Being Different: Book review ॐ शान्ति |

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 Being Different: Book review

Have you ever wondered why and how have Hindus and Hinduism managed to not only survive but also thrive in spite of being subjected to innumerable cultural and political assaults, physical and mental enslavement for over 1000 years? How is it that in a world where “Gods” can’t stand competition and are always urging followers to either convert or eliminate opponents, here in India over 33,000 Gods have managed to find mind space and that too without any major blood bath? How is it that philosophers like Charvak who took a complete contrarian view to prevalent moral beliefs weren’t killed by the authorities of the day for dissent and find respect even today as rishis? Even today, how if it that a muslim fakir like Shirdi Sai baba has the largest following amongst Hindus?

From Afghanistan to South East Asia, Hindu kings ruled over the sub-continent at one point in time. However, there isn’t one pogrom of forcible conversion imposed on non-Hindu subjects. Quite the contrary, Hindu kings have given shelter to religious minorities expelled from other regions – be it Syrian Christians or Parsis from Iran. These minorities have been given the space and the right to maintain their distinct identity and have been assimilated seamlessly in the Indian ethos. Why is it that we easily talk of “sarva-dharm sam bhav” (सर्वधर्म समभाव) – “equal respect for all religions”, but even after all the enlightenment, all that we get in return is “religious tolerance”?

Has it ever struck you that unlike other religions, the Hindu has no one book of law which indicts what to do and what not to? Even in Gita, Krishna after giving a discourse to Arjun on work, life and duties spanning over 700 Shloks, concludes in the end saying

इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया  
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु।।18.63।।

“I have told you what I know, now you decide what you should do”.  Own your action and your destiny, says Krishna. Act and bear the results thereof, nobody will and nobody can do it for you!

Of course, there are law books attributed to different authors (eg. Manusmriti, Yagnwalkya smriti), but these aren’t considered divine like Veda, nor are they written in stone. Our scriptures suggest that duties and law must change by desh (place) and kal (time) – laws relevant in Krita yug won’t be applicable in Kali-yug. And the starkness of this cannot be better explained than the difference in our 2 most respected Avtaars – Ram and Krishna, same Vishnu-tatva, same objective but vastly different approach and even nuances values. To a mind conditioned to think in black and white, this is absurd, but not so to the billion Hindus, we cherish both equally – extolling Ram as “Maryada Purshottam” and Krishna as “Purna Purushottam”.

Many Indians have moved abroad and made other countries their homes, but there is not one example of them fighting with natives or trying to seek special hindu laws or rights.  They have always adapted themselves to the host nations. Ever wondered why are we the way we are?

And I can go on and on…if these or some such questions have struck you before or now after having been pointed out, Being Different is a book for you. It is a book for all us English educated Youth who have little, no or only shallow understanding of Indian ethos. The book doesn’t claim to be a 101 on Hinduism. But what the book does is definitely makes the reader curious about understanding Hinduism better, beyond the leftist narrative, beyond the usual caste, cow, curry image. What it definitely establishes though that Hinduism is not really an “ism”, as Dharma, unlike Judaism, Christianity and Islam doesn’t really mean religion.

From Willian Jones to Max Muller of yester years and Wendy Doniger to Pollock, today, interestingly, most “experts” on Hinduism are not practicing Hindus. While they could be genuinely intrigued by the Hindu phenomenon, when they analyze the Indian ethos, they do it from their own framework of what is “stable state”. The stable state being the environment or culture they come from. Hence, a Hanuman (Monkey God) or an Ganesh (Elephant head God) are “Weird and Amusing” but a “Virgin birth’ is sacred and purely scientific, hence Polytheism and worship of nature is “uncivilized” but monotheism is “civilized”, hence Jesus is History but Ram, Krishna are Myths, hence, the jealous God who punishes and takes revenge is seen as True God and his followers are macho, but loving, playing, singing Krishna and his followers are seen as “effeminate”

What Rajiv Malhotra does in Being Different is “reverses the gaze” – he challenges of the notion of “stable state” based on the western narrative from a very Hindu view. He compares the eastern knowledge systems and western religions (what he calls Judeo-Christian) on four key aspects –

These are

  1. Embodied knowledge vs. History centrism
  2. Integral Unity vs. Synthetic Unity
  3. Comfort with complexity and ambiguity vs. anxiety over chaos
  4. Cultural Digestion vs. Sanskrit non translatables

Do note: There is no Good or Bad, or right or wrong, it is about differences – objectively stated.

