem significantly ends with `Shantih, shantih, shantih'. His poem `Four Quartets' too is also, among others, pervaded by Hindu philosophical ideas.
Swami Nikhilananda, (1895-1973), a direct disciple of Holy Mother Sarada Devi,
founded the `Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre' in New York . He too translated a number of Hindu scriptures into English, including `Gita". It was he who translated `The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', which won the wholehearted appreciation of such well known writers like Thomas Mann and Henry Miller. The `Time' Magazine considered the `Gospel' as `one of the world's most extraordinary religious documents.' His efforts to popularize Vedanta in general and the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in particular, attracted a number of intellectuals and writers of America .
J.D. Salinger, who considers Swami Nikhilananda as his mentor, was a writer of repute, who was bowled over by Vedanta. His stories have the unmistakable imprint of Hindu thought. In one of his stories he describes Swami Vivekananda as `one of the most exciting, original and best equipped giants of the century'. The story's protagonist declares, `my personal sympathy for him will never be outgrown or exhausted as long as I live, mark my word, I would easily give 10 years of my life, possibly more, if I could have shaken his hand or at least said a brisk, respectful hello to him on some busy street in Calcutta or elsewhere.'
Heinrich-Zimmer (1890-1943) was one of the century's most prominent religious philosophers and historians settled down in New York in 1940. Professor of Columbia University , he regularly attended Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre in New York and he influenced many westerners. He wrote on Indian philosophy, its myths and legends, which caught the attention of many. In his magnum opus `Philosophies of the East', Sri Ramakrishna figures prominently and his sayings frequently cited and quoted at length from `The Gospel' translation by Swami Nikhilananda. Joseph Campbel was another well-known writer and `the rarest of intellectuals in American life' was a close associate of Swami Nikhilanada and helped him in his translations of `the Gospel' and Upanishads. He was even chosen President of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre in New York . Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and an authority on mythology and folklore, he too quoted Sri Ramakrishna in many of his works. Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899), whom Swamiji met while in America, was a prominent political leader, orator and free thinker and Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), one of the greatest electrical engineers of the age, were but some of the other eminent people, who came under the sway of Vedanta.
Another famous scholar and thinker who appreciated Swamiji and his thought was William James, Professor of Psychology and Philosophy of Harvard University and author of a number of works including `Principles of Psychology'. He admitted that Swamiji's religion was of high pragmatic value and provided `a perfect sumptuosity of security'. `Swamiji', he said `was an honour to humanity'.
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Harriet Monroe and Ella Wheeler Wilcox were the other American poets whose works reflect Vedantic influence.
Writings of historian Arnold Toynbee, philosopher Will Durant, sociologist Pitri, Sorokin, Psychologist and philosopher Carl Jung, and physician and physicist Herman Von Helmholtz, though belonged to Europe , also influenced the American minds in varying ways, which by and large are in praise of India 's priceless heritage and its eternal wisdom. The influence of Max Muller and Romain Rolland has already been mentioned.
Dr. Huston Smith was another intellectual associated with the Vedanta society in Saint Louis . He studied Vedanta, Zen Buddism and Sufism. Associated with Swami Satprakashananda of Ramakrishna Order, he is known for his work `The World's Religions'. Religions for him contain `the distilled wisdom of the human race'. Professor of Religion and Philosophy, he was known as the greatest authority on world religions. A media star, his films on Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufism created interest in eastern religions even among the common people in America . Both Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were quoted in whatever he wrote. He regarded Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji as the greatest saints of the 19th century
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Franklin Edgerton (1885-1963) the American linguist and educator, was a well known authority in Sanskrit, Hindu philosophy and culture, Indian art, education and literature. His book `The Bhagavat Gita', which he called ` India 's favorite Bible', appeared in two volumes in 1944. Dale Riepe (author of `Philosophy of India and Its Impact on American Thought') and Robert Ernest Hume (1877-1948), the American Sanskritist native to India (whose `Thirteen Principal Upanishads' first appeared in 1921) did much to popularize Sanskrit and Vedanta.
In 1920 Paramahamsa Yogananda was India 's delegate at the International Congress of Religious Liberals held in Boston . He established the Self Realisation Foundation in that year, which has now a number of centers and a large number of devotees.
In 1958 arrived Maharshi Mahesh Yogi in Los Angels. He introduced Transcendental Meditation and related programmes, established schools and universities worldwide. A disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati , Sankaracharya of Jyotir Math, he made a number of global tours promoting yoga and Vedic sciences. He became popular when Beatles and other celebrites became his disciples.
He also wrote a number of books including translations and commentaries of `Bhagavat Gita' which for him is verily `the scripture of Yoga, intended to raise the consciousness of men to the highest possible level.' He also introduced Ayurveda in the West, which together with Yoga continue to grow in popularity as the days pass. Deepak Chopra (himself a writer, his works include `The Science of Being and Art of Being' and `Ageless Body and Timeless Mind' etc) and a host of others are trying to bring Ayurveda and Yogic methods into the mainstream of American society.
