Hindu reform movements
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{{Hinduism small}}
'''Hinduism''' is going through a phase of regeneration and reform {{Fact|date=April 2007}} through the vehicle of several contemporary movements, collectively termed as '''Hindu reform movements'''. Although these movements are very individual in their exact philosophies they generally stress the spiritual, secular and logical/scientific aspects of the [[Vedic period|Vedic]] traditions, creating a form that is egalitarian that does not discriminate based on [[Jāti]] (caste or subcaste), [[gender]], or [[Race (classification of human beings)|race]].
==Introduction==
Active Hindu communities are to be found in all parts of the world. In particular, countries of the former Soviet Union and Poland have thriving Hindu communities due to the missionary work of the [[Hare Krishna]]s. Most of the Hindu movements, with the exception of the Hare Krishna movement, reflect a more [[Smarta]]-like ideology.
There are groups in India that are actively engaged in getting women and those from socially disadvantaged [[jāti]]s to become priests of [[Hinduism|Vedic]] ritual.
One of the foremost movements in breaking the caste system and educating the downtrodden was the Lingayat movement spearheaded by [[Basavanna]] in the 12th century in [[Anubhava Mantapa]] in [[Basavakalyan|Kalyani]] of [[Karnataka]]. The less accessible [[Vedas]] were rejected and parallel [[Vachanas]] were compiled.
The new movements look up to [[Swami Vivekananda]]; [[Rabindranath Tagore]];[[Ramana Maharshi]]; [[Aurobindo|Shri Aurobindo]] (for his ''Integral Yoga''); [[A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]] (founder of the modern [[Hare Krishna]] movement); [[Swami Sivananda]], [[Swami Rama Tirtha]]; [[Narayana Guru]], [[Paramhansa Yogananda]]; [[Shrii Shrii Anandamurti]] and for inspiration. More recently, the work of [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]], [[Sathya Sai Baba]], [[Shirdi Sai Baba]], Swami [[Muktananda]], Swami [[Chinmayananda]], [[Dayananda Saraswati]], [[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar]], and [[Mata Amritanandamayi]] has inspired millions to create new centers of spiritual development. In the intellectual field, the writings of [[Ananda Coomaraswamy]], [[Ram Swarup]], [[Stephen Knapp]], [[Sita Ram Goel]], [[Subhash Kak]] and [[David Frawley]] have been influential.
In social work, [[Mahatma Gandhi]], [[Vinoba Bhave]], [[Pandurang Shastri Athavale]], [[Baba Amte]] and [[Shrii Shrii Anandamurti]] have been most important. [[Sundarlal Bahuguna]] created the ''[[chipko]]'' movement for the preservation of forestlands according to the Hindu ecological ideas.
The [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] or RSS was founded [[Keshav Baliram Hegdewar]] in 1925. The goal was to unite Hindus, make them rise over their caste differences and work to achieve a Hindu [[Rashtra]]; the ideology of the [[Sangh Parivar|Sangh]], closely associated with political Hinduism, came to be known as [[Hindutva]].
In [[Indonesia]] several movements favour a return to [[Hinduism]] in [[Java (island)|Java]], [[Sumatra]], [[Kalimantan]], and [[Sulawesi]]. [[Bali]]nese Hinduism, known as [[Agama Hindu Dharma]], has witnessed great resurgence in recent years.
Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar (founder of Ananda Marga) initiated a new renaissance in the Indian world of [[samgeet]].
== Hinduism and the West ==
Since the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, there have been an increasing number of Western devotees of various Hindu lineages and practices. These have come about not only through the [[Hare Krishna]]s, but also through the Universalist teachings of such Hindu figures as [[Sri Ramakrishna]], and the yoga teachings of [[B.K.S. Iyengar]]. The growing number of Indian immigrants relocating into the West, and the subsequent building of Hindu temples to meet the spiritual needs of these newly established Hindu communities, has also resulted in Westerns having ready access to traditional teachings. Many Western converts were introduced to Hinduism after attending the Western temples and then embracing the tradition. There can also be no doubt that the fitness revolution's ecstatic love-affair with yoga in the 1990s has helped spur on new interest in the teachings of [[Hinduism]] in the West.
More and more texts are being written by Western-born Hindu converts specifically for a new Western audience, the vast bulk of which have little to no experience with Sanskrit which renders traditional literature all but useless. Some of the more notable instructional texts are the Shaivistic teaching series of the Western-born [[Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami]]'s Himalayan Academy, which includes a book on how to convert to [[Hinduism]].
