Analyzing Cultural Appropriation of Eastern Spirituality
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In this episode, Chandresh discusses the heated debate that is going on about the cultural appropriation of tantra, yoga, and eastern spirituality. Chandresh shares his perspective and experience on how we can arrive at a solution.
The cultural appropriation debate is asking for the respect that eastern spirituality deserves. Chandresh discusses questions like: What problems are being faced in western society that is becoming a challenge in healing the cultural appropriation problem? What exactly is missing in the western culture that is not enabling the cultural appreciation part to happen?
He also shares various solutions and discusses how we can turn this problem into a solution. Some of these include mantras and teachings from various teachers and masters who have talked about being in the global village and treating the world as your family. The truth is, spirituality is for everyone. It is not a monopoly of a certain religion, color, or community. In order for us to channel and expand into any form of art or spirituality, we have to learn how to use it in the most respectful way. This is the basic, most fundamental part.
Episode Transcript
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
Cultural appropriation is the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, belief systems of one people or a society or community by members of another, and usually more dominant people or society. The debate on cultural appropriation is only getting heated on social media platforms every day. It includes questions like; should non-Hindus be teaching yoga? Should not-Hindus be allowed to chant Sanskrit mantras or worship Hindu deities? Many sensitive questions and we need to reflect on them with a sensitive, compassionate heart. This podcast is going to go deeper into my opinion, my experience, my perspective on the cultural appropriation of the Eastern spirituality.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
If you want to listen to it, listen it with open heart, open mind, and collective compassion for everyone. I am Chandresh Bhardwaj and this is Break than Norms. Namaste, everyone. I hope you're doing well. Thank you for joining me every Sunday on Leela Gurukul's Instagram page. The meditations every Sunday are getting warmer, healing, nurturing, with every experience. The tribe that's showing up is absolutely encouraging. I wrote this on my Instagram yesterday, that I never expected running a mission like Leela Gurukul to be a smooth process. I knew it would be tough, it would be challenging to present the side of spirituality that's not revolved around any sort of performance and really rooted in the traditional principles of spirituality.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And the truth is, your feedback, your love on Leela, for this podcast, it's only encouraging me and increasing my confidence to go deeper into what I really hope to share in Leela Gurukul. So definitely sign up on leelagurukul.com for the announcement of the courses, programs, that we will offer on Leela and do see me every Sunday, 8:30 AM Pacific Time on the Instagram page of Leela Gurukul. This conversation that we're going to dive deeper into today, it's really based on my experience and my perspective because this is a topic where a perspective is needed. It's not a topic that I can quote a certain spiritual text and prove my point. There's no point to prove honestly.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
In fact, every episode I share, I try to share it with intention of sharing, intention of sharing my experience, and never ever with the even slight idea of convincing you of my point, because that's how we can grow. I've been hearing about this topic for a while, and I'll be honest, I didn't know about its existence until some of my friends and students started sending me the Instagram post about it. And I think this topic is really heated on the Instagram kind of platforms and the blogging world. And when I share about cultural appropriation, I am going to talk about just the yoga tantra Eastern spirituality aspect of it.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
There are many other angles to the problem of cultural appropriation, but my experience and my knowledge is mainly confined toward the Eastern spirituality. And I know I can talk a lot about that aspect for hours or for number of days. Regarding the other aspect, I'm not the right person to talk about it. So I'll stick to what I know and what I have seen and experienced. So, as I shared that many students and friends would send me the Instagram post, various blogs, and they would ask me my thoughts, my opinions on it, and I would always share it. Lately, I started seeing some of the cultural appropriation postings filled with absolute anger, hate, even verbal violence, and that didn't feel right.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
They were all the postings around the yoga tantra spirituality, but there was one incident that has really motivated me to make this podcast today. There was this stranger on Instagram, I had no idea who that person was because their name, their face, was not visible on their Instagram account, but this person would consistently ask very relevant, deep questions. But the questions were not straight. They were very complex, very deep, and they had very cultural context to them. And I would always answer, I remember even sending voice messages to those questions. Then one day, this person sent me a long message thanking me for all the answers, all the perspectives, and all the work I've been doing.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And I complimented that person. I don't even know if that person was male or female. I just thanked that person that, "You have been asking very mindful and amazing questions, so thanks to you as well." Then that person shared something which really surprised me, made me uncomfortable. This person said, "I have been conducting a sort of social/spiritual experiment on social media for a long time." What this person had been doing was going to different spiritual accounts with considerable followers and this person would ask very relevant questions about what they're teaching.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
