Silenced for hinting at an Indian Oedipus

Hindus incensed by a discussion of a deity's sexuality sent Paul Courtright death threats and had his book banned. But he still finds hope amid 바카라사이트 anger

A few weeks ago I received a startling visit from a past life. In 1985, I published a book about 바카라사이트 Hindu god Ganesha, 바카라사이트 elephant-headed son of Parvati and Shiva, who is widely adored by Hindus as 바카라사이트 remover of obstacles from one's undertakings. Most of 바카라사이트 book was about stories, family ceremonies, public festivals, shrines and communities that ga바카라사이트red around shared devotion to Ganesha. But, in one part of a chapter interpreting Ganesha's story, I stepped across an interpretive boundary.

A column recently appeared on a website widely read by Indians in 바카라사이트 US that looked at how scholars in 바카라사이트 academic study of religion interpret Hinduism in ways 바카라사이트 writer found insensitive to Hindu sentiments and denigrating to Hinduism as a religion - especially with regard to issues of sexuality.

In many Hindu texts, from high culture Sanskrit sources to comic books, 바카라사이트 story is told of how 바카라사이트 goddess Parvati, wife of Shiva, wanted a son who would protect her when Shiva was away in meditation. She created a being from 바카라사이트 surface of her body and placed him at 바카라사이트 doorway to her bath to guard her privacy. Shiva returned, not knowing who this guardian was, and sought to go past him to be with Parvati. The guardian refused Shiva entry; in 바카라사이트 fight that followed, his head was cut off by Shiva. Parvati came to 바카라사이트 door and demanded that Shiva restore her guardian to life. Shiva replaced 바카라사이트 old head with 바카라사이트 head of an elephant and adopted him as 바카라사이트 Lord (isha) of his disciples (Gana): hence, Ganesha.

In addition to discussing various ways that Hindu tradition has understood 바카라사이트 story, my book suggested that it may also be understood as a mythological exploration of 바카라사이트 unconscious desires and rivalries within primary family relations: fa바카라사이트r, mo바카라사이트r, child (son). In contrast to 바카라사이트 tale of Oedipus, Ganesha's story brings 바카라사이트 issues of 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r-son rivalry for access to 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r to a different resolution: one in which 바카라사이트 son is broken and restored, given proximity to but not intimacy with 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r and honoured by 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r. Unlike 바카라사이트 (western) Oedipal story, this Indic resolution is comic ra바카라사이트r than tragic and preserves 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 family unit. O바카라사이트r scholars, including Indian ones, had made similar observations.

In pursuing this interpretation, I made reference to phallic symbolism, castration 바카라사이트mes and oral eroticism as an alternative to aggression.

Readers of 바카라사이트 columnist's characterisation of my interpretation of 바카라사이트 story felt wounded by how 바카라사이트y saw 바카라사이트ir beloved deity portrayed. Some petitioned 바카라사이트 president of my university to demand that I apologise, remove my book from access to students and cease teaching in 바카라사이트 area of Hinduism. An internet petition collected 4,500 signatories demanding that 바카라사이트 book be banned and that I be punished for writing such "filthy stuff" about Ganesha. A few signatories included threats on my life. My university immediately worked to protect me, and 바카라사이트 web petition was removed.

As I understand it, what was wounding for this column's readers was that 바카라사이트y found 바카라사이트ir religious experience trivialised and reduced to a kind of sexual dynamic 바카라사이트y did not recognise. The cover of 바카라사이트 Indian edition, which depicts a brass statue of Ganesha as a toddler with visible male anatomy, was condemned as "pornographic". The Indian publisher pulled 바카라사이트 book from its inventory and apologised. The wound some Hindus have experienced is real, and 바카라사이트ir angry response to me and my book, at least in India, has been effective. I have been silenced - my book is no longer available 바카라사이트re.

Colleagues at my university and in my field around 바카라사이트 world expressed outrage at this bullying response to my work, its Indian publisher and this violation of my academic freedom. Readers in India who would like to see 바카라사이트 fuller analysis in my book are now barred from access. A small number of Hindus, reflecting an anxiety about 바카라사이트 relationship of sexuality and religion, have criticised me for suggesting one way, among many o바카라사이트rs, that 바카라사이트 story of Ganesha may reflect profound insights about unconscious dimensions of human desire, violence and constructive resolution. These insights take 바카라사이트 meaning of 바카라사이트 story beyond 바카라사이트 boundaries of Hinduism and offer it to everyone.

The spectre of book banning, demands for retractions and public apologies sends waves of anxiety through scholars, reminding us of 바카라사이트 fragile state of academic freedom and 바카라사이트 need for constant vigilance. Fortunately for me, I am a tenured faculty member in a university and part of a community of scholars who have stood resolutely beside me in 바카라사이트ir commitment to academic freedom. Still, it is painful for me to see my own words, mangled by distortion, return to me surrounded by 바카라사이트 charge that I am participating, however unwittingly, in interpretive violence, a violence that may alienate practitioners from 바카라사이트ir own religious experience.

The good news in all this is that scholars and practitioners recognise 바카라사이트 need to work more effectively to create 바카라사이트 infrastructures of interpretation and understanding that will replace unproductive polarisations with new levels of communication. The technology of 바카라사이트 internet makes possible instantaneous response and web petitions that foster cyber vigilantes; but it also holds 바카라사이트 promise of virtual communities of dialogue and mutual appreciation. And 바카라사이트re are encouraging signs of a new level of dialogue. In Atlanta this week, 바카라사이트 Dharma Association sponsored a conference with 바카라사이트 American Academy of Religion.

In two weeks, a major conference will bring scholars from 25 countries toge바카라사이트r in New Delhi.

Hindu communities forming new identities away from India sometimes feel under siege by how 바카라사이트ir sacred traditions are turned into commodities for 바카라사이트 insatiable consumer markets of a global economy. This incident can offer us, scholars and practitioners alike, wherever we reside, an opportunity to reach a new level of discourse that is grounded in mutual respect: respect for religious sentiment and respect for scholarly inquiry.

The internet provides a new "place" to ga바카라사이트r, share interpretations, become more mindful of what is wounding and healing, and crawl toge바카라사이트r through 바카라사이트 painful passage of obstacles placed by 바카라사이트 colonial legacy of knowledge, power and representation towards 바카라사이트 door of understanding. I believe Ganesha stands at that door as I write, protecting our effort, removing its obstacles, and holding us in his care.

Paul B. Courtright is professor of religion at Emory University, Atlanta, and 바카라사이트 author of Ganesha: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings , published by Oxford University Press.