Buddhism and Hinduism
Before we examine how the media have portrayed these two religions, it might be useful to know some of their general beliefs and concepts.
Buddhism
Here’s are some links that will give you a general overview of history, beliefs, and culture:
Hinduism
Once again, here are some links that will give you a general overview of the history and beliefs associated with Hinduism:
Thought and Reflection
The essay, “The Oriental Monk in American Popular Culture,” raises some interesting issues for discussion. While the position of “monk” represents the “clergy” of these religions, the author of this article also suggests that it can reflect a stereotypical characterization or representation of “Eastern” individuals. So, as we explore this, we will talk about actual “monks” and also about entertainment characters that are given cultural stereotypes. The title “monk” will be used to describe both.
The article states (after having given examples of “Kung Fu’s” Kwai Chang Caine, Mr. Miyagi from the “Karate Kid,” and the actual Dalai Lama):
“Although the Oriental Monk appears in these various forms throughout American pop culture, we are always able to recognize him as the representative of an alternative spirituality that draws from the ancient wellsprings of ‘Eastern’ civilization and culture….
“But to look at this representation as nothing but admirable progress precludes us from seeing ways in which positive portrayals may reinscribe certain racist notions of the Eastern ‘other.’ Indeed, it is important to analyze the icon of the Oriental Monk within the phenomenon of orientalism—as a part of the orientalist network of representations…As a ‘created body of theory and practice,’ orientalism divides the world into ‘two unequal halves, Orient and Occident’….
“The Oriental Monk, drawing from this network of representation, includes within its scope a wide range of religious figures (gurus, swamis, masters, teachers) from a variety of ethnic backgrounds (South Asian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese)…Indeed, recognition of any Eastern spiritual guide (real or fictional) is predicated on their conformity to general features paradigmatically encapsulated in the icon of the Oriental Monk: his spiritual commitment, his calm demeanor, his Asian face, and oftentimes his manner of dress….
“Hence, the Oriental Monk as pop cultural icon and narrative tells us a great deal about the religious ethos of twentieth-century America: he details the fears, hopes, and desires of a society in spiritual turmoil and search.”
Kung Fu
Let’s start with the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu.” Here is some background. This show, which ran from 1972 to 1975, featured the actor David Carradine, who played the characters of Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk, who wandered the American west armed only with his spiritual training and his skills in Kung Fu. Caine is part Chinese and part American. In the story line, he is in search of his half brother.
Here is the summary from Wikipedia, which sets the stage for our video clips quite nicely:
Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) is the orphaned son of an American man, Thomas Henry Caine, and a Chinese woman in mid-19th century China. After his maternal grandfather's death he is accepted for training at a Shaolin Monastery, where he grows up to become a Shaolin priest and martial arts expert.
In the pilot episode Caine’s beloved mentor and elder, Master Po, is murdered by the Emperor's nephew; outraged, Caine retaliates by killing the nephew. With a price on his head, Caine flees China to the western United States, where he seeks to find his family roots and, ultimately, his half-brother, Danny Caine.
Although it is his intention to avoid notice, Caine's training and sense of social responsibility repeatedly force him out into the open, to fight for justice or protect the underdog. After each such encounter he must move on, both to avoid capture and prevent harm from coming to those he has helped….
Flashbacks are often used to recall specific lessons from Caine's childhood training in the monastery from his teachers, the blind Master Po and Master Kan. Part of the appeal of the series was undoubtedly the emphasis laid, via the flashbacks, on the mental and spiritual power that Caine had gained from his rigorous training. In these flashbacks, Master Po calls his young student "Grasshopper" in reference to a scene in the pilot episode.
Here’s a clip from the pilot, in which Caine, as a boy, encounters Master Po for the first time (also the “grasshopper” reference, which became so ingrained in the show):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGblsNXkJog
Karate Kid
According to our author, another interesting example of the “Oriental Monk” in popular culture is the character of Mr. Miyagi in the “Karate Kid” movie series. As you watch this, think about the earlier quote above from the readings and the relationship between Grasshopper (young Caine) and Master Po. How is the relationship between Mr. Miyagi and Daniel similar? What do they have in common? How is the young Caine similar to Daniel? More importantly, how does this confirm the author’s thesis? How does this represent “othering?”
Here some background, again thanks to Wikipedia:
Daniel LaRusso, a high school senior, moves with his mother from Newark, N.J., to Reseda, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. Their apartment's handyman is an eccentric but kindly and humble Okinawan immigrant named Mr. Miyagi.