So for example, if I'm talking about tantra, this person would say, "So how come if tantra was started in India, how come it's taught differently in Japan?" Or they could be asking something that you wrote two years ago and then they would ask, "You wrote two years ago spirituality means so-and-so, but today you're talking an aspect of it which is completely opposite of what you shared two years ago." Honestly, I used to find this research aspect of this account very fascinating and that's why I used to respond with very detailed answers because I could see they're asking some really important questions. So this person told me, I've been doing this with number of accounts.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
The unfortunate part is whenever I have asked about why they teach meditation in such a way, why they connect tantra with sexuality, or why they call meditation anything and everything and not go into the traditional spiritual aspect of it, none of them would answer this person. And this person was blocked by pretty much all of the accounts. Then this person also shared how there were accounts who were talking about cultural appropriation of Eastern spirituality and they were writing very angry post about it, that anyone who's not Hindu should not be allowed to practice yoga or even say namaste or even do mantras.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
So when this unknown, anonymous account on Instagram would ask them the logic behind it, they would either be blocked or they will be just given a very rude answer. This account shared a screenshot of those accounts, and many of those accounts I know, many of those accounts I know in person, many of those accounts I know that they exist. So it was quite... I wouldn't say disappointing because I know this is what's going on in Instagram spirituality. But it was just a little shameful to see that if you are running an account with so many followers depending on you, trusting you, the least you can do is do your research and have some backing for all the stuff you are sharing.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
But that's a conversation for probably another series of podcast, I'll stick to the cultural appropriation part. But this incident with this anonymous account really made me think that where are we going with this new thing, with the cultural appropriation. I'm calling it new thing because I truly feel this is a by-product of what we are seeing politically everywhere. Within the USA, within India, there is a huge conversation about the divisions based on your color cast, your belief systems, your political beliefs, and cultural appropriation has its roots in many of those conversations. But I'll of course also say that these movements like cultural appropriation, they start with very noble intention, very sacred intention.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And intention is very clear, do not disrespect our culture. But very soon, very quickly, they move into some sort of violent movements where they become even worse than the people they were trying to protest against, they become even more judgmental than the people they were trying to fix. And I'm seeing that's happening with cultural appropriation. That's why I said, when you listen to this episode, listen with open mind, because I know for sure people who have been getting angry about cultural appropriation may even get even more angry when they listen to me. But hear me out. I'm not trying to change your opinion, I'm just sharing what I feel about it because there are plenty of people who have asked what do I think about this person doing yoga, this brand teaching about tantra.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And I was like, "Let me just create a podcast and I hope that would answer all those questions." Now, if you really meditate upon what really is the demand of cultural appropriation movement, the demand is very clear, do not disrespect the Eastern spirituality, do not disrespect yoga, do not disrespect tantra, understand it fully, and that will solve all the problem. But of course, human mind makes everything complex because we bring in greed, anger, confusion, comparison, calculation, and then there is this instinct to always go into a battle. And the dirtier the battle, the more good your ego will feel. That's really what is happening out there right now.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I think one of the major problems I really want to share that's happening with the cultural appropriation of Eastern spirituality is what really happened with that anonymous account I talked about. That account is by the way deactivated now. I tried connecting with that person, but it was gone. I don't want to read what that person wrote, but it was a very painful, final note that this person wrote to me that, "I have been disappointed with all these so-called influencers talking about yoga, tantra, meditation, or the Eastern healing arts, and they're not helping the Eastern spirituality in any way possible."
