International Journal of Asian Studies

A deep discussion on the intersections of the history of Orientalism, the East-West dichotomy, and the relationship between religion and science must inevitably incorporate India as a fundamental topic. Considered the "jewel of the Crown," India, perhaps more than any other Asian country, has become the proverbial land from which the unwavering, immaculate, and elevated "Eastern philosophies" emanate—philosophies that today inspire many people worldwide to grow spiritually without affiliating religiously with any particular faith.

However, many nebulous and worthy questions arise in this regard: What is Hinduism? What other religions are practiced in South Asia? Why is it important to consider Indian history and cultures? First, the fact that India was a colony of one of the greatest empires of the modern era (Great Britain) subjected that Asian land to a very particular filter since the 18th century. It is not only about the colonial and postcolonial experiences—complex in themselves—but also about the influence of the development of academic disciplines with diverse nuances and transformations since the 19th century: comparative linguistics, Orientalism, and the history of religions, for example.

This means that South Asia—broadly speaking—and India—specifically—have been shaped and reshaped through these approaches, often involving not only the British but also other Europeans and even Indians. Added to this is the role that certain "esoteric" circles have played in the reception, adaptation, and transmission of ideas and lexicon from South Asian traditions. In broad strokes, the history of theosophy, occultism, and spiritualism sometimes intertwined, in the so-called "Western" world, with philosophical and historical positions that, in turn, helped shape what we now call the New Age. Increasingly, specialists from various disciplines have been demonstrating that this complex and diverse wave of movements was crucial in constructing our modernity, characterized by a kind of secular spirituality.

Undoubtedly, New Age sensibilities have been crucial in the (often distorted) dissemination of Indian traditions worldwide, including within India itself. Through this lens, the practice, symbolism, and ideals of phenomena such as yoga, meditation, tantra, traditional medicine, and vegetarianism have spread, constantly negotiating their ambiguous position between an idealized romantic past and a redeemable disenchanted present. Since the last decades of the 20th century, this framework has become even more complex, participating in commercialization and gentrification dynamics that have exponentially expanded in the 21st century.

This dossier seeks to explore various cases that allow for a broad understanding of these processes. The first contribution undertakes the always arduous task of examining the category of "Hinduism," especially in light of the most recent academic studies. Gabriel Martino and Gabriela Müller demonstrate that the sometimes vast discrepancy between different conceptions of this concept reflects the theoretical and pragmatic motivations of the discipline known as Indology and area studies. If the category itself seems to lack a fixed content, this partly reveals the complex and fluid reality of South Asian traditions.

A second article offers a comparative perspective. Greta Alvarado Lugo focuses on the context of International Sikh Dharma beyond India's borders to reflect on the mechanisms of adaptation of religious articles. The contemporary global religious market gave rise to a new yogic modality (Kundalini Yoga), theoretically dependent on Sikhism, first in the United States and later in other countries. In Mexico, this organization also established itself. According to the author, Mexican followers combined Adi Shakti (the divine feminine force) with the iconography of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Another comparative approach is that of Daniel Ricardo Medrano Arias and Arturo Rico Bovio, who seek to create a dialogue between Pyrrhonism and early Buddhism. The central point of this dialogue is the philosophical stance of skepticism. Thus, the authors argue for the simultaneous and even coincidental development of philosophical formulations that transcend the territorial and conceptual boundaries that typically divide what is called the West and the East.

To conclude the dossier, Alejandra García Vargas examines the trajectory of the Tibetan community's identity from its Asian past to its international present in the modern era. Specifically, the author analyzes the construction of Tibetan identity through traditional music, painting, theater, writing, and religious practices. She highlights that the encounter with Western modernity—partly influenced by New Age symbolism and the socio-cultural movements of the second half of the 20th century—necessarily prompted adjustments in this identity.

Without dogmatism and drawing from various academic disciplines, this dossier aims to navigate the complex relationships between different systems of thought, actors, periods, and agendas that have reinvented groups and practices originating in South Asia. As a preliminary insight, we seek to show that reflections on India and its neighboring regions represent a rich reservoir of analysis and studies, impossible to exhaust in a single special issue. We trust that these contributions will encourage further discussion and depth in these and other related topics.

Adrián Muñoz
Mexico City