Ramayana For The Faithless

The pull of Hindu thought and culture transcends religion, but can it survive Hindutva?

- Arshia Sattar

I AM NOT A HINDU and will probably never be one. In the same way, I am also not a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh. It is unlikely that I will ever be any one of these either. But I believe that I have a right to think about and admire and mull over what these great traditions tell me about how to live in the world, what it means to be human, how to be good. I care what they teach me about dying and what comes after; I am interested in what they think the great truths are.

I can honestly say that I am enriched by all the religions that I do not follow, perhaps most of all by Hinduism. It is true that I take what appeals to me from here and there (compassion from Buddhism, an insistence on justice from Judaism, sharing what I earn each year with those who have less from Islam) and try to construct a coherent and ethical way in which to live my life. But it is what I have cherry-picked, if you will, from Hinduism that forces me to confront myself existentially—it makes me consider who it is that I want to be every day of my life. When I am at my best, ideas of karma and dharma make me aware of my actions and push me to consider their motivations. Most of all, they remind me that the consequences of what I do also has an impact on others.