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
They spoke with the Hindus, non-Hindus, Indians, non-Indians, all mixed diverse group, and they said it was just very disappointing and very insulting at times because some of these accounts will DM you with very rude, angry messages. And I saw the screenshots. So I was like, "I cannot change the mind or fix what's happening out there, but the least I can do is share my side of it so that everyone can really start reflecting on, where are we going with this?" When I saw the questions and the screenshots of that anonymous account in conversation with others, I saw something that I had been witnessing for many, many years, and that's a challenge of too much blurred information from the books and almost no experience or very minimum experience with that information.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And whenever you will be into the circus of too much information and no experience, that's a disastrous recipe for anything. In the spiritual world, this is damaging, because if I could read 10 books in one month and the rush to be a teacher would ruin everything. It will damage so many lives because this is a very sensitive, sacred work. If all you have is information and you are simply paraphrasing that information in your whatever platform you are on, you are doing a lot of damage to others, but also to yourself because you are really building a bubble around you, and that bubble and that drive may be telling you that you are the teacher, you are the voice that they wanted to hear, but you're not helping anyone in that situation.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
We are in times where you could be talking about anything and you'll have an audience. And that's a very scary thing because when people are not thinking or not ready to dive deeper into the right work, then anyone will show up and talk about anything and proclaim that they are expert in that field. And that's just the beginning of many damaging episodes. I came across different type of teachers in the past and I've really seen there are teachers in spirituality, yoga, or tantra where they don't know that they don't know. And that's a beautiful thing, that's perfectly okay, that if I don't know that I don't know, it's fine, there is a possibility to learn.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
When you know that you don't know, I mean, then you're really cracked the code. There is no problem at all. I think the major problem is when you get to know that you don't know but you're not willing to learn, because when I came across people who didn't know what they were teaching and they were simply repeating the voice of the books they were reading or the teachers they were listening on podcast and YouTube and when they came across the right teaching, many of those people started changing their expression, they started teaching tantra, spirituality in the right way.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
But then I came across many other voices who were very much clear that what they're teaching may not be right, but the ego, the arrogance, became so strong that they were not willing to turn around. They were not willing to take a U-turn from there because I feel the seduction of being this popular teacher is so strong and it just seduces you in and you're like, "I cannot let go of this. I cannot appear too vulnerable right now. I cannot accept to all my followers on my platform that I have been teaching you the wrong thing for all these years." I have had some really uncomfortable experiences where people are very confidently sharing the wrong teaching.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And I used to think maybe they don't know, but when you speak to them behind the curtains, you know that they know they were teaching wrong. But the business is moving and people are showing up every day, so no one wants to change that. I also feel it's the problem of the fast growth. Everyone wants to grow super fast, everyone wants to be known as the teacher and become popular overnight. And I've said this before, the term influencer is very disturbing, very damaging, because when others reward you with titles and you start to get infatuated with that title, you'll do anything to protect that title. That's really what happens in the politics.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
They want to retain that seat of power and they'll do anything to have it. And I feel people in the politics do it on a bigger scale and sometimes it becomes invisible to us, but now with social media and everyone has their own little platforms, we all are playing that politics with ourselves and we are not ready to learn the truth, not ready to embrace the truth. And the mind is so interesting, such a circus that it will keep giving you the reasons to keep expanding that bubble. I really feel this is a major and a serious problem; the teachers, the voices, who are aware that they are teaching that wrong thing and they are not willing to learn the right thing or not willing to teach the right thing because it's tough, it needs more time, more patience, and that's tough for them.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And I will share the solutions and the other aspect of it as well in this episode. I don't want to focus only on the problems, I don't want to focus only on what's going on wrong, I do want to share some really beautiful and amazing things that we can do and people are doing. But this is a major problem, and it's needless to say this is a problem that can show up in any human being. It's shameful to say, when you read about these things, that if you are non-Hindu, you should not be saying namaste, if you're a non-Hindu, you cannot teach yoga. I feel embarrassed to even say this. I remember when I spoke to my guru and other senior teachers in tantra and I said, "What's your opinion? This is what's going on."
