How to Become a Hindu

It is amazing to see the influence of Hinduism in the so-called "western world." We may attend a yoga class, see a TV program on reincarnation, talk about karma or even try and meditate but we don't see these things as anymore than individual techniques. So many of our spiritual ideas come from the east–such concepts as the oneness of life, reincarnation, karma and so forth but we generally don't think about their origins. Further, such practises as mantra, meditation and even more obvious, the fire ritual (agni hotra) are taught as individual techniques for wellbeing, yet we still don't seem to get the bigger picture. Strangely, we do not think about this often, we see these practices in isolation and do not consider them as part of a living discrete religious tradition. We even hear of such strange amalgams as Christian Yoga, the use of meditation for business or the value of mantra in a self help seminar and yet do not see any anomaly. In the West we see Christianity, Islam and related Abrahamic religions as offering conversion and yet do not contemplate this option in relation to Hinduism. When we are exposed to the power of its techniques, practises or traditions we seem to experience them in isolation but do not consider the next logical step: conversion.

This may be because Hinduism is not evangelical. It does not hawk its faith on street corners or wish to manipulate for converts. It makes conversion hard work and puts demands on the individual before they can enter the faith. It wants informed and reasoned conversions, not quick switches at the high of an emotional presentation. This system of "ethical conversion" is central to "How to become a Hindu." While Subramuniyaswami explains how Hinduism welcomes converts and offers a range of heartfelt and persuasive conversion stories, he emphasizes the need for intelligent, informed and fully consensual conversion. This process involves confronting ones prior religious (or secular) ideological attachments, dealing with them and making an informed separation from them. In the case of previous religious commitments this can include formal dialog with one's prior religious mentors or community and formal release from it. Further to this is the importance of formal entry into a sect of Hinduism including taking a Hindu name, entering a Hindu community and the naming rite.