In 1962 Swami Rama (1925-96) came to USA and Europe to allow himself to be studied by western scientists. Founder of the Himalayan Institute of Yogic Science and Philosophy in Pennsylvania with Branches in other places, he was a former Sankaracharya. He gave many lectures on Vedanta and Yoga and his writings include `Living with the Himalayan Masters' and `Path of Fire and Light', which are best sellers. Mention may also be made of the contributions of Shri B.V.S. Iyengar, the great Hatha yogi and Swami Narayananda (author of `The Primal Power')
Post 1965 Scenario
July 4, 1965 marked a watershed in the history of religion in America , for it was on this day the Immigration and Nationality Act came into existence. It opened the doors to various ethnic groups especially from Asia , and notably from India . The Indian community in North America including USA has been growing steadily and it now crossed 3 million. In the U.S. alone it stood at more than 1 million, which is thrice the number 15 years ago. Besides the Vedanta Centers , innumerable temples (numbering more than 800 and more are coming up), ashrams, meditation and yoga centers have come into being. All the mainstream Religious Missions like Chinmaya, Mata Amritananadamayi, Sai Baba, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ramana Maharshi, Mahesh Yogi, Osho, ISKCON, Mother Meera and others have all centers all over the country and are drawing large crowds, both from the Indian community and native Americans. Buddhism is also increasingly finding favor with the people there.
There is also a sudden spurt of interest in the study of Sanskrit, Yoga and traditional Indian dance and music.
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The Indian parents now in America want their children to be brought up in the traditional Indian way and this calls for the definition and practice of Hindu religion and dogmas. A deluge of Hindu `gurus' and `yogis', what to speak of teachers of assorted kinds like Sanskrit, arts, music and dance, find America a fertile land for trading their wares. We also find institutionalization of Hinduism and its politicization in order to obtain recognition and validation from authorities. It is true that the popularity of Hinduism and the publicity it receives have to some extent diluted the high ideals of Vedanta. There is the danger that the assorted temples and the numerous Ashrams and Yoga Centers may deflect attention from the `higher truth' – a danger Swami Vivekananda had warned against. Rituals, dogmas, books, bodily practices, forms of worship etc, may gain precedence over the discovery of innate divinity and the consequent realization of the essential oneness of all. Instead of the realization that all paths lead to the same goal, each institution may clamor for the superiority of its own `guru' or its own methods. This is likely to create sectarianism, which is the very antithesis of what `true' dharma professes.
In fact, there has already been criticism of this kind both from the Indian community as well as from Americans. Nonetheless, the true Vedanta, the type Swamiji preached and which the Vedanta Societies continue to propagate, is still vibrant though they do their work quietly and silently without much fanfare and rabble rousing. More and more earnest and genuine seekers, who are not content with mere `secondary details', are finding refuge in them, though their number as elsewhere may not be large. At any rate, Vedanta has captured the imagination of Americans, as they are finding it rational, practical and beneficial, suited to the modern world of globalization and interconnectedness. This unobtrusive inner transformation is happening silently without any violence or hatred and without pomp or splendor. Let us hope that in course of time the followers will move higher and higher in their spiritual journey. The Hindus in America, however, are charged with the responsibility of conducting themselves as true `Hindus' in a spirit of warm camaraderie both within their community at large as well as with the native Americans. In it lies the future of Hinduism in that country.
There are a number of books written both, by Americans and Indians settled there, about the rise and development of Hinduism in America . While a few like Prema A. Kurien's book `A Place at the Multicultural Table" finds fault with many of the features of this `New Religion', as she calls the present Hinduism in America, others like `Hindu America' by Chamanlal is quite appreciative. Other books include `Hinduism in the United States ' by Sudhakshina Ranga Swami and `Hinduism invades America ' by Wendell Thomas. While the former is a study of Hinduism in the socio cultural context of America , the latter is a study of the amazing adventure of an eastern faith in a western land and its impact on American life and culture.
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`Transcendent in America ' by Lola Williamson is perhaps the latest book in this category. The writer traces the history of various Hindu inspired movements in America and argues that together they constitute a discrete category of religious practice, a distinct and identifiable form of `New Religion'.
There are also a number of American educational institutions offering studies on Hinduism. The Institute of Indian Studies and the Centre for the study of Hindu Traditions at the University of Florida and the Hindu University of America in Orlando are the more prominent ones. Let us hope the euphoria which we are witnessing now will in course of time give rise to a calm and dispassionate exploration into one's own self leading to the realization of its identity with the Universal Self. Only then can we get rid of violence, insecurity and fear from our minds and usher in a world of peace, love and happiness. The lives and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda will then not be in vain.
