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Hinduism
By Alan Hood | August 8, 2007
Hinduism has worldwide followers; however the religion is mostly concentrated in India. Despite the lack of a uniting belief system Hinduism attracts a lot of followers because it is a way of life for the followers. Hinduism does not restrict its followers to a set way of doing things or worshiping. Hinduism attract followers from all walks of life, from the very poor to the very rich and both conservative and liberal alike. As one of the religions with the most followers world wide Hinduism touches people across the globe. Hinduism is also one of the world’s oldest religions having originated in approximately 8000 BC and according to (Fisher, 2005, 69) “According to tradition, there are actually 330 million deities in India. The feeling is that the divine has countless faces.” Hinduism has approximately 1 billion follower’s world wide with 890 million located in India.
One of the reasons I believe that Hinduism has lasted so many years as a major world religion is the fact that it does attract followers from every walk of life. Through societal influences followers of Hinduism are better able to accept their position in life, by believing that the life they have now is the result of actions from a past life. This is explained by (Birodkar, 1997) “Thus it helped in cementing the social differentiation that the heredity aspect of the caste system had introduced. Dis-qualifications and inferior status of any caste became acceptable when looked upon as a result of deeds (karma) of the individual concerned in his past life or as his fate (Daiva) that had been destined for him by divine will.” Believing that you are a product of the things you did in a past life would help the suffering of people who are very poor and would drive people of all status levels to be the best person they could possible be in this life to avoid suffering in their next life, Which is contradicted by the fact that some people in Indian society look down on people from a lower cast. Fisher points out (Fisher, 2005, 97) “Marriage across caste lines, for instance, is still often disapproved in India. If a boy and girl—one of whom is from the lowest caste—fall in love, sometimes the families from both sides will kill them rather than allow their marriage, to prevent disgrace or retribution.” When a Hindu leads their life in a manner that is helpful and non-harmful to other beings they do it because of what they call Karma. Karma can be explained in terms of a principle of physics for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If a Hindu steals from another person they believe that as a result in this life they will become a thief, that they will suffer the fate of having things stolen from them, and that they will pay for that crime by being reincarnated into suffering during their next life.
Culturally Hinduism Promotes value in both men and women and many sect of Hinduism worship female deities. Hinduism can promote more harmony in a society were women are treated as equals or worthy of being worshiped compared to a society where women are treated with disdain and as a lower class. Fisher point out that (Fisher, 2005, 84) “The female is highly venerated in Hinduism, compared to many other religions. Women are thought to make major contributions to the good earthly life, consisting of dharma (order in society), marital wealth (by bearing sons in a patriarchal society), and the aesthetics of sensual pleasure.” The worship of deities and places that are the same as where you live is important to any culture. When missionaries come from foreign places asking people to worship symbols that have no resemblance to them it can be hard for people to understand and accept. It is important for the art and symbols of a religion to be local and relevant to the people’s beliefs and lifestyles.
The followers of Hinduism believe that the ultimate goal of their death is to be liberated from the confines of time and space. It is the goal of every Hindu is not be reincarnated when they die. If the Hindu follower lives their current life on earth in all of the correct ways then they will be able to join their deities in an everlasting bliss, free from all of the human confinements. Karma also plays an important roll in reincarnation; Hindus believe that if they lead a good life then your next incarnation will bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal.
Topics: Religions |
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