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
There are people who are saying, "If you're not a Hindu and you cannot say namaste," because the way Hindus say namaste is a different pronunciation, and when you say it, it's wrong." I have messages in my inbox where people are saying, "Can I say namaste in my yoga class?" I remember reading a message almost two years ago and this person said, "Sorry, Chandresh, for going to my yoga classes. As a white person, I feel ashamed of doing yoga," and I had no clue what she was talking about. But that was probably my first introduction to this problem. See what happens when we start talking about something like cultural appropriation.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
It should be really discussed and normally talked about because very soon it becomes Hindus versus everyone else. Very soon, it becomes a cultural war and that war doesn't serve anyone. The truth is, this is a very anti-tantra language, very anti-yoga language, very anti-Hindu language honestly when I say that if you're not a Hindu, you're not allowed to do any of these. Because these teachings are so rooted in the ancient of history of Eastern spirituality, whenever I start my meditations, most of the times, at least in the live experiences with people or even with my students, I always offer a gratitude to the teachers, the masters, the known and the unknown, for letting us share this, letting us use their knowledge, their wisdom.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And people would ask me in the past, "Why do you always thank the known and unknown teachers?" This is the reason why I always thank them, because I know these teachers made this information available to us, and that's a beautiful, generous gift that we got from them, because the teachers of today are paraphrasing and copy pasting the work of ancient teachers and they are copywriting that. They don't want others to use what they are creating, and that's a shameful thing. The so-called teachers of today are so stuck in that zone of, "It's my secret recipe of meditation. It's my secret formula of healing or enlightenment." But who owns poetry? Who owns meditation? Who owns yoga, dance, writing?
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
There are all ancient arts, disrespecting them in any form should not be accepted. But as long as you're willing to learn, as long as you're willing to dive deeper into it in the most authentic form, it belongs to everyone. I remember one of my students moved to California, I believe from Florida. This is old story, maybe five years ago. She was a great yoga teacher and she applied to different yoga studios here in California. Some of the biggest yoga studios, they told her, "You can teach yoga, we like your profile, but you cannot share the spiritual aspect of yoga. We focus only on the fitness part of yoga." They had renamed the asanas, the postures, based on their branding.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
Now, this is cultural appropriation. This is disrespect of such an ancient science. This is happening for tantra, for Eastern spirituality. And these brands are big, they're huge. They can employ one researcher at the least to get to know the right thing. And they are very aware of it, but it's the lack of willingness. It's the arrogance, the ego. Let's not blame the big brands, there are individuals who are choosing to ignore that hard work, there are students who are choosing to ignore the right information, the right knowledge only because it's tough, it's a little longer process. But if you really want to learn tantra, meditation, yoga, isn't it better to learn it the right way?
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
You're spending energy, money, time, so you rather learn it the right way rather than just spending all of your energy in the wrong sources. But there's another problem that will be a little difficult to solve. I come across many students who are confidently sharing about Eastern spirituality on Instagram. When you get to know them, they are doing it so confidently because they have learned that from their teachers and the teachers have learned it from another teacher and the chain goes on. And the root is really coming from a community of teachers who have been teaching all these Eastern spiritual sciences in a very half-baked way. And that's a problem.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I have many friends who in LA who teach Kundalini, the Kundalini that's Yogi Bhajan's brand. That Kundalini is mix of Sikhism plus tantra. It's a blend of both. And if you get to know Sikhism little bit, even if you spend reading maybe one hour of Sikhism, you would know that Kundalini is a major cultural appropriation toward the Sikh religion. But because I have friends who are students and teachers in that... and many of them, if not all, many of them have been following that innocently because that's just what they have been taught by their teachers, by their studios. These are some serious examples of how disrespectful ignorance and above all lack of willingness to learn the right stuff is destroying the spiritual work.