Embodied knowledge vs History Centrism

Last 200 years, we’ve been told our Gods are all myths. That there was no Ram, no Krishna, no Ayodhya, no Mathura, no Dwarka, that we have no “real God”. But in spite of that, Dharma and Hindus survived. For Hindus, divinity is not only about Krishna or Ram, divinity is within all living beings – animals, trees, plants included. We grow up learning “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am that divinity). Spirituality is ingrained in Dharma. We believe individuals have it in them to experience divinity themselves through tapas तपस् (no it doesn’t mean penance), tapas loosely means committed effort to achieve a certain goal – physical and mental. This is what RM calls embodied knowledge, which every being has the right and ability to achieve and doesn’t require any central agency like temple or clergy.

Christianity on the other hand, sustains on the notion of “original sin” of Adam and Eve, and hence the virgin birth of Jesus is important to raise him above mortal humans. If “original sin” is dismissed as myth, there is no justification for virgin birth and neither for redemption by the one who will suffer on our behalf. There is no direct link to God, can’t be, as sinners can’t be choosers, they have to be saved. This dependence on specific events is what RM calls History Centrism. No wonder that when westerners see Hindus worshipping anyone and anything and also aspiring to experience divinity, they see it as occult and mystic on one side to devilish and dangerous on the other.

Integral Unity vs. Synthetic unity

In spite of the 33,000 Gods and Goddesses, the Indian thought ultimately believes in “Ekam sat, viprah bahuda vadanti” (एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति) the truth is one, the wise talk of it in multiple ways. However, as stated before, this Truth is not a well-defined object, it is a subjective truth that everyone should define and find for themselves, the routes could wary. Hence there is respect and acceptance of these different routes. The unity is inherent, it being the divinity in all, irrespective of gender, species or race. Differences are omnipresent and they are let be, there is no fear of the “other”, even if there is, there is no urge to eliminate it, not even convert, not celebrate may be. (Frankly, this is the reason, why Hindus rarely understand the magnanimity of the opponents it faces in the form of Church and Wahhabism today). Moreover, the encouragement of inquiry allows philosophy and science to co-exist and be interspersed in culture and spirituality. There is no fight of one upmanship between Dharma and science.

Abrahamic faiths on the other hand have a religious responsibility to “spread the good news”, even if it is by force. “The other”, is dangerous and hence should either be killed or converted. The True God, and the History Centrism, cannot be questioned. Hence religion and Science have always had a very acrimonious relationship.  Hence, unity has to be forced or patched in, somehow, like the Hellenistic/Aristotelian philosophy.

Comfort with complexity and ambiguity vs. anxiety over chaos

Unlike a parochial centralization that determines clearly the Dos and Don’ts, there is no one manual for Hindus. In spite of the pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, there is no one book like Bible which one may follow. Hence, everyone lives life the way they deem is right or convenient, the same has extended to the society. There is no black and white, but a whole range of grey through which the society navigates. The ambiguity and multiplicity is comprehensible to the Hindu mind, as ultimately beyond all the differences is an integral unity. For a western eye, used to a disciplined system where once rules are laid, they have to be followed, this ambiguity in the eastern society is chaotic and mind boggling.

To the Indian mind, which thrives in ambiguity and “jugaad”, the western discipline is overly limiting and rigid. While both systems have their utility value, the difference in approach is definitely stark and anxiety creating.

