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When Hindus were wishing each other with Namaste - They laughed
When Hindus were washing hands and feet before entering home - They laughed
When Hindus were worshiping Animals - They laughed
When Hindus were worshiping Plants Trees Forests - They laughed
When Hindus were primarily having Veg diet - They laughed.
When Hindus were doing Yoga - They laughed.
When Hindus were worshiping God and Goddess - They Laughed

When Hindus were burning the dead - They laughed
When Hindus bathed after attending a funeral - They laughed.
Well guess what ? No body is laughing now..
-   Pravin Agrawal
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Many of us are so busy and work so much that we don't have time to live. Our work can take up all our life. We may even be addicted to our work, not because we need the money, but because we don't know how to handle the suffering and loneliness inside and so we take refuge in our work. - Thich Nhat Hanh


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Almost every time I sit for meditation I think of a man named Allan Bennett.  At the beginning of the 20th century he went to Sri Lanka, became a Buddhist monk and returned to his native England to share meditation and Buddhism.  Circumstances resulted in his "failure" to spread Buddhism:  World War I and his own deteriorating health. He died in poverty at the age of 50 yet he planted an important seed from which Buddhism would grow and flourish in England and Europe. I think of Allan Bennett every time I sit for meditation and think of him with gratitude for his sacrifice.

Here's a link to my short profile on him published at the website Buddhist Door:

https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/the-man-who-brought-buddhism-to-great-britain-allan-bennett
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Let me give you a wonderful Zen practice. Wake up in the morning...look in the mirror, and laugh at yourself. - Bernie Glassman

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There is no permanent reality except the reality of change. Permanence is an illusion of the senses. - David Carradine

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Why do Westerners who embrace Hindu practices resist identifying themselves as Hindus?

That's the question raised by Swami Shankarananda (a British born convert to Hinduism) who writes:  "Thousands of non-Indians follow the practices of Hinduism and are intrigued by its philosophy. So, why don't they call themselves Hindu?"   It is not an abstract question as Swami Shankarananda himself found it difficult to identify himself as a "Hindu" whenever filling in a form asking one religious identify.  He notes this isn't an issue for Westerners who embrace Buddhism.

"I have friends and colleagues who are leaders of the Buddhist community here in Melbourne. They say that, in general, the Western Buddhist practitioners under their tutelage have not the slightest problem saying they are Buddhist. What's the difference between them and us? Why is it easier for Westerners to call themselves Buddhists than Hindus? It's not simply because Buddhism is more fashionable at the moment, being apparently more rational (fewer Gods), or currently enjoying the charisma and leadership of the Dalai Lama. Why should a person who practices yoga and meditation, believes in karma and reincarnation, honors Hindu tradition, chants Sanskrit and venerates Hindu deities be reluctant to call himself a Hindu?"

Here are some reasons why this hesitation is present in Westerners according to the Swami:
  • Buddhism comes from a variety of countries - Korean Buddhist, Japanese Buddhist, Chinese Buddhist, etc., making is "natural" to call oneself an American Buddhist or Australian Buddhst.  Hinduism, on the other hand, is over whelmingly Indian.
  • "Also, many Westerners have trouble dealing with certain concepts and practices they witness in today's Hinduism of India--like the caste system, for instance. Indeed, some Hindus have trouble with that as well. It is a fact that many low-caste Hindus have adopted Buddhism and Christianity--even Islam--to escape it. Where would Western yogis fit into such a system? Certainly, the answer is obvious. Why would we Westerners voluntarily enter a world in which we have a low status?"
  • Hinduism has been "demonized" by evangelical Christian missionaries who describe Hinduism as idol worship, a "heathen" religion, and one filled with superstitions.  "The first Western spiritual aspirants steered away from the H-word in favor of terms like "Theosophy, " "Vedic religion " and even "Vedanta." Such practices were then considered more "transcendental " than Hindu. Even today's New Age philosophy--perhaps unconsciously--has incorporated many Hindu ideas, like reincarnation and karma."
  • Hinduism has been nearly totally absorbed and identified by Indians as belonging to Indians.  "While Hinduism is generally dignified by an extraordinary tolerance and universality, it is also true--and I've experienced this myself--that Westerners are sometimes barred entry into Indian temples."  Some Indian leaders have openly declared Westerners cannot be Hindu though that viewpoint is not accepted by other Indian leaders.
  • The lower status of women in Hinduism is a deterrent for Westerners considering defining themselves as Hindu. 
Swami Shankarananda offers this concluding insight:  "I have been using the title "Western Hindu " in this essay. In the past, I have also used "Philosophical Hindu, " which suggests that being a Hindu is not only a matter of birth but of attitude. My final take on the situation is this: We are, in fact, Hindus. But when asked, we are likely to be more comfortable referring to ourselves as "Shaivite yogis " or "Vaishnava bhaktars " or "TM meditators, " only admitting to being a Hindu after additional dialogue. But in this sense, we are perhaps not unlike the Indian devotee who is more inclined to refer to his or her specific Hindu lineage or theology when asked about religious identity. Perhaps it's a Hindu characteristic not to want to say things too bluntly."

So, think about his insights.  If you're chanting in Sanskrit, working with your Chakras, doing yoga, meditation, visiting your local Temple, you're really not a Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal any longer.




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Watch your thoughts; they become your words. - Barbara Ann Kipfer

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Reality is always speaking to us, if we are only willing to listen, free of grasping to our own opinions, our own views: that is Wisdom. - Tashi Nyima

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I've resisted writing or commenting on this "pandemic" wishing to avoid generating more negative energy.  However, I read material from Chris Wark, a health researcher and journalist. He says that the "real pandemic is fear".  I agree!  Here's what he points out:

  • this virus is no more of a threat than the flu, that the death rate is grossly exaggerated, and that the entire world is overreacting thanks to the media and politicians, who thrive on fear-mongering, and won't miss a paycheck because their employer shut down.
  • Reality check. The flu kills 30-60k Americans every year and Hospital Acquired Infections kill 75k Americans every year. The elderly, people with serious health problems, and chemo patients always have been and always will be especially vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections.
  • The 3.4% death rate of COVID-19, which everyone is freaking out about, is 3.4% of the worst cases, who were so bad they actually went to the hospital. It is not 3.4% of all cases.
    Most cases are mild and people are getting over it without seeing a doctor or being officially diagnosed. Rational estimates put the COVID-19 death rate at less than 1% or maybe even less than 0.05%, which is lower than the flu.
  • Practically speaking, Vitamin D may be the most important annual protective measure against colds, flu, and viruses, including COVID-19.


Victor M. Parachin ... 

a Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. 

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