By Prof. S.Radhakrishnan
Many have objected to the tone and tenor of Lisa Miller's article, which smack of resentment and subtle derision. Shri S. Gurumurthy, for example, in his article, which appeared in `The New Indian Express' dated 24th August 2009 (`Why Lisa Miller will look at Vivekananda!') rightly poses the question "What is wrong if American Christians refuse to regard the other faiths as false?" "Is this not the right approach", asks he, "to accommodate other faiths in a world of diverse faiths?" Is there not the urgent need for `de-semitisising' the Semitic faiths', accepting all religions as equally true and valid, as this is the only way out of the dangers of religious fanaticism and its consequences of violence and terrorism, which are posing a grave danger to the world? Is this not precisely what Swami Vivekananda passionately pleaded for in the Parliament of Religions 116 years ago when he asked all to eschew sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant fanaticism and usher in a brave new world of religious harmony, cooperation and universal love and peace? Is it not a matter to rejoice that more and more Americans are beginning to accept, like true Hindus do, that other faiths are equally valid and relevant and consequently do not hate others. Hinduism, more specifically Vedanta, proclaims the divinity within all of us and it is our birthright to manifest the same by being conscious of the Unity of Being. This is how Swamiji sums up the crux of Vedantic teachings in his book `Raja Yoga': "Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of life is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or by psychic control or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free, This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details." Vedanta entertains no foolish beliefs and superstitions of any kind; neither does it bound down by any book or dogma, or ritual or mode of prayer. It is all-inclusive and admits no discrimination whatsoever as all are `children of immortal bliss'' and all that is required to realize this eternal truth is to shed our individuality or our body consciousness. It also presupposes the basic unity of all religions as all religions in essence are paths to the same goal (`As many faiths, so many paths"). Hinduism does not hold any monopoly for spiritual wisdom. `The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian' as Swami Vivekananda, inspired and motivated by his self-realized Master Sri Ramakrishna, had cautioned everyone. Instead, each must assimilate the spirit of others and yet preserve his own individuality and grow according to his law of growth. He thundered at the Parliament of Religions that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possession of any church in the world and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. Let us all help and not fight, practice assimilation and not destruction, he advised us at the Parliament of Religions.
It is pertinent to remember that in his address "Is Vedanta the Future Religion? delivered in San Francisco in 1900, Swami Vivekananda had prophesied that "there is a chance of Vedanta becoming the religion of your country" i.e. America . Like his other prophecies, is this also coming true? If so, it is surely a matter to rejoice.\
The origin and development of Hindu thought and culture in America and its tremendous impact on its people is as amazing and incredible as the meteoric rise of the country from its humble beginning 200 years back to its predominant position in the comity of Nations now.
Hindu thought and philosophy in America before Swami Vivekananda's arrival
It is not right, as is generally believed, that it was Swami Vivekananda who introduced Vedanta and Hindu philosophy to the West and America . True, it was with his Chicago address that Hinduism, specifically Vedanta, won official recognition and popularity in that country. He was the first and the greatest teacher of the message of India who blazed the trail with a brilliant and correct interpretation and exposition of Hindu philosophy, yoga and Vedanta outside India . His mission was to give the American people a correct idea of Hinduism and to remove the misconceptions and wrong notions from their minds.
But even before Swamiji's visit, vedantic ideas were known to many American thinkers and writers thanks to the writings and translations of Hindu scriptures by many English, French and German philosophers. Sir William Jones (1746-94), founder of Asiatic Society, who made his life's mission the promotion of the Vedic studies, is known for his 6 volume works and also the English translation of the `Ishavasya Upanishad', the first translation of any Upanishad in a European language. Sir Charles Wilkins (1750-1836) is known for the elegant and concise English translation of `Bhagavat Gita', the quintessence of Hindu thought, which won the accolade of Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of India and a great patron of the Asiatic Society, that `the study and the true practice of Gita's teachings would lead humanity to peace and bliss'. Soon it was translated into many European languages. Horace H. Wilson (1786-1860), Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, whose translations of Indian `Puranas' and `Rig veda' into English verse (6 volumes) and Sir Monier Williams, also Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, encouraged indological research with his own books like `Hinduism' wherein he states that the Hindu faith is universal and accommodates all other religions. `It is the quintessence of all religious thoughts and it contains all thought systems, past, present and future', says he.
Sir Edwin Arnold's `The Light of Asia' was another significant contribution to Hindu thought.
French scholars like Anquetil Duperran (1731-1805) and Eugene Bernouf, themselves dedicated souls like ancient Indian sages, made Latin and French translations of the Upanshads and other sacred works.
