Ask the Hindu

Great Debates
61

I missed responding to this:

My quote:

It has been written in scriptures that there are 4 stages in a Man’s life which include the stage where he is married and performs “house-holder duties” and the stage (the last one) where he decides to seek God by giving up his material Life.

BNS I was responding to your earlier post on some of the main beliefs of Hinduism. In that you wrote:

<5. Hindus should either marry and have children or become sanyaasi. Sanyaasi is a state whereby one leaves all material attachments and posessions and concentrates solely on God through study, yoga, and meditation>

I just wrote that this doesn’t have to be the case. One can lead a “normal” life with children before taking sanyaasin after the retirement stage. In fact, from my experience, this has been the path of choice for Hindus. Very few Hindus take up sanyaasin at an early age (except the sons of priests etc)

62

I would ditto this from my experiences here. Indian people are amazingly diverse - in language, culture, religion, geography, etc. Many of the languages aren’t even related (Malayalam and Hindi for example, are completely separate language groups - it’s nothing like Swedish and Norwegian, or Dutch and German). Add to that the castes, and different religions - especially hindu v muslim where there are still tensions - and many Indians have very little in common with one another.

The only way I can provide a comparison from my background would be to wind up in Canada, say, where I pretty much(!) speak the language fluently, and people being surprised that I didn’t stick together with a couple of Welsh people, who preferred talking in Welsh. I would quite possibly feel that I had more in common with English-speaking Canadians than with these Welsh people.

63

I would ditto this from my experiences here. Indian people are amazingly diverse - in language, culture, religion, geography, etc. Many of the languages aren’t even related (Malayalam and Hindi for example, are completely separate language groups - it’s nothing like Swedish and Norwegian, or Dutch and German). Add to that the castes, and different religions - especially hindu v muslim where there are still tensions - and many Indians have very little in common with one another.

The only way I can provide a comparison from my background would be to wind up in Canada, say, where I pretty much(!) speak the language fluently, and people being surprised that I didn’t stick together with a couple of Welsh people, who preferred talking in Welsh. I would quite possibly feel that I had more in common with English-speaking Canadians than with these Welsh people.

64

Another thanks for this thread, Bright’n’Shiny, and especially for your patience, good humor, and tolerance. Now please pardon a whole bunch of non sequitur questions:

When Hindus work in a town with a major Hindu community (for example, there are a few Hindu college students and business people in my town of 17,000, but not enough to afford a temple), do they tend to practice their religion privately or with others? Are there any rituals that are cohesive to most Hindus?*

How is homosexuality viewed in modern Hinduism? What about Islam, given its violent history with Hindus in India/Pakistan?

Is there any day of the week that would equate to Sabbath/Sunday for Jews/Christians/Muslims?

Is Siddhartha Gautama/Buddha viewed as an avatar of Vishnu in most Hindu sects or just a few? Are there any other widely accepted avatars of Vishnu whose historicity is beyond doubt? Are any women in Hindu mythology or history believed to have been divine avatars?

Is Mohandas Gandhi considered divine (or for that matter is he reviled) in any Hindu sects, or is he seen as strictly a political leader?

Do Hindus accept Sikhism as a form of Hinduism, or is it seen more as a form of Islam?

Are any of the major sects “archenemies” of other sects? I’m almost entirely ignorant of Indian history save for its connections with Alexander the Great and a bit with the British Empire- have there been many religious wars among Hindus?

Is the word “Hindu” more comparable to the word “Christian” (i.e. a very loosely united family of religions), “Catholic” (a large but relatively cohesive and somewhat uniform religious denomination), or “Theistic” (a wildly diverse but technically related cluster of religious families that would incorporate Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)?

Most importantly: I once had a rose petal milkshake in an Indian restaurant and it was absolutely delicious, but I’ve never been able to find the recipe. I know it called for milk and rose syrup, but I’ve no idea what else it contained. By any chance do you know how to make one? :slight_smile:

On the subject of Indian food, is there much ritual or significance in the preparation of Indian food?

Have you known many Hindus who became agnostic or atheist?

