The Ramyayana (Ramyashastra?)

The teachings of Ramya, as recorded by her disciple Kristin (I hope the master and others will feel free to add commentary):

On temple destruction: “The chipped nose will come back to haunt us all.”

The advent of Buddhism: “The supremacy of the theory of sacrifice has been fundamentally challenged.”

On puja: “I’m really close to my God, even though he may not be the most powerful.”

On colonial modernity: “print freezes text” (and so is TERRIBLE!)

“If you can capture the print arena, then essentially you’ve won.”

Ground rules for students:

Don’t use the term “Islamic rule”

Don’t say that India is in Southeast Asia

Don’t misspell “Gandhi”

Don’t say “Hinduism is not a religion, but a way of life.”

On Sufi pirs: “Through their devotion, they are thought to have become more proximate to God and are treated as intermediaries.”  Their followers tithe. Literalist Muslims disapprove of their intermediary role.

“In the new global world, religion is where people draw the line.”

“Everything known about Ashoka come from Buddhist hagiography four centuries later.”

But Nehru and his supporters claimed him for modern India.

“Islam is ferociously anti-ritual at its inception.”

The British attempt to understand Indian customs led to “un unprecedented resurgence of the Dharmashastras” as they consulted Brahmins for guidance.

On the persistence of caste identity: “In a context of endemic institutional weakness, who you know is your best protection.”

On skin color: “It’s the one issue where you get the most miserable politics, no matter what.” 

“Linguistic populism becomes very potent when it is able to link itself to economic populism.”