Among the German scholars who promoted Vedantic teaching was Friedrich Von Schelling (1775-1854), Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900) and Paul Deussen (1854-1919). Schelling was all admiration for the Upanishads. Schopenhauer's book `The World as Will and Idea' was influenced by the `Chandogya Upanishad' For him, `Upanishads were the most beneficial and elevating study that the world had ever produced and that it has been the solace of my life; it will be the solace of my death.' The influence of Max Muller, who edited the 51 volumes of "Sacred Books of the East" and other voluminous writings on India and Indology (including the 6 volume Rig Veda with Sayana's commentary), `Three Lecturers on the Vedanta philosophy' etc deserve special mention. In "What can India Teach Us?", this greatest exponent of oriental sacred literature unequivocally declares that the Vedanta philosophy contained thoughts unparalleled in any language of the West and that India, with such philosophy and culture of thought, could indeed teach the West to become more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal and more truly human." His article on Sri Ramakrishna contributed to `Nineteenth Century', the first piece of writing in the West on Sri Ramakrishna, evoked much interest (Later, after his meeting with Swamiji, he wrote the book `Ramakrishna – His life and Sayings'.)
American writers of the 19th century like Emerson (1803-1882) and Thoreau (1817-1862)
were deeply influenced by the `new philosophy' from the East, from these translations and writings. The emergence of the Transcendental Movement in New England , America , during the time was to a large extent the result of this oriental thought. This is reflected in varying degrees in the writings of its exponents. Most of them were convinced that there was something beyond the reach of the senses that was the source of the external world. The transcendentalists' resolved to live from the level of the `Over soul', as Emerson called the `Divine Self'. According to the transcendental theory, the `Over soul' or `Brahman' is `all pervading and that every human soul partakes of this `Over soul'. Hence reverence to all living beings became their article of faith. `To thine own Self be true', they pleaded as every man has within him divinity. Emerson got a copy of `Bhagavat Gita' (the English translation by Charles Wilkins) from Carlyle and found it `his inspiring book and made it his lifelong companion'. He was also influenced by `Katha Upanishad'. His poems like `The Celestial Love',and `Woodnotes' deal in effect with pure bliss consciousness and reveal his knowledge of the immanence of the Supreme Being. He longed for a life of elemental simplicity and moral earnestness in the company of nature. His poem `Brahma' reflects the Upanishadic concept and reaches the highest level of American vedantism. "The higher truths of non-difference between the illusory opposites, the contrasting descriptions of the Absolute and their ultimate transcendence in the Unity of Brahman, are all depicted in this poem.'
If the red slayer thinks he slays,
Or if the slain thinks he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways
I keep, and pass, and turn again.
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Shadow and sunlight to me are the same
The vanished gods in me appear;
And one to me are shame and fame.
`Like his friend Emerson, Thoreau also was well read in the Vedic scriptures. Indian thought permeates his book WALDEN, where he offers an example for realizing one's divinity and fulfilling one's potential in the real world. Create first an ideal and then find the means of making that ideal come true, he argues. "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." He says. The world at large, in essence, is one big family and this awareness, he says, comes to him from the study of the Vedas. It is `like a light of a higher and purer luminary' His works abound in Vedantic thoughts and terms.
`Ex Oriente Lux' or `Light from the East' was the proclaimed motto of his life.
Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, thinks that Emerson and Thoreau are the conduits through whom Hindu thought found its way into American intellectual life. Romain Rolland himself was influenced by Thoreau. The Concord Movement, which was vague in American during those days, was also inspired by Hindu thought. `A week on the concord and Merrimack river ' of Thoreau is an enthusiastic eulogy of the Gita.
The great American novelist Melville in his magnum opus MOBY DICK depicts a whale which has resemblance to the incarnation of Vishnu going down to the utmost depths of the sea to rescue the sacred books.
Walt Whitman, whom Swamiji called `the sannyasin of America ', is another important writer whose poems reflect Hindu thoughts. In his `Leaves of Grass' he freed American verse from the shackles of European conventions. In content, he often turned towards Asia as is evident in his `Passage to India '. The poem he once said, was about `evolution… the unfolding of cosmic purposes'. The world has been welded together
"..not for trade or transportation only,
But in God's name and for thy sake O' soul."
Emerson called `Leaves of Grass a mixture of the Gita and the New York Herald'
In 1842 the American Oriental Society was formed in Boston . This together with the Oriental Library and the Journal of the American Oriental Society did much to promote Sanskrit and oriental studies in America . . Edward Eldridge Salisbury (1814-1901), `the father of American Oriental Studies', William Dwight Whitney, Josiah Royce Edward Washburn Hopkins and Charles Rockwell Lanman were known for their interest in Indian Upanishads and Puranas.
