Introduction
"These and countless other moments in the lives of people around the world are threads of the tapestry we call "religion." The word is probably derived from the Latin, meaning "to tie back," to tie again." All of religion shares the goal of tying people back to something behind the surface of life-a greater reality, which lies beyond..." (Fisher, 2002).
Eastern Religion while different in some concepts from Western religion has become a portion and pieces to our modern life in the U.S. We see it, practice it and use it in many forms throughout America, many not even realizing that what they are doing are part of a religion and not just a new fad or tradition.
Hinduism
Arrival in North America
Hinduism and America shook hands about 90 years ago. Hinduisms first real wave of people on American shores was in 1893 when "the dynamic Swami Vivekananda electrified a Parliament of Religions audience in Chicago with the high-altitude flights of Vedanta".
United States
United States
English: From left to right: Virchand Gandhi, Hewi...(HinduismToday.com, 1983) The Swami clashed heads on with the American Christian resistance of Hinduism in the US. Americans of that era viewed the arrival of Hindus on their territory as a breach of their Protestant promised land.
During the past 30 years Hinduism has been more recognized as an accepted religion in America. The cross-pollination Swami Vivekananda touched off between Hinduism and America has grown into a multi-branched tree that stretches across the entirety of American mainstream life with Karma, reincarnation, yoga and guru are household words and concepts. Meditation techniques form a regular part of millions of American's lives, while Holistic havens combine hatha yoga physiology, breath control, vegetarian nutrition, yogic psychology and biofeedback machines to rejuvenate and remake America's overstressed and over-indulged bodies and minds. (HinduismToday, 1983) All over America Hindu temples are being...