No, I did not say that we had caused them to re-evaluate their beliefs. I said we made an impact that may or may not sprout change with time (most likely no change, but atleast these people are now aware of the larger picture regarding Hinduism, India, Indians, Hindus, etc).
Those who previously had negative views on Hinduism/India, will have had their views reinforced. People who were previously neutral, will have new negative views. You cannot expect people to listen, while you go around labelling everybody a white supremist and Christian fundamentalist who is oppressing you. This basic human frailty, if you attack another human being, their receptiveness to what you say will diminish and they will go on the offensive. Hence why Swami Vivekananda, or basically none of the Hindu gurus that went to the West, never condemned the native religions. Their approach worked wonders as they were instrumental in bringing many revolutions in the West.
Spiritual diplomacy…ugh…a contradiction. Sometimes, I truly feel there is no objective morality or reality in this world…
You do realise that Krishna was a diplomat right and Krishna is known as one of the most devious people in Indian history? In one of the Puranas Krishna is even called the deceiver of all deceivers. Krishna got the Pandavas to tell many lies, he himself lied. The aim was to get the final objective.
Here our objective is not to destroy Abrahamic religions, but to establish a dharmic world. If this means accept a few lies like accepting secret and esoteric knowledge of Western occultism and paganism as equal traditions to Yoga and Tantra, or the positive acceptance of Jesus, Moses and Mohammed, then sobeit. As long as the objective is met.
Jesus? Ewww. I personally would not want to associate myself with some non-existent Jewish carpenter who spouted clich?d and trite phrases with every breath (of course the uncivilized peoples in the region were astounded as they were by what the they regarded as “civilization”).
You are a young teenager in highschool. Swami Yogananda Paramhansa, who did in fact accept Jesus as an avatar and completely reinterpreted the gospels to give them a dharmic slant, was a highly advanced spiritual master from a recognised and long lineage of kriya yogis who was a massive success in the West and widely published. Why did he accept Jesus, but you cannot? Do you know Ramakrishna accepted Jesus and Mohammed?
In America, they receive a largely negative and skeptical imagine. These teachings are seen as nothing more than mythology and metaphysics with no real application in real life. Sure our teachings may have made small advances with time, but the majority of America’s populace is woefully ignorant.
Yep, spirituality the worldover gets treated with skepticism and negative views. In India it is no more favourable. The fact of the matter is Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta has succesfully penetrated deep into the West, despite mainstream disapproval. In the West some 20 million Americans practice Yoga. They are not fussed whether it comes from India or China.
So your point that first India needs to develop for these things to get acceptance is in error, these things have been flourishing in the West even before India’s economic boom began. The credit does to the work of Hindu gurus in the West.
i’m not even white.