Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp
We examine the impact of the current colonial-racist discourse around Hindu Dharma on Indians across the world and prove that this discourse causes psychological effects similar to those caused by racism: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a detachment from our cultural heritage.

Talk:The Doctrine of Rebirth & the Spiritual Potential of Children

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Vishal Agarwal


The doctrine of rebirth helps Hindus to appreciate and accept the manifestation of spirituality in little children from a philosophical perspective[1][2]. The net result of such core beliefs and traditions is that childhood and adolescent spirituality is considered something ‘natural’ or explainable by ordinary Hindus. This acceptance manifests as the presence of numerous child or teenage ‘Gurus’, ‘Acharyas’ (teachers), and ‘Yogis’ in Hindu society. However, acceptance of child and adolescent spirituality also implies that parents often get concerned when their loved child shows overt spiritual inclinations. Instead of considering them mentally ill, they try to bring him/her ‘back to the world’ via premature marriage, or through material comforts. Anandamayi Ma, A Hindu girl born in 1896 in Kheora (Bangladesh) was married off at 13, but her husband soon discovered to his dismay that she was always engrossed in spiritual matters. He became her first disciple, and she became one of modern India's most celebrated Hindu mystics[3]. Likewise, the influential and affluent parents of Sri Ma in Assam launched a frantic search to recover their sixteen-year-old daughter when she left her home to pursue her spiritual quests but were unsuccessful[4].

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "There are several other Hindu beliefs – e.g. positive effect of Samskāras, the grace of a Guru or a Deva that help Hindus rationalize why some children are very spiritually gifted."
  2. ↑ Agarwal, Vishal. “Awakening Latent Spirituality, Nurturing Children in the Hindu Tradition.” Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality, edited by Karen Marie Yust et al., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2006, Lanham (Maryland), pp. 19-32.
  3. ↑ Johnsen, Linda. Daughters of the Goddess, the Women Saints of India. Yes International Publishers, 1994, St. Paul (Minnesota, USA). pp. 47-57
  4. ↑ Johnsen, Linda. Daughters of the Goddess, the Women Saints of India. Yes International Publishers, 1994, St. Paul (Minnesota, USA). pp. 28-46
Retrieved from "https://hindupedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:The_Doctrine_of_Rebirth_%26_the_Spiritual_Potential_of_Children&oldid=156377"