Hinduism: A Culturally Diverse Religion

Hinduism is a term which covers a very diverse range of religiocultural traditions. The diversity of Hinduism is evidenced through the various forms of doctrine, ritual, deities and life paths. As a part of a higher culture in India for over 4500 years there is little I can present in this article other than to highlight a brief overview of some history and a few practices which are important parts of Hinduism.

History:

The Vedas, or Hindu scripture, reveal the most important cosmic truths. The Vedas were written in 1500 B.C. by Aryans. The Rig-Veda presents many gods most of whom are personifications of natural forces such as Indra, king of gods and lord of the storm.

During the period of 100 B.C. to 100 A.D. the bhakti, or devotional literature, arose. The Hindu gods Krishna and Shiva became very popular. Much of the bhakti was significant for women and included songs and rituals honoring the Great Mother.

The Bhagavad-Gita dates to the period 500-200 B.C. and is part of the Mahabharata, an extremely lengthy poem, which describes 18 days of battle between the sons of Kuru and their cousins, the sons of Pandu, and which has become a well known mythological tale of gods, war, heroes, human action and human destiny.

Karma yoga is explained in the Gita as a very important element of Hindu spirituality. This form of yoga offers a discipline of action and a way of being in the world while accepting the responsibilities of a person's caste yet performing the yoga practice without corruption by bad karma. Krishna tells Arjuna in 3:19, "Therefore detached, perform unceasingly the works that must be done, for the man detached who labors on to the highest must win through." This yoga practice offers a way to practice with a purity of intention, a respect for what one is dealing with though the practice of a person's work or through the arts.

The Gita tends to lead Hindu tradition through four goals in life: pleasure, wealth, duty and liberation. During the ideal life cycle a person would study and learn the Vedic traditions and personal discipline, second a person would assume family responsibilities, raise children, and contribute to society, third a person would mediate on their own experience and seek salvation, and fourth a person would coast off any prior identity, witnessing to the fulfillment of communing with God.

Practices:

1. Karma is the notion that a person's actions fashion a person's being. Or, stated a bit differently, that how a person acts is directed by the self, or person one has become as a result of their existence thus far.

2. Dharma, or class duties, is strongly endorsed by the Gita and explained as caste. In most of life's practice caste mixes with occupation resulting in the division of Indian society into many groups defining contacts within distinct social groups.

3. Ritual when performed with pure intention, detached from excess fear, hopes or random thoughts, allows a person to move toward a more pure consciousness.

4. Meditational yoga is explained in the Gita through Krishna's description of an "athlete of the spirit" as a person who strives to gain enlightenment and liberation through Hindu yogic tradition.

5. Sacrifice is approved in the Bhagavad-Gita and is one of the pillars of traditional Hinduism. The sacrificial offerings of modern day are given in the form of food, flowers, or incense. Priests at Hindu temples recite traditional prayers and present sacrificial offerings on behalf of Hindu followers.

This culturally rich and diverse religion deserves a lengthy study to understand. Hopefully this article will entice you to read more and to delve into the many, many pages it takes to gain a more complete understanding.

Reference:

The Story of World Religions by Denise Lardner Carmody and John Carmody, Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountain View, California