INTRODUCTION
Hinduism is a name that Westerners gave to the
part of the Indian sub-continent. It was therefore defined by geography
(and then came to represent to the West a set of traditions, beliefs and
practices). The Hindu way of life, is more often called by Hindus
‘Sanatana Dharma’ (the eternal way of life).
SIZE AND LOCATION
This is the largest religion in Asia and the
world's third largest, in terms of numbers of followers with approximately
806 million worldwide. About 400,000 – 555,000 followers are based in
the UK. These tend to be descendants of Hindu immigrants.
It is the main religion of India, where it began.
From there it spread, about 1000 years ago, east along the trade routes to
other lands. In some places other religions later became more important In
others, like Sri Lanka and Malaysia, it is still the main religion.
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ORIGINS
Hinduism has no single founder, no central
authority or fixed creed. It is the world's oldest existing religion. Some
aspects of Hinduism (such as the worship of natural forms e.g. rivers as
gods) can be traced back 3,500 years to the peoples who moved into India
from central Asia. By 400 BC Hinduism had developed most of its present
features. However since then, there have been important changes in
its beliefs and practices.
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HOLY TEXTS
Hinduism has no one statement of beliefs (a
creed.) A number of texts are however sacred.
The basis of Hindu philosophy is found in the
four
Vedas. These are a collection of hymns, which had been passed on
orally up until 1200BCE which is when the Vedas began to be written
although they took hundreds of years to complete. The Rg
Veda is the earliest and holiest (about 800BC).
The
Upanishads (about 600BC.) These consider the nature of the
individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul (Brahman.) One of the
Upanishads contains the earliest reference to the reincarnation of the
soul in different bodies (transmigration) of the soul.
The Mahabharata
is an epic poem. It tells the story of a war between two branches of a
family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of
this and means "The Song of God." In it Vishnu relates his
philosophy through Krishna. Krishna has come down in human form to the
earth to help; he is an avartar of Vishnu i.e.. At the end of the Gita,
Arjuna, who Krishna is talking to about his duty realises that he is
Vishnu. This sets out rules for daily life that are still major sources
of reference for Hindus today.
One of the most famous Hindu epics is the Ramayana.
This was probably based on the Mahabharata. It tells the story of the god
Rama's battle with Ravana( the demon King.) One reason why it is so
respected can be found in the introduction. This states:
" He who reads
and repeats this holy life giving Ramayana is liberated from all his sins
and exalted with all his posterity to the highest heaven "
Other important
sacred books – Smriti (‘tradition) are the Laws of Manu (250 BC) and
the Puranas (ancient tales) written at about the same time.
Hindus revere all these works, as expressions of
a shared belief, but do not follow all of the practices to which they
refer, such as animal and even human sacrifice.
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WHAT DOES A HINDU
BELIEVE?
Despite the fact that Hinduism is not one belief
or practice there are common ideas that run through it.
Reincarnation
One feature is a belief in reincarnation- the
transmigration (the movement of the soul from one body to another ) of the
soul( samsara.) A person's soul lives on and on through a continuous cycle
of birth death and rebirth. This belief in the rebirth of the soul may
have encouraged the further doctrine of non injury/violence (ahimsa.) If
you thought that your life continued beyond the present one you might
consider very carefully the warning contained in an inscription that reads
that anyone who interfered with certain rights would:
" suffer rebirth for 8,000 years as a worm in
dung"
A way of life not a theory.
S.
Radhakrishnan( a former President of India and
a philosopher) said that for a Hindu, religion:
"is not an
idea but a power , not an intellectual proposition but a life conviction.
Religion is consciousness of ultimate reality not a theory about God.
"
For many
Hindus there are four goals in human
life (purusharthas);
1 Moksha
This is the ultimate goal. It means the release of
the soul from the cycle of rebirth. The individual soul (Atman) unites
with Brahman the universal soul. There are different ways to Moksha. There
is the spiritual. This involves acquiring spiritual knowledge through yoga
and meditation. The second way is by devotion to god and the third is by
working selflessly for the good of society.
2 Dharma
This is the code for leading
one's life. What one's
duties are depends on ones age and position. Respect for elders is
considered important and many consider marriage as a son's religious duty.
This requires three sorts of order/ harmony. One at a spiritual level with
the universe. A second that requires order/ harmony in society and
revolves around the caste system and a third which requires order/harmony
of the individual by obedience to a moral code. The 10 embodiments of
Dharma are listed in the Mahabharata.
