“Dharm is technology”: the theologizing of technology in the experimental Hinduism of renouncers in contemporary North India

Abstract

This article advances a conceptual shift in the ways that scholars think and teach about the established categories of religion, renunciation, and the modern in religious studies, anthropology, and Asian studies through the use of the concept of "experimental Hinduism." Drawing on an analytical model of "experimental religion" developed by the anthropologist John Nelson, a contributor to this volume, and based on fifteen years of ethnographic fieldwork with Hindu renouncers (sādhus) in North India, the article examines the sādhus' views, experiences, and practices of the modern technological as an empirical -and underrepresented-context for reconfiguring Hinduism in the 21 st century. It shows that they revision the dominant definitional boundaries of Hinduism by theologizing what is called "the forms of the modern," like communication technologies, in the context of their public teaching events (dharm-kathās). Thus, this article calls attention to the creative-and experimental-thinking taking place in vernacular asceticism (sannyās) among sādhus from different renunciant traditions, and who want to make sense of the vast technological changes shaping their lives and those of the communities whom they serve. The theologizing of technology is seen in their drawing on a synthesis of Hindu ideological frameworks through which the sādhus emphasize by means of storytelling three narrative motifs that articulate the divinity of technology. These are: Sannyās represents the "original technology" and the "original science"; technology manifests the properties of creativity and change that characterize what the sādhus associate with "the nature of Brahman" and "the rule of dharm"; and, finally, the apocalyptic Kalki avatār concept offers a redemptive metaphor for the evolving human-technology interface in the current global milieu."Technology means no one lives in sadness. A sādhu's life is one big technology. We bring people out of sadness." -Baba Balak Das, 2013 "We have entered into the expanding universe that is Brahman. Brahman's technology is the best technology." -Bhuvneshwari Puri, 2014

A Reinterpretation of Hindu Spirituality for Addressing Environmental Problems

“…However, it has not been adopted by people due to the lack of religious support and ritualization (Figure 3c,d). New rituals and theological discourses can easily be developed in Hinduism to adopt new technologies in religion (DeNapoli 2017;Srinivas 2004). Developing new rituals for such types of practices can help their popularization and adaptation among people.…”

“…In various contexts, Hinduism is considered as a religion; however, it is a way of life containing many religious entities widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism has many unique features like receptivity to change, acceptance, and the Religions 2021, 12, 358 2 of 12 incorporation of diverse ideas from different sources, which offers an opportunity for its alignment with timely needs and the development of nature-based spirituality (Miller 1977;Srinivas 2004;Haigh 2010;DeNapoli 2017). Worldwide efforts are being made to interweave environment-friendly values into religions through restructuring their pre-existent worldviews, attitudes, practices, rituals, and traditions, which can improve people's attitude and behavior toward nature.…”