The Western Hindu

[Stigweard]

A very dear friend of mine, Russ, has started a new blog:

 

The Western Hindu

 

From the intro:

 

"The aim for this blog is to create a home for honest and open discourse on Hindu Spirituality for those of us who follow the path of Sat, Chit, Annanda and to assist each other to grow and develop in a community spirit of support and nourishment."

 

Feel free to drop over and say "G'day"

 

[dwai]

Looks like your friend did not like my comment (which I posted on his blog, but he did not publish it).

any how, his claim that he didn't find a good place on the internet to discuss hinduism seems strange -- so I invited him to my site -- http://www.medhajournal.com.

 

It would be interesting to learn what he means by the Western Hindu?

 

Is Taobums about Western Taoism or Taoism? Is there such a thing as "Western" Tao/Hindu/Buddha/ism?

 

Would Russ care to respond here?

[Water]

Looks like your friend did not like my comment (which I posted on his blog, but he did not publish it).

any how, his claim that he didn't find a good place on the internet to discuss hinduism seems strange -- so I invited him to my site -- http://www.medhajournal.com.

 

It would be interesting to learn what he means by the Western Hindu?

 

Is Taobums about Western Taoism or Taoism? Is there such a thing as "Western" Tao/Hindu/Buddha/ism?

 

Would Russ care to respond here?

 

Dear Dwai,

 

I thank you for your recent comment on my blog. I am sorry that I did not publish your comment and link to your site on my blog. My life has been quite busy of late, with both of my elderly parents being quite unwell, and needing some extra attention. I had intentions of getting back to you which I have (until your post here today) been unable to do so. I am even remiss on even getting back to Sean, who wanted to know more about my blog as well. My apologies to you for not getting back to you. I thank you for bringing this remission to the attention of the forum, and for essentially reposting your link to your own site here (http://www.medhajournal.com). It is a good thing that you have done. I obviously needed the prompting from you.

 

I also thank you for questioning what I mean by 'Western Hindu'. In this case, the concept was to discuss the difficulties and intricacies of living a life based on Hindu teachings in a Western World and culture, without the assistance of a Hindu society to do that within. Whilst that may not have been explicit on my blog, I am happy if I have been able to clear up that confusion for you now.

 

Brother, I fear that I have offended you, although I am not sure how I have. The tone of your post here is, interesting. Of course, you were unaware of my personal circumstances, nor are you probably aware of the fact that I have not put a lot into the site since I have been looking at different hosting options other than blogger.com, all of which has been a work in progress. Your site (http://www.medhajournal.com) is obviously far more polished than mine. I will take it as an example to live up to.

 

Again, if the name of the blog has offended you, I apologise. If the fact that I have not been physically able to get back to you regarding either your comment or your own site has offended you, I apologise. If I have not become a member at your site (http://www.medhajournal.com), I also apologise. Given the fact that I also own the blog, and have a right to decide what is published on it and what is not, I also apologise for not putting your comment in.

 

I also apologise if there have been any inflections on my behalf, that the Tao Bums is in any way a Western, Eastern, Northern or Southern site. This was completely unintentional, and given that it is a separate site to The Tao Bums, I doubt that many others would have made such a connection. Again, I hope my definition above has cleared this point of conjecture for you.

 

In closing, I thank you for your interest in my humble blog, which (in all honesty) does dwarf in comparison to your own site (http://www.medhajournal.com) and is but a puppy. In time I hope to emulate your success and good on line etiquette.

 

Thanks again for your assistance...

 

Russ

[Eric23]

I took a few minutes and visited your blog. Looking forward to going through it when I have some time. I know all too well the challenges of elderly parents. With the popularity of yoga in the US and the west, your concept has great validity. Namaste.

 

Eric

[dwai]

Dear Dwai,

 

I thank you for your recent comment on my blog. I am sorry that I did not publish your comment and link to your site on my blog. My life has been quite busy of late, with both of my elderly parents being quite unwell, and needing some extra attention. I had intentions of getting back to you which I have (until your post here today) been unable to do so. I am even remiss on even getting back to Sean, who wanted to know more about my blog as well. My apologies to you for not getting back to you. I thank you for bringing this remission to the attention of the forum, and for essentially reposting your link to your own site here (http://www.medhajournal.com). It is a good thing that you have done. I obviously needed the prompting from you.

 

I also thank you for questioning what I mean by 'Western Hindu'. In this case, the concept was to discuss the difficulties and intricacies of living a life based on Hindu teachings in a Western World and culture, without the assistance of a Hindu society to do that within. Whilst that may not have been explicit on my blog, I am happy if I have been able to clear up that confusion for you now.

