India, March 8 -- Last week, at the conclave of a national TV channel, I was in an interesting debate on the question of religious customs and traditions, and the right to change them, either by citizens themselves or through the intervention of the state or the judiciary. Specifically, much of the discussion focused on the question of the entry of girls and women between the ages of ten and fifty at the Sabarimala temple.

I have been a life-long student of Hindu philosophy. For me, as a general rule, spirituality unites, and religion-in its practice-often divides. For instance, as per the Advaita or Vedantic doctrine-perhaps the most powerful school of Hindu philosophy-there can be no hierarchy or exclusion between human beings because ...