Berkley Center

Lolita Lodhia: I was brought up with two religions, not because of choice, but because of being forced onto us. The religion we practiced in our homes was Hinduism, and the religion we practiced at school was Christianity. And 100% of us were non-Christian.

Sharmilla Lodhia: How did your relationship to religion evolve or change in the context of your married life?

Lolita Lodhia: In a way, we were offshoot of Hinduism where you went on a Sunday for an hour or two and listen to somebody speak and do a little fire ceremony. Whereas when I married dad... Dad was more the idol worship family. So I was married and I was given these idols to put in my little home temple. I really didn't have an idea of who they were. So I had to learn that Hinduism encompasses all this. And my father always said to us, "Don't do all those things because they're so primitive and we want to be more like the Europeans. So we might be more respected because people will think you are more civilized."

Sharmilla Lodhia: That was quite a significant shift then to sort of-

Lolita Lodhia: Yes.

Sharmilla Lodhia: ...move from that kind of practice. Let's talk a little bit about the journey of coming into a different kind of relationship with religion as a married couple than immigrating to the United States.

Lolita Lodhia: We moved soon after we got married. And when we came, we decided that we would like to practice something. And there were very few Indians around. There was a mixture of people. Some of us were Arya Samajists and some of us were not, but we met as Hindus once a month.

Sharmilla Lodhia: This is just to clarify, in Palo Alto?

Lolita Lodhia: Palo Alto, California. And then we met this, how would you call him? A swami, a monk who taught us what the philosophy of Hinduism was. And since we met him in 1975 up to now, we have been an ardent follower of that philosophy.

Sharmilla Lodhia: So what do you remember about that first visit?

Lolita Lodhia: Well, shall I tell you a story?

Sharmilla Lodhia: Yeah.

Lolita Lodhia: Because after lunch, we sat down in the living room and Pranji, your father, asked Swamiji, the teacher, about his mother. And he said, "Swamiji, why does somebody so young and so good die so tragically and so early?" And he looked at Pranji for a long time and he said, "Was it early for whom? Because she had completed her journey here and she was ready to go on." So the part of, what do we say? The rebirth, how do we call it?

Sharmilla Lodhia: Reincarnation?

Lolita Lodhia: Reincarnation. The part of reincarnation was something now that we looked at very differently because we thought of that journey. The main part of the teaching is that we learn how to be good and live a life that is good and pure, that we will then be liberated from being reborn. And you will be one with God and you'll remain there. We don't have a day of judgment, but we believe as you sow, you shall reap. So you do it all here. But there is not that big fear of death because death is just another passing into another life.

Sharmilla Lodhia: Maybe one question at this point, what you'd like to pass on to your kids and grandkids?

Lolita Lodhia: I think to use faith to be better human beings is all I ask for your children. There is a love and kindness and compassion. And it doesn't belong to any religion alone. And I think that if your children grow up with that in mind, then I would've done my job.

Sharmilla Lodhia: It's a blessing that they were able to bear witness to the ways in which you and dad carried faith. I'm so grateful that my two children were able to see that and know that because I know the roots that they carry forward with them are absolutely gifts that you and he bestowed on them. So for that, I'm grateful. Thank you.

Lolita Lodhia: Thank you.