Church and Chandrayaan

Public prayers have become a symbol of one’s patriotism. Where is our Hindu civilization going? I guess we should organize public prayers for success in sports of all kinds, and if someone does not, then they are not serving the nation or being patriotic. Where are we headed as a nation!!!–GCJ 

Db’s response: 

There are local, regional, state, various zones (like South, North, West, and East), national, Asian, and world champion matches. We cannot expect to organize prayers for all these. In fact, every day there will be some sports going on with Indians playing in them. Above all, Indians may not have aspirations for sports. In fact, only any match between India and Pakistan draws pan-Indian attention and interest. Otherwise, people don’t have time for them. But Chandrayaan is not like this. It is the first and pioneering event in which the prestige and vision of India are at stake. Every Indian has a stake in it. So, if any all-India-level interfaith prayer could be organized, it would make sense. But not for sports. Where did you get this idea?

Every nation can go in the right direction when all the citizens participate in its progress. But personal faith and religious affiliation should not be mixed with it.–GCJ 

Maybe, as Dr. Somnath, the Director of ISRO, already went to Tirupati with a miniature of Chandrayaan seeking the blessing of a Hindu god even before the launch, several non-Hindus thought that once the project was offered to a Hindu deity and sought His blessing, they had no partnership in it. Of course, there are several exceptions to this, like your extended family.

Some Christians might brag that it was Christians who magnanimously came forward to hand over the church which was sought by Indian scientists to construct the Space Station at Sriharikota in Kerala.  In fact few did it.  But as they had no other option, the local Catholic Christian community and the priest of the church took a prudent decision. Otherwise, they would be in the wrong pages of Indian history. If they had refused, the scientists would have had various options left before them. Or, leaving the church property, they could have even started the Space Station very near the church property that belongs to the government. Then naturally, it would have become a protected zone, restricting all other activities of the local people, including religion. Any legal action by them would have further estranged them from Indian society and most probably lost the case. Realizing all this, the church priest, after consulting the bishop (as they cannot do any single act without the knowledge and approval of the bishop, as their church hierarchy demands), took that prudent decision.

But it was the scientists who showed magnanimity by not demolishing the church building, but keeping it as it was and using it for their experiments initially. I don’t know the status of that building. But if it was Christian magnanimity or prudence, now the very same church failed to, at least for that event on an all-India level. Of course, several churches could have done this, but reports never came in the media. But like Hindus, who spontaneously offered puja, yajna, and kept vrata for the success of the Chandrayaan mission, again showed the way for every Indian that one can be an Indian and Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Communist, Secularist, and atheist simultaneously. Not Christian first and then Indian, as several Christians are proclaiming, which I have personally heard. 

Now coming back to your last message, ‘impositions of somebody’s values, they just don’t have the means.’ 

I agree. That is not the question here. We talk about those who have the means and are in a position to participate in such an event, even making awareness among their own laypeople. Many common Hindus, never prayed for a common cause in the past. Religion and rituals were limited to their family puja room related to family events. For special occasions, they would go to the temple and participate in the temple festival; if they had time and means, they would go on pilgrimages to holy places. Even organizing such interfaith or national prayers came from outside. Though people in the past could have prayed for their kings as rulers, that was done by religious specialists (like Brahmin priests). But the spontaneous, unorganized pujas for the success of Chandrayaan mostly happened among Hindus, as now, thanks to the Western contribution of ‘nationalism,’ every national event is celebrated at all levels by arranging pujas, aratis, vrata, havan, gathering in schools and colleges to watch the landing program, etc. As we Hindus never divide life into watertight compartments, even this landing of Chandryan on Moon is part of our life. Special pujas and havans were organized during the World Cup, particularly in the final, even keeping the photos of the Indian team in the final if India manages to reach it. Those who have the means to give outward expression do that, and others simply rejoice in the achievement in their own way. As you mentioned about Sankar, I called him and asked about Chandrayaan. He said, though he doesn’t know the reason for sending it, he is happy about the success of the mission. When I specifically asked him whether he prayed, if not by going to the temple, at least in his heart, he said, ‘no.’ That reflects the typical Hindu mind. Prayer for everything is not programmed into our minds either as a command or prerequisite for our expression of faith or bhakti. As Krishna says in the Gita, ‘whatever you do; whatever you eat; whatever you offer (in charity or to God, etc.), do all these as an offering to me.’ Even Muktiveda echoes the same view in Romans. 

But when certain organized religions, where each and every event of the members of their faith is programmed and guided from cradle to grave, naturally the question will arise, why not, as Indians, they too didn’t do it when they have the means to do that? All the sanskars in a Hindu family are family events that they can do either through ritual or non-ritual forms. I won’t call it secular. Because for us, even non-ritual celebration is part of our personal dharma. Marriage performed without religious rituals but approved and witnessed by family members is also a sacred institution. It need not be solemnized by a priest. Even Gandharva vivaha, where only two individuals are involved, is accepted as part of legitimate marriage.

So, the question is never about all Hindus not participating in Chandrayaan by puja or prayer, but about others who have the means and failed. If they can brag about their magnanimity in donating their church building to the space program, they could have even mentioned it to their congregation (most of the lay Christians might not even know about it) and given a call to pray for the success of the mission, as the seed for this program began in another church building. 

Several churches and people of other faiths could have done it. But as I received reports from several bhaktas about the same kind of attitude, even among Hindu converts or Hindu bhaktas of the Lord, even from Nepal, I raised the question of our identity as BOTH Indian and Hindu or Christian or Muslim, etc.

Of course, I understand the dilemma of Indian Christians. This I say not to condemn them, but to point out the situation in which they were trapped and unable to come out because of a wrong understanding of their faith. We Hindus need not call ourselves Indian Hindus. But a Christian cannot call herself an ‘Indian Christian.’ Because, though she remains an Indian citizen, she still remains a ‘Western Christian or Westernized Christian’ in her faith expression. Therefore, naturally, she has to call herself a Christian Indian, with ‘Christian’ coming first, where her religious identity is essential, whereas a Hindu need not tag her faith as her identity in India to differentiate herself from other Indians besides Christians.

So, neither I nor those Hindus who spontaneously celebrated this event by arranging rituals say that those who failed, including Hindus who didn’t pray or do puja, are unpatriotic or anti-national. In certain events, some fringe elements in Right-Wing politics have done this. But overall, Hindus never think or brand people of other faiths like this. Even such thoughts never enter their minds as every Hindu believes that all religions are true and merely various means to reach God, as Pramukh Swamiji said while addressing the Millennium World Peace Summit (UN, 29th Aug 2000), ‘At this hour in human history, we religious leaders should not dream of only one religion in the world, but dream of a world where all religions are one—United. Unity in Diversity is the lesson of life. Flourishing together is the secret of peace.’ – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. (From the photo of Swamiji addressing this Peace Summit before page 113). 

Revised on 17-9-2024