Hinduism, Buddhism, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana in the News Media

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Hinduism in the News Media

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world which still has many followers. News media pay considerable attention to events focused on those who believe in this faith’s concepts, as despite the peacefulness of Hinduism as a path in life, Hindu activists are associated with various incidents. This essay will examine two distinct cases that characterize Hinduism from a negative side, revealing the general attitude of news media toward this religion in the contemporary world.

Discussion of Situations that Indicates the Attitude of Media Toward Hinduism

The Huffington Post news source provides detailed examinations of the different situations that involved Hinduism followers, emphasizing the presence of irrational violence. For instance, the article by Carol Kuruvilla entitled “Hindu Activists Denounce India’s Jailing of Muslim Who Prayed at Hindu Temple” (2020) displays one of the instances of Hindu nationalism. A Muslim peace activist was arrested for praying in a Hindu temple despite evidence indicating that he had permission. It was inter-religious tension that resulted in the incident. According to Viswanath, an influential follower of Hinduism, “a person who is Muslim, who devotes his efforts to an India which sees no difference between different communities, is not welcome in today’s Hindutva India” (Kuruvilla, 2020, para. 7). It represents religion from a negative side, showing that ancient attitudes toward people with other beliefs exist even in the contemporary world. The principles of equality of all religions were violated in the case.

Moreover, news media provides evidence that Hinduism deteriorates even established political and social relationships. According to Kuruvilla (2020), “Human rights groups have warned that the Indian government in recent years has been cracking down on journalists, activists, and students who criticize the government” (para. 13). From the news media perspective, it reveals the existing tendency of contemporary Hinduism to enforce their teaching without attempting to find peace with other religions. It also implies that the government of the country where Hinduism is the predominant religion is concerned because of the mistakes revealed by mass media.

There is another example that is evidence of the negative attitude toward Indians’ faith. In the article “Indian Ad Featuring Interfaith Baby Shower Sparks Hindu Nationalist Backlash,” posted in HuffPost journal is revealed that another attempt to unite two different religions provoked a backlash from Hindu nationalists (“Indian Ad Featuring Interfaith Baby Shower Sparks Hindu Nationalist Backlash,” 2020). The famous jewelry brand “New Delhi (AP)” showed an advertisement for a baby shower prepared by a Muslim man and his Hindu wife. However, despite the intention to make the two religions closer to each other, many activists considered that the company promotes “love jihad,” that is, accusing Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage (“Indian Ad Featuring Interfaith Baby Shower Sparks Hindu Nationalist Backlash,” 2020). Therefore, India’s tradition of diversity is boycotted by any attempts to establish Hindu-Muslim unity, resulting in various incidents.

Buddhism in the News Media

Buddhism is the predominant religion in China, which is one of the world’s largest. This faith teaches that human life is suffering, and techniques such as meditations, physical labor, and appropriate behavior can relieve the pain and assist in achieving enlightenment. Although this religion is known for the kind conduct of those who believe in it, followers of Buddhism are also wide-discussed, and incidents related to them are displayed by news media. This essay will examine two distinct cases that show the relation of Buddhism to contemporary global issues.

Discussion of Situations that Indicates the Relation of Buddhism to Contemporary Issues

Currently, great attention is paid to cases of sexual abuse connected to human rights protection, which is a substantial global issue. The article “Sex Abuse Allegations Against Buddhist Monk Rock Famous Chinese Monastery” (2018), written by Jennifer Morgan, reveals the detail of allegations of sexual misconduct against Shi Xuecheng, who is a religious leader. It is stated that the Buddhist monk is accused by numerous nuns of harassing and demanding sexual favors.

Xuecheng is a well-known figure that has written and published many books and blog posts for social media following. The accusations of such type make people of different religions and cultures doubt Buddhism, especially taking into consideration that this faith is focused mainly on “the correct behavior.” The situation is complicated by the fact that monks are so respected by the Chinese people and have so many privileges that only the government has the power to step in to protect the ones who require assistance (Morgan, 2018). It is unclear if any criminal charges will follow the case, but for news sources, the incident is a possibility to display Buddhism from a negative perspective.

In another situation, China violated the rights of its citizens to conduct religious activities online. In the article “China Debuts New Rules Severely Restricting Religious Activity Online” (2018) written by Erna Solberg, the new regulations are applicable to any religious instructions or similar services provided online. The issue is complicated as intentions to make all the activities morally fit and politically reliable as it restricts them significantly (Solberg, 2018). It can be considered an adverse influence, from the perspective of the protection of human rights, to provide and perceive information and share religious beliefs with ones who need it. The live streaming of activities such as praying and preaching is forbidden, which seems to be inappropriately firm regulation. Even activities that can be potentially conducted in a private home are banned.

The rationality hidden behind the restrictions is the tendency of the officially atheist Communist Party to demand loyalty from followers of Buddhism and limit religious freedom, despite the fact that it is written into the Chinese constitution. Therefore, there is an obvious relation between Buddhism to two major contemporary issues, one of which is the prevalence of sexual harassment, and the second one is a restriction of believers’ religious freedom. Basically, both problems focus on the violation of human rights, and manifestations of this adverse tendency while involving Buddhism in China are displayed in new sources.

