Hindu nationalist objections:
One would think that Hindus would be happy that their spiritual tradition and many of its concepts is being formally recognized by academics and scientists, actively researched and taught at universities. For the most part Hindus are, because Hindus at large support science and consider their own tradition a scientific one.
However, Hindu nationalists who are a large and influential group are not at all happy with this, deride transpersonal psychology as Western chauvanistic attempts to appropriate and assimilate their teachings and thereby render Hinduism as a religion redundant. They resist being assimilated into the larger fold of “global spirituality” as just another tradition among many others(Sufism, Kabbalh, Native American healing etc) They criticize this as Western universalism.
My own opinion on this matter is that Hindu nationalism is a big joke. That is because Hinduism nationalism is not at all an authentic idea in Hinduism, Hinduism nationalism is actually inspired strongly by Nazi nationalism and Mussolini nationalism. The first Hindu nationalists actually made it a point to visit Hitler to seek inspiration.
Another reason that Hinduism nationalism is a big joke, is because there has never been a Hindu nation state of India. India has historically existed as a bunch of kingdoms, that have constantly been fighting among each other. At only rare times in its history have empires arose that united all of existing India under one banner: Mauryan times, Mughal times and British India times. Ironically, in neither of these times was India “Hindu”. In Mauryan times it was Buddhist. In Mughal times, no state religion existed; in British times no state religion existed.
Another reason Hindu nationalism is a big joke, is because the religion of Hinduism never existed. India historically has been made up of several religions and spiritual traditions, numbering into the hundreds. There has never been any huge overarching religious authority like the Church. There has been Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Vaishnavism, Shivaism, Shaktism, Smartism. These traditions in turn were divided into many competing sects sub-traditions. Indian religious and spiritual landscape has historically been heterogeneous(diverse)
In short there NEVER has been anything called ‘Hinduism’ Hinduism is basically a term to describe a whole culture of traditions that have theirs root in the Vedic tradition. Thus Hinduism is a term that describes a culture and a particular philosophy, definitely not a religion. It is like using the term “Westernism” to describe the culture and philosophy of the West .
Therefore, as Hinduism as a religion does not exist and has never existed, the fear of Hindu nationalists that their religion will become redundant or disappear does not matter. The culture and philosophy of Hinduism matters for what it can bring to our world today(not just India) and thus let it be appropriated and assimilated.