Cultural Digestion vs. Sanskrit non translatables

Over years, as Christianity spread, pagan traditions were digested into it, including the celebration of Christmas of 25th December and the Christmas tree. Today, nothing of the pagan culture remains, with most no even aware about the pagan roots of Christian tradition. Being the dominant force, it absorbed what it thought was desirable from the conquered cultures and rejected what was not palatable. Going forward, the source is conveniently forgotten and the practice becomes very much a part of the western narrative, while the host culture is vanquished and forgotten. This kind of digestion is also seen today, Yoga becomes Christian Yoga or plain exercise and Dhyan/Dharna becomes “Mindfulness”.  The exercise part of Yoga is retained but the sacred that underlines Hindu Dharma, is rejected.

While exchange of thoughts is pivotal to evolution of cultures, the exchange has to be genuine and enriching to both cultures, and the host culture has to get its due referencing. To ensure this, Rajiv Malhotra insists on the use of the Sanskrit terms even while conversing in non-Indic languages. For example – Dharma is not Religion.  That overarching framework which sustains the world is Dharma, religion is merely a subset, if at all. Dharma is more than a way of life, even animals, trees, oceans and air have their Dharma, failing which the world will not sustain. Similarly, Yagna is not mere sacrifice and tapas is not penance. Yoga is not gymnastics and Moksha is not salvation.

Not only just to maintain the sanctity of these terms, but also to understand the Hindu thought in its entirety with its many a nuances, it is important to use them as is and understand them in their right context.

In “Being Different”, Rajiv Malhotra elaborates in detail, each of the above, with numerous interesting examples from both eastern and western knowledge systems. The book literally jolts the readers from their comfort zone, challenging prevalent and well accepted “universal values”. This is one of the most important book written in recent times putting Hindu thought in perspective. A must for every Indian to read, absorb and discuss.

ॐ शान्ति |

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Reviewer: Subashish Chattopadhyay

Please click the link below to read a review of Being Different by Subashish Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor of English, Government College, Vishnupur featured in the June 2013 issue of Prabuddha Bharata.

Subashish Chattopadhyay Review

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Reviewer: V.V. Raman

Some Reflections on
Rajiv Malhotra’s Being Difference: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism

This is a scholarly book from the keyboard of Mr. Rajiv Malhotra. Malhotra has had an unusually rich and influential career: With a background in science and after a very successful business venture, he turned his interests to culture, history, and the power of knowledge manipulation in the politics of the world. In less than a decade and a half he has risen to prominence among Hindu intellectuals, Indian thinkers, and Western commentators on India. An activist-scholar, he has fought successfully against the distortions, intentional or inadvertent, of Hindu worldviews in English-based schools, colleges writings, and media beyond the shores of India. The internet has contributed immensely to the propagation of his name and fame. Thanks to his relentless dedication, authors in the West have begun to take greater care in what and how they write about Hindu history and culture. No small achievement for a self-made scholar. This is because Malhotra is a passionate writer, original thinker, and powerful propagator of perspectives. He articulates his views fearlessly and with clarity.

 In this substantial work Malhotra explores a variety of topics inherent to Indic culture and worldviews. He reflects on many aspects of the Hindu world. His goal is not only to dismantle misconceptions, but also to formulate a new paradigm for intercultural discourse. He presents Indic concepts often, if not always, in contrast to Western modes.
The themes that are ably and persuasively explored in the volume are the following:

1. It is a naïve and mistaken view to regard, as some well-meaning Hindu liberals do, that all cultures and religions as saying the same truths. No, religions and cultures are fundamentally different. Moreover it is far more important to be consciously aware of these differences than to trumpet their commonalty to tackle the confusions in this world.
2. India with her rich and ancient culture has been subdued and manipulated by Western intruders, to the point that even Hindu thinkers are unconsciously adopting Western paradigms in the evaluation and critique of their own culture. Worse still, many so-called educated Hindus treat their own culture with indifference or disrespect, and whole-heartedly embrace all that is Western. As a result, there is not a level playing field when India and the rest of the world (mainly the West) are engaged in debates and discussions.
3. The hegemonic Christian West has been marginalizing and diminishing the wisdom and worth of Indic visions for many centuries now, not only out of ignorance of the deeper meanings of Indic terms, symbols and practices, but also in scheming ways to achieve its sinister ends.
4. The so-called universalism of European Enlightenment which has been a dominant and aggressive global force in recent centuries must be challenged and halted. The book argues with reason that the West has no business, let alone the moral authority or the legal right, to impose its worldviews and values on the rest of the world. Indeed, on this issue,
5. Finally, and most importantly, Malhotra’s goal is to provide a dhármic framework for handing social, religious, and political problems, based on Indic views and worldviews, which will be more fruitful, more tolerant, and more meaningful in today’s world.