Though the philosophy of the Hindu scriptures was known to many thinkers and writers, it did not percolate down to the people at large. It was by and large thought abstract and speculative and remained in the realm of the ideal. Swami Vivekananda gave life and blood to the dry bones of Vedantic ideas and made them a living reality. Himself the perfect personification of all that Vedanta proclaims, Swamiji demonstrated unmistakably that it could be the most dynamic and positive faith and that it was immensely practical and highly useful. Thus he brought Vedanta from its rarefied atmosphere and made it an essential part of everyday life of the commonest of men. Swamiji saw the
dangers of crass materialism and consequent skepticism reigning everywhere in America . The material and religious tyranny exercised by the Government and the Church at that time was tremendous. The country's immense riches and power were in the hands of a few who manipulated the hapless to work for them. Exploitation was rampant. "All those things that you hear about – constitutional government, freedom, liberty and parliament are but jokes" Swamiji found to his dismay after his acquaintance with the country. Those were also the times of pseudo religious monstrosities in the form of secret, occult, abnormal psychic societies, and of goblins, ghosts and false prophets out to hoodwink and misguide the masses. It was an age of mental unrest and agnosticism. The rise of science and the publication of Darwin 's `Origin of Species' resulted in a repudiation of some of the basic tenets of Christianity. Mammon became the new God and sense gratification became the new religion. A keen observer of men and matters, Swamiji found the country an abominable place and felt himself obliged to cleanse this Augean stable. He poured forth the pristine, elevating elixir of practical Vedantic thoughts with clarity and precision. Rational to the core and universal in appeal, Swamiji's addresses appealed to the heads and hearts of the `new found land'. His addresses and classes on Vedanta and the Yogas (especially the Raja Yoga) made a tremendous appeal to the people at large. Many looked at him as their saviour and redeemer in that turbulent age.
Swamiji found the whole western civilization was about to crumble to pieces in the next fifty years or so if there was no spiritual and moral foundation to sustain it. As Mrs. Burke points out, "He came with the purpose of getting help for India, of telling the American people of his country's real needs and real genius; but he stayed only to give, pouring himself out for the sake of America, for he could not see hunger in any form, spiritual or physical, without filling it.' His teachings provided the much needed initial qualitative change which eventually saved the Western civilization from total annihilation. His speech at the Parliament of Religions in 1893 set in motion a wave of spirituality that was soon to engulf the whole western world. The `counter conquest', as A.L. Bashim has pointed out, `a conquest not with guns and bloodshed, but with love and sympathy thus began. Out of the 9 years of his public ministry from the Parliament of Religions in 1893, unto his death in 1902, he gave over his four productive years to the West. The intensity of his work, the output of spiritual, intellectual and literary and organizational work, besides the travels involved during this period is unprecedented.
"Buddha had a message for the East as I have a message to the West", he proclaimed. "The West will one day learn to feel proud of this emissary of modern India and learn from him the philosophy of comprehensive spirituality and total fulfillment as the way to its own redemption from a soul killing materialism. When that response comes from the West the tunnel connecting East and West would be complete and a new culture, neither eastern nor western, but just human, would be evolved making for the spiritual growth of man everywhere and tending to develop a `mankind awareness' in all nations and making the fulfillment of the purpose of the advent of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in the modern age" observes Swami Ranganathannadaji. This is indeed what we are witnessing now. The cumulative effect of his addresses in many cities and towns of America like New York , Chicago , Boston , California , San Francisco etc., his classes on Thousand Isle Park and other places, his published books on Vedanta and the four Yogas (especially Raja Yoga) and wide travels was unprecedented. To make his work lasting, he founded the Vedanta Society in New York . Soon, Vedantic Societies were established in other cities. At present there are about 20 Vedantic Societies of the Ramakrishna Order which are continuing Swamiji's work in right earnest. Let us not forget that Swamiji's mission in the West was to spread ideas, not churches. His intention was not to make anther religion. In fact he was reported to have said that had he preached the divinity of his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, the world would have worshipped him as another God.
In this mission, i.e. spreading ideas and changing the attitudes and transforming men and not creating any new religion, the Vedanta movement has succeeded quite well. Though the numbers attending these centers may be small, the impact has unquestionably been pronounced. Carl Jackson, the American historian, has said `few other religious bodies of such Lilliputian size have equaled the movement's impact or historical significance. Swamiji predicted that thoughtful and rational people could not but be drawn to India 's ancient philosophy, especially the Vedanta, for the new impulse they are seeking for spiritual food and drink". There was nothing narrow or partisan in his approach. All religions, according to him, if practiced sincerely can lead to the same goal, as all share the same basic principles. He did not want Christians to become Hindus. Far from it, he wants them to `go back to Christ', as they have deviated from Him. What are needed are change of hearts and a firm conviction that we are all essentially one and that all partake of the same divinity.