Daniel befriends Ali Mills, an attractive high school cheerleader, at the same time angering her arrogant ex-boyfriend, Johnny Lawrence. Johnny is the best student at the Cobra Kai dojo, where he is taught an unethical, vicious form of martial arts. Daniel knows a little karate from books and a few classes at the YMCA, but Johnny easily defeats him in their first encounter. Thereafter, Johnny and his gang of Cobra Kai students torment Daniel at every opportunity.
When Miyagi witnesses the gang giving Daniel a savage beating, he intervenes and single-handedly defeats all five boys with ease. Awed, Daniel asks Miyagi to be his teacher. Miyagi refuses, but agrees to go with Daniel to the Cobra Kai dojo in order to resolve the conflict. They confront the sensei, John Kreese, an ex-Special Forces Vietnam veteran who sneers at the concepts of mercy and restraint.
Kreese and Miyagi agree to a match between Johnny and Daniel in two months' time at the "All Valley Karate Tournament," where the Cobra Kai students can fight Daniel on equal terms. Miyagi also requests that the bullying stop while Daniel trains. Kreese orders his students to leave Daniel alone, but under the condition that if Daniel does not show up for the tournament, the harassment will resume and Miyagi himself will also become a target.
Miyagi becomes Daniel's teacher and, slowly, a surrogate father figure. He begins Daniel's training by having him perform laborious chores such as waxing cars, sanding a wooden floor, refinishing a fence, and painting Miyagi's house. Each chore is accompanied with a specific movement, such as clockwise/counter-clockwise hand motions. Daniel fails to see any connection to his training from these hard chores and eventually feels frustrated, believing he has learned nothing of karate. When he expresses his frustration, Miyagi reveals that Daniel has been learning defensive blocks through muscle memory learned by performing the chores.
Here’s a clip from the movie:
You are undoubtedly aware that the film was remade just a few years ago, but follows the same story line.
Other Television Stereotypes
Television has provided us with some interesting Hindi characters. Probably one of the most widely recognized stereotypical characters is that of Apu from the “Simpsons.” Here is a clip:
Another example of a television show that drew heavily from stereotypes was the series “Outsourced,” which ran for a single season on NBC in 2010-11. The show was about a US-based novelty company that outsourced its customer order and service center to Mumbai, India.
Here’s the trailer for the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w23t9r9DTY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIMxqwFhi9c
Others would include Timmy from “Rules of Engagement,” Raj from “Big Bang Theory,” Jonathon from “30 Rock,” Kalinda from “The Good Wife,” and Kelly Kapoor from “The Office,” just to name a few.
Here’s a clip from “Big Bang Theory”:
Here’s an interesting article that offers insights and speculation regarding the growing numbers of Indian/Hindu characters on US television:
Here’s a quote from the article you might want to respond to:
But according to Karen Narasaki, who heads the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, the rise in primetime Asians is also the result of advocacy. Her organization and its partners have been working with the networks to develop diversity initiatives for the past decade, ever since1999's infamously "whitewashed" primetime season, in which not a single freshman show had a leading minority character.
Narasaki's group doesn't track all the various Asian-American subgroups, so it's hard to tell if Indians are rising in Hollywood at the expense of, say, Chinese and Koreans. But there are a few reasons why Indian actors might have more opportunities. America's growing fascination with Bollywood—and relative ignorance of entertainment industries in other Asian countries—may be opening some doors. Narasaki notes that TV executives tend to have a mental barrier that prevents them from seeing Asians as "stars" who can carry shows. But "Hollywood is intrigued by Bollywood," she says. It's not so much that Los Angeles wants to start aping Bombay's storytelling style, but when executives are thinking about diversifying their shows, the allure of Bollywood—and, more recently, the runaway success of Slumdog Millionaire—may mean that Indians seem more attractive than members of other Asian groups.
To float another, more radioactive theory: Are Indians getting a boost from America's interest in the Middle East? Do Indian characters—and it does seem to be mostly Indians, as opposed to Pakistanis, or Bangladeshis, or Nepalis—function as what film actor Satya Bhabha jokingly called "diet Muslims"?
News Coverage
Take a look at the news clips below. As we have discussed previously in class, most news coverage regarding Hinduism and Buddhism tends to focus on conflict and crisis. How do our past discussions on “othering” inform any descriptive discussion we might have regarding news media coverage of these two religions? How might this be similar to, or different from, news coverage of Islam? Why do you this this is the case?
