Origin and Beliefs of Hinduism and Christianity - Essay Example

The personality of an individual is the sum total of his behavior, thoughts and expressions. It also includes how they react to others and to the environment. In fact, the personality of an individual itself is constantly changing. These changes occur because of the experiences that happen in one’s life, the inferences one draws from these and the lessons one learns (or unlearns) from these inferences. Religion has played a pivotal role in human life in every era, in every culture. Religion has helped human beings to cultivate decent values. Humans are pattern-seeking creatures; human also experience deep anxiety and fear (McCartney & Hetrick, 2001). To overcome the fear they turn to religion. This is evident from the statistics that show that those who are religiously active have lower mortality rates and lower levels of anxiety and depression. There seems an inherent human drive to believe in something transcendent, unfathomable and otherworldly, something beyond the reach or understanding of science (Henig, 2007). This paper will discuss the origin and belies of Hinduism and compare it with the beliefs of Christianity. Matter will be drawn from academic literature available. Hinduism is not a religion but a concept, a way of life that encompasses many religious thoughts and views. Its origin is in such remote past that it cannot be traced back to any particular individual. Some scholars are of the opinion that Hinduism must have existed even in circa 10000 B. C. and the ancient scripture Rig Veda was composed well before 6500 B. C. (Das, 2008). In fact even the term ‘Hindus’ is not found in any text. It was in traduced by foreigners to refer to people living across the river Indus around which the Vedic religion has believed to be originated. Unknowingly, many Hindu concepts were absorbed by everyone like the worship of the formless God. In fact the British coined the word Hinduism and to them Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism were all part of Hinduism (Ninan, n.d.). Hinduism has remained the most enduring concept and culture in the world. India is a land of diversity and is generally believed that the main religion is Hinduism. Hinduism is not really a religion; it is a way of life. It upholds the principals of virtuous and true living. The Hindu faith has no hierarchy, no organization, no founder, no structure and no central administration (HAWA, 2005). Anyone who believes in the omni-present, omnipotent and the omniscient non-dual Absolute, is a Hindu. Various names have been given to this Absolute – truth, consciousness, Brahman, God. They believe that the God lies within and has to be evoked. They attach great importance to values such as truth, right conduct, love, peace and non-violence. Hence it is not a religion and is inherent in the very nature of people who have been brought up in that culture, in that environment. The sum total of their behavior, thoughts and expressions make their personality and these are all centered on their belief in Hinduism. Hinduism is the third largest followers in the world and according to Das (2008) it is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India. The way of life is based on the teachings of the sages and the scriptures like the Vedas and the Upanishads, based on the Brahma Sutras, epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. They believe in ‘dharma’ which means the “that which supports the universe”. The followers believe in the law of karma, in reincarnation and the law of cause and effect. They believe in following the path of righteousness and working towards liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It is the dharma or the laws that governs all actions and there are no laid down principles to follow. Hinduism believes that each individual is unique and has the capability to evoke the God-consciousness within. Each person is divine and the purpose of human life is to seek and realize the divinity within. They view everything in the universe as God’s and everything in the universe as God. The basic principles that Hinduism believes in are: Dharma (ethics and duties) Samsara (rebirth) Karma (right action) Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara). The Supreme Absolute is known as the ‘Brahman’ and there is compulsion for people to follow or worship one particular deity. They believe that worship of any deity will all ultimately reach the Absolute or the Brahman. Hence every individual has the freedom to take the path that suits him. There is no administrative head or rules to be followed. One is expected to follow the inner voice, which is the consciousness that every individual has. This is the path of dharma. To be a Hindu or worship as a Hindu, one does not have to take a vow in any temple or wear any thread. There is no religious affiliation required. The law of karma is the most important principle in Hinduism and is based on the principle that every action has a reaction – the cause and effect principle. Life is looked upon as a continuum and sufferings are experiences. Every experience is considered a blessing and death never occurs. The body perishes but the life force energy or the soul never dies. The mortal body is merely a sheath or a covering for the soul which has to be discarded from time to time. One has to undergo the experiences and the cycle of birth and death until one realizes the self and merges with the Absolute. To attain this one has to undergo the path of purification through self-enquiry, through meditation and through yoga. Christianity is a religion that is believed without discussion in America. Even though there are various sects within Christianity but Christianity as such provides the “habits of the heart” necessary for good citizenship. The Orthodox Christian scholars also believed that Jesus was God before he came to earth; he was not fully God while he was a human on this earth; after resurrection, he again became fully God with the same power and authority as He had before incarnation. In Hinduism it is universally accepted that Lord Krishna and Lord Rama came to earth to save the people. They were reincarnations of Lord Vishnu and there are no disputes. “God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and has made Christ Head of the Church, which is his body”, (Thompson, 2002). Jesus reigns over all things in heaven and earth. Thompson highlights that New Testament emphasizes that “Jesus is Lord.” Through out the New Testament, ‘Jesus is Lord’ has been linked with Jesus’ resurrection. Hence, He was not merely a figure in the past. Thompson further emphasizes although Jesus was crucified by human beings, God has raised him to life and made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36-37). The confession of Jesus itself expresses the unique relationship of Jesus to God. Thus, while Christianity has a history and relies totally on the existence of Jesus on earth, Hinduism believes in the Brahman that is formless but can be reached through worship in any form. Hinduism is a faith and does not require anyone to ‘become’ a Hindu and anyone is free to follow the path. The Church is central to all decision of morality and principles of how to lead the life while Hinduism merely provides guidance and does not dictate one how to conduct their life. Today the basic mantra is ‘All is God and God is all’ (McMahon, 1998). Today’s religion stresses on universal brotherhood. Today man is at the center of religion and inspiration is drawn from various holy texts like the Koran and the Bhagwad Gita. Sin today happens out of ignorance. Everyone seeks an experience of the God-conscious and thereafter salvation. Everyone seeks a subjective experience and not objective religion. All religions of the world are valid paths to God. Jesus, Allah and Ishwar are just different names in different religions given to that Supreme power that controls and rules the world. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John, 14:6). Similar words are found in Bhagwad Gita where the Lord Krishna urges Arjuna saying merge in me, come to me. This does not mean that Jesus, or God of the Torah or Lord Krishna alone are the path to God. All it implies is that people who follow Christianity travel through Jesus while those who follow Hinduism travel through Lord Krishna. It is a matter of interpretation and it simply implies to follow and have faith in the divine power that is amongst us. Every religion suggests that their path is valid but this does not mean all other paths or religion are wrong. It is only meant to help people focus their mind on nothing other than the power that preaches that particular religion. Being born into a particular family or following a particular religion does not make one belong to that religion. Culture and ethnicity also do not determine the relationship with God. What matters is the conviction that people have in any faith. Bibliography Das, S., (2008), Hinduism for Beginners, 31 March 2008 HAWA (2005), Culture and Religion, 31 March 2008 Henig, R. M., (2007), Darwin’s God, 31 March 2008 McCartney, K., & Hetrick, K., (2001), Religiosity and Gender: Nature or Nurture? 31 March 2008 McMahon, Dr C M, (1998), An Overview of Contemporary Theology, 31 March 2008 Ninan, M. M., (n.d.), Introduction to Hinduism, 31 March 2008 Thompson M M, (2002), Jesus Is Lord: How the Earliest Christian Confession Informs Our Proclamation in a Pluralistic Age, 31 March 2008 Read More