So Michele has given me the daunting task of providing a short introduction to Hinduism. I think I received this 'to do' since I dedicated time to get a better grasp on the religion (read two books) while we were traveling, but, I'm sorry to tell you, that much of it still remains a mystery to me and I think I made it seem even more complex. With that disclaimer, I hope you enjoy. ;)
Hinduism is the world's oldest and third largest religion (1 billion, around 90% in India). With all that history, there are countless deities and sects and being a "Hindu" is actually a very difficult thing to define (ie no 5 pillars or core beliefs all share). In fact, the best definition I came across was to define a Hindu as someone who accepts the Vedas (ancient religious texts) and lives a life according to their moral precepts. Doesn't sound that bad yet as so far it's like saying a Christian is someone who accepts the Bible as law. Apart from the Vedas, a Hindu worships a deity that they themselves see as supreme...and there are a TON of deities. So, although there are some deities more popular and/or powerful than others, there is no one figure all Hindu's worship or follow. As a horribly inadequate and probably incorrect analogy, it's like being a Christian and accepting the Bible but then deciding which Biblical figure you'd think is supreme and want to worship (ie Moses, Job, Jesus, Mary, Paul, Peter, Abraham...). So, in sum, a Hindu is someone who accepts the Vedas as law and lives their life according to those moral principles by worshiping a chosen deity.
So what are the Vedas?
The Vedas are believed to be the uncreated, eternal truth of the universe. The Vedas comprise four ancient texts dating from 1200bce to 300bce (according to best guesses). The books themselves are hymns and prayers that outline basic philosophical precepts as well as practical details for sacrifices, funeral rites, etc. These texts are first associated with the Aryan people (yep, Hitler's Aryan - historians think they came from around the Caspian Sea but it's not certain) who migrated to India with their beliefs and then merged them with indigenous thought. As a side note, the Aryan people are so attractive to nationalists in the past because they can be linguistically linked (but not 100% proven) to people from Europe to Iran to India and beyond. In India's case, historians believe they arrived with their beliefs and superior military might and either subjugated or merged with the natives (probably a combination of both). This immigration and meshing with the indigenous peoples helps explain why there are so many deities with so many different powers and also goes some way to giving a historical background for the caste system and other societal structures (discussed below).
1) The Mahabharata - tells the story of Krishna
2) The Ramayana - tells the tale of King Rama of Ayodhya and Hanuman (the monkey god)
3) The Puranas - tells other creation myths and genealogies of the Gods
I only mention these because they are the the "Bible stories" of the Hindus. These Epics are the ones that get shown on TV as the great tales of the Hindu religion.
So what does a 'Hindu' believe?
Hindu's believe the goal in life is to have a direct experience with divinity (a merging of the soul with the divine). This personal experience with the divine is the only thing that can bring true peace and happiness and Hindu's worship to increase their awareness of the divine.
Fundamental beliefs for most Hindu's also include:
-> Brahman. The absolute force/thing/being/essence
-> Atman. The immortal soul that is reincarnated while the body lives and dies.
-> Reincarnation. The belief that the soul repeatedly dies and is reborn.
-> Karma. The belief that each person bears the effects of their deeds in the future. These effects can be either positive or negative and the individual is solely responsible for the effect of their actions. It's less of a "something bad will happen to you because you were bad" and more of a belief that negative actions leave impressions on your mind and soul that determine what kind of person you will be in the future.
-> Nirvana. This is the escape from reincarnation when your soul merges with the divine. More abstract that the heaven-hell concept.
So what does a Hindu do to increase their awareness of the divine?
Well...they try to think of the divine every moment of the day: store owners worship at a shrine in their shop before opening for business and have it in a prominent position to remind them throughout the day, taxi drivers have reminders on the dash boards, buses are painted, etc. There are reminders everywhere! That said, worship is primarily a personal thing done at a personal shrine in the home and at work (just a picture or symbol). Hindu's do visit temples and go on pilgrimages to holy sites in the hundreds of thousands, but this is not mandatory. Michele and I were extremely fortunate to visit some of the holiest cities in the Hindu faith during our time in India. I was absolutely blown away by the ancient traditions and absolute faith we witnessed.
The yogas are the various methods (love and devotion, right action, meditation, knowledge) a Hindu follows to reach their spiritual goals, but they are still beyond me; a believer merges all of them but might choose to stress one in their spiritual practice.
Clear as mud? Well, I'm sure you still have some other questions about Hinduism, so I'll try to touch on some of the other parts of Hinduism in a scattered topic way...