Hindus feel marginalized in British culture and the following news report suggests that this could lead to unrest and conflict.
The Dalai Lama, of course is probably the most widely recognized symbol of Buddhism. Here’s a clip (from an English language newscast by China’s NDT Television that you might even find ironic):
Here’s another interesting report. This one is from CBS. This is coverage of Tiger Woods’ public apology for his marital infidelity, but it mentions his personal association with Buddhism:
Finally, here’s a report of the Hindu response to a political ad that attacked then Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, focusing on his adopted daughters from China and India:
Today’s Blog Assignment
I see the Hindu religion as very peaceful and very ancient. One of my favorite stories is life of Pi. I love the beginning where he tells his story of growing up and how he talks about religion and those that he adapted. I feel like the Hindu religion is very well portrayed in this movie. It’s explained very clearly and I felt very intrigued.
ReplyDeleteI thought the news clips were very interesting about the Indians wanting more credit for their contributions to Brittan society. It’s very true about how I feel like they don’t take any handouts and are very influential to shaping our society. I feel like we may mock the stereotypes of Indians they are not persecuted. I grew up with a few Indian families in my community. I really have no idea if they were devout Hindu’s but I do know they came from very successful affluent families. The stereotype was that they were very smart and good at science and math.
Even though they are not persecuted do you think the media portrays the Hindu religion as being a joke? I think in any form besides the news or a well documented and researched film, yes. The Hindu religion is not taken very seriously but it is also not ridiculed or discriminated against.
I feel the stereotypes are still fairly strong with Hinduism and Buddhism. Let's be honest, a good chunk of people probably couldn't tell you the difference between the two religions or ever what they believe. Compared to Christianity or Islam these are still obscure religions (despite the fact that large chunks of the worlds population practices them).
ReplyDeleteI feel Buddhists are always shown as monks. I don't think I've really seen a practicing Buddhist on TV that wasn't a monk. Sure there are people who are Buddhist portrayed on TV but we don't really get to see into their beliefs.
I also feel it's the same with Hinduism. When their religion is talked about the focus is on the many God's or interesting parts of their religion (in my mission the Hindus has donated a temple devoted to sex to Brisbane, which they then put in a public park).
I know the influence of these religions is stronger outside of the United States. We're still a Christian nation and thus we do things the way Christians want to do it. But countries like the UK and Australia have a higher population of these religions and need to pay more attention to them.
I can honestly say I don’t personally know any Buddhists or people of the Hindu faith. I think that the majority of members for these faiths live outside of the United States. All I really know about these two religions is from what I learned in my World Religions class. Both are very peaceful religions. Buddhism is centered on the teachings of Siddharta Gautama and the four noble truths. Hinduism is actually not a single religion but a set of religious beliefs sharing a common core. Something I admire about Hinduism is their practice of yoga. I have been practicing yoga for over two years and although it has no spiritual meaning for me, it definitely helps me relieve my stress and anxiety.
ReplyDeleteIn watching some of the clips provided, and thinking about times that I have seen both Buddhism and Hinduism portrayed in the media, I can honestly say that I don’t think they are portrayed nearly as negatively as some of the other religions we have studied. I actually feel like I see these faiths less in the media than other religions. I think this trend may be because Christianity is more of the dominant religion in America, so it is not portrayed in our media as often. The article that I thought was most interesting from the assigned reading was the one on Tiger Woods and how he vowed to return to Buddhism after having an affair. He said the following, “I believe in Buddhism. Not every aspect, but most of it. So I take bits and pieces. I don't believe that human beings can achieve ultimate enlightenment, because humans have flaws.” I thought this statement was interesting because Woods says he believes in the religion but isn’t going to follow it in every aspect. I think people feel the same way about Hinduism. Take for example me, I like practicing yoga, but I don’t believe in all of its principles so I don’t exercise in that faith. I feel like this contrasts from other religions we have studied—in most cases the characters/figures we have examined believe in their religion whole-heartedly where as here characters/figures just take bits and pieces from the religion. That is not to say that there are not dedicated Buddhists and dedicated people who practice in the Hindu faith, because I definitely believe there are.
