Sit Back and Enjoy the Show

Hindu groups that are protesting “The Love Guru” should relax, buy some popcorn and enjoy the movie. The fact is that it’s pretty innocuous at worst and actually a humorous, if wildly over-simplified version of some of the most popular teachings that have emerged from Hindu teachers and traditions. Where else can one find a popular film that shares Gandhi’s teaching that a world animated by the spirit of “an eye for an eye” will simply create a world of blind people?

No, the movie is neither a sophisticated rendering of a wise and ancient tradition, nor does it pretend to be one. But there is no more disrespect of the tradition here than there is when similar portrayals of Jewish, Christian, or Muslim faith are used to make us laugh. In fact, such portrayals assume that we know enough and care enough about the tradition being lampooned, that we can appreciate the humor. Such material only works when that is the case. So this is as much about the popular foothold that Hinduism has established in American pop culture as anything else. And that kind of popularity always makes the purists in any community nervous. But that’s their problem. And it’s not limited to Hindus.

Every religious and ethnic group in this country maintains “watchdog” groups that are constantly looking for how someone else is out to get them. And since we all tend to find what we are looking for, it’s no surprise that each of these groups portrays a world in which they are being victimized by the larger culture. If they didn’t, such organizations would have no reason to exist, so they keep finding the problem in order to justify their work.

Does that mean that we live in a world without Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, hostility to Christian faith, and Hindu-bashing? Of course not. These are all real issues and they must be addressed. But if we all learned to laugh at ourselves a little more even as we addressed those painful realities, we might not find ourselves living in a world in which people destroy churches because of cartoons, imprison teachers because they allow their students to name a teddy bear Muhammad, label as anti-Semitic any film that questions the actions of the State of Israel, or burn copies of The DaVinci Code because it is “an offense to God.”

There is no external line that demarcates the point at which “acceptable humor” becomes “offensive disrespect.” As the terms themselves indicate, these are issues that are determined not by the ones making the jokes, but by the ones about whom they are made. There are however guidelines that might be helpful to us all in becoming both more sensitive joke tellers and more tolerant audiences in the presence of other people’s jokes.

First, is the purpose of the joke to justify the thoughts and actions of those who are genuinely hostile to its practitioners? Second, does the joke offer any sense of the underlying value of the tradition or teaching being skewered? Third, if someone were to make a similar joke at the expense of our own tradition, would we find it acceptable?

Principles for those on the receiving end of such humor would include an honest assessment of the partial truth which makes the joke recognizably funny, the willingness to ask if the joke makes us uncomfortable by itself or because we feel generally insecure about the place of our faith in the larger culture, and asking how often we are able to laugh at ourselves and share that laughter with others.

Of course, following these principles will frustrate the culture warriors, or it could transform them to warriors for laughter in a world that could surely use more, especially in the name of religion.

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Jihadist, thanks for echoing my thoughts. My thoughts coming from a Christian and your echo as a Muslim is good for Hindu-Christian-Muslim understanding.

Best wishes
Soja

Here what I posted:

Soja John Thaikattil, Sydney, Australia:

Dear Mr Gandhi

Your words, coming from the grandson of the greatest Hindu saint that ever lived, as far as
I'm concerned, Mahatma Gandhi, is comforting. It would be dreadful if Hindus did something so foolish as the Muslim reaction to the Danish cartoons etc. Hinduism in my opinion is strong and old enough to take on a hundred movies like Love Guru.d

I share with you what I posted on Dr Deepak Chopra's and Mr Rajan Zed's blogs on this topic.

Yours sincerely

Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia
-----------------

I'm glad to note that Dr Chopra and Jai Kosla (a pious Hindu) have taken the movie lightheartedly. As a Christian (even born and raised in India) I do not after all have any right to speak on behalf of Hindus. I posted the following on Mr Rajan Zed's blog:

Dear Mr Zed

As a Christian who grew up in India, I cannot say for certain how my Hindu friends would react to this movie. My hope however is that they will not take offense and exhibit the generosity and tolerance that Hinduism at its best is known for.

I doubt too if great Hindus like Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda would have taken offense at a movie that portrays *false gurus* in a funny light. They, as Hindus themselves, did not withhold criticism about aspects of Hinduism they did not approve of.

The movie "Love Guru," from what I understand, is about a *false Hindu guru.* It is the equivalent of making a movie about a bad Catholic priest. As you are well aware, "Bhagavan" Rajneesh later known as Osho, was one such false Hindu guru. In India even Hindus referred to him as a "sex-guru" and had great fun laughing at Westerners who treated him like god and about how they gave up all their money to worship him in his Ashram. The opinion of the ordinary Hindu in India at the height of his fame was that Westerners were spiritually open but not discerning at all when dealing with gurus from India.