He never deprecated material progress. All that he wanted the West to realize was that excess of wealth, power and knowledge without holiness can make us all devils. True, he loved India for it possessed the treasures of spirituality to save the world from ruin and destruction. He wanted his countrymen to learn many things from the West – their material progress, dedication, organizational ability, skill, work culture and civic sense. We do need material prosperity just as the West need spiritual sustenance. It is a mutual give and take approach that he advocated. Combine `science and spirituality', he exhorted all. "What is India or England or America to us? We are the servants of that God who by the ignorant is called man. Renunciation and sacrifice are his watchwords" He was truly a global citizen full of sympathy and compassion for all. He called himself `a voice without a form' He often spoke of the `Virat", the cosmic soul, and urged everyone to think of himself and the world in that context.
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Vedanta in America after Swamiji's visit
Swamiji threw open the positive aspects of Hindu philosophy to a wider audience and its impact has been growing apace since then. Josephine Macleod, the American disciple of Swamiji did much to spread the message of her master, wherever she went. She collected influential people and fed them with his ideas, peppered them with her enthusiasm. Swami Shivananda, impressed by her work, told her, "it is for this work Swamiji has left you to scour round the world in search for great men'.
Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, was so much impressed by Swamiji's works that he studied them deeply and wrote the two classic works "Life of Ramakrishna' and `Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Ideal', which soon became popular. He called the Master and his disciple as `the perfect symphony of a universal soul'.
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Rolland, in turn, influenced the American novelist Henry Miller. Though known for his sexually explicit novels and censorship battles, he deplored the soullessness of Americans and their craving for material goods as substitutes for genuine happiness. A spiritually motivated writer, he invokes Swamiji as the greatest sage of our age. His story `An air-conditioned nightmare' opens with a `citation for Swami Vivekananda'. Throughout, he mentions and cites Swamiji and Sri Ramakrishna. He calls the latter as `the very incarnation of love and wisdom'.
Swami Prabhavananda (1893-1976) of Ramakrishna Order established the Vedanta Society of Portland and later moved to Los Angels where he founded the Vedanta Society of Southern California in 1930, which now is the largest Vedanta Society in the world.
He made a great impression in the minds of many writers and intellectuals of the time by his erudition and selfless service. Christopher Isherwood, Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard were but a few who were drawn to him. These writers deeply influenced by Vedanta, passed these ideas to their readers. Huxley (1894-1963), though English spent the later part of his life in America , living in Los Angels. His books contain Vedantic thoughts besides references to Hindu scriptures. His `Perennial Philosophy' is through and through Vedantic, wherein he muses, `the end of human life is contemplation of the direct and intuitive awareness of God.'
Gerard Heard, the pacifist humanist and mystic historian, like Huxley, moved to America towards the later part of his life and settled in California . He learnt Vedanta and it was he who introduced Huxley to Vedanta, meditation and vegetarianism. Anglo-American novelists like Auden and Isherwood immigrated to America in 1939 and lived in California , met Heard who had by then built his own monastery at Trabuco Canyon (which was eventually gifted to the Vedanta Society of Southern California). They all formed an extraordinary band of mystic explorers which in addition to Swami Prabhavananda, Huxley, Gerald Heard and Isherwood included such great men like Chris Wood, John Yale and J. Krishnamurthy. Together they produced several translations of Hindu scriptures, wrote a number of essays on Vedanta, besides novels, plays and screen plays – all imbued with the themes and characters from Vedanta and Upanishads. Isherwood (1904-1986) also wrote the biography of Sri Ramakrishna, `Ramakrishna and his Disciples'. `Vedanta and the West' was the official publication of the Vedanta Society of Southern California and it offered essays by many of the leading intellectuals of the time. Besides the writers mentioned above, who contributed articles regularly, the journal also saw the writings of Alan Watts and W. Somerset Maugham, the well-known American novelist and short story writer.
Swami Prabhavananda and Isherwood collaboration also saw publications of book like `The Song of God', `How to know God', `The Yoga', `Aphorisms of Patanjali' and Shankara's `Crest Jewel of Discrimination' (Vivekachudamani). Translation of `Bhagavat Gita', which was acclaimed as a `distinguished literary work' by Time Magazine, remains a text book in many colleges in America . T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), anther American writer, learnt Sanskrit and philosophy and was well versed in Hindu scriptures and Buddhist thought, which prompted him to write that `the great philosophers of India make most of the great European philosophers look like school boys!'. Considered one of the foremost writers of the age, his poems, plays and criticisms were infuenced by Hindu thought. His much acclaimed `Wasteland' is a poem about the outer barrenness and inner emptiness of the Western men, whom he considered as `hollow men'. The World War had laid the lands and minds of men waste. No other writer had depicted the spiritual and moral vacuum of his age as poignantly as Eliot. The way-out lies, he suggests, in the Indian way. He refers to the Buddhist and the Vedantic texts for modern man's redemption. In the last section of the ` Waste Land ', he explicitly invokes the Upanishadic injunctions `Da Datta, Da Dayadhvam and Da Damyata" (Give, sympathise, control). There are references to Ganga , Himavant etc and the poem significantly ends with `Shantih, shantih, shantih'. His poem `Four Quartets' too is also, among others, pervaded by Hindu philosophical ideas.