The Bhagavad Gita in the News Media

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (the Gita) attributed to Hinduism religion is holy scripture that discusses moral dilemmas and displays the violence of wars. This Hindu text influences contemporary Indians and people of other nationalities and ones who belong to different cultures in a unique way. It is possible to reveal the relation of the Gita to global events by showing its importance to particular people’s social lives that complement more modern activities. This essay will examine two distinct cases displayed in news media that explains the significance of the Gita in the contemporary world.

Discussion of The Bhagavad Gita’s Role in the Contemporary World

Currently, the significance of religion is argued by the young generation, which does not find support in God. The article “How Studying Science Strengthened My Faith” (2016) written by Samita Sarkar reveals how modern science is supported by faith, particularly Gita’s provisions. The author shows that taking three science courses, astronomy, chemistry, and biology, and deepening into the Gita helped her form a complete understanding of God and the natural phenomena of the material world at the same time. In the modern world, people are regularly overwhelmed with the amount of information that needs to be consumed and understood. It may be complicated to find inner peace while developing personal insight into processes that are occurring in everyday life.

The Gita is focused on finding the optimal method of coexistence with other living beings and nature itself. According to Sarkar (2016), “Everything I learned in the course was confirmed in the scriptures, and what I read in the scriptures was confirmed by the course” (para. 8). It implies that the Gita still plays an important role in aligning science and spirituality as they both are valid because they are based on truth.

The Gita is also appreciated for its significant impact in comforting modern individuals in their hours of despair. Yoga, which is a set of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines, is also a part of this Hindu text. According to Saha (2017), “Yoga philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita expands our understanding and appreciation for the human condition. (para. 1). Inner conflict is the phenomenon that people perceive often, and the most advanced specialists consider religion and yoga a part of treatment. It enables to bring individuals out of their despair and motivates them to share love and trust.

News source displays Bhagavad Gita as a useful tool for complementing the vision of the contemporary world and modern society. The utilization of Gita’s practices is a substantial method of addressing fears and developing independence but complemented with evidence and facts insight into science and the global processes. The mentioned authors show readers the necessity of applying the ancient text revealing its usefulness in the 21st century, with respect to modernization and globalization, as religion still influences people’s social lives.

The Ramayana in the News Media

The Ramayana attributed to the Hinduism religion is the Sanskrit epic of ancient India. This Hindu text is interspersed with teachings on the goals of human life. Following Ramayana’s provisions is intended to assist in cultural consciousness forming, which is directly related to modern society’s performance and appearance. This essay will examine two distinct instances displayed in news media that show how the Ramayana influences the contemporary world.

Discussion of The Ramayana Role in the Contemporary World

Currently, the young generation is highly concerned with their role in society. A considerable part of people believes that becoming a true leader is one of the ways to achieve success. The article “Leadership Lessons from the Ramayana” (2017), written by Alka Pratap, reveals how this epic is helpful for human qualities forming. The Ramayana describes the story of Rama, who is displayed as a leader, able to go through the most extreme situations with dignity (Pratap, 2017). It is vital for the young generation to have a suitable instance of proper conduct to create a role model they can follow in their everyday life to become better versions of themselves. The Ramayana offers education in life as lessons on leadership can be obtained from the story. It successfully compliments the modern methods to gain the qualities of a true leader, as this ancient text applies to basic concepts instead of focusing on more specific ones, as contemporary teaching does.

However, the Ramayana is also associated with another global issue, which is the inequity of men and women in society. The text of focusing on the positive qualities of men, but from the ancient perspective. The point of view toward the relationship between genders changed significantly, and for those who learn from the Ramayana, it is necessary to consider the discrepancy between old and modern cultures. According to Kumbhar (2016), in the epic, it was stated that “Dasharath remarries twice and has three wives because he wanted a son” (para. 4). It implies that revealing Ram’s actions as supposed ideas can result in forming inappropriate, in the contemporary society, behavior of both males and females.

It is possible to consider the Ramayana to be a fundamental love story that establishes role models of behavior for both men and women. The ones with “good” qualities shall survive, while individuals with many “bad” qualities had to be killed to benefit patriarchal society. It is necessary to adjust thinking and use imagination, making the text more applicable to contemporary realities to eliminate the probability of this epic’s adverse influence on the young generation. News source reveals the Ramayana as a useful tool for people, especially males, to learn decent behavior from Rama, the protagonist of the story. However, there are concerns that it may deteriorate the conduct of men toward women, which is inappropriate with respect to the contemporary issue that is inequality between two major genders.

References

Indian Ad Featuring Interfaith Baby Shower Sparks Hindu Nationalist Backlash.(2020). HuffPost.

Kumbhar, K. (2016). How We Can Transform The ‘Ramayana’ Into A Gender-Equal Epic. HuffPost. Web.

Kuruvilla, C. (2020).Hindu Activists Denounce India’s Jailing Of Muslim Who Prayed At Hindu Temple. HuffPost.

Morgan, J. (2018). Sex Abuse Allegations Against Buddhist Monk Rock Famous Chinese Monastery. HuffPost.

Pratap, A. (2017). Leadership Lessons from the Ramayana. HuffPost.

Saha, A. (2017). Yogi Blues: The Bhagavad Gita & The Yoga of Despair. HuffPost.

Sarkar, S. (2016). How Studying Science Strengthened My Faith. HuffPost. Web.

Solberg, E. (2018). China Debuts New Rules Severely Restricting Religious Activity Online. HuffPost.

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