The Caste SystemCaste still plays a big part in Indian society, especially in the more traditional North and among the upper classes. Marriages are still made based upon a person's caste and University enrollments and government jobs are set aside for lower castes (same idea as affirmative action and just as controversial). To get an idea on the importance of caste in contemporary Hindu society, check the matrimonial secton of the Hindustan Times classifieds HERE and search for a "Brahmin" bride or groom.
There are actually two caste distinctions: 1) Varna and 2) Jati. Varna is detailed in the Vedas and ranks people according to their inherent purity and likelihood for pollution. It was originally used as a distinction in religious ceremonies and later came to apply to society at large. Jati is the kinship group (ie occupation) a person is born into.
The are four main Varna distinctions described in the Vedas. These distinctions were made when the gods sacrificed primeval man to create mankind and are...
1) Brahmin. The priestly class that were created from the head of primeval man
2) Kshatriya. The warrior caste created from the shoulder.
3) Vaishya. The merchant caste created from the legs.
4) Shura. The laborer caste created from (surprise) the feet.
The Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya castes were originally from Aryan descent and are twice born (a religious ceremony bringing them into the Hindu religion as a child). The Shura caste was for people from non-Aryan descent who have not been initiated into the faith.
And then there are the Untouchables, or Dalits. These were the people in society who worked jobs that were seen as unhealthy, disgusting or polluting. Interestingly, they were also the original natives of India as the Aryans discriminated against them and wanted to give an incentive to adopt Aryan culture and thereby move up the cast ladder. They are beneath all of the four Varna distinctions and made outcasts of society: different living quarters, water sources, etc. The term untouchable comes from the fact that no other caste would dare touch them and lose some of their religious purity. The problem is that over 40% of the Indian population belongs to the Untouchables group!!!
So all that said, there are thousands of castes based upon the four Varna distinctions and Jati groupings plus the Dalits. The general idea is that a person is born into their caste based on their prior karma and can improve their lot in a future life (reincarnation) by living a good life. Remember, your lot in life is of your own making.
Male Dominated
In the Vedas, only men where allowed to perform rituals and inherent from the deceased. This was of critical importance in their ancient practices, because it was believed that the living must support the deceased until they reach their ultimate destination. Thus, male offspring became of critical importance to ensure their ancestors could be supported in their afterlife.
Our Interaction with Hinduism
Believed getting cremated and having your ashes placed into the Ganges River is the only way to get you to the afterlife.
The Major Deities
Many of the popular deities have consorts or female counterparts that complement and balance of their powers. The deities also have vehicles that they use as means of transport and support (bulls, mice, eagles, boars, etc).
The three most powerful deities are Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Shiva and Vishnu are everywhere and have major Hindu religious sects devoted to them.
Shiva maintains the eternal order. He is the creator and destroyer and is both worshiped and feared. His consorts are also worshiped widely in India with Parvati and Durga being two of the more popular.
Vishnu is a benevolent deity that has taken an earthly form 10 times to save the world from evil (two of which are Krishna and Buddha). Vishnu's future incarnation will restore judgment on earth and save mankind. His consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Brahma is the creator of the universe, but, oddly, isn't worshiped widely. His consort is Sarasvati, the goddess of music.
Ganesha is the god most people associate with Hinduism (the fat one with the waving arms and, oh yeah, the elephant head). His is extremely popular in India as well and is worshiped as the remover of obstacles and bringer of luck. Not surprisingly then, he is worshiped widely by businessmen and, terrifyingly, bus drivers.
Krishna (yep, the Krishna of the Hare Krishna's) is also immensely popular in India and is an incarnation of Vishnu who's story is told in the Mahabharata epic. Krishna is the most personable of the Gods (as far as I can gather) as he is described as a child, rambunctious youth, heroic warrior, and wise advisor. People worship Krishna with extreme devotion.
Hanuman is the monkey god that served King Rama in the Ramayana epic.
Those are some of the major ones we saw on a daily basis, and when I saw major, I'm just scratching the surface.
I know this is a pretty intimidating entry, but I want to add just one example of what we actually saw of the Hindu faith in India.
Varanasi
The most intimate interaction we had with Hinduism was in Varanasi. Varanasi it is thought to be the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. In the Hindu faith, Varanasi is the place where people go to die because it is believed that dying in Varanasi allows someone to escape rebirth. Millions of Hindu's come to Varanasi every year to bath in the Ganges to wash away their sins, wait to die, or bring the ashes of a loved one to put into the Ganges. There are thousands of temples in the small crowded streets and constant funeral processions to the burning ghats. You read right, burning ghats. Throughout the day bodies are cremated right on the banks of the Ganges in full public view. I think the most amazing thing to me about Varanasi was the openness of all the ancient rituals. Even things you didn't want to see (like burning corpses) were in full view.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
Prictures from Haridwar and Rishikesh - additional Hindu Spiritual cities on the Ganges:
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