The book is an erudite elaboration of these points.

Malhotra begins by referring to a number of his own personal encounters with Western scholars and individuals in conferences and elsewhere to let the reader know how, through means subtle and overt, Christianity and the West have been intruding into the sacredness and integrity of Indic culture. Not that many Indians are not aware of this, but this book gives it all raw and ruthless exposure. It unveils aspects of what it sees as Western hegemonic intercultural ruses that may not be as obvious to superficial observers. These revelations are sure to jolt both unwitting Indians who may have held Western civilization in high regard, as well as scheming Westerners who may feel awkward being caught.

The chapter entitled Yoga: freedom from history is one of the best and most informative. Here one finds interesting discussions of ithihasa, adhyatma-vidya, and what the author calls embodied knowing which is contrasted with the history-centrism of Western thought.. The compartmentalized contrast between the dhármic and the Judeo-Christian visions that are presented throughout the book, can be very useful in courses on comparative religion.

In the next chapter, the book explores further the deep conceptual and doctrinal divide between the dhármic and the Abrahamic views on the relationship between the human and the Divine. The notion of integral unity is explained in this context, as also its compatibility with some of the findings of modern physics. In this context one recalls the relevant quotes from Schrödinger et al. to show the Vedantic inspirations for quantum mechanics.

In this chapter we also find an etic (outsider’s perspective) analysis of the birth and growth of Western civilization: perhaps the first of its kind by a Hindu scholar. A great many Western scholars have delved deeply into and analyzed freely countless dimensions of Non-Western cultures in legitimate and in illegitimate ways. Perhaps for the first time, a Hindu scholar has reciprocated that gesture. This chapter alone deserves to be regarded as a weighty contribution to the literature, and will most likely be appreciated by many enlightened Western scholars as well.

It is no secret that the Hindu spirit is more receptive to and generous towards Non-Hindu religious traditions than most other world systems. This fact is explained in the chapter on Order and Chaos. Here the reader will also find discussions on sacred stories, Biblical and Greek mythologies, as well as comments on ethics and aesthetics. It iffers fresh perspectives on time-honored doctrines.

The chapter on Non-translatable Sanskrit versus Digestion brings in two important ideas. First, that certain terms are culture-specific. English renderings of words like dharma, tapas, dukkha, and Kundalini can at best be approximate, at worst misleading. Moreover, the use of original Sanskrit terms not only preserves their original meaning, but also helps one in “resisting colonization and safeguarding dhármic knowledge.” This chapter contains some excellent information on Sanskrit.

The sixth and last chapter of the book, aside from the extensive and erudite notes at the end, is a dynamic call for a new worldview in the context of our current multicultural and multinational planetary predicament. That the West must not and should not be allowed to enforce its worldviews and values on others is a slow awakening that is occurring within the matrix of Western civilization also. This concluding essay is penetrating in its depth, thought-provoking as a thesis, and powerful in its arguments. The chapter marks Malhotra as a fearless thinker in the arena of culture, history, ideas and ideologies. His invocation of the Gita and the Mahabharata in this context makes him a legitimate heir to and a traditional spokesperson for the Hindu dhármic tradition: a true áryaputra, as one used to say. His homage to Gandhi is a welcome gesture at a time when Gandhiji is the target of invectives from a great many Neo-Hindus.

Prejudices and misinformation still persist in the West. The exclusivist and effective penetration of Christian missionaries, overt and subtle, into India does pose a threat to India’s Hindu cultural roots.

