Obama Lights White House Diwali Lamp

The Washington Post ^ | 10/15/09 | Aseem Shukla

[SupplySider]

The Dow Jones reached a significant milestone yesterday, and news outlets were abuzz with excitement. Olympia Snowe's vote for the Baucus bill was plenty fodder for the 24-hour news cycles. But, for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in the United States, an epochal event transpired at the White House afternoon that should not slip notice.

Lead me from Untruth to Truth. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. (from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad -- I.iii.28)

As the ethereal sounds of a Hindu priest's chanting of this Sanskrit prayer from ancient Hindu scripture filled the East Room, President Obama lit the ceremonial White House diya --and he used this Sanskrit word for lamp--with dozens of Asian, Indian and Hindu Americans in attendance.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I get my facts from Indian friends in Pune and Bangalore, perhaps the south is more Muslim than the rest of the country. And they do beat the hell out of each other all the time.

I believe southern India has fewer Muslims than the northern portions - the Muslims invaded India from the northwest, through what are now Afghanistan and Pakistan. But the Indian Muslims take Diwali off too - I had a conference call to Bangalore rescheduled because they're off next Monday and Tuesday lol.

[SupplySider]

I’ve thought for years that the US has been missing a great opportunity by not allying more closely with India in the wake of the cold war. A strong Indo-American partnership would help balance the rising axis of semi-evil, Russia and China.

[SupplySider]

I see you point on immigration, Steelfish, but I think a few million Asian engineers and programmers, legally admitted, can assimilate much more easily than many more millions of illegals with lesser skills crossing our Southern border.

America was founded on religious freedom. I'd hate to see a theological litmus test for immigrants.

[SupplySider]

I lived in Pune for a few months in the eighties. It was a pleasant city with more educated people, and more green space, than most places in India. My impression was that the population was ninety percent Hindu.

The locals would often say, with pride, that they were "the Bangalore of the West".

[Erasmus]

Well, at least it wasn’t the Grail-shaped beacon.

[Erasmus]

A shiva just ran up Chrissy’s leg.

[Bigg Red]

A shiva just ran up Chrissy’s leg.

&&
Clever

[SupplySider]

The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is one of my favorites.

I watched the YouTube video of Obama's brief talk for the occasion. I have no idea how much of it was his own words, but he spoke eloquently and respectfully about Indian religious values.

He also added some very Christian sentiments about remembering the poor.

I thought it was a fine talk.

[Quix]

The “peaceful” Hindus

have been murdering masses of Christians—many of them Roman Catholics—for a long time in India with relative impunity.

[ScottinVA]

“So, is Obumbles going to place the star on the White House Christmas tree ceremony?”

No, and in this new, enlighted, post-American, post-Christian era, the Christmas holiday is now being supplanted by homage and worship to the one true god. It will be now known as Barackmas.

[GulfWar1Vet]

'Anyone want to be he doesn’t light the WH Christmas tree? In fact, I’d bet the traditional Christmas tree display will be replaced by a display of all religions in the US," EXCEPT Christianity. There fixed it.

[TheRobb7]

I would approve of this cermony happening in the White House only if on July 4, 2010:

1. that Obama travel to India and

2. lead the Indian goverment in setting off fireworks and

3. eating a boatload of BBQ to celebrate a great American holiday.

Fair’s fair.....right?

[DannyTN]

The founding fathers are turning over in their graves. In fact, if we could harnest that rotation since Obama took office, we could solve the energy crisis.

[1010RD]

It’s all good.

[1010RD]

Hey, Obama just reopened the Asian outreach office that Bush cruelly closed!

[1010RD]

You are only partly right. I do like India and they are moving in the right direction, but domestically, although they are excellent businessmen, Indians are solidly Democrat.

That may make them good businessmen, but they’re not standing up for the values they profess.

[mewzilla]

I found the president's honoring of that tradition perfectly appropriate.

Which makes me wonder why Barry really did it...

[grey_whiskers]

EXCELLENT pun.

Cheers!

[exit82]

Diwali lamp?

What—no DiBeaver lamp?

[Moonman62]

2 MILLION Hindus are UNACCEPTABLE! Period. Change the culture and you change the nation. 0 wants to rub slat into the wounds of the Judeo-Christian heritage of this nation along the lines that “We are NOT a Christian nation”.....

Lead me from Untruth to Truth. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. (from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad -- I.iii.28)

That sounds very Christian to me.