Being Different An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism edition by Rajiv Malhotra Politics Social Sciences eBooks
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India is more than a nation state. It is also a unique civilization with philosophies and cosmologies that are markedly distinct from the dominant culture of our times - the West. India's spiritual traditions spring from dharma which has no exact equivalent in Western frameworks. Unfortunately, in the rush to celebrate the growing popularity of India on the world stage, its civilizational matrix is being co-opted into Western universalism, thereby diluting its distinctiveness and potential. In Being Different An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism, thinker and philosopher Rajiv Malhotra addresses the challenge of a direct and honest engagement on differences, by reversing the gaze, repositioning India from being the observed to the observer and looking at the West from the dharmic point of view. In doing so, he challenges many hitherto unexamined beliefs that both sides hold about themselves and each other. He highlights that while unique historical revelations are the basis for Western religions, dharma emphasizes self-realization in the body here and now. He also points out the integral unity that underpins dharma's metaphysics and contrasts this with Western thought and history as a synthetic unity.
Erudite and engaging, Being Different critiques fashionable reductive translations and analyses the West's anxiety over difference and fixation for order which contrast the creative role of chaos in dharma. It concludes with a rebuttal of Western claims of universalism, while recommending a multi-cultural worldview.
Being Different An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism edition by Rajiv Malhotra Politics Social Sciences eBooks
Rajiv Malhotra is referred to in his biography as an Indian–American researcher, writer, speaker and public intellectual. The day is not far when he will be known as a great American researcher, writer, speaker and public intellectual. He is single-handedly accomplished a feat that no Western Indologist ever has. His work is making India comprehensible to the West and consequently Western educated Indians. I am sure his work will spawn a new generation of scholars who will learn about India and use that knowledge to change India. What is present here is not just knowledge, but the beginnings of a knowledge system necessary to understand the Indian mind and recognize Indian culture.Till now it has been Westerners living in the West trying to understand India within the Western Paradigm. Now the situation has evolved. Western educated Indians are educating Westerners about the mistakes they made in understanding India and in that process they are making Indology a more purer academic discipline, while at the same time opening up India to a generation of American Intellects who are untainted by the prejudiced views of European colonialists.
This work will be consequential throughout the world. Indians will have a better reasons to be proud of India. Western diplomats will be better equipped to relate to Indians. Missionaries will be better able to relate to Indians their are evangelizing to. The future has never looked so interesting.
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Being Different An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism edition by Rajiv Malhotra Politics Social Sciences eBooks Reviews
A book like this comes once in a generation and its impact will be felt across many lifetimes. For those few who still hang on to the 'caste, cow, curry' stereotype of India, for those learned ones who have understood the profound conversations between Nicola Tesla and Swami Vivekananda, or for those that comprise the bulk of middle-India who are 'Hindu only in name' with little clue about the powerful and practically useful message of self-realization and self-improvement available within Dharmic Thought Systems, or for those erudite scholars who have read all the Vedas this book is for everyone. This book transcends the petty and politicized 'zero sum' arguments that characterize today's religious discourse in many parts of the world and elevates the discussion to a higher plane like never before.
Why are recognizing differences important? Because, among other things, it helps preserves equality without requiring sameness. It encourages pluralism, promotes alternative opinions, helps overcome 'difference anxiety' and strives to establish fair working relationships based on mutual respect that go beyond just a legalistic view of 'zero tolerance for harassment' that focuses more on what not to do. In short, it challenges the reader to do better, and also shows how it can be done.
An important difference between Abrahamic versus Dharmic thought systems is that the former is 'history-centric', a top-down uni-directional flow of divinity and hope via one or more prophets that one has to necessarily subscribe to, to avail of its benefits. This automatically creates a 'us versus them' mentality. On the other hand, the latter (Dharmic thought system) is focused on practicing (rather than reading about) the inner-sciences and self-realization. Even if all history and mythology were to be lost, one could much like science, recover the eternal wisdom via 'first principles', i.e. yogic practice, good deeds, and meditation without banking on third-party prophetic customer support. The experience is reproducible. In fact, humans are originally divine and if you totally mess up in this life, you don't have to go to eternal hell, there is another life where you have a second chance of achieving enlightenment. This book can change your way of life and the way you think, if you are willing to let go of dogma and the fear of divine retribution.
Western translations of Dharmic thought often tend to miss key points and produce reductionist fare simply because of the resultant de-contextualization and poor approximations of some of the most fundamental and profound ideas of Dharmic thought systems, which are in Sanskrit and simply non-translatable into English. Sanskrit is the language of Yoga, the most popular self-improvement movement in the world today that is an open-source gift from Dharmic India to the world. The book notes that Mahatma Gandhi used the original Sanskrit words, thus retaining their original context and meaning and ultimately this made a huge difference to his campaign of non-violent protest and civil disobedience against colonialism.
One could say that this book is a Satyagraha against western universalism. Buy this book. read it more than once and pass it on to your children (especially if you want them to grow up to be emotionally and spiritually self-sufficient leaders rather than fear-filled followers). Let Dharma prevail on this earth! Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!
I certainly think that most people around the world for most religions do not have much insight into their belief systems including its history and philosophy. A lot of beliefs for most people are blind beliefs and childish. I think Rajiv has done a great job to emphasize how Hinduism is different from Christianity and in that way brings forth some interesting insights to Hinduism itself, things we take for granted but not really think about.
His insights may or may not be completely accurate hence the need to have open mind and to review other materials and have discussions. Hinduism is a very big umbrella for some similar and some very different belief systems. It can be adapted to almost anything you want. Over time most things undergo a change and so has Hindu beliefs, from Vedic ritualism to Buddhist philosophy to revival of vedic beliefs and Vedanta.
Even in modern times there are so many commentaries on major Hindu texts and religions. Each may be slightly different from one another and since not many have met GOD and like the seven blind men, they each have their own unique point of view.
Remember that religion is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end and when you find the absolute you have no further need for religion. As in the Upanishads, God is one, the sages call it by many names. There are many paths to the top of the mountain.
Rajiv Malhotra is referred to in his biography as an Indian–American researcher, writer, speaker and public intellectual. The day is not far when he will be known as a great American researcher, writer, speaker and public intellectual. He is single-handedly accomplished a feat that no Western Indologist ever has. His work is making India comprehensible to the West and consequently Western educated Indians. I am sure his work will spawn a new generation of scholars who will learn about India and use that knowledge to change India. What is present here is not just knowledge, but the beginnings of a knowledge system necessary to understand the Indian mind and recognize Indian culture.
Till now it has been Westerners living in the West trying to understand India within the Western Paradigm. Now the situation has evolved. Western educated Indians are educating Westerners about the mistakes they made in understanding India and in that process they are making Indology a more purer academic discipline, while at the same time opening up India to a generation of American Intellects who are untainted by the prejudiced views of European colonialists.
This work will be consequential throughout the world. Indians will have a better reasons to be proud of India. Western diplomats will be better equipped to relate to Indians. Missionaries will be better able to relate to Indians their are evangelizing to. The future has never looked so interesting.
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