Analysis of Hinduism, Religion and Culture - Essay Example

Hinduism Introduction Hinduism is generally measured as one of the oldest and widely accepted religions in the world. Its rich historical background, culture and heritage have helped it for attaining a unique status. But the startling piece of information, that is, Hinduism lacks a unified system of principles and ideologies, is capable of rousing curiosity in a person. It is significant to note that Hinduism put forward the philosophy that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient and the same God exists in everything. As Subhamoy Das comments, “It is a phenomenon and represents a broad spectrum of beliefs and practices which on one hand are akin to paganism, pantheism and the like, and on the other very profound, abstract, metaphysical ideas (Das, 2011). Hinduism introduces a different concept about God and worship. Nothing like, Abrahamic and Islam religion, followers of Hinduism have worshiped God as an inestimable body from whom all souls have emerged and will end up in. Veda, Upanishads, and Puranas provide relevant information about Hinduism and these books have considered as the most holy Hindu books. Religion and culture are highly interchangeable terms in Hinduism and it concentrates on expressions like ‘bakthi’ which means devotion, dharma stands for right and ‘yoga’ which shows both physical and spiritual discipline. The concept of heaven and hell in Hinduism is highly associated with God. Therefore, people accept life after death in various life forms. Worshippers of Hinduism believe many Gods and it paved the way for misconceptions and wonder among the others. In reality, Hinduism always promotes several Gods for worship and people accept these Gods as the manifestation of the supreme divine. According to Hinduism “everything in life, whether living or not comes from Brahman” (Fowler, 1997, p.8). For that reason, one can find that these Gods are nothing but features of Brahman, the supreme divine. It is widely accepted fact that the central belief or doctrine of Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma which means eternal religion. It gives guidelines for better life. Hindu beliefs teach that every soul or ‘atman’ is trapped in a cycle of birth, death and life after death. The cycle is known as ‘samsara’ and every man tries to escape from this cycle through the liberation of soul. The length of this cycle is depending on karma, net results of good and bad deeds in a person’s life. In other words, according to Hindu belief system, when a person dies the soul is reborn in to a new body and a new life begins. When a soul leaves the body life become ends and after death soul reaches in to another world and will return after some time. N Sabir observes;“When a person dies, his soul along with some residual consciousness leaves the body through an opening in the head and goes to another world and returns again after spending some time there” (Sabir, 2010, p.164). Bhagavad Gita, the holy book mentions two kinds of ways which the soul travels after death. The soul chooses either the path of the sun or path of the moon. In Hindu religion, one can find a large number of rituals and rites associated with birth, marriage and other important holydays. Married life is considered as the second stage of human life and the union between bride and groom holds noble status. It is not only the unification of two souls, but two families. Marriage teaches values and its rituals enhance religious beliefs. In the initial stage, parents select bride/groom for their children and receive a priest’s advice to fix time and date for marriage function. Generally, Hindu wedding takes place in ‘Mandap’ or tent, which is decorated with lambs and flowers. Marriage rituals are long and elaborate affair which reveals ancient tradition and culture. The bride and the groom perform ‘Saptapadi’ around the fire accompanied with mantras and religious doctrine. The fire that arranged in the middle of the mandap is treated as the symbol of God. Similarly, exponents of Hinduism suggest many rituals and traditions for the benefit of infant and people practice these rituals from the time of pregnancy. ‘Arathy’ is performed as significant religious rituals that people after the birth of a child. It provides God’s blessings and prevents evil forces (Baker, April 2006). The time and date of delivery requires great attention and it will find out an appropriate horoscope for the newborn baby. In Brahmin families, number of rituals for new mother and newborn baby and family members and neighbors ensure their presence in these rituals. After some days of birth, father touch the baby’s lips with a ring and dipped honey in and whispers ‘vak’ (speech) three times in infant’s ear. Hindu holydays are based on the sequence of nature and seasonal