3 Artha
This is the pursuit of material gain by lawful
means.
4
Karma
This is a sort of snakes and ladders. Through pure
acts, knowledge and devotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level. The
opposite achieves the contrary result.
There are four different paths to achieve Moksha
which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths
they are:
1 The path of knowledge -
Jnana-Yoga
Spiritual knowledge -leading to the knowledge of
the relationship between the soul (atman) and God (Brahman)
2 The path of meditation -
Bhakti-yoga
The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the
real self within you and become one with Brahman
3 The Path of Devotion -
Bhakti-yoga
Choosing a particular god or goddess and
worshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and deeds.
4 The path of good works - Karma-yoga
This involves doing all your duties correctly
throughout your life.
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PRACTICES
There are three basic practices:
1 Worship
This is an integral part of the faith. Offerings (puja)
are usually made to representations of the gods.
2 Cremation
The dead are burnt not buried
3 Compliance with the rules of the caste system
The caste system is a complicated division of
society into different groups. Each group has rules of conduct to be
obeyed. Caste is a matter of birth. You cannot apply to become a member of
another caste and a change of job won't affect it. Change can only come
about by re birth and the caste into which you are born depends on the
acts committed in your previous life. The caste system is known as the
Varnas, there are four varnas and they consist of:
·
Brahmins – the priests and intelligentsia
·
Kshatriyas – the administrators and military
·
Vaishyas – shop keepers, traders, farmers
·
Sudras – labourers and service workers
Another group
known as the ‘untouchables’
were below the other four groups. They would do all the dirtiest jobs. The
Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi in the early part of the 20th
century worked tirelessly to try and integrate them into Hindu society. He
called them ‘Harijans’ – the children of God. They preferred to be
known now as Dalit – oppressed.
The Varnas are then broken down into Jatis which
are subsections of the main Varna such as:
·
Rarhi Brahmins - traditionally priests
·
Baidyas – traditionally doctors
·
Patidars – traditionally traders
Elaborate taboos evolved around everyday matters
such as diet or travel. It was once the case that if a high caste Brahmin
worshipped at the same temple as a Dalit he would have to go through
various rituals afterwards, to cleanse himself. Many of these rules
disappeared after Indian Independence as the government sought to remove
discrimination on the basis of caste. Now it is impossible to tell caste
by a person's occupation. A poor peasant may well be from the Brahmin
caste. It remains however an important aspect of the social culture. Many
marriage arrangements are dictated by caste rules.
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THE GODS
For many, but not
all Hindus their religion is
monotheistic.( They believe in one God only.) They believe in one ultimate
truth that encompasses all reality ( Brahman.) At first glance it seems
hard to reconcile this belief with the Knowledge that there are said to be
as many as 330,000,000 Hindu gods and demons. This apparent contradiction
can be explained on the basis that they are all manifestations of Brahman, the
creative force.
In early texts Brahman (the elemental creative spirit) was impersonal. It
was not a god but something beyond god, it was " the unproduced
producer of all that exists." No image of Brahman exists, as it has
no form. It is an eternal presence.
Reference to Brahma (the masculine of the neuter Brahman), (a
manifestation of Brahman) as the creator god, started to appear later. By
the 4th /5th century AD Brahma was one of a trinity of gods (the three gods are known as the
Trimurti), in one of the creation myths
Brahma emerges from a lotus flower which Vishnu is holding whilst resting
on the back of the cosmic serpent in the primeval waters. The Trimurti is
represented by Brahma (the creator) Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the
destroyer). They comprise the three main physical representations of
Brahman, who together are all powerful.
Brahma is the creator god. Images tend to show him with 4 heads and 4
arms. In these he holds a variety of objects. These usually include a
drinking pot, a sceptre and the Vedas.
Vishnu is the preserver. He protects what is good in the world, and
appears whenever evil threatens to overwhelm it. He is shown wearing a
high crown and smiling. His symbols are the conch, the lotus, the club and
the discus. He has already had 9 incarnations and is expected to have
another on the final destruction of this world. His incarnations have
taken animal and human form. As a human he was incarnated as Rama and
Krishna (and also as the Buddha).
Shiva is the destroyer but as, in Hinduism, there can be no rebirth
without death he is also the creator. Images show him with 1 or 5 faces,
sometimes with a third eye and with 4 arms. These may hold his symbols of
fire, a drum, a horn, and a trident or take up positions of action or
protection. Often an arch of flame surrounds him (a common image is the
dancing Shiva. He is also often represented by the lingam, a phallus.