Along with the traditional Hindu lineages that are opening their doors to Westerners, there are also many non-traditional spiritualities that are also embracing the beliefs and practices of Hinduism to varying extents. The [[Unitarian Universalist]] Church often makes room in their schedule to host events tied to Hindu holidays and celebrations, during which non-Hindus can learn more about the tradition and begin to take part in the observances. There are also several [[Neopaganism|Neopagan]] and [[Wicca]]n traditions, such as SHARANYA, which teach traditional Shakta Tantra within a Western, Wicca-influenced context.
The [[Germany|German]] [[Indology|Indologist]] [[Axel Michaels]] in his 1998 book about [[Hinduism]] distinguished ''founding, proselytizing religions'', "guru-ism" as religious groups originating in [[India]], but also widespread in [[the West]], founded by [[charisma]]tic persons with a corpus of [[esotericism|esoteric]] writings of gurus predominantly in English: [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] and [[Transcendental Meditation]], [[Sathya Sai Baba]] and the [[Sathya Sai Organization]], [[Prabhupada|Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]] and [[ISKCON]], [[Guru Maharaj Ji]] and the [[Divine Light Mission]], [[Rajneesh Chandra Mohan]] and the [[Osho-Rajneesh movement|Sannyasi movement]] in [[Poona]], et cetera. These ''founding, proselytizing religions'', "guru-ism" are according to the book one of the three subgroups of ''founded religions'' of Hinduism. The other two being ''sectarian religions'' and ''[[syncretism|syncretically]] founded religions''. The ''founded religions'' in turn are, according to the book, one of the three Hindu religions that comprise Hinduism. The other two Hindu religions that comprise Hinduism are ''[[Brahmin|Brahman]]ic-[[Sanskrit]]ic Hinduism'', and ''folk religions and religions of social communities'' (sub[[caste]]s, castes, tribes); ''Hindu folk or tribal religions''.<ref>[http://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/abt/IND/mitarbeiter/michaels/cv.html Alex Michaels] "Hinduism Past and Present" (2004) Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-08952-3, translated from German "Der Hinduismus" (1998) page 22</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of Hindu organisations]]
* [[Bengal Renaissance]]
* [[Contemporary Sant Mat movements]]
;Organisations
* [[Arya Samaj]]
* [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Tilak Mission]]
* [[Bhagwan Swaminarayan]]
* [[Brahmo Samaj]]
* [[Parisada Hindu Dharma]]
* [[Prarthana Samaj]]
* [[Ramakrishna Mission]]
* [[Sadharan Brahmo Samaj]]
* [[Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana]]
* [[Swadhyay Movement]]
* [[Swaminarayan Sampraday]]
* [[Sathya Sai Organisation]]
;Influential personalities
* [[Acharya Gour Ganguly]]
* [[Shriram Sharma Acharya]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* John Nicol Farquhar, ''Modern Religious Movements in India'', Kessinger Publishing (2003), ISBN 0766142132.
* Kenneth W. Jones, ''Socio-Religious Reform Movements in British India'', The New Cambridge History of India, Cambridge University Press (1990), ISBN 0521249864.
* J. Zavos, ''Defending Hindu Tradition: Sanatana Dharma as a Symbol of Orthodoxy in Colonial India'', Religion (Academic Press), Volume 31, Number 2, April 2001, pp. 109-123.
* Ghanshyam Shah, ''Social Movements in India: A Review of the Literature,'' New Delhi, Sage India, 2nd ed. (2004) ISBN 0761998330
{{Refimprove|date=June 2007}}
==External links==
{{external links}}
*[http://www.geocities.com/westernhindu/ Progressive Hindu Association]
*[http://www.iskcon.com/ ISKCON - The International Society for Krishna Consciousness] Vaishnava Bhakti movement
*[http://www.purebhakti.com/ Pure Bhakti] Vaishnava Bhakti movement
*[http://www.dharmacentral.com/ Dharma Central]
*[http://www.swaminarayan.info/ Swaminarayan Sampraday] Information on the Swaminarayan faith
*[http://www.swaminarayan.org/ BAPS Swaminarayan Sampraday] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha's Website
*[http://www.sanskritmantra.com/ Sanskrit Mantra: Thomas Ashley-Farrand's Website]
*[http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ The Himalayan Academy]
*[http://www.maabatakali.org/ SHARAYANA: The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission, Inc.]
*[http://www.shreemaa.org/ Shree Maa's Devi Mandir]
*[http://www.dci.dk/?artikel=311&emne=Samadhi Hindu countermission]
*[http://www.swaveda.com/articles.php?action=show&id=49 Hindu revival in Java]
*[http://www.shastras.org Navya Shastra] Shastric reform movement
{{Hindu reform movements}}
[[Category:Hindu movements and organizations]]