Hinduism

Sanatana Dharma

"This practice or way of practice has always existed"

"Order in the Cosmos"

(Fisher 2005)

The Indian religion Hinduism is old and incredibly diverse, therefore to explain the diversity this essay will attempt to answer the following questions.

1. Considering Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, what makes up the Hindu religion?

2. What are the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated?

3. What is the desire for liberation from earthly existence? (Fisher 2005)

What is the Hindu Religion?

Sanatana Dharma is a popular name for Hinduism these days and is the name applied to all the various religious practices in India, which do not have the unification of Indian originated religions such as Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism. Rather than paraphrase an explanation of the make-up of the Hindu religion and lose the clarity and prolific style of M.P. Fisher there is the following quote: (Fisher 2005)

The spiritual expressions of Sanatana Dharma range from extreme asceticism

to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the

heights of abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness

behind the material world to worship of images representing a multiplicity of

deities. According to tradition, there are actually 330 million deities in India. The feeling is that the divine has countless faces. (Fisher 2005)

In the light of the complete diversity of Hinduism, how do we define it as one religion?

The answer to this lies in Hinduism's age. The religion of Hinduism is thousands of years old. Its beginning lies in the Vedic age in the time of the indigenous Dravidian peoples of India. History says that there was an invasion by the Aryan race in the time of the Vedas. Certain historians and nationalistic Indians are not in agreement with this point. The origin of the religion may be unclear but the many variations of the religion supposedly due to the time span are not in dispute. The one agreement of the various sects of Hinduism is that the beginnings are from the same time and roots. Then considering that no particular branch of the religion outshines the rest is most likely the reason the various sects carry the same title. In truth, this author believes that most religions fall under the same veil. The Christian religion, Islamic and Buddhist religions all have one title but many variations.

(Fisher 2005)

Many religions have many sects but have a single title because there are base similarities. In this way the many branches of Hinduism have roots in the Vedic Age, believe in Karma, and reincarnation until freed from the birth and death cycle. Therefore, the variations of the Hindu or Sanatana Dharma religion have only one title as far as the outside world is concerned. (Fisher 2005)

What are the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated?

Hinduism is an everyday practice in Indian life. Every day life from birth to death is full of the rituals of the religion. The rituals begin when the child is first conceived. For example, there is a certain way the woman with child wears her hair. Then after the child is born, there are rituals about the food the child eats. In addition there are rituals when the baby is named, at the start of education, when the Vedas are studied (ancient Hindu scriptures), at the time of marriage and at death. (Fisher 2005)

In addition to the rituals of Indian life, the entire structure of society is the outcome of the practice of Hinduism throughout the ages. The work of life has division between four groups as follows:

• The Brahmins-the leaders of spiritual life
• Kshatriyas - these were the rulers, nobility, and warriors
• Vaishyas-those who farmed or ran businesses
• Shudras - these were the ones who performed manual labor

(Fisher 2005)

The four groups are called castes and included one more subgroup called "untouchables" because the work they performed were things like taking care of dead bodies, cleaning the streets, taking care of human wastes or working with the skin of cows. This lower caste was changed when Gandhi opposed it. Even though changes are in the works, Indian society is still very ritualistic Hinduism. (Fisher 2005)

What is the desire for liberation from earthly existence?

The basis of the Hindu religion is that all life has the goal of liberation from the suffering of physical form. Earthly existence to Hindus is a lower stage. This realization induces the desire to reach liberation and become one with the Cosmos. This liberation requires many lifetimes of suffering and only by renouncing the physical desires of life can one finally break the chain of birth and death. (Fisher 2005)

Conclusion

Hinduism seems to be alive and well and perhaps this is true. However, if it is to survive as a religion it will have to bend to accept the basic international ideas of human rights that Gandhi began in India. Nevertheless, no one can doubt the sincerity of people who live their entire lives wrapped in the rituals of the Hindu religion.

Reference

Fisher M. P. (2005), Living religions, Sixth Edition, Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc.