Why the Guru Came to the West: Rethinking the Transnational Guru from an Indigenous Perspective

Abstract: There are many ideas about why Hindu Gurus left India and came to the West to teach the spiritual traditions of Vedanta, Tantra, and Yoga. Some point to the large transnational institutions that Gurus created and suggest that fame and fortune motivate the Guru to proselytize in the West. Others suggest that it's simply a cultural exchange. This discourse around the transnational Guru rarely takes up the view of the Hindu in its musings, and even when it does, the voice of the Hindu is treated as less credible than that of the Westerner. This paper will explore the causes of this lacuna of the Hindu perspective. We will suggest that treating the voice of the indigenous Hindu as credible will lead to a new understanding of the transnational Guru and a more holistic spiritual engagement based on principles of discernment (Vivēka) within lineages. We will suggest that this holistic engagement, based on respect for indigenous stewardship, can lead to real progress on entrenched issues, like sexual abuse, in the spiritual seeker communities, leading to healthier spiritual communities.

Presenter bio: Snehapriya Rao (Sneha) is a doctoral student at the Hindu University of America in the Hindu Studies discipline. She was raised in India before immigrating to the US at the age of 13. She grew up in a Hindu family with instilled in her a deep reverence for Gurus like Swami Vivekananda for revitalizing ancient traditions that had been lost to many Indians during the colonizal era. Sneha became a seeker and a Yoga practitioner in the Advaita Vedanta tradition and is motivated by a sense of spiritual duty to pass on the traditions of her ancestors to her child in healthy and nourishing environments.

Affiliation: Doctoral Student at Hindu University of America hua.edu