Swami Nikhilananda, (1895-1973), a direct disciple of Holy Mother Sarada Devi,
founded the `Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre' in New York . He too translated a number of Hindu scriptures into English, including `Gita". It was he who translated `The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', which won the wholehearted appreciation of such well known writers like Thomas Mann and Henry Miller. The `Time' Magazine considered the `Gospel' as `one of the world's most extraordinary religious documents.' His efforts to popularize Vedanta in general and the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda in particular, attracted a number of intellectuals and writers of America .
J.D. Salinger, who considers Swami Nikhilananda as his mentor, was a writer of repute, who was bowled over by Vedanta. His stories have the unmistakable imprint of Hindu thought. In one of his stories he describes Swami Vivekananda as `one of the most exciting, original and best equipped giants of the century'. The story's protagonist declares, `my personal sympathy for him will never be outgrown or exhausted as long as I live, mark my word, I would easily give 10 years of my life, possibly more, if I could have shaken his hand or at least said a brisk, respectful hello to him on some busy street in Calcutta or elsewhere.'
Heinrich-Zimmer (1890-1943) was one of the century's most prominent religious philosophers and historians settled down in New York in 1940. Professor of Columbia University , he regularly attended Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre in New York and he influenced many westerners. He wrote on Indian philosophy, its myths and legends, which caught the attention of many. In his magnum opus `Philosophies of the East', Sri Ramakrishna figures prominently and his sayings frequently cited and quoted at length from `The Gospel' translation by Swami Nikhilananda. Joseph Campbel was another well-known writer and `the rarest of intellectuals in American life' was a close associate of Swami Nikhilanada and helped him in his translations of `the Gospel' and Upanishads. He was even chosen President of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre in New York . Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and an authority on mythology and folklore, he too quoted Sri Ramakrishna in many of his works. Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899), whom Swamiji met while in America, was a prominent political leader, orator and free thinker and Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), one of the greatest electrical engineers of the age, were but some of the other eminent people, who came under the sway of Vedanta.
Another famous scholar and thinker who appreciated Swamiji and his thought was William James, Professor of Psychology and Philosophy of Harvard University and author of a number of works including `Principles of Psychology'. He admitted that Swamiji's religion was of high pragmatic value and provided `a perfect sumptuosity of security'. `Swamiji', he said `was an honour to humanity'.
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Harriet Monroe and Ella Wheeler Wilcox were the other American poets whose works reflect Vedantic influence.
Writings of historian Arnold Toynbee, philosopher Will Durant, sociologist Pitri, Sorokin, Psychologist and philosopher Carl Jung, and physician and physicist Herman Von Helmholtz, though belonged to Europe , also influenced the American minds in varying ways, which by and large are in praise of India 's priceless heritage and its eternal wisdom. The influence of Max Muller and Romain Rolland has already been mentioned.
Dr. Huston Smith was another intellectual associated with the Vedanta society in Saint Louis . He studied Vedanta, Zen Buddism and Sufism. Associated with Swami Satprakashananda of Ramakrishna Order, he is known for his work `The World's Religions'. Religions for him contain `the distilled wisdom of the human race'. Professor of Religion and Philosophy, he was known as the greatest authority on world religions. A media star, his films on Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufism created interest in eastern religions even among the common people in America . Both Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were quoted in whatever he wrote. He regarded Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji as the greatest saints of the 19th century
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Franklin Edgerton (1885-1963) the American linguist and educator, was a well known authority in Sanskrit, Hindu philosophy and culture, Indian art, education and literature. His book `The Bhagavat Gita', which he called ` India 's favorite Bible', appeared in two volumes in 1944. Dale Riepe (author of `Philosophy of India and Its Impact on American Thought') and Robert Ernest Hume (1877-1948), the American Sanskritist native to India (whose `Thirteen Principal Upanishads' first appeared in 1921) did much to popularize Sanskrit and Vedanta.
In 1920 Paramahamsa Yogananda was India 's delegate at the International Congress of Religious Liberals held in Boston . He established the Self Realisation Foundation in that year, which has now a number of centers and a large number of devotees.
In 1958 arrived Maharshi Mahesh Yogi in Los Angels. He introduced Transcendental Meditation and related programmes, established schools and universities worldwide. A disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati , Sankaracharya of Jyotir Math, he made a number of global tours promoting yoga and Vedic sciences. He became popular when Beatles and other celebrites became his disciples.
He also wrote a number of books including translations and commentaries of `Bhagavat Gita' which for him is verily `the scripture of Yoga, intended to raise the consciousness of men to the highest possible level.' He also introduced Ayurveda in the West, which together with Yoga continue to grow in popularity as the days pass. Deepak Chopra (himself a writer, his works include `The Science of Being and Art of Being' and `Ageless Body and Timeless Mind' etc) and a host of others are trying to bring Ayurveda and Yogic methods into the mainstream of American society.
