People often talk about ‘reform.’ Yes, individuals, families, communities, and society need to be reformed for people to live in a better way. And from time immemorial, the spirit of reformation has been in every community and society, and it has made considerable progress in reforming people and values. This has happened in every sphere of society—religion, social, cultural, economic, politics, etc. However, after a period of reformation, people face the same old problem, now only taking a different form.
One of the basic reasons for the failure of several reforms could be that the same old values, which need to be changed, are a bit refined and presented in different forms. For example, discrimination among people based on caste, race, class, wealth, education, etc., was reformed outwardly, not touching the core issue of discrimination that is in our nature. In general, people don’t want to see everyone as their equal, because then they too become one among them. At least, somebody should be below their rank so that their own worthiness could be recognized.
Of course, all are not going to be equal in every area. Those who toiled and came up in life because of their hard work need to be recognized as the pioneers and leaders in their particular field. But if, instead of their position motivating others to work hard in their respective fields, it only creates unhealthy competition, jealousy, and inferiority complexes, then mere reformation of people (here the pioneers and their followers) alone won’t bring change.
Most of the time, a reformer takes the old value, refines it a bit, and presents it in a different form. As people are familiar with the value, after the initial enthusiasm of the new form fades, they go back to the same old position. What is needed is regeneration, which could introduce new values that could give a new vision to change some of the old values. Only the individual, family, community, and society that welcomes the new value—which is not in their worldview—can bring meaningful change. Those who, in the name of protecting and preserving their culture, tradition, etc., resist such new values (which regeneration alone can bring) will end up only promoting reform—which changes only the form and not the value.
Mathigiri, February 14, 2007
That’s totally right! However, the big question is, how do you get a group of people to change their core values? I’ve been taking a course in cultural anthropology, and a theme that keeps coming up is how people (especially Christians) have attempted to “reform” their groups by changing the way things look… The problem is, others can see that the values have not changed and thus remain uninterested and unaffected.
May I ask, in your book on Hinduism, did you write about how your conclusions should affect Christians in India? If not, are you working on anything like that?
Anyway, thank you for your thoughts. I’ve recently acquired a copy of your book (*Living Water*) and look forward to reading it.
Thanks, Jon, for your comments and questions. To begin with, I will never try to change the core value of a group unless I am ready to change it personally in my life. Of course, this is not a new thing, as several leaders who stood as models have done it, and that is why they become leaders.
Next is that people are very conservative. Many of us don’t like new values that challenge our security and identity. We are happy with what we are rather than launching into unknown areas in understanding and implementing new values. Try for some time, and if they are not ready to change, then move away with others (or among others) who are ready to listen and follow you.
I am not a Christian to comment on the next point. However, as you have specifically asked, I am giving my answer, and neither you nor the (Indian) Christians should feel hurt. There are several exceptions among them, so what I am going to say is not applicable to them. However, the majority of the Christians in India need only to understand the biblical value in its proper context. Then each generation of Christians in every church (irrespective of their denomination and doctrinal differences) will become regenerated. But the problem with them is that they take all the extra-biblical and westernized cultural (social, religious, theological, etc.) values as part of the Bible and refuse to see the difference.
So, to answer your next question of whether any of my conclusions (in my book on Hinduism) affect Indian Christians, the answer is a big ‘NO’. Those who are really sleeping can be awakened, but those who pretend that they are sleeping cannot be awakened. Sorry for these words. So I neither have the time nor any interest to write to make any change among the Indian Christians (inside the church). Most of what I wrote in *Living Water* is to warn the new bhaktas of Muktinath (through my personal experience) not to give up their birth identity and other cultural and social values in exercising their bhakti to the Lord.
In my book *Understanding Hinduism*, my aim is to encourage all the lay Hindus to try to understand what they believe, practice, and propagate.
Db
Gurukulam, May 24, 2009
vnshiju has left a new comment on your post “Reformation or Regeneration”:
That is a simply beautiful article.
Do we still need reformations?
Do we at least accept it because regenerations and transformations are resource-intensive and time-consuming?
Vnshiju
Thanks, Vnshiju, for your comments. There is an Upanishadic mantra that says, ‘ayam atma bhalahine na labyase’ (the weak one cannot attain the atman or realization).1 Every endeavor that aims to bring change in personal and social life needs hard work. There can be no easy way to make progress. But both pioneers and leaders in every field invested their lives working hard to bring regeneration and transformation. Of course, all are not called to be a ‘regenerator.’ But those who are merely satisfied with some reformation can live life as it comes rather than aiming to achieve new things in their life. They are like the dead fish, which is carried by the water, but a living fish always swims against the current. And thankfully, only such people help us understand the real meaning and purpose of life, rather than those who are merely satisfied with what comes their way, instead of accepting challenges and involving themselves in ‘resource-intensive and time-consuming’ acts. For example, you are not merely satisfied with reading my article but began to comment on it, sharing your view. This itself is an ‘intensive and time-consuming’ act. And only people like you can motivate others to become a ‘regenerator’ rather than merely being satisfied with our Indian attitude of ‘chalta hai’ (things go as they are). Keep up the good work.
Db
Gurukulam, May 24, 2009.
1
नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो न च प्रमादात् तपसो वाप्यलिङ्गात्।
एतैरुपायैर्यतते यस्तु विद्वांस्तस्यैष आत्मा विशते ब्रह्मधाम ॥
Meaning
This Self cannot be won by any who is without strength, nor with error in the seeking, nor by an askesis without the true mark: but when a man of knowledge strives by these means his self enters into Brahman, his abiding place.—Katho Upanishad. 1.2.23
Leave a Reply