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I don't even need to spend too much time explaining that it belongs to all. Just because I'm Indian, it should not belong to me, simply because of my skin color, simply because of where I was born. It belongs to all. You could be Indian and do some serious damage to Eastern spirituality and you could be non-Indian and make some great contributions toward it. If in 2021 we are still having debates on if you're a Hindu and not Hindu and whether you have the right to talk about Eastern spirituality, we're basically going back, backward. Dividing people in the name of spirituality is not any growth, is not the beginning of any possibilities. It's the end of possibilities.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I want to share about this yoga teacher I knew who taught in very fancy studios here in America. She taught the Sanskrit mantras, the teachings about gurus, and her studio was filled with pictures of gurus and Hindu deities and all of that. She wanted to go to India to experience what she called the real and the raw experience of spirituality. She went there and she could not go into the real places where spirituality existed because they were... It's India, each temple is loaded with hundreds and thousands of people all the time. There were monks, sadhus, gurus chanting mantra. It's a very overwhelming energy out there.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And on second day onward, she decided she will not go to any tantra temple, she'll not go to any place, and her girlfriend who was with her, she was surprised, and she said, "Honey, that's what you teach in the studios. Now you get to experience the raw and real side of it. It's what you wanted. It's uncomfortable because it's different culture, but this is the time to be out and learn and get to know the culture and everything." She said, "If it's meant to be, it will happen to me within my hotel room." She chose to stay in her five-star room for all the 10 days of her visit. This is not the problem part, the problem part is when she came back to USA.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
She shared plenty of pictures of India and she still brands herself as this yogi who spent great time in India learning about the spirituality. I personally know people who keep saying that their biggest qualification is that they spent time in Bali and India. Do I really need to explain this, that going to India or Bali does not qualify for anything? You could be staying in India for two years and doing whatever you wanted to do. It could be learning yoga, it could be learning tantra, but that's not the whole goal. To be able to qualify as a teacher, you got to put in a lot more work because you will not know the roots of this. People who have been living in India, they're still learning the roots of it.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I don't have a memory of my life where I was not involved in the deities, the tantra work. Literally I don't have a memory of it. It's ingrained in just my upbringing and still I feel very unqualified, very ignorant of the root of this powerful work. This is really what it is. It's very ancient, complex, deep, and it's silly when people would spend three months somewhere and they come back as the expert, or sometimes they'll feel two years of it is more than enough. If you are not willing to spend at least 10 to 15 years of learning into this, then we should not be having a conversation whether you are ready to teach about tantra or yoga, because the harsh truth is, this science deserves and demands a lot of energy from you.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
Just because after a breakup and letting go of a corporate job you decided to teach this and then you start claiming yourself as the expert, you are going to do a lot of damage to yourself. Forget the damage to others, there's going to be a lot of damage to you and you don't want that to happen. That's why I'm saying, do the work, get to know the depths of it, do not get attracted to want certificates. You do not want a certificate when there's not enough experience. Because the whole debate about cultural appropriation is very simple. Learn about the culture, learn about the science that you're teaching, that you're sharing, and then just be respectfully handle it. That's all.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And it would need a little bit of effort on a daily basis, especially if you're a teacher. I'm not even talking about students here because they are simply doing what their teachers are doing. Their teachers are leading with example here. And I feel there are a bunch of things missing in the Western culture when it comes to really getting to know the root of this science of spirituality from the East. One of them is of course, as I said, too much information, not willing to learn, and a lack of experience. That's one. Number two, the guru-student relationship does not exist. While in the East there is still guru-student connections, over here they do not exist.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
