Why religion should be tamed

While reading Shashi Tharoor’s latest book, Why I am a Hindu, I got stuck at a quote from Swami Vivekananda. “Unity in variety is the plan of nature, and the Hindu has recognised it,” goes the quote from a speech delivered by the great Hindu in Chicago. “Every other religion lays down certain fixed dogmas and tries to compel society to adopt them.” Swami Vivekananda then went on to compare religious teachings to a coat. Truth is like a coat of a fixed size for most religions. The size is fixed by the Rabbi or Pope or Mullah or Godman. Whoever you are, you have to wear that coat. Never mind the hilarious look it may give you because it just doesn’t suit you. You have to wear it if you want to belong to this religion. The meaning of religion is accepting the given truths blindly. Don’t question. Don’t dispute. Don’t doubt. Just accept. Accept what is shoved down your throat.

“The Hindus have discovered that the absolute can only be realized, or thought of, or stated through the relative, and the images, crosses, and crescents are simply so many symbols – so many pegs to hang spiritual ideas on.” Swami Vivekananda told his American “Sisters and brothers.” [Yes, he addressed them as Sisters and brothers, giving prominence to women long before the West thought of doing it.]

The Hindu can cut the cloth and stitch the coat that suits him. In other words, the Hindu can worship any god. She can worship Rama or Ravana. He can worship Durga or Mahishasura. She can worship Jesus or Allah. Hinduism is all about liberating people to their own gods and not at all about enslaving them to a monolithic creed as most other religions do.

No wonder the Americans sat down and listened to Swami Vivekananda with admiration. The British were later stupefied by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas of tolerance and non-violence. The Swami and the Mahatma are the real spirits of Hinduism. What do we find today, however?

Hollow speeches. Empty promises. Hatred. Violence. Mounting discontent. And glittering dresses, foreign trips with a retinue of chefs topped with the usual logorrhoea.

Can we not change this?

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