Hinduism as a Religious Tradition - Essay Example

Hinduism Introduction Hinduism is the strongest religious tradition of South Asia. It is the third largest religion in the world, and is considered to be the oldest living major religion or tradition. While it is more often called a religion, its structure is such that Hinduism is considered more of a way of life than an actual religious or spiritual belief system. This can be seen in the phrase Sanātana Dharma, which, in Sanskrit, is translated to “the eternal law (Bowker, 2000).” Hinduism also includes a variety of yoga and meditation traditions, as well as morality based on the concepts of karma and reincarnation. Within Hinduism are a variety of schools and branches. The two schools that survived through the ages are Yoga and Vedanta. The surviving divisions are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Smartism and Shaktism (Wilhelm, 1991). These numerous schools and branches have been formed to accommodate a variety of beliefs and views of the Hindu system. Each of the aforementioned schools and branches deal with different methods in which to enlighten the mind and lead a life of fulfillment. Brief History As aforementioned, Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, as well as its oldest. In fact, many Hindu documents and artifacts have been dated to the pre-Christ era. While there is no single founder of Hinduism, the roots of other religions and important eras in time can be seen within it, such as Vedic and the beliefs during Iron Age India. Buddhist philosophico-religious thought also influenced many of the Hindu traditions and beliefs (Eliot, 2007), especially in regard to using yoga and meditation as ways in which to reach internal peace and happiness, as well as external enlightenment. Hinduism - Not a religion Hinduism, though listed as being a religion, is anything but a religion. Hinduism consists of “thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE (Levinson, 1998).” Hinduism is a way of life, consisting of numerous ways in which a person can better themselves. Therefore, it is unlike any other type of organized religion. Perhaps the only thing in common in shares with other religions is that it does not have any one founder, or any one founder that can be traced. However, the differences between Hinduism and other religions are many. There is no specific theological system or concept of a single deity. Hinduism does not have a central religious authority or a prophet of any sort. There is no one religious text or book that Hindus must abide to; the texts that Hinduism does contain are not meant to be followed as rules, but viewed as potential guidelines for a fulfilling life. Finally, there is no single system of morality. As Hinduism is more of a way of life than a religion, it is set up to accommodate a variety of people, as well as a variety of beliefs. While there are a few concrete beliefs within Hinduism that define Hinduism, they do not necessarily have to be believed, let alone followed. There is also room for an individual person to create their own beliefs out of what Hinduism already has to offer. For as many followers of Hinduism there are, there can be that many beliefs. Followers can make Hinduism into whatever they need it to be to fit their lives. Beliefs The beliefs of Hinduism are based around ethnic and cultural diversity. Beliefs were further formed by innovation within the Hindu belief system, as well as assimilation of external traditions that others brought with them. It is because of this that there are numerous religious traditions, ranging from infant cults to major religious movements. The concept of God in Hinduism tends to be complex, as there are many different views on reigning deities, all dependent on the follower. Monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism and atheism are all practiced within Hinduism. Each separate tradition and philosophy brings with it a different view in regard to God. Therefore, Hinduism is sometimes known as henotheistic, which is the devotion to one single god while accepting the existence of others. The majority of Hindus believe that one’s soul - one’s true self - is indistinct from any form of deity. Within the Hindu scriptures are celestial beings known as Devas, which are roughly translated to “heavenly being.” These beings are often seen in mythology - a lot of which is used in Hinduism - and epic poetry. An avatar is another being in Hinduism. An avatar is an incarnation that is sometimes considered to be God, who goes to Earth to restore society and guide humans. Karma is a huge principle in the beliefs of Hindus. “Karma translates literally as action, work, or deed, and can be described as the moral law of cause and effect (Miller, 2009). Although karma is a Hindu concept, a huge majority of the population, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs, believe in the concept of karma, believing that what goes around comes around. Karma involves the soul retaining impressions from actions, therefore being carried on to the next life. Whatever a person did in their previous, whether good or bad, will allow them to be appropriately compensated in their next life. Samsara is a concept similar to karma in the sense that it involves a cycle of never-ending activity. However, samsara involves the cycle of life and death, which is as follows: action, reaction, birth, death and rebirth. It is said that the acts of samsara allows a person to become intimate with God and to become self-aware. It also gives people the pleasure of the thought of having a perishable body that has the chance for more rebirths, giving that person numerous chances to experience new things in life. Hindu thought accepts these objectives of life: righteousness, livelihood, wealth, sensual pleasure and freedom. Through yoga, Hindu practitioners are able to achieve these goals. People may pick their own forms of yoga to obtain these objectives, though there are also some specifically designed for each individual goal. In some branches of Hindu, it is said that there is only one type of yoga - Bhakti - that will allow a person to achieve spiritual perfection. Practices The purposes of Hindu practices involve becoming aware of God and seeking blessings from Devas. Various