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Investigating Hinduism

Elizabeth Martin Grand Canyon University INT 244: World Religion Tom Daniel 11/1/2020

2 While the word Hinduism may feel fairly new, the beliefs and traditions of Hinduism are those of the oldest religion on earth. The name means, the religion of India. In the early 19th century, British writers coined the term Hinduism. The name refers to several traditions of texts and practices. These practices may date back to the 2nd millennium BCE earlier. It is thought that the Indus valley civilization was the earliest source of the Hindu traditions. This is why it is believed that Hinduism is the oldest religion on Earth. The sacred texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages spread the religion throughout the world with visual and performing arts spreading the religion as well. Ever since the 4th century CE, Hinduism has been a strong presence in Southeast Asia (Hinduism | Origin, History, Beliefs, Gods, & Facts, n.d.). To be considered a Hindu, one must adhere to a set of beliefs and practices. First, the sacred text, the Vedas, needs to be seen as divine. The caste system needs to be accepted as well as all deities and spirits must be respected (Corduan, 2013). While the Hindu religion does not have any set core beliefs, their devotion to their deities and rituals are very important. Hinduism is a highly practiced religion around the world. Hindus have three main gods who are seen as equal and divine. These three gods are known as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The first god is Braham, he is the creator. There are a few different theories on how Braham came into existence. The first theory is that he was born from the female primordial energy, Maya, and the supreme being Brahman and that his seed in the water became an egg, and Braham was born. Another theory states that he was born from a lotus flower. No matter how he was born, he was the first god of the Trimurti and created the universe alongside the 11 forefathers of the human race, Prajapatis, the seven sages Saptarishi, the mind children, and the Manasputras (Geller, 2016). Brahma has four faces that represent the four Vedas as well as the four corners of the

3 universe. The Yajur-Veda, Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda are the four ancient texts of the Hindu religion. According to the legends, Brahma had five heads but Shiva cut one of them off. He has four arms and red skin and never carries a weapon. He only carries a jar of holy water, a spoon, and the book of Vedas. He wears prayer beads and sits on a lotus flower. There are not many temples dedicated to Brahma (Geller, 2016). The second god of the Trimurti is Vishnu. Vishnu is the Lord of Preservation and Sustenance and is the supreme god of the Vaishnavites. He is the preserver of the universe and is valued in all of the belief systems. While Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is usually seen as more important and is worshipped more. In some depictions, he is in a reclined position with Brahma coming out of his navel, suggesting that Vishnu is the creator. Vishnu takes many different forms that represent his manifestations and duties. He is usually shown as blue and holds a lotus flower, a mace, a shell, and the chakra wheel. Vishnu is worshipped in his original form or one of his alternate forms. Unlike Brahma, there are temples dedicated to Vishnu all across India (Geller, 2016). The third and final god of the Trimurti is Shiva. Shiva is the destroyer and transformer. He slays demons and has rule over death, rebirth, and immortality. Those who worship Shiva are Shaivites. They believe Shiva is the ultimate deity. He represents the primal soul and the truth of reality and consciousness to his believers. Shiva used to be called Rudra. Shiva is usually depicted as a very handsome, strong, and youthful man meditating or dancing. He has a third eye, and if he is disturbed, it will open. There is a crescent moon on his head which shows that he controls his mind. In other statues, he is sometimes shown with snakes around his arms and neck showing his powers over evil. Shiva also wears earrings in his to signal fertility, sexual power, and union. He is the deity of yoga and meditation. There are many Temples of Shiva all over