The major problem is of course the arrogance that, "I am my own guru." Of course, you are, but you need a teacher, you need a guide, a mentor to lead you in the right direction. If you're a doctor, an accountant, a painter, an artist, we all have some mentors, right? We all have someone guiding us. Spirituality is such a sensitive job that if you choose to call yourself your own guru and take no help, guidance, coaching from a real human, then you're basically... you can call anything spirituality, because there is no one telling you what's right, what's wrong, what needs to be done, how to handle your ego in this.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I've shared this many times, that if I didn't have my guru, I would not be able to do even 1% of what I'm doing, because on a daily basis, the gurus check your ego, on a daily basis, they kick you in the butt a little bit so that you stay alert and aware. The guru-student traditions in the East have always been the most sacred part of the spiritual growth and spiritual teaching. And I feel that's majorly missing. I don't know how it will come back, or maybe it will never fully thrive or bloom here, but I truly feel that's what is missing because when you look around, everyone is in the rush of getting a certificate and start teaching and start running their Instagram account, their YouTube channel.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
That's all pretty much it takes now to be an expert on whatever spirituality you are teaching. But I'll also share with you that one thing we have to really understand and be very grateful, that this spiritual science is for all. It does not belong to any particular community or a person. It belongs to the one who is willing to dive deeper into the depth of it, who is willing to let go of their ego and go deeper into it. It belongs to that person who's willing to really shed the old self and embrace the newness of this energy. There is a reason why in the Indian spirituality the name of teachers used to be changed after they become the teacher, because that was a symbolic ritual of releasing you from the old identity and inviting you into the new role that you have for others.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
My father's name was changed from his usual passport name to the spiritual name. All the teachers that you know about whose name start from swami or guru, there's a reason why they were given those names because that's symbolic of shedding the old and moving into the new. One of my dear student, one of my first students, her name is Jessica, but as she started diving deeper, my father changed her name from Jessica to Saraswati. And that was such a beautiful symbolism of her releasing the old and moving into the new. Today when I meet her, I clearly and absolutely see she's not Jessica anymore, she is Saraswati. There is that rawness, that depth, that new role gives you.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
When I was born, I had a different name on my astrology chart, but my father, my grandfather, they changed my name to Chandresh which is still a reminder, it reminds me every day of my role here with all of you. If you want to know the meaning of Chandresh, it's as deep, as raw as moon, and another meaning of Chandresh is master of consciousness. I always think about this meaning and in my head I'm like, "Yup, great. Thank you, grandpa. Thank you, dad, for putting this pressure on me to be the master of consciousness." But I really see this name as a responsibility to be the student of consciousness and they drive you, they really lead you into this beautiful energy.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
So, spirituality belongs to all, Eastern spirituality belongs to all. You don't need a passport for that. What you need is humbleness, surrendering, receptivity. There is a beautiful teaching in the Eastern traditions called Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. And this is really the solution for this angry debate about the cultural appropriation. It really means, "the world is one family," and we all belong to each other, we all are in this collective consciousness. And in the Eastern traditions, there are countless examples, teachings, and mantras where the yogis and the gurus have constantly claimed that we are not and we should not be divided on the basis of any of this manmade stuff.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
The countries fighting with each other, the politics, the religion, the division based on belief systems, it's going to create absolute self-destruction. In the Eastern spirituality, there are many wisdom scriptures; Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, tantra, yoga, Vedanta. You can start browsing any one of them and you'll be surprised that each one of them are very clear about spirituality is inclusive of all. If you can get your hand on the ancient documents where they would talk about Gurukuls, the ancient schools of teaching, you'll know that many profound gurus had students coming from all over the world to learn.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
They never said, "Oh, if you're not Hindu, you cannot learn this," because it's a science that demands discipline, it's a science that demands love, devotion, surrendering, but it's not a science that demands you to belong to a certain religion or a certain community. That would be just going backward and ending all the possibilities of raising the human consciousness. In fact, one of them wisdom scriptures from India called Rig Vedas, they have this mantra that I'm going to share with you. The mantra says, "[foreign language 00:40:39]," which means; "We are in this global village, and in this global village, may all live healthy, may all belong to this collective compassion."