Malhotra’s book is profound and provocative, The tone of the book is necessary to shake up the long-persisting cultural asymmetries and injustices. But the great strength of this book lies in that it brings out, as few other books have done, the complex and sophisticated framework of Indic visions with ample historical allusions, intelligent commentaries, and incisive rebuttals. It is an appropriate and timely reflection on civilizations for the twenty first century.

This book is the work of a keen thinker whose profound reflections are bound to change the tenor of the intercultural debates of our times. Malhotra’s lucid and clarifying expositions of Indic culture are in themselves solid contributions to India studies. I am persuaded that this is a book of enormous import which will contribute to the construction of a world culture in which misunderstandings and convictions of superiority and mutual distrust and contempt will give place to greater understanding, harmony, and peace.
The world of scholarship and the voices of cultural affirmation must be grateful to Mr. Malhotra for presenting us with this most interesting book. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in understanding in some depth the rich traditions and religions of India, and also in becoming aware of the global tensions that characterize our multicultural world.

V. V. Raman
October 17, 2011

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Ramdev Endoresment

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Thorsten Pattberg Review on Sulekha.com

Please click the following link to read Thorsten Pattberg’s review of Being Different on the website Sulekha.com:

http://pattberg.sulekha.com/blog/post/2012/06/rajiv-malhotra-sanskrit-and-the-challenge-to-western.htm

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Reviewer: Dr.Shashi Tiwari, New Delhi

Review of the Book ‘Being Different’ For “Sanskrit Vimarsh”, journal of RSk S, New Delhi
Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism– Rajiv Malhotra, Harper Collins Publishers India, ISBN: 9789350291900,Hardback,Pages: 488, Price: Rs.599

‘Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism’ by Rajiv Malhotra is a path breaking book filled with profound original insights on various subjects related to Indian religious, spiritual, cultural and historical traditions. It is a research-oriental reference volume for the intellectuals, philosophers, researchers, and general readers who are curious to know Indian thought and Identity. The book reverses the gaze to look at the West, repositioning dharmic civilization from being the observed to being the observer. Rajiv Malhotra, the author of famous book ‘Breaking India’ is an Indian-American researcher and thinker, writing and speaking on current affairs as they relate to civilizations, cross-cultural encounters, religion and science. He has done anextensive study of Indian culture and history, Western civilization and religion, and comparative philosophy and faith. He has been churning a wide range of issues and ideas related to his thesis from different sources for the past two decades, and to show this, his book’s cover has an attractive picture of the churning of the ocean by Devas and Asuras. ‘Being Different’ is the result of deep research on Indian and Western philosophical systems and histories, with especialfocus on how India essentially differs from the West, in cultural, spiritual matrix and in world outlook.

In his introduction Rajiv Malhotra mentions hisintention of thecurrent research. To quote here in his own words ‘I am simply using the dharmic perspective to reverse the analytical gaze which normally goes from West to East and unconsciously privileges the former’. On the reason of the study he says, ‘ this reversal evaluates Western problems in a unique way, sheds light on some of its blind spots, and shows how dharmic cultures can help alleviate and resolve some of the problems facing the world today’.

Rajiv Malhotra instigate a debate through this literary work on the following propositions: (1) Western claims of universalism are based on its own myth of history, as opposed to the multicivilizational worldview needed today. (2) Historical revelations are the foundations of western religions, as opposed to dharma‘s emphasis on individual self-realization in the body here and now. (3) The synthetic unity of western thought and history is in contrast with the integral unity that underpins dharma’s worldview.(4) The West’s anxiety over difference and need for order is unlike the dharmic embrace of the creative role of chaos. (5) Common translations of many Sanskrit words are seriously misleading because these words are non-translatable for sound and meaning.

In the Introduction the author explains that this book is about how India differs from the West. He challenges certain cherished notions, such as the assumptions that Western paradigms are universal and that the dharmic traditions teach ‘the same thing’ as Jewish and Christian ones. For while the Vedas say, ‘truth is one, paths are many’, the differences among those paths are not inconsequential. He argues that that the dharmic traditions, while not perfect, offer perspectives and techniques for a genuinely pluralistic social order and a full integration of many different faiths, including atheism and science. They also offer models for environmental sustainability and education for the whole being that are invaluable to our emerging world.

