Use or Abuse?
by David Frawley
Hindu images have been used for every sort of commercialism, from being put on shoes in France to even toilet seats in the US. Hindu sacred chants have been used as the background for erotic scenes in modern movies. Yet it was only after making significant protests that Hindu concerns have even registered in the media. This is largely because the world media, dominated by western religious views, did not even consider a Hindu point of view as existent until Hindus began their protests.
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:19 pm
people like us didn’t know how to express against the shameless and ignorant so called educated media-vandals, Hindu-haters .
Dr D.F.’s article seems to be our own hearts poured.This seems to be the last word on the matter.Million thanks.Accept our gratitude.
June 25th, 2006 at 6:29 am
Om Namah Sivaya!!
Namaskarams~!
thank you Vamadeva Sastri for your wonderful article explaining our views on the matter of misusing our sacred icons…your words so expressively said what we have felt but have been unable to express in such a clear and meaningful way. May the Divine Bless you always in your work to educate the western mind in the sacred ways of their Hindu brothers and sisters….again, thank you so much from the bottoms of our hearts!
in the Service of Love Divine,
as ever,
visvanathan
June 25th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Anything that David Frawley writes is always brilliant. In my opinion, he is the best Hindu writer of the modern age. I’ve learnt more from his writings than any other writer, except perhaps Sri Aurobindo. But Sri Aurobindo’s books wouldn’t have even made sense to me unless I had read Frawley’s stuff first.
June 25th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with David Frawlely’s sentiments. Although I strongly believe in freedom of speech and expression, such freedom comes with the responsibility to exercise it with sensitivity and informed knowledge, and not just willy-nilly. That means not exploiting our Divine Images for artistic egoism or as ideological whipping-boys by nonHindus with an axe to grind.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Hindus in western countries are even more alert and assertive about proper recognition of their religion. They are in better position to lead Hindus at the moment when there is no representative administration in the land of Hindus and when the western countries are learning the values of Hinduism and Hindus for ther own growth and beneficiaries of Hinduism.
If our institutions like Sandipani Rishi, Vashistha, Vishwamitra and Agtsya ashramas and kingdoms like awakened Mandhatas were intact and if policies of Kautilya were in place in place of pseudo secular chaos we would have made rules for producing, printing and displaying divines both externally and internally for sancity insulated by domestic laws, foreign diplomacy and provision for consequences.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
Excellent article!! especially for those p-secular Hindus who say, “What about the erotic pictures in Khajuraho or the Konark sun temples - all built by Hindus. What about Kamasutra written by a sage?”
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this excellent write-up
August 19th, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Placing sacred pictures on toilet seats is disgusting, and shoes as well. Back in the old days in America, people used to use the old Sears catalogs in their outhouses for toilet paper. But did such people use an old Bible? I think not!
September 25th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
What is dharmic ,presently or historically concerning tatooing an Aum, mantra, deity and/or Hindu symbol? Please reply to…yatideva@aol.com
Thanks