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Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) stands with arms folded, a gentle yet stalwart look on his face. He was a lion among men, a reformer and bold defender of Hinduism. His quote inspires us to have such courage.<\/em>\u00a7<\/a><\/p>\n SHUTTERSTOCK<\/small>\u00a7<\/a><\/p>\n G<\/samp><\/span>urudeva taught, \u201cOnce we have chosen and accepted our faith, it is then our spiritual duty to learn it well and live by it as a wholehearted, contributing member of a faith community so that we pass it on in a vibrant way to those who come after us, the next generation.\u201d To be strong Hindus, first we must learn our religion well. This means gaining a good understanding of the philosophy, the culture and the subtle mysticism. Second, we must live by it fully. This means having a solid commitment, a good character, and putting its principles into practice. For us, this includes adopting the gestures, attitudes, customs, ways of worship, dress and refinements of Tamil Saiva culture. The third step is passing our faith along to others. We all live in mixed societies, interrelating with people of varied backgrounds. You may find yourself being asked about your Hindu faith. Some questioners may have no religion. Others may reject religion and believe science has all the answers. You may be confronted by their questions: \u201cDo you worship cows?\u201d \u201cWhy are there so many Hindu Gods?\u201d \u201cWhy do you wear the dot on your forehead?\u201d Prepare yourself by studying the answers to such questions. Respond with confidence and kindness. Assume that the person really wants to learn. Yes, some may want to harass you, or turn you to their view. If you sense this is the case, smile and dismiss yourself without engaging further. You can also share your faith by conducting classes or sharing at public gatherings. In sum, we each stand strong for Hinduism by being good Hindus. Gurudeva has given us the tools in his Master Course Trilogy,\u00a0Dancing, Living<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Merging with Siva<\/em>. Using these tools of philosophy, culture and yoga, we can defend, explain, protect, preserve and promote our Saiva faith.\u00a7<\/a><\/p>\n