So today, the 44th President of the United States was inaugurated; for the first time in American history, citizens put aside issues of race, and democratically (and peacefully!) chose an African-American man as their head of state. Throughout his campaign, Obama’s main message has been one of change; he has promised us that with his presidency, the time has come to “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
President Obama’s speech today was about how to bring America back to its former greatness; how to recreate our country and “reaffirm our enduring spirit.” And while his whole speech focused on America’s role in freedom, it really related to every person’s personal struggle towards that highest freedom too. It didn’t strike me as I watched him speak earlier today, but just now, as I was reading the text of his inaugural address online, I came to this realization: in certain parts of his speech, taking out the name America, and substituting in ourselves, or our spirit, makes the whole speech completely relevant to Hinduism (and perhaps other religions as well)!
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions — and in my opinion, part of the reason it has endured so long is that it has adapted to change throughout its history. Based on the times, it emphasized rituals, or philosophy, or service, or reasoning; based on the needs of its people, it incorporated the idea of social stratification (the caste system), and then later was flexible enough to reject the rigid, dehumanizing structure that arose from this effort to create order. It is this flexibility that has helped Hinduism survive, and thrive, for so many centuries — and it is this openness to change that Obama is encouraging in America.
To see the similarity between the situation he presents, and the situations Hinduism has encountered, let us look at this passage:
“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”
Not only has America chose unity and hope — Hindus too, at so many points in history, made this same choice. When faced with influences that threatened to drive Hindus apart, great saints preached the importance of unity in diversity; and many other religions emphasize this unity at the macro level as well. For example, the Qur’an says that “We have made you into different nations and tribes so that you may learn from one another.” Hinduism, too, has at various points rejected its reliance on stale dogma and ritual in order to embrace true spirituality; and the story of Hinduism is the story of a religion which is constantly checking itself, in the form of so many different revolutions and saints, to make sure it is “reaffirming its enduring spirit,” and “choosing its better history.” And in the process of continually testing the truth behind our faith, those who have helped Hinduism to reaffirm its truth have really carried it “up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”
And so, just as Hinduism has endured through the centuries, if Americans continue to embrace Obama’s message of change, our nation, too, will be able to continue to thrive.
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My favorite line was something along the lines of, [addressing the terrorists] “you will inspire your people not by what you destroy, but by what you build.” I thought that really resonated with Hinduism. Obama’s entire speech advocated doing, and creating which, in addition to reflecting Ayn Rand’s message, also reflects the essence of Karma Yoga.
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