Comparing both Kung Fu and Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi and Master Po, present similar attributes. They both are portrayed as wise and disciplined. They are calm in stressful situations and in tune with nature and their senses. Their students Craine and Daniel are very anxious to know more and at first have doubt in their master's skills and ability but then later are able to understand the deeper meaning to their training. I fell like Buddhists in the media aren't portrayed in a negative light. They normally are presented as spiritually in tune with their surroundings, calm, peaceful, kind, and wise. Unlike the religion we've discussed before, Judaism and Islam, Buddhists are represented in a more positive light. Although, I feel like they aren't as prominent in the media as the other religions.
ReplyDeleteHindus on the other hand take a different light. The media for the most part uses humor and light heartedness to reflect hindus. For example the characters lists like Raj from "The Big Bang Theory," Kelly Kapoor from "The Office," Apu from "The Simpsons" all are part of a comedy tv show. All play a part in being a character who makes the audience laugh. In most cases, their is a high distinction between them and the other main characters on the show. They are othered on these shows for the way they talk and the traditions they have. The most I know about these two faiths have been through my World Religions class. It is interesting that even though these religions are so different, they both present a lot of similarities with the LDS faith. In most cases, as I've learned more and more about each faith, that theme has presented itself again and again. We are have common values of living moral and just lives and we should celebrate each others efforts in doing so.
I don't think a lot of media viewers know the difference between Buddhism and Hinduism so the media stereotypes are pretty basic. Because of this, I think that Buddhists and Hindus are usually portrayed the same. They are the wise, composed, ninja masters who always have control of the situation and will meditate often.
ReplyDeleteUnlike some of the other religions, I do not think Buddhism and Hinduism is portrayed negatively. They are often viewed as smart, rich, caring people. Although characters of these religious are not very prominent they are very memorable. Often time people of these religions are viewed as Indians or Asian, whereas they prefer to just be called by their religion or Indian.
Buddhists and Hindus have played a wide variety of shows, ranging from the skilled fighter, to a computer nerd, to a comedian. So I don't think that those religions really have any one specific stereotype that they fit into, either because they are more recently becoming popular in Hollywood or just because they are such a wide-spread religion that they don't have strong stereotypes.
Since both religions are so wide-spread, old, and sophisticated I don't think people typically come up with negative stereotypes for those religions and it could just be due to ignorance. That religion can seem a little foreign and out of reach to some people and maybe media viewers just don’t have must of an interest in that religion because they are not familiar with it.
I believe the media conglomerates and easily stereotypes religions of certain areas. They ‘other’ the religions and people, making those religions and people seem so different from normal western culture. This happens even so with Buddhism and Hinduism. The media stereotypes religions and groups them by regions throughout the world, Asian regions being no different.
ReplyDeleteBuddhism sprouted from the originator, Buddha, in India between the 6th an 4th centuries BCE and later spread to the west in the 20th century. The start of this religious expansion coincided with the creation of mass media which opened up an entirely new way for religion to be spread. Although this religious spread was typically for western religions, it also helped the spread of eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism on the other hand is the oldest living religion in the entire world. Although they are both from similar areas of the world, these religions are very different.
From what I have experienced in media, there is often a blurred line between Buddhist portrayals and Hindu portrayals and they are often mostly shown for the aesthetic that these religions provide—they are colorful, vibrant in both service and in culture, such as Bollywood, something that Hollywood has been very attracted to in recent years according to the article from Slate in our reading.
Unlike previous religions we have studied in class, I feel as though Buddhism and Hinduism are shown in media with a much more positive light. The media has also adopted aspects of the Buddhist culture, almost appropriating it. Some examples of this are meditation and yoga, both of which we have seen a huge increase of within our culture.
An example from this reading was that of Apu from the “Simpsons.” He was the first person that came to mind when I was thinking of Hindu characters I’ve seen in media. Although he does have some negative traits in the show, he is one of the better characters in the show, with more redeeming qualities than the other characters. He is a hard worker, loves his family, and values
An example of Buddhism in media that wasn’t in our readings is “Eat, Pray, Love” a popular book and film, which positively portrays Buddhist people. Although the religions is essentially boiled down to superstition, meditation, and arranged marriages, it somehow leaves a good taste in your mouth for the culture and practices of Buddhism.
It is critical that we are literate in religions and not easily swayed by media stereotypes whether we are gaining positive or negative stereotypes for people or religions. The fact of the matter is is that we, as a culture, rarely take time to understand and value the beliefs of other religions. It is much easier to distance ourselves from them because it takes far less time and effort than researching, studying, and meeting people of different faiths. The more we distance ourselves from them, the more likely we are to adopt what the media is feeding us.
I think the way the media reflects these two religions is pretty apparent in the fact that not many people even know the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism. All that is most commonly talked about is their culture's push for peace and inner acceptance. I will admit, I have fallen into the category a few different times, being highly ignorant of the importance of each religion separately. It makes me sad to think that we, or the media anyways, are obsessed with the Bollywood scene but show very little interest in the actual culture surrounding it. We want the excitement and the entertainment, not necessarily the peace and solidarity. That doesn't make for good TV.
ReplyDeleteI also think these stereotypes, again, put certain people into certain boxes. Mr. Miyagi and Master Po are very similar. Both are very humble, quiet, kind, but certainly misunderstood. It creates this picture in our head that a Indians need to look and act in a certain way and when we don't we assume it's because of their religion and their culture without thinking that they are also humans.
I think that's why i like Kung Fo Panda, because the main character doesn't fit that same mold but ends up being sucessful in the end.
Although these stereotypes are not intending to cause negative consequences, it does. It puts weird ideas in people's heads. The news organizations were interesting. I think it's fair that the Indian community wanted more credit for contributions to their country. It's always interesting to see how the world's views are so influential to us.
All in all, out of all the characters listed, I simply can not remember a single one that was purposely labeled as a Hindu or a Buddhist. They were simply made out to be "the indian." I wonder if this is done by the media because of a lack of understanding of these religions. Common media doesn't know much about them, and so they don't have any material to really mock. So, they lump them into one big group as "stupid", "uninformed",naive, and innocent. Thats not a negative stereotype maybe, but I also don't know if it is a positive one.
My first thought about these two religions is “Wow I really don’t know much about them.” I don’t know people who are part of these religions. The only thing I do know the majority of Asia are part of these religions which is a huge amount of people.
ReplyDeleteI think most people would imagine Buddha as a happy, round bald man who meditates. Not only is he portrayed in the media like this but in art as well. We see on lots of TV shows and movies where monks are always calm and say intellectual and inspiring quotes. They use a lot of metaphors and similes (grasshopper). I’ve never seen Karate Kid but based on the clips and reading I related some of the themes to Kung Fu Panda. Although it’s an animated children’s movie we can still see that there is a wise mentor teaching others kung fu while teaching them about themselves. To me I don’t see any really negative stereotypes portrayed through the media. At the same time I’m not sure if any of the stereotypes are accurate or not.
The only real life Hinduism exposure I’ve experienced is the color festival. Every spring the Radha Krisha temple in Spanish Fork has a color festival, which is tradition of Hindus in India. The event promotes peace and love for everyone through the throwing of colored chalk and reciting traditional lines and music.
As far as media goes we see Indian Hindus on TV shows all the time. A lot of sitcoms have them and their characters add humor to the shows. Like the article on Indians in TV said, the number of Indians we see on television seemed to have doubled overnight.
Most of my exposure to Buddhism and Hinduism has actually been through school and study rather than through the media, somehow most of these movies and television series were ones that I hadn't really seen (although I did actually watch "Outsourced" and I thought it was very inoffensive and actually gave a few insights into the culture in India). So that means most of my knowledge was based off of documentaries and short educational videos. Even without the media stereotypes, I still have a hard time differentiating between the two. I think this is why the media is so generalized in its portrayal of both religions. As was mentioned in the readings on Hinduism, it's a very decentralized belief system, so it is hard to characterize a lot of it, and the biggest points that can be characterized are constant in Buddhism as well, such as reincarnation. That being said, after reading and watching some of the media portrayals of Buddhism and Hinduism, I feel they are portrayed as very enlightened, spiritual, loyal, and calm. While I agree that they seem to portray a bit of an extreme making everyone seem like a monk, I think the portrayals would definitely still be classified as positive.
ReplyDeleteOne really interesting thing about the sources provided was the quote about how American media is more likely to choose Indian characters than other Asian countries. Truthfully, I think this is caused by two things: 1. The similarity between Indian entertainment and American entertainment is greater than the similarity between American and other Asians (specifically, Bollywood films are much more attractive to most Americans than Anime). 2. Access to information about most Asian cultures is readily accessible on the internet, every day there's some Chinese or Japanese video that pops up in my newsfeed, but rarely to I get to look at Indian culture, for some reason it feels more mysterious to us than the other Asian nations.