4 India (Geller, 2016). The origin of the caste system is not known with certainty. Hindus maintain that the proliferation of the castes (jatis, literally “births”) was the result of intermarriage (which is prohibited in Hindu works on dharma), which led to the subdivision of the four classes, or varnas. Modern theorists, however, assume that castes arose from differences in family ritual practices, racial distinctions, and occupational differentiation and specialization. Scholars also doubt whether the simple varna system was ever more than a theoretical socioreligious ideal and have emphasized that the highly complex division of Hindu society into nearly 3,000 castes and subcastes was probably in place even in ancient times (Hinduism - Castes, n.d.). A caste is defined as a hereditary group of families who share a name, often of common descent who adhere to the same customs and are then divided into smaller circles. These customs may range from purity, meals, and marriages. Tribes, guilds, or religious communities who are characterized by customs, could easily be regarded as castes. The status of ranks changes in various regions. Albeit social portability is conceivable, the shared relationship of stations is progressively decided: nearby Brahman bunches possess the most elevated spot, and contrasts in custom virtue is the principle models of position in the chain of command. Most polluted are the purported "untouchables," formally assigned as Scheduled Castes in the constitution of presentday India. Many Scheduled Caste bunches currently favor the name Dalit ("Crushed" or "Persecuted"). Among the Scheduled Castes, in any case, there are various developments, every one of which views itself as better than others. Customary Hindus keep up that the custom contamination and "unapproachability" characteristic in these gatherings don’t vary from that briefly connected with grievers or discharging ladies. This, and the way that some outside gathering or other may ascend in assessment and become an inside one or that singular outcastes

5 may be wealthy, doesn't change the way that there was social separation. The Scheduled Castes were exposed to different socioreligious incapacities before alleviating inclinations achieved change. After autonomy, the social separation was precluded, and the act of forestalling admittance to strict, word related, or social equality on the grounds of unapproachability was made a culpable offense. Despite these denials, Scheduled Castes were once in a while banished from the utilization of sanctuaries and different strict foundations and state-funded schools. From the conventional Hindu perspective, this social framework is the vital supplement of the standards of dharma, karma, and samsara. Comparing to hells and sublime locales in the great beyond, the stations are the commonplace social edge inside which karma is showed and worked out (Hinduism - Castes, n.d.). Numerous Christians are individuals from lower standings, for example, the Dalits (Untouchables). Numerous Christians live in the alleged "ancestral belt," which stretches out over the focal point of India from Pakistan in the west to Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. Mizoram, India's just predominately Christian state, is in northwest India. Christianity in certain spots has been adjusted to Indian convictions and ideas of otherworldliness. At Christian ashrams, clerics wear Indian dress and take part in Hindu style ceremonies. Mass starts with the serenades of "om," the consecrated sound of the Vedas. Hindu prasad (blessed products of the soil) are burned-through at the fellowship. A few gatherings sing reverential melodies that acclaim Jesus and Krishna and eat carefully vegan meals. In a few spots, Christians have more impact than their numbers would propose because they have customarily been more instructed than everyone. Indian Christians will in general be urbanized and hold Western callings, for example, educators, medical caretakers bank assistants, and government workers (CHRISTIANS IN INDIA, n.d.).

6 In any thought for evangelistic service among the Hindus, it is imperative to perceive the tremendous distinction between Hinduism and Christianity. Without clear relating ideas and perspectives, "interpreting" Christian contemplations and lessons into the Hindu strict (profound) framework stays a difficult task. The Christian idea of salvation from wrongdoing through confidence (both as conviction and reliance) in God is new to the Hindu. To scaffold such distinction, continuous implantation of ideas might be required. Start from where they are to seriously convey the uplifting news of Jesus Christ, and implore and work for their change in the intensity of the Holy Spirit from the inside (Sharing Christ in Hindu Contexts | Lausanne World Pulse Archives, n.d.).

2 References Corduan, W. (2013). Neighboring Faiths. InterVarsity Press CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. (n.d.). Facts and Details. http://factsanddetails.com/india/Religion_Caste_Folk_Beliefs_Death/sub7_2f/entry4161.html Geller. (2016, November 10). Trimurti. Mythology.Net. https://mythology.net/hindu/hindugods/trimurti/ Hinduism - Castes. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/Castes Hinduism | Origin, History, Beliefs, Gods, & Facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism Sharing Christ in Hindu Contexts | Lausanne World Pulse Archives. (n.d.). Lauasanne World Plus. https://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles-php/1253/03-2010...