In 1962 Swami Rama (1925-96) came to USA and Europe to allow himself to be studied by western scientists. Founder of the Himalayan Institute of Yogic Science and Philosophy in Pennsylvania with Branches in other places, he was a former Sankaracharya. He gave many lectures on Vedanta and Yoga and his writings include `Living with the Himalayan Masters' and `Path of Fire and Light', which are best sellers. Mention may also be made of the contributions of Shri B.V.S. Iyengar, the great Hatha yogi and Swami Narayananda (author of `The Primal Power')
Post 1965 Scenario
July 4, 1965 marked a watershed in the history of religion in America , for it was on this day the Immigration and Nationality Act came into existence. It opened the doors to various ethnic groups especially from Asia , and notably from India . The Indian community in North America including USA has been growing steadily and it now crossed 3 million. In the U.S. alone it stood at more than 1 million, which is thrice the number 15 years ago. Besides the Vedanta Centers , innumerable temples (numbering more than 800 and more are coming up), ashrams, meditation and yoga centers have come into being. All the mainstream Religious Missions like Chinmaya, Mata Amritananadamayi, Sai Baba, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ramana Maharshi, Mahesh Yogi, Osho, ISKCON, Mother Meera and others have all centers all over the country and are drawing large crowds, both from the Indian community and native Americans. Buddhism is also increasingly finding favor with the people there.
There is also a sudden spurt of interest in the study of Sanskrit, Yoga and traditional Indian dance and music.
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The Indian parents now in America want their children to be brought up in the traditional Indian way and this calls for the definition and practice of Hindu religion and dogmas. A deluge of Hindu `gurus' and `yogis', what to speak of teachers of assorted kinds like Sanskrit, arts, music and dance, find America a fertile land for trading their wares. We also find institutionalization of Hinduism and its politicization in order to obtain recognition and validation from authorities. It is true that the popularity of Hinduism and the publicity it receives have to some extent diluted the high ideals of Vedanta. There is the danger that the assorted temples and the numerous Ashrams and Yoga Centers may deflect attention from the `higher truth' – a danger Swami Vivekananda had warned against. Rituals, dogmas, books, bodily practices, forms of worship etc, may gain precedence over the discovery of innate divinity and the consequent realization of the essential oneness of all. Instead of the realization that all paths lead to the same goal, each institution may clamor for the superiority of its own `guru' or its own methods. This is likely to create sectarianism, which is the very antithesis of what `true' dharma professes.
In fact, there has already been criticism of this kind both from the Indian community as well as from Americans. Nonetheless, the true Vedanta, the type Swamiji preached and which the Vedanta Societies continue to propagate, is still vibrant though they do their work quietly and silently without much fanfare and rabble rousing. More and more earnest and genuine seekers, who are not content with mere `secondary details', are finding refuge in them, though their number as elsewhere may not be large. At any rate, Vedanta has captured the imagination of Americans, as they are finding it rational, practical and beneficial, suited to the modern world of globalization and interconnectedness. This unobtrusive inner transformation is happening silently without any violence or hatred and without pomp or splendor. Let us hope that in course of time the followers will move higher and higher in their spiritual journey. The Hindus in America, however, are charged with the responsibility of conducting themselves as true `Hindus' in a spirit of warm camaraderie both within their community at large as well as with the native Americans. In it lies the future of Hinduism in that country.
There are a number of books written both, by Americans and Indians settled there, about the rise and development of Hinduism in America . While a few like Prema A. Kurien's book `A Place at the Multicultural Table" finds fault with many of the features of this `New Religion', as she calls the present Hinduism in America, others like `Hindu America' by Chamanlal is quite appreciative. Other books include `Hinduism in the United States ' by Sudhakshina Ranga Swami and `Hinduism invades America ' by Wendell Thomas. While the former is a study of Hinduism in the socio cultural context of America , the latter is a study of the amazing adventure of an eastern faith in a western land and its impact on American life and culture.
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`Transcendent in America ' by Lola Williamson is perhaps the latest book in this category. The writer traces the history of various Hindu inspired movements in America and argues that together they constitute a discrete category of religious practice, a distinct and identifiable form of `New Religion'.
There are also a number of American educational institutions offering studies on Hinduism. The Institute of Indian Studies and the Centre for the study of Hindu Traditions at the University of Florida and the Hindu University of America in Orlando are the more prominent ones. Let us hope the euphoria which we are witnessing now will in course of time give rise to a calm and dispassionate exploration into one's own self leading to the realization of its identity with the Universal Self. Only then can we get rid of violence, insecurity and fear from our minds and usher in a world of peace, love and happiness. The lives and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda will then not be in vain.
By Prof. S.Radhakrishnan
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