Honestly, I don't know much about these two religions. I honestly couldn't even tell you the differences between them until I read these articles. I think that the media has had a lot to do with how myself and others view these two religions. Both of the religions seem to be viewed very happy and peaceful. And like all religions, there are stereotypes that come along with them. Both of these religions seem to be portrayed as rich peaceful people who meditate and help others. This is accurate but these religions are deeper in meaning than what the media portrays. The Buddhist faith is all about the balance of the four noble truths, the truth of suffering, how to get out of suffering, why we suffer, and when we will be done with suffering. It is all about peace and devotion to what you believe. They believe in the teaching of Buddha. Hinduism is all about one God and the focus of how life should be according to him.
ReplyDeleteI think our perception of far east culture is, once more, characterized in an 'orientalist' line of thinking. We can see from the Kung Fu cinema that perceptions of these cultures, based on media consumption, is characterized by a focus on the exotic and different. In Buddhist depictions, as in depictions of Kung fu cinema, there is this sort of idea of the wise, centered and mystical. We have these concepts built up in our mind that enlightenment is a high bar that is unattainable to western thinking, largely in part because of how exotic it is in thinking. These things are characterized in a light that says they are unattainable. I think this really works to 'otherise' Buddhism especially. I think it is a shame too, as something that might start off as paying reverence to the spiritual devotion of Buddhism, or the self-discipline of martial arts is turned into something utterly alien to our ways of western thinking. I would certainly admit to having skewed cultural perceptions of Eastern culture, based on the media I consumed as a child, including especially this idea that these cultures are too foreign to relate to, or that martial arts culture is common throughout the far east, to the point where virtually everyone practices it. One video clip I was actually surprised to not see was the video of Fox News' latest visit to China town, which received sharp criticism, especially when the host asked a random man on the street if all Chinese people knew karate.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with a number of the opinions of Hinduism, as expressed by my fellow classmates. Their religion really seems to have been translated into a stereotyped character of humor. Though the humorous interpretations have been varied, ultimately, I feel that I have never seen any real depictions of Hinduism that reach that key element of authenticity.
I think that for the most part, these two religions aren't as negatively portrayed as others such as Islam are in the media. When I think of buddhists in film or on TV, like many classmates have mentioned I feel like they are very non-threatening, wise, quiet, strong, and kind. They are normally of Asian descent, but they aren't usually mocked and have very few negative characteristics. I do think that there could be more "normal" depictions of buddhists that don't show them as monks or kung fu masters so that people could see how buddhism is practiced by average people.
ReplyDeleteI think Hinduism is seen as slightly more humorous on TV with characters like Tom Haverford, Kelly Kapoor, or Raj who don't really know a ton about their own culture/religion and are sort of goofy and indifferent towards it. For example Kelly tries to give a presentation to the rest of the office about Diwali, but it's very clear that she has zero idea about what the holiday really is about. Like buddhism, hinduism isn't really accurately portrayed in the media, but at the same time it isn't attacked or shown in that negative of a light.
Buddhism and Hinduism are both some of the very oldest and largest religions in the world -- which it is so interesting to understand why they are so misunderstood and misrepresented in western culture. In fact, it seems to me that they are often lumped together into one category -- and even gets put in the same pot as islam, even though Islam much more resembles judeo-christian faith than far eastern faith.
ReplyDeleteThis is seen in the use of Indian/Bollywood actors for roles in middle eastern/muslim parts in western film. There is just a huge misunderstanding and generalization of eastern faith and practice. The main symbol of eastern faith is the highly generalized oriental monk -- that seems to represent all of asian culture. This symbol, to me, represents the overall misunderstanding of the nature, practices and beliefs of both hinduism and buddhism.
When compared to other faiths and nationalities, Indian Hindus are seen as lower class people who are the recipients to menial outsourced work. This is evident in the show "Outsourced." But it seems as if the tide has changed a bit with the emergence of Bollywood. Its form of storytelling is respected and even being adopted -- perhaps shifting cultural imperialism a bit. Hopefully for the better.
To be honest, I don’t know much about Hinduism and Buddhism. I think I have always thought of them as the same, or having very similar beliefs. However, in reality they are quite different. For example, Hinduism sees the ultimate reality as being all things united as one great divinity. In contrast, Buddhism sees the ultimate reality as nothingness. Hindus want to become with everything in the universe, while Buddhists gain Nirvana by separating themselves from everything until nothing remains. After realizing this large difference, I think media does paint a false picture of who Buddhists and Hindus are.