A follower of Vishnu is a Vaishnavite and a follower of Shiva is a
Shaivite. Numerically Vaishnavites form the largest sect.
The gods appear in different forms male, female, animal such as Ganesha
the Elephant god. Other popular gods are Indra (god of rain), Chandra
(moon god), Yama (god of death), Surya (sun god), Lakshmi (goddess of
wealth), Hanuman (the devotee of Rama), Sarasvati (goddess of learning).
The gods are important as they are regarded as channels through which the
godhead can work . They provide an opportunity for darshan. This means the
sight of the god, but also the insight that can be obtained through
worship.
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WORSHIP
Purpose
This is often a normal part of daily life designed to meet daily needs
e.g. requests for good health. It may also precede important events.
Before new buildings are opened or new enterprises begun puja (ritual
worship) is usually made to Ganesha (the elephant god) the bringer of
prosperity and the clearer of obstacles.
Places of worship
Hindu Temples (Mandhirs), which are dedicated to different gods, are the
focus of religious life. There is neither however any strong tradition of
communal worship nor any obligation to worship in a Temple.
There are simple shrines in streets and villages and most Hindu homes have
their own where they undertake Puja at home, they will make offerings to
their chosen god in the morning and the evening as a minimum. The shrine
may be no more than a corner of a room, with a picture or statue of one or
more gods.
There is no obligation on a Hindu to go on pilgrimage, but many do. There
are many places sacred to Hindus. These cover mountains, rivers and towns.
Many Hindus try to bathe in the River Ganges, as it is said to wash away
sins. Seven cities are considered particularly holy. These are known as
tirthas. They are centres of pilgrimage. They include Ayodha, the
birthplace of Rama, and Varanasi. They are looked upon as good places to
die plus to be cremated as they are believed to link the world of earthly
suffering to the divine plane.
Forms of worship
Any Hindu can worship but a priest normally carries out the more important
acts.
Worship may take several forms such as meditation, performing yoga
(exercises aimed at controlling mind and body), reading holy texts or use
of prayer beads
Alternatively Puja may be performed. This must comply with forms laid down
in holy texts (e.g. the Shastras and Agamas). Usually it involves an
offering to the image of a god. It usually commences with the purification
of the shrine. This is done by singing hymns and mantras (sacred psalms or
words or phrases designed to aid concentration. These include the "om
" creation symbol. The god is then awoken by the use of cymbals or
bells. Rituals, which follow those of daily or yearly life cycles, may
then be carried out. These can include washing or dressing the image.
Finally gifts of money food or flowers are given and silent prayers
offered. If performed in a Temple the Priest will mark the worshipper's
forehead with red paste (a tika) as a sign of blessing. At the end of the
ceremony the food which has been offered to the god is given out to those
attending, this is called Prasad (Holy food).
In special cases worship may include a procession. Each Temple will have a
special festival. Festivals can range from simple village affairs to those
that draw millions. There are also ceremonies that mark important life
events.
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ORGANISATION
Hinduism has no one organisation with the ability to define belief and
dictate practice. Widely respected spiritual leaders and philosophers have
however developed despite the lack of formal structure.
Hindu life is structured so that people understand
their personal and social roles, the four ASHRAMAS are seen as the ideal
stages of life which a person should go through – it is not lived
exactly as listed but they remain a powerful influence still today on a
Hindu’s life – they are:
·
Brahmacharin – Student stage
·
Grihastha – Householder stage
·
Vanaprastha – Retiring / Retreating from society
·
Sannyasin – Holy man no ties with society
SAMSKARAS - The Hindu Rites of Passage
For Hindus they represent the important stages in a person's development.
There are 16 samskaras and they are found in the law books of Manu (one of
the Hindus sacred books). The 16 stages are:
1.
Conception of a child
2.
Special
rituals performed during pregnancy
3.
Special
rituals performed during pregnancy
4.
Birth
ceremony
5.
Naming
ceremony
6.
Child’s
first outing at 4 months
7.
Child’s
first solid food
8.
Child’s
first haircut (1-3 years old)
9.
Child’s
ear pierced
10. Sacred
thread ceremony
11. Start
of formal education
12. Graduation from studies
13. Marriage
14. Retirement at around 60
15. Withdrawing from worldly concerns at around
75 to become a Sanyasa –
Holy man.
16. Death
rites
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