Today at Wellesley, we had our Darshana (our Hindu student’s group) Spring Mela, which basically consisted of food, music, dances, and a lot of fun. It reminded me that although I think there’s a lot of value in the ideology of Hinduism, the thing that keeps me engaged in religion is the social/cultural aspect. I don’t think this is a bad thing — I’ve met some really good friends through Darshana, and I generally feel like we’re able to connect over the fact that we share a similar foundation.
If to me, religion is a mainly social thing, does that undermine the basis of Hinduism? Earlier this week, Sonali posed the question of whether religion is basically a mental balm that we use as a defense mechanism. Although I don’t think that emphasizing the social aspect of religion twists theology in the same way, it’s probably a shift from the intended focus of religion. Is that wrong?
I think that this is probably a stage for me; I don’t think my primary involvement with religion will be social after college, and I think this is probably true for a lot of college students.
So for now, I’m thankful to have the friends I’ve made through Darshana, and I’ll try to keep in mind the reasons why I call myself a Hindu.
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At a Dharma discussion not too long ago, someone said that Dharma should do not only “Hindu activities”, but more generally “activities that Hindu students are interested in”, even if they don’t involve Hinduism directly. Insomuch as Dharma is a student organization, I agree with that statement. While furthering our spirituality is certainly one goal, the social aspect is also important.
Gauri, I really don’t think that loving the social aspect is bad in any way! To me, religion is more of a guide for finding stability and happiness in my life rather than understanding divinity. In addition, I feel like when you do have stability and happiness in life, it gives you a better foundation for becoming more spiritual when you want to head down that path later in life.
P.S. I’m sure Rohan would love to hear this since he cherishes Dharma “bonding times” =)
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