ReplyDeleteKung Fu, Mr. Miyagi, and Master Po all present similar characteristics. However, I group them as monks that are all the same. Society needs to better understand the differences between these religions so people will not get false perceptions. Though I don’t think media puts a negative light on Buddhists and Hindus, I do think they group them as the same.
While working this summer, one of my responsibilities was to look over resumes and screen for potential new hires. My boss told me the things I should look for, and then I would go through hundreds of resumes a pick out the ones that fit the criteria. There were an astounding number of Indian people that applied for nearly every position, especially the ones in manufacturing and supply chain. They were also the ones that often fit the criteria as well, given that most all of them had great schooling/grades – both undergraduate and master’s – as well as relevant experience. They were often far more qualified than any of the other candidates I looked at.
ReplyDeleteComparing this with the BBC news report video posted in the blog that discusses how the Hindu/Indian people were looking to be more recognized in Britain, I must agree with them. They are extremely hard working and do not look for handouts. They are often underutilized and underappreciated in the workforce and in the economy. I would like for the United States to work more closely with India both economically and socially to further progress, because the Indian people have shown their value.
Buddhism is often shrouded in mystery, and often not taken seriously. Unfortunately, they are most widely known for Karate, martial arts, and monks rather than the other beneficial qualities they possess. When thinking about Buddhism, those are the ONLY things that come into my head about them. I wish had more experience with Buddhists, but the media has framed them in a very singular way – focused, disciplined, mysterious. This stereotyping of Buddhists not as bad as some of the other religions we have examined, like Muslims and Jews, but still puts them in a box and limits our capacity to understand what they are capable of.
It almost feels like these two religious groups are "others" more than any other group. It seems they are marginalized because they are less common in the US, or at least where we are in Utah. When I served my mission in Vancouver there were many neighborhoods we called mini India. And nearly 50% of the population was Chinese in fine parts of the city. In that regard, these people were much less marginalized because Hindu and Buddhist temples were as common as churches. It was more the norm, and seeing men wearing long indian dresses or kurdas was not unique at all. Here in certain parts of the U.S., especially in Utah, we have different ways of viewing these religions because they are a lot more rare. And then there are all those movies which show someone hiking up a mountain in Nepal feeling super out of place and everyone there seems so foreign.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I saw the movie "Dr. Strange." It depicts the exact scene I was talking about. Obviously, the movie is super strange, but I think a huge contributing factor is how interesting the setting is. "The ancient one" gives him teachings which seem to follow some Hindu or Buddhist thoughts that include meditation and overcoming oneself to open up the mind. And there are of course candles burning and a very very oriental-looking building, which we as Americans see as "strange." So I think because Hinduism and Buddhist seem to be very quiet and unique religions in the U.S., especially in Utah, they are more "othered" than other religions.
What impressed me most about this assignment was the fact that it is hard to label anyone. Even among such pervasive faiths as Hinduism and Buddhism, there are different beliefs and different levels of commitment to religion. Additionally, not every Hindu is from India and not every Buddhist is from China or Japan. In viewing the clips and reading the articles, it seems to me that we stereotype Hindus as Indians with very thick accents. These Hindu-Indian characters often represent comic relief or foolish behavior. I immediately think of Kelly Kapoor from The Office or Raj from Big Bang Theory. Buddhists, on the other hand, are depicted as wise, meditative, and Asiatic in heritage, Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid being the perfect example. While these stereotypes may embody some of the spiritual nature that Hinduism and Buddhism produces, they are in no way a perfect mold for every Hindu or Buddhist.
ReplyDeleteThe news clip from Britain was very interesting to me; I could not believe that there was a cemetery specifically for Muslims and yet they refused to build a crematorium for Hindus. Because of this, and many other reasons, Hindus in Britain feel marginalized and disregarded. This situation could be a result of “othering” and has created a wide social distance between the Christians and the Hindus. Part of that distance came from lumping Hindus in with Asians and Muslims (Satya Bhabha actually called Indians “diet Muslims”).
This assignment helped me understand that Hinduism is very much its own religion and its members should be recognized for their unique beliefs and way of life. In a similar way, Buddhists are different than Hindus. Both religions are different and the way they are practiced by their adherents is individual. The prompt helped me realize that it’s important to get to know and understand each person and not make assumptions about who they are based on inaccurate stereotypes I see on TV.