SRI LANKAN TAMILS HAVE PLAYED THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN GLOBALIZING HINDUISM CO – ORDINATED BY: K. ANANTHANATHAN, MA, MSW, RSW

Introduction:

In this article, I will discuss how the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora’s played a bigger role in promoting Hinduism in Canada and North America through a recent interview appeared in the NEWS EAST WEST Toronto says Japanese scholar Hiroahi Yamashita’s. Professor Hiroahi Yamashita from Tohuku University in Japan must have been a Hindu in his previous birth. In reading Professor Yamashita dialogue, I hope the Uthayan readers will broaden their opinion towards the study/practical aspects of Hinduism in our everyday lives. I was very impressed the way he explained his own Hindu Religious Experience in this interview/dialogue. 

Very few Indian Hindu scholars can match Professor Yamashita in his knowledge of Indian Hindu civilization, Tamil culture, and Hinduism. Dr. Yamashita holds a Ph.D. in Indian Philosophy, Hinduism, and Tamil literature from the University of Madras where he studied from 1981 to 1987. He is fluent in Tamil, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Pali. 

To boot, he has translated the dialogue of many Tamils films into Japanese and introduced Tamil cinema in Japan when he took the Superstar Rajnikanth starrer Muthu to his native country Japan in 1998.

“That film was very popular in my country and the Japanese love Tamil cinema,” says Professor Hiroahi Yamashita who was recently in Toronto to pursue his study on Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora’s cultural and religious practices.

Speaking to newseastwest.com, he explained how he became fascinated by eastern cultures (Tamil/Indian) very early in his student life, how he learnt ancient languages and how he has become one of the top foreign experts on Indian civilization and the influence of Hinduism on the world.

What fascinated you about India that it became your lifelong subject?

I was very interested in original Indian Civilization, Philosophy, and Hindu Culture very early in my student life. The way to know original Indian culture and civilization, I learned Sanskrit as well Pali and Tibetan. At college, I studied Indian Philosophy and Buddhism and finished my MA on these subjects from Tohuku University before coming to South India.

Why did you choose the University of Madras to study Indian culture and civilization?

I knew Sanskrit is the vehicle of Indo-Aryan culture. So, if you are well versed in Sanskrit, you can understand Indo-Aryan culture or the Vedic culture which is limited to north India.

But to understand south India, I needed to know Tamil, which is the oldest of all south Indian classical languages, So I went to Madras University. In fact, to understand the older phases of south Indian culture, I needed a thorough knowledge of Tamil. You must know that Dravidian culture played a major role in the emergence of devotional Hinduism or Bhakti in South India. Bhakti first emerged in south India in the seventh-century Tamil Nadu. From the South, it spread to north India. So, in that sense, Tamil is a very important language.

In fact, even the language of the Indus Valley scripts is Dravidian as per computer analyses, though the scriptures are yet to be deciphered.

How did Religion (Hinduism) become part of your research of Indian civilization and Tamil culture?

As I said, I was interested in the development of Indian civilization and Tamil culture- which obviously includes Hinduism. I am a scholar of Tamil culture in my study of Indian civilization. Since Hinduism spread All over the world, many countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam represent the older phase of expansion of Hinduism. So, I have learnt Thai and Indonesian languages to access sources of study in these languages. And then there is the growth of the Indian/Srilankan diaspora in the western world in recent decades- which represents the modern phase of expansion of Hinduism abroad. So, I have studied German and French to access foreign sources on the growth of Hinduism overseas.

Why is Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora your area of interest?

Well, I am a student of the growth of Indian civilization from ancient times to today. Since Hinduism has grown so much overseas in recent decades, I am fascinated by its story. As I am a scholar of Tamil culture, my thrust is also on Tamil diaspora, particularly from Sri Lanka. To study the Tamils overseas, I have been to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Germany, and now Canada.

So, what are your conclusions about Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Canada and elsewhere?

As part of my study, I interact with the Tamil people wherever I go. Here in (Scarborough) Toronto, I visited temples and interacted with priests and worshippers. The Tamils have adjusted very well in the new environment. In fact, the Tamils have globalized the Hinduism priest because they don’t have a priestly class and depend on priests from their native lands (Sri Lanka or even India).

The Tamils in Canada have much more devotee presence in temples than other countries because of their large concentration here in Canada. But countries such as Germany have a very small Tamil Diaspora, so their younger generation is not going to temples.

So, you are focusing only on Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in Toronto, Canada?

Yes, I realized the importance of Sri Lankan Tamils in globalizing Hinduism. They have spread into many countries in recent decades, thus taking Hinduism with them in a big way. In fact, they have played much bigger role than other Hindu groups in globalizing Hinduism. That’s why I came to Canada in Scarborough to study the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora. They have fascinated me.

Conclusion:

By discussing /dialogue with Professor Hiroshi Yamashita briefly we can be able to understand the deep/ essence of Hinduism, I hope the Uthayan readers can see themselves in his dialogue and learn how he touch on wide range of important Hindu religious issues/aspects that all human being can understand. According to Professor Yamashita the most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. For them, God is timeless and formless entity. Finally, he says that Hinduism was the first Religion. Be proud of who you are and encouraged the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora to keep up the good work to promote the Hinduism in Canada and North America.

Courtesy: newseastwest.com