The author states that the term Dharma is not easy to define because it has several dimensions, and its oft-used translations as ‘religion’, ‘path’, ‘law’, ‘ethics’ all fall short in substantial ways. In the book ‘Dharma’ is used to indicate a family of spiritual traditions originating in India which today are manifested as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. On page 5 he explains that ‘the dharma family has developed an extensive range of inner sciences and experiential technologies called ‘adhyatma-vidya’ to access divinity and higher states of consciousness. Adhyatma-vidya is a body of wisdom and techniques culled from centuries of first-person empirical inquiry into the nature of consciousness and under taken by advanced practitioners. India’s spiritual traditions spring from dharma which has no exact equivalent in Western frameworks.

The first chapter entitled ‘the audacity of difference’ begins with the statement that ‘the cultural and spiritual matrix of dharma civilizations is distinct from that of the west. This distinctiveness is under siege, not only from unsustainable and inequitable development but also from some thing more insidious: the widespread dismantling, rearrangement and digestion of dharmic culture into Western frameworks, disingenuously characterized as ‘universal’ (p.12).
Posting his comments online on ‘Being Different’ Prof. Don Wiebe, of Trinity College in the University of Toronto has said that “Malhotra espouses an ‘audacity of difference’ in any such enterprise that defends both the distinctiveness and the spiritual value of Indian thought and that effectively reveals the cultural chauvinism of much western thought in its encounters with other cultures”.

The chapter 2 deals with‘Yoga: freedom from history’ and talks about two ways of knowing the divine. All civilizations ask existential questions such as: Who are we? Why are we here? What happens when we die? Can we transcend death and if so, how? What is the ultimate reality or truth, and how can we reach it? The approaches to these questions and the answers offered by the two civilizations differ profoundly. In the Judeo-Christian traditions, revelation comes ‘from above’, and its content is strictly God-given (p. 55). But according to the dharmic traditions, man is not born into original sin, though he is burdened by his past conditioning, which makes him unaware of his true nature. Fortunately, he has the innate capacity to transcend this condition and achieve sat-chit-ananda in this life. Since the ultimate truth is attained experientially,and passed from practitioner to practitioner, it follows that knowledge of the divine is varied and that more than one lineage may be true. Author quotes Sri Aurobindo to explain several ideas; and talks about Itihasa, Purana, Ramayana and Mahabharata to present the Indian outlook on history, myth and knowledge etc. and thus gives authenticity to his propositions.

On ‘Integral unity versus synthetic unity’ an authentic discussion at length is done in the chapter 3 of the book. The various dharmicschools, despite some profound differences in theory and practice, all attempt to account for some form of unity. The resources for its realization are built into the various spiritual disciplines. Unity is inherent in existence, according to all dharma systems. This sense of an underlying unity is strong and allows for a great deal of inventiveness and play in understanding its manifestations. As a result, there tends to be a great diversity of paths and philosophical understandings without fear of chaos. Western worldviews, where religious or secular, begin with the opposite premise: the cosmos is inherently an agglomeration of parts or separate essences. The debates on this subject are not about how and why multiplicity emerges out of underlying unity, but about how unity can emerge out of multiplicity. Such a unity is not innate; it must be sought and justified again and again, and resulting synthesis is always unstable. The starting points and conclusions of Western religion and science are in even contradiction, which essentially makes Western civilization an uneasy and tentative synthesis of incompatible building blocks (p.7-8).

In the fourth Chapter author shows that ‘people from dharmic cultures tend to be more accepting of difference, unpredictability and uncertainty than westerners. The dharmic view is that socalled ‘chaos’ is natural and normal; it needs, of course, to be balanced by order, but there is no compelling need to control or eliminate it entirely nor to force cohesion from outside. The West, conversely, sees chaos as a profound threat that needs to be eradicated either by destruction or by complete assimilation(P.168). Rajiv Malhotra proclaims further (p.177) with pride and confidence that ‘Western scholars find it difficult to acknowledge fully the merits of Indian Systems of thought, even when the influence of these systems on West is irrefutable’.Chaos arises when one experiences phenomena which do not lie within one’s psychological and cultural comfort zones. In this reference the author narrates immense Indian creativity, adaptability, and ability to absorb what’s new.The example of Kumbha-mela is given to demonstrate selforganized diversity (p.179).The two opposite sides are needed for churning of the milky ocean in order to obtain nectar for eternal life(p.184).Thus classical Indian traditions are referred in the book to emphasis its conclusions and to find out the root causes of certain current problems.