Hinduism is five thousand years old. It is a con-federation of religions. It has no proselytizing element. It is hardly likely that Hindus would abandon their faith because of a movie about a false Hindu guru. Every real Hindu knows that there are false gurus because real guru have warned them. So I do hope you would not feel overly concerned about the impact of a movie on a religion such as Hinduism. Those who are genuinely interested in Hindu philosophy would seek it in great spiritual works like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita etc.

No, Brahman the Absolute, is not going to be harmed by this movie or any movie, not what I understand of Brahman and Hinduism anyway.

Here a few words of wisdom from Guru "Pikta" (the guru in the movie in question).

My only concern about the words of wisdom is that guru Pikta has plagiarised them.

1. Into me I see

2. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind (well known saying of Mahatma Gandhi)

3. When love goes wrong nothing goes right

4. First reduce the greed, then reduce the need

5. There is no failure only early attempts at success

6. Go from nowhere to Now here

The Guru Pikta

June 19, 2008 4:38 AM

June 19, 2008 7:17 AM

Posted by: Soja John Thaikattil, Sydney, Australia | June 24, 2008 12:13 AM
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Soja John Thaikattil, Sydney, Australia:

Dear Mr Gandhi

I share with you what I posted on Dr Deepak Chopra's and Mr Rajan Zed's blogs on this topic.

Yours sincerely

Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia
-----------------

Dear Mr Zed

No, Brahman the Absolute, is not going to be harmed by this movie or any movie, not what I understand of Brahman and Hinduism anyway.

Here a few words of wisdom from Guru "Pikta" (the guru in the movie in question).

My only concern about the words of wisdom is that guru Pikta has plagiarised them.

1. Into me I see

2. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind (well known saying of Mahatma Gandhi)

3. When love goes wrong nothing goes right

4. First reduce the greed, then reduce the need

5. There is no failure only early attempts at success

6. Go from nowhere to Now here

The Guru Pikta

June 19, 2008 4:38 AM

June 19, 2008 7:17 AM

Posted by: Anonymous | June 24, 2008 12:08 AM
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Rabbi-
The problem is WE have been sitting back & enjoying the show.Furthurmore most are too blind to see themselves as a part of it.
God Is Still in Complete control-He Is Serious when He needs to be,Loves us-Definatly has to have a sense of humor otherwise I don't think we would be here.He Knows the end from the beginning
Fortunatly for all of us He is Slow to Anger,Great in Mercy & Loving kindness- but WOE unto the person or Nation that makes him Mad & does not REPENT.
God Chastises those He loves but if they do not learn the lesson the easy way He will get it through our thick rebellious heads the hard way.
It is strange- mankind learns NOTHING from History.
God Brought his Judgements upon Egypt Israel Saw His Miricles & Provision Many times & would not obey- He brought Judgements down on Israel again & again.
They still didn't get it. God Destroyed the Nations that afflicted Israel As it is Written-
"I will bless those that bless thee & curse those that curse thee." Yet again & again & again what do we see? Prophecies written long ago are comming to pass. We travel to & fro & our knowledge is greatly increased,Men are lovers of themselves & pleasure& riches more than lovers of God. Lawlessness, violence, wickedness running rampant all over the world just like in Noah's time & getting worse.Actually I think God is the one sitting back & enjoying the show & it is He who will have the LAST laugh.

Posted by: Voice3 | June 23, 2008 11:55 PM
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Sophisticated unhuh That why they thought the cow was God first creation?

Posted by: Garyd | June 23, 2008 9:43 PM
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Thanks for the essay Rabbi.

You : "So this is as much about the popular foothold that Hinduism has established in American pop culture as anything else. And that kind of popularity always makes the purists in any community nervous. But that’s their problem. And it’s not limited to Hindus."

"Purists" nervous? Surely not for the reason you gave. And Hinduism is more complex than anyone to assume there are "purists" in Hinduism in the conventional sense of dogma or creed. Perhaps it is the distortion of Hinduism as projected in the movie that is disconterting to Hindus who protested.

Hinduism is grand - in belief and philosophy. There is more universal truths in the Bhagavad Gita than can possibly be in the Mike Myers movie. And one do regret that more attention is paid to "The Love Guru" and time wasted watching and discussing it rather than to read up on Hinduism's sophisticated concept of time and space.

Yes, it is "their" problem indeed. "Their" as in those who placed value on the entertaining shallow takes and cheap shots. Never mind. The masses "should relax, buy some popcorn and enjoy the movie" as you suggest Hindu groups who protested do.

Nothing like small time cheap thrills and laughs at the expense of others we do relish sometimes and yet know it is unfair and unwarranted, but can never stop because it makes us feel good about ourself over them? Or just to laugh at ourself? Or them?

Odd, is it not? We tell our children not to laugh at people as this is rude or not decent behavior no matter how stupid and ridiculous they are, and yet as adults, we value comedies, satires, humour as being frank in telling the truth and should laugh about it.

So, what are we telling our children? Of course. Do as I say, not as I do. Now, this is really no laughing matter.

Cheers
"J"

Posted by: Jihadist | June 23, 2008 8:51 PM
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