Hindus, Hinduism & India!

Hinduism is believed to be the oldest religion which according to scholars started around 4000 years ago. However, Hindus(who practice this religion) believe that it is timeless.

Hinduism is more of a way of life rather than a religion with strict rules and regulations. There are no rigid rules but there is a lot of flexibility while following this religion.

What sets Hinduism apart from other religions is:

There is no one God:

There is no one God in Hinduism but there are several Gods whom people worship. This is practice that is mocked at by people of other religions because it seems to defy logic.

However, the logic behind this practice is that Hindus worship the different forces of nature. Each force of nature is symbolized as a specific God and the followers worship them. For instance, Lord Agni is the God of fire, Lord Varun is the God of rain, etc. etc. Hindus respect nature and celebrate its forces.

It is due to this fact that Hindus have so many festivals where a special day is defined for each God based on the position of planets and stars. The way of celebrating each festival is quite different from others. And, this makes each festival unique in its own. Hindus celebrate festivals such as Diwali, Dushehra to celebrate victory of good over evil while they celebrate festivals such as Basant Panchmi to welcome the spring season or Sankranti to celebrate the harvest season. In fact, if we look a little deeper the purpose of celebrating nature is the way to express gratitude for whatever it has given us.

Hindus worship their Gods in the form of idols. This is contrast to the popular belief that God does not have a form or shape. Hindus use idols for worship just as a means of potraying the power they are praying to in a physical form. It helps them in directing their focus to the specific power they are worshipping.

There is no founder for this religion:

Historians have not been able to trace the origins and history of this religion because there is no founder of this religion and there is no specific date when it was founded.

Hinduism is essentially a way of life. It has just evolved with time with practices and traditions handed down by generations.

Hinduism is a flexible religion which has evolved over time by adopting aspects of other religions. In fact it cannot be called a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies. It can be considered as a family of religions rather than a single organized religion.

Hinduism Beliefs:

Hindus believe that all living creatures have soul which is a part of the Supreme soul. They believe that the soul continues to live after the death of the physical body and gets reincarnated in different bodies.

And, they strive for salvation where the cycle of rebirths ends and the individual becomes a part of the universal soul. The quality of the current and future lives of an individual depends on his thoughts and actions. This is the crux of the theory of “Karma” which is the cause and effect theory, in other words-”As you sow, so you reap!” Therefore, in order to attain salvation an individual needs to be mindful of his words and actions.

The shortcomings of Hinduism:

Caste System: The caste system is a deep-rooted systems in Hinduism. It divides Hindus into four main groups-Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. And each of these main castes are further sub-divided into many sub-castes. The caste system bestows certain privileges to the upper castes when compared with people of lower castes. This has made life difficult for people belonging to the lower castes.

In India (the country with maximum Hindu population in the world), it is due to this reason, there have been so many religious conversions. The people belonging to the lower castes found respect and dignity in other religions and took to conversion.

If we look at how the caste system is placed currently in India, we see that post-independence, many leaders in the country have introduced different laws to help the lower castes come up in life and overcome the gaps that have existed for centuries.

Unfortunately, the caste system is used by politicians rampantly in vote bank politics. In their attempt to woo the voters of the lower castes, they have managed to create a belief among the citizens of lower castes that they are still exploited. As a result the caste distinction in India seems to have become a permanent feature, despite the fact that there is not such distinction in the minds of the vast majority.

Superstitious Beliefs: Hinduism includes certain rituals and practices. However, many people have tried to associate certain severe repercussions if they are not followed. Unfortunately such unfounded beliefs were propagated among Hindus across the different strata in the society. Besides there are several new rituals and practices propagated by certain religious experts. Adhering to these are difficult for many. And, some of these new-fangled rituals defy logic. As a result Hindus are mocked at by people of other religions.

Religious Gurus: Just like any other religion, Hindus have several religious leaders who teach their followers about the Hindu beliefs and way of life. While there are many genuine gurus who are empowering a vast majority, there are some who misuse the reverence and trust of their followers to their advantage. Such religious leaders exploit their followers in many ways and defame the entire community. Unfortunately the number of such gurus has been on the rise in the last few years. Probably the reason for this is the growing need in people for wealth, power, success in quick time. These gurus exploit this need of their followers and promise them whatever they desire by following whatever they preach.

Each religion has its pros and cons. But unfortunately, it is the beliefs and systems of Hindus that become a major cause of concern for people of other religions.

It also India and Hindus who are at the receiving end of tolerance/intolerance debates.

A religion that does not impose its beliefs on others,

A religion does not even have a procedure for converting people of other religions to Hinduism,

A country that gives freedom to its people to call it “intolerant”-How can it be intolerant?

It is really unfortunate that while other countries of the west take stringent measures in response to each and every terror attack are the ones that point a finger at India calling it intolerant!

All because it tries to rebuts the terror attacks occurring almost daily or tries to curb terror forces within the country!

Is it really fair on a country that houses so many diverse cultures and beliefs?