changes and these changes play a vital role in it. Some of Hindu festivals are related with God Siva and Ganesh. ‘Sivaratri’ is an important festival in Hindu religion and the festival is dedicated to lord Siva. People decorate homes with lambs and devotees take fasting. Durga Puja, Dusshera & Navaratri play vital role in Hindu festivals. People deliberate these as the victory of good against evil. Ganesha Chaturthi is another significant festival among the Hindu believers. Devotees carry huge statue of lord Ganesh— the Hindu God of prosperity on a bullock cart and round the streets. Hinduism follows various rituals and procedures for maintaining purity in both physical and spiritual level. Bathing of entire human body is an important religious ritual among the Hindus. Bathing in sacred rivers before festivals can ensure purity in religious programs. Hinduism clearly underlines the existence of cosmic energy that contains various energies from different celestial bodies. So Mantras, religious doctrines meditations provide better physical as well spiritual health. In case of food habit, many Hindus follows strict vegetarian and avoid meat. Membership in this religious group would affect the decisions a person makes about their health. Use of meat and other non-vegetarian foods are strictly prohibited among Brahmins. In addition, Hindu believers consider cow as a sacred animal and therefore, they discourage the use of beef. Hinduism strictly follows the concept of life after death and the followers of Hinduism argue that suicide is an act against humanism and it prevents the soul’s spiritual progress. Dissimilar from Western ideologies, Hinduism has showed less interest in conceptual ideas of right or wrong. According to karma theory, a doctor should not accept a patient’s request for euthanasia. Namita Nimbalkar (2007, p.2) rightly comments that “Killing in the form of euthanasia, murder, suicide interferes with the killed soul’s progress towards Liberation.” Unnatural separation of body and mind through euthanasia, as per the Hindu concept, contributes negative consequences. Cremation is considered as an important procedure in Hinduism and it is received as a part of ‘samskara’, funeral ceremonies. People believe that the body and mind can get an opportunity to reunite in this earth through this cremation. Many people in Hindu religion believe that if the body of a person is incomplete in the time of ‘samskara,’ the soul of the dead person is suspended from its usual movements and the family members assume a karmic burden. Even though, organ transplantation is considered as a charitable and noble activity, some of them show their disagreement. “None the less, no specific religious law forbids organ transplantation and donation” (Lakhan, 2011). People who believe in Hinduism think about death is the fulfillment of this earthly life and it give better opportunity for man to know new karmic lessons. So, Hinduism often disheartens the use of aggressive medical means in preventing death. Sometimes it creates problems in issues related with birth and death. Hinduism suggests some rituals for the spiritual progress of soul after death and Hindu religion shows its withdrawal in organ transplantation and euthanasia. Rituals related with birth and death sometimes lack scientific justifications. Conclusion In the final assessment, it is evident that Hinduism is an oldest religion which follows numerous rituals and beliefs. Followers of Hinduism worship many Gods and all these Gods are accepted as different manifestation of the supreme divine Brahman. Hinduism strictly follows life after death and they consider both birth and death as a part of soul’s spiritual journey. People practice various rituals and rites for celebrating birth, marriage and festivals. Physical and spiritual purification is essential for Hindu religion and people follow some rituals to improve their health. As an ancient religion, Hinduism strictly opposes suicide and euthanasia. Followers of Hinduism have mixed opinion towards the act of organ transplantation. Works Cited Baker, K. (April 2006). Birth Rituals in Hinduism. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from . Das, S. (2011). The Main Tenets of Hinduism. About.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from . Fowler, J.D. (1997). Hinduism: beliefs and practices. Illustrated edn. Sussex Academic Press. Nimbalkar, N. Euthanasia: The Hindu Perspective. Joshi-Bedekar College, Thane. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from < http://www.vpmthane.org/Publications(sample)/Bio-Ethics/Namita%20Nimbalkar.pdf >. Lakhan, S.E. (2011). Hinduism: Life and death. Global Medicine. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from . Sabir, N. Heaven Hell Or. Xlibris Corporation, 2010. 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