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And this word, vaishvik gaanv, which literally means a global village, it was mentioned in this scripture thousands of years ago. It's not a new teaching in Eastern spirituality, this is how it always was. Even the yogis mentioned it very clearly that you belong to this Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, world is all one family, we are part of this global village. Imagine thousands of years later, we are fighting over that you cannot do this and it belongs to me. This debate will have no end, this battle will have no end. And because I really want the voice of ancient teachers and gurus in this episode, I want to share a few more mantras that further assure us that we are supposed to grow this plant of spirituality together.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
We are not here to bring our copyrights and fight with each other that you cannot do this and only I can do this. So this one mantra from Rig Veda, it's so beautiful. It says, "[foreign language 00:42:10]," which means; "May all of you lead with collective intention. May the vibration of your heart be the same. May your mission be the same. May we all grow together in this harmony and may there be no violence, no difference, between each other as humans." How beautiful is this? When I started hearing about cultural appropriation, I understood that this is a debate, a fight for claiming back the respect.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
But when I started listening to others, I saw that there are many gray shades in this that we need to understand. It's fundamental and basic thing that if you want to dive deeper into any work, any sacred work, any work that belongs to God that was started by a certain kind of people, there will be belief systems and values, and learnings, information. Something like Eastern spirituality is so complex and vast, if you want to be a teacher, a voice for it, of course, spend all the time and learn it. But if you are not willing to learn and disrespecting it, then there's no space for anything there.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
Then it's very clear that you have made this conscious choice that, "I'm not going to learn. I'm just going to make the buck out of it, the cash out of it, and do my thing." Even one of the most beautiful teachers, Buddha, who had his own opinions about many things, and some of those views differ from the Hindu teachings, but he was very clear about this collective consciousness as well, that we all are designed to share this experience and bloom through it. In his wisdom scripture called Dhammapada, he mentions this; [foreign language 00:44:20]. Which means; "Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. It's appeased only by loving kindness. That's the ancient law, that's the primordial truth."
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
My humble request with folded hands to each one of you is; let's not divide Eastern spirituality based on what religion, what color, what community you belong to, because dividing people in the name of spirituality is the end of possibilities, not the beginning. Dividing people in the name of spirituality is the anti-tantra language. That's not something any tantra platform, any tantra school will approve. Another request is; do not have the rush to be a teacher, relax. Why there is such a rush to have the certificate and start teaching? Why can't there be a playful space around being a student?
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
I still feel extremely uncomfortable writing the title teacher on my Instagram or anywhere honestly. I remember when I was getting a website copy done for my website, the copywriter who was writing the whole website, they really had a lot of struggle with me because I was like, "Can we just write he's a seeker, he's sharing about this?" And he said, "People want to know then what you're offering. They need to know." And for many years, I did not use anything about being an expert or even teacher, guide. It's very, very recent. Even after my book was released, only after that I started putting this label of guide or spiritual advisor, because I was like, "I think that's the only way I can explain to others."
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
But it happened after 15 years of me just sharing about it. And trust me, it feels very humbling and beautiful and relaxing when you're not in rush to be a teacher. Enjoy the process, enjoy this journey, and wherever you go, wherever you hang out in the spiritual gatherings, be willing to start a tough conversation about, how can we learn deeper about the culture, the belief systems? How can we really hold this conscious conversation? And it should include everyone. It should be really diverse conversation including everyone, because we have reached a space where we are not humans anymore; we have become this Hindu mind, Catholic mind, Buddhist mind.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
Our minds have become so overtly religious and that's why there is such a rigid belief system and division in us. And as long as you keep identifying your existence based on these labels, these boundaries, you are doomed to destroy your existence because we won't have peace in the world if our entire existence is based on these intellectual concepts and we are not willing to embrace and accept each other's existence as part of this collective consciousness. So stop hating the symptoms and start learning why these symptoms are so visible, so expanding.
Chandresh Bhardwaj:
And hopefully, we can create a spiritual space where there is just excitement, curiosity to learn, and there is no one holding back that expression and we are just sharing, learning, encouraging each other, and being in this playful dance with the divinity. That's my hope with this cultural harmony that I'm hoping to see out there. I hope this episode was helpful, was inspiring, and I hope it makes you reflect and meditate upon all that's going on. Be safe, be well, and I'll speak to you soon.
Useful Links
Find Your Source of Happiness - 21 Day Challenge
Private Guidance Program with Chandresh