The author eludes on several distortions in the western-mind created by their use of poor and faulty English equivalents of Sanskrit words, in the fifth chapter. Sanskrit is important for its profound creative potential. It unites the great and little traditions (p.240). The meanings of Sanskrit words are embedded in its cultural context and also in the history of how that word evolved over time. Malhotra is firm in his view that ‘the unique experiences of different cultures are not always interchangeable, and the words used to refer to those experiences must remain intact. Many cultural artifacts have no equivalent in other cultures, and to force such artifacts into the moulds that the West finds acceptable or  familiar – to appropriate them – is to distort them.This too is a form of colonization and cultural conquest’ (p.221).

This chapter contains some excellent information on Sanskrit language, and its structure. It is also explain in brief why Sanskrit words are not easily translatable. Generally Sanskrit texts and words need context for their proper interpretation. Meaning changes many times. If a meaning is not taken correctly, it is not possible to understand the concept hidden in that word. Highlighting the richness of Sanskrit, the author emphasizes that the ‘non-translatability of key Sanskrit words attests to the non-digestibility of many Indian traditions. Holding on to the Sanskrit terms and thereby preserving the complete range of their meanings becomes a way of resisting colonization and safeguarding dharmic knowledge’(p.249).

Many examples of popular Sanskrit translations into English, that are false or misleading, are mentioned in this context. The Sanskrit words Brahman, Atman, Shiva, Vedas, Dharma, Jati, Aum, Duhkha, Avatara, Sakti, Kundalini, Guru, Devata, Yajna, Karma, Moksa etc. are referred to and elaborated. Their common mis-translations are explained and criticized in detail. Great emphasis is given on the use of original Sanskrit terms for the preservation of their uniquesenseand understanding.

The Western claim of universalism is mainly refuted in the sixth and last chapter entitled ‘Contesting Western Universalism’. According to such claims, the West is both the driver of history and its goal, providing the template into which all other civilizations and cultures must fit. This chauvinism is virtually invisible from within the Western perspective itself (p. 308). Such a universalism fails to address human needs; the most it can achieve is a kind of synthetic unity of civilizations under the rubric of the West.This concluding chapter is thought-provoking, innovative, and powerful in its arguments and projects Malhotra as a bold thinker and writer in the field of culture, history, and ideology.The volume concludes with a negation of Western claims of universalism, while recommending a multi-cultural worldview.

The last essay is in the form of conclusion which talks about purva-paksa and the way forward. One needs to engage in purva paksha or ‘reversing the gaze’, to shed light on how this leads to the misapprehension and denigration of India and dharmic traditions. Purva-paksa, the traditional technique of analysis encourages to become truly knowledgeable about alternative perspectives, and to approach the other side with respect. Using this ancient practice the author mentions the importance of ‘difference’, and thus criticizing the Western view of its own universalism as the only legitimate view. Rajiv Malhotra insists on preserving difference with mutual respect – not with mere ‘tolerance’. The book addresses the challenge on differences, and talks about unexamined beliefs that both sides hold about themselves and each other. As Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, renowned scholar of our times has rightly said about the book, ‘Through seven chapters Rajiv Malhotra pursues a central argument to highlight the imperative need to respect difference’.The learned author gives detailed endnotes and illustrative bibliography and two Appendices. His homage to Gandhi is admirable.