 

Brother, I fear that I have offended you, although I am not sure how I have. The tone of your post here is, interesting. Of course, you were unaware of my personal circumstances, nor are you probably aware of the fact that I have not put a lot into the site since I have been looking at different hosting options other than blogger.com, all of which has been a work in progress. Your site (http://www.medhajournal.com) is obviously far more polished than mine. I will take it as an example to live up to.

 

Again, if the name of the blog has offended you, I apologise. If the fact that I have not been physically able to get back to you regarding either your comment or your own site has offended you, I apologise. If I have not become a member at your site (http://www.medhajournal.com), I also apologise. Given the fact that I also own the blog, and have a right to decide what is published on it and what is not, I also apologise for not putting your comment in.

 

I also apologise if there have been any inflections on my behalf, that the Tao Bums is in any way a Western, Eastern, Northern or Southern site. This was completely unintentional, and given that it is a separate site to The Tao Bums, I doubt that many others would have made such a connection. Again, I hope my definition above has cleared this point of conjecture for you.

 

In closing, I thank you for your interest in my humble blog, which (in all honesty) does dwarf in comparison to your own site (http://www.medhajournal.com) and is but a puppy. In time I hope to emulate your success and good on line etiquette.

 

Thanks again for your assistance...

 

Russ

 

Dear Russ,

 

Thanks for elucidating what you mean by "Western Hindu". Being an "Eastern" Hindu, I find it alarming when such labels are ascribed to the Eternal Way of Life (you of course know what that means).

 

I merely wanted to point to you a vibrant community of knowledgeable Practicing Hindus who congregate on Medha Journal...not to show you up...I wish your blog great success (and it definitely will, if it is in the Way).

 

There is a long and insidious history of appropriation rampant in the West (starting from the 19th Century Philologists of Europe) when it comes to things Hindu and of Indian origin. Perhaps some of my apprehension was derived from your choice of the title of your blog, since it drew in my mind the differentiation of what cannot be divided into West and East.

 

For instance, I give you Christian Yoga...what a ludicrous concept. Yoga is an Indic way that is necessarily built on the framework of Sankhya (one of the Six Classical Darshanas of India). That's like starting "Christian" Tai Chi.

 

You are welcome to join us at Medha Journal should you be interested in interacting with practicing members of the Eternal Way (many who were born into it, many who came into it on their own volition). I will follow your blog with interest and give you my feedback, when necessary (I hope you will not mind that).

 

Best Regards,

 

Dwai

Edited January 7, 2009 by dwai

[Water]

Dear Russ,

 

Thanks for elucidating what you mean by "Western Hindu". Being an "Eastern" Hindu, I find it alarming when such labels are ascribed to the Eternal Way of Life (you of course know what that means).

 

I merely wanted to point to you a vibrant community of knowledgeable Practicing Hindus who congregate on Medha Journal...not to show you up...I wish your blog great success (and it definitely will, if it is in the Way).

 

There is a long and insidious history of appropriation rampant in the West (starting from the 19th Century Philologists of Europe) when it comes to things Hindu and of Indian origin. Perhaps some of my apprehension was derived from your choice of the title of your blog, since it drew in my mind the differentiation of what cannot be divided into West and East.

 

For instance, I give you Christian Yoga...what a ludicrous concept. Yoga is an Indic way that is necessarily built on the framework of Sankhya (one of the Six Classical Darshanas of India). That's like starting "Christian" Tai Chi.

 

You are welcome to join us at Medha Journal should you be interested in interacting with practicing members of the Eternal Way (many who were born into it, many who came into it on their own volition). I will follow your blog with interest and give you my feedback, when necessary (I hope you will not mind that).

 

Best Regards,

 

Dwai

 

Dear Dwai,

 

Thanks again for your thoughts. I feel at once that we have more in common than not. You are right of course. There can be no separation between the observer and the observed... any more than there can be any such separation between different varieties of Hindu thought. Even Jnana culmilates in Bhakti, as Bhakti culminates in Jnana...

 

I can only imagine the stressors that you mention causing inflections of all things Indic as a result of the past. All the more so because I was born into this body well after it had all happened, and into a white body at that. Thankfully, Atma and Atman are one.

 

I am also grateful for this opportunity to have gotten to know you better. Nothing is without cause... Not even a blade of grass moves without His consent...

 

And of course, it goes without saying that you are welcome at my blog anytime...