practices and rituals have been designed to allow Hindus to think of divinity during everyday life. One method includes constructing a shrine with icons and statuettes of their respective god in the most-used room of one’s home. Going to temple, as a Christian would go to church, is another way that Hindus can observe their religion, though most only decide to go on religious festivals. Invocation, praise, prayer and music are other methods that practitioners use to be close to their deities. “The vast majority of Hindus engage in religious rituals on a daily basis (Huyler, 2002),” most of which are observed are done at home. Some of these rituals include worshiping at dawn after a bath, which is done in front of the shrine or alter, singing, meditating and reciting from their texts. A theme of Hindu ritual is purity - purity of mind, soul, body and heart. Some method of purity, such as a bath, is required before other rituals can be performed. Sacrifices are also done, though in the forms of volunteering or doing charity - the volunteering of time and skill. Pilgrimage, the act of going on long journeys for the sake of finding moral significance, though not required, is often done by Hindu practitioners. Many take these journeys to any of the major temples in India. These temples are of importance to Hinduism as they are shrines of that faith. Festivals also take place throughout the year. Many of these festivals coincide with changes of the seasons; some are taken from mythology that Hindus believe to be real and true events. Some festivals are done in honor of something, such as a birth or coming of age. There are a variety of festivals that are only celebrated in specific locations or in different sects of Hinduism, though not in others. Festivals are often celebrated with music, dance, prayers and lights. Scriptures and texts Though the texts in Hinduism are not required to be followed, they are still observed and are treated as guidelines. They are also significant as they were transmitted orally as a means to memorize them (Zaehner, 1983). It was centuries later before they were written down to be shared with all followers of Hinduism. Unlike the Christian Bible, the texts of Hinduism are not meant to be taken literally; the ethics and metaphorical meanings are most important. All the same, the texts are respected and are held at the center of Hinduism. Shruti, also known as the Vedas, is the earliest record of Hindu scriptures. It is also one of the oldest religious texts (as seen below). The texts vary from different mantras from early practitioners to commentaries on various rituals or festivals. Smritis is another important text, though this one discusses epics, histories and philosophies of Hinduism and its earlier practitioners. Unlike other religious and spiritual texts, those in Hinduism are changed and updated by sages to accommodate for present changes and rituals and the like. Negative behaviors of Hinduism “Although the caste system was abolished by law in 1949, it remains a significant force among Hindus throughout much of India (Robinson, 2010).” Caste systems involved splitting up society into smaller communities based on degrees of ritual purity or pollution and social class. The classes in the caste system are hereditary and are almost impossible to leave once a family has been placed within it. These methods of living are degrading, though in accordance to Hindu belief and tradition, help others to realize their worth in the spiritual world. Some practitioners of Hinduism believe that the lower one’s status is, the more honored they are, though the painful realization is that these people are treated the worst and maintain horrible lifestyles without having the chance to change that fact. Another negative behavior of Hinduism is the treatment - or mistreatment - of females within the religion. In most cases, this mistreatment happens before a female is even born. In India, in regard to Hindu practices against females, the following methods have long since been designed and have prevailed against the population of females: female feticide, infanticide, neglect and mob violence. Female feticide is the practice of determining the sex of a child in order to abort the fetus if it is female, while infanticide is the actual murder of a newborn female. Female children are neglected, and widespread mobs are used to victimize and murder women believed to be evil witches. While Hinduism does not necessarily say anything negative against women or preach this kind of negative in their religion, women are still treated as though they were lower forms of life. Only certain sects and locations, such as India, abide by these feelings. Other parts of the world with a large Hindu population do not practice these. Many places do not allow this kind of treatment towards any person; as people can practice Hinduism in any way that they decide, they are able to practice it without degradation of other human beings. Conclusion Hinduism is a way of life that millions upon millions of people follow. Hinduism sticks out from other religions in the sense that it is not really a religion, allowing followers to decide for themselves what they want to believe as far deities and morals are concerned. Hindus show their faith through shrines, prayers, rituals and festivals. Though there are some controversies in regard to how women and lower class people are treated, people have the choice of not practicing those aspects and only focusing on the moralistic ones. References Bowker, J. (2000). The concise Oxford dictionary of world religions. New York: Oxford University Press, USA. Eliot, Sir Charles. (2007). Hinduism and Buddhism: An historical sketch. Bel Air, CA: DoDo Press. Halbfass, W. (1991). Tradition and reflection: Explorations in Indian thought. Albany: SUNY Press. Huyler, S. (2002). Meeting God: Elements of Hindu devotion. New Haven: Yale University Press. Levinson, D. (1998). Religion: A cross-cultural dictionary. New York: Oxford University Press, USA. Miller, F. (2009). Karma. Mauritius: Alphascript Publishing. Robinson, B. (2010). Negative behaviors by some Hindus. Retrieved from http://religious tolerance.org/hinduism4.htm Zaehner, R. (1983). Hinduism. New York: Oxford University Publishing, USA. Read More