Finally, it can be said that ‘Being Different- an Indian Challenge to Western Universalism’ is a book that every Indian should read to understand his or her true identity in the world. Also the non-Indians should read to know what truly India and Indians are like. It gives an opportunity to westerners to see themselves through the lens of another worldview.It dismantles many myths of false claim of a single universalism that is in the west’s possession. It proves that India is distinct in its civilization and therefore, is able to manage intense differences on the planes of culture, philosophy, language, religion and thought. The book makes us proud of our great seers, thinkers and ancestors. It is a memorable book for critiquing Western systems of thought and highlighting Indian ideals of humanity. ‘Being different’ will certainly turn to be a milestone in the long intellectual corridor of the intercultural debates of our times.

BY – Dr.Shashi Tiwari, New Delhi

{ Former HoD , Sanskrit Deptt., Maitreyi college, University of Delhi, New Delhi-110021}

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Reviewer: Don Wiebe, Prof. of Divinity, Trinity College in the University of Toronto; and past president of the North American Association for the Study of Religion.

Being Different is both a critical exploration of the two  vastly different metaphysical/religious worldviews (the Abrahamic and Dharmic families of spiritual traditions) dominant in the US and India respectively,  and a challenge to what the author finds to be an asymmetric power relationship between them. Malhotra writes with passion from within an avowedly dharmic stance and with the intention of undermining the attempts to domesticate and expropriate the Indian traditions in a process of inter religious dialogue that is ultimately based on a western cosmological framework and religious assumptions. In drawing out the contrast between “tolerance of other religions” and “mutual respect between religions” in chapter one, he brilliantly exposes the pretence in western affirmations of cultural pluralism. He further insightfully suggests that the West – especially the US – suffers from what he calls “difference anxiety” that can only be controlled by producing a worldwide religious homogeneity which effectively contradicts the deceptively overt commitment to having a diversity of cultures. And against those within the Dharmic framework who envy the “riches” of the globalized world (a “difference anxiety” from below compared to that of the West), he shows that accepting western cultural assumptions is not essential to participation in the benefits of the globalization process. This book is essential reading for western scholars engaged in cross-culturalstudies. Malhotra espouses an “audacity of difference” in any such enterprise that defends both the distinctiveness and the spiritual value of Indian thought and that effectively reveals the cultural chauvinism of much western thought in its encounters with other cultures. Entertaining such audacity without assuming that it is simply an apology for Hinduism could well transform the current global multi-cultural dialogue to positive effect.

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Reviewer: R.P. Singh, Professor & Chairperson, Centre for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Delhi.

Being Different’s new purva paksha tries to deconstruct the metaphysical ruptures in the Western epistemology, bringing out the discrepancies among different kinds of universals, grand narratives and logocentric positions. It is well structured, exploring not only what is different but also deconstructing the philosophical, cultural and cosmological differences that have not been adequately examined for centuries.

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Reviewer: Madhu Khanna, Centre for the Study of Comparative Religions and Civilizations, Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi

Being Different challenges several historical assumptions and basic perceptions that the West has cherished about itself and others. It is a book for  brave hearts that is bound to change how we reframe our gaze toward the West. This extraordinary contribution opens up new terrains of discourse and should be a pre-condition of any in-depth discussion on civilizational dialogues.

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Reviewer: Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Independent scholar and Member of Rajya Sabha

Through seven chapters Rajiv Malhotra pursues a central argument to highlight the imperative need to respect ‘difference’. He explores the nature of difference between a ‘history-centered’ worldview and what he calls ‘adhyatma-vidya’. He brings to fore the difference between ‘integral unity’ and ‘synthetic unity’ and attitude towards ‘chaos’. The distinctive features of a civilization are embodied through language. A vocabulary emerges which permeates discourses in each civilization, be it cosmologies, metaphysical systems or even social structures. Rajiv Malhotra does not restrict himself to abstract theoretical discussion. His insistence on preserving difference with mutual respect – not with mere ‘tolerance’ – is more pertinent today when the notion of a single universalism is being propounded. There can be no single universalism even if it assimilates or, in the author’s words, ‘digests’ elements from other civilizations. The book is engaging, and it can be disturbing or received with celebration depending upon one’s attitude to difference. I have no doubt that its contents will stimulate a meaningful introspection.

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