Here we go again.  First it was images of Ganesh on toilet seats.  Then we had Ram and Sita on flip flops.  And now we have Laxmi on a swimsuit.  Yes, I’m referring to the Lisa Blue one-piece swimsuit that has the image of the Hindu Goddess Laxmi on it.  It is clearly not an appropriate use of Hindu iconography, particularly the rather pathetic choice of plastering the much revered Hindu Goddess on the bottom backside of the swimsuit.  But Lisa Blue has publicly apologized for offending the Hindu community and claims to have stopped production and sale of the swimsuit.

So, why then, is there still some ongoing outrage?  Sure, we Hindus are more than a little tired of seeing our deities plastered on underwear and beer mugs and even atop meat sandwiches at Burger King, but we can still express our disapproval in a more thoughtful manner.  I question whether demonstrations of anger against the Australian government or flag burning are the most effective methods of expressing discontentment.

Hindus absolutely have a right to be upset over the continued misuse of our religious iconography.  And we absolutely have a right to voice our outrage and disapproval.  But our actions should be steeped in logic, not in anger.  Isn’t that what Hinduism teaches?

“From anger comes bewilderment; from bewilderment disturbed memory; From disturbed memory, loss of discernment; from loss of discernment one becomes lost.”

– Lord Krishna, The Bhagavad Gita, (2.63)