Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Sahajiyās

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

The Sahajiyās is a sect that had its origin in the Sahajayāna school of Buddhism. It is closely associated with the Caitanya sect of Vaiṣṇavism. Sahaja literally means that which is born along with birth. It stands for the original basic nature or quality of a thing at its birth or origination and persists throughout, unchanged. It may be considered an equivalent of Brahman of Advaita Vedānta or the Śūnya of Nihilistic Buddhism.

The love of Rādhā towards Kṛṣṇa is the mode of sādhana[1] recommended. The Sahajiyās reject all the kinds of vidhis or rules and regulations normally followed by the society. They are against vegetarianism and austerities as recommended by the gosvāmis of Vaiṣṇavism. Another important feature of this system is the highest place and honor given to the guru. It is interesting to note that some techniques of calming the mind have been adopted by them from the Yogasūtras of Patañjali.[2]


References[edit]

  1. Sādhana means spiritual discipline.
  2. Patañjali lived in 200 B. C.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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