A Hindu co-worker when I lived in Montgomery, AL (a city of about 250,000) once expressed her irritation with the Hindu temple there as this: “Imagine that you live in a city where there are very few Christians and therefore you must all go to the same church. Consequently there are Catholics, Episcopalians, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, and even a few Mormons all attending the same services- it just doesn’t work.” She was from a particularly liberal sect and was bothered by the more conservative members.

65

The first question above should read “withOUT a major Hindu community”. Sorry.

Also, is the term 'Hindu" your preferred term for your religion, or do you prefer the name of your particular sect?

66

Why are you Hindu? What makes you believe that Hinduism has got things right?

67

I asked someone about this today, and his explanation is that in Dvaitism, the souls (atman) have always existed and will always exist as distinct entities from God (Brahman), whereas in Vishishta-Advaitism, the souls arise from God, but then exist eternally thereafter. From that perspective, the relationship between the soul and God would then be different between the two philosophies indeed.

68

Perhaps I was being too nitpicky. One, I suppose, always has to draw a line between religious theory and practicality.

69

I’m not familiar with Jainism in detail, so hopefully someone else can give a good response to your question. From what I can tell, though, Jains seems to be more conservative than most Hindus when it comes to killing animal life.

There are some death rituals laid out in scripture. However, my experience has been that death rituals will vary from community to community when it comes to specific details. I believe the majority of Hindu communities use cremation and that any last rites should be performed by the eldest male son (if possible). Some communites also have a yearly ceremony on the anniversary of the death.

There is one school of Hindu thought (which is laid out in the Vedas and reinforced in the Mahabharata) that requires such ceremonies to be performed so that ancestors may proceed on their spiritual path in the afterlife. I’ve never understood how this fits in with the individualized nature of Karma, though, so I can’t explain it very well.

I will adress the issue of suttee (or sati) in a later post.

As for the Simpsons, you’re right. They are pretty merciless towards Christians and Jews as well. I get a little hyper-sensitive about minority portrayals by Hollywood, since I think Hollywood is a huge perpetrator of racism and stereotypes (but that is certainly a topic for another thread). I can be quite humorless on this particular subject.

But I will add this. For some Hindus, Hindu iconography and religious words carry power on their own, and therefore misuse of this power is seen as both dangerous and offensive.

70

Well, I perhaps may have been using the term “conversion” too informally, in that most Hindu sects don’t have formal conversion processes or ceremonies, and if tomorrow you wanted to be a Hindu, I don’t think anybody is going to stop you.

However, with different communities, there might be a formal admission process to their specific group or their temple, which is what it sounds like you are describing.

It’s understandable that some temples might have gotten weary of tourists, in that what might be seen as something fairly innocous (such as wearing shoes inside a temple) is actually quite a big deal. I wish most temples in tourist areas would put up a list of rules, just to make it easier on everyone.

I think it might be best for you to come to the temple with someone who is local just to avoid stepping on anybody’s toes. I would say that the way you behave and dress would probably let people know that you are there to worship, but that is so subtle, and varies from part to part of the country, that I don’t think it should be relied on.

71

More on funerals:

In our community, women and small children do not typically attend funerals. The eldest son is responsible for lighting the funeral pyre and reciting certain sholkas, or religious incantations. The funerals are very minimal. Some communities, I believe have very complex funeral ceremonies spanning days.

Also, there is a tradition that ashes should be dispersed in water, more specifically one of the holy rivers. The Ganga (Ganges) is the main place for doing so, but it can be done in other holy rivers as well.

72

Sampiro, I’m going to respond to you across several posts, and it may take me a couple of days to answer all your questions.

Most Hindus have an altar in their home at which they can do puja (ritualized worship), so it is not, per-se, necessary to worship at the temple. However, there are certain ceremonies or rituals, which traditionally have a communal aspect of worship to them. Some of these may be done at one’s house (possibly with a temple priest officiating), and some must be done at the temple. Furthermore, the major festivals traditionally are celebrated in or around the temple.

Meditiation, or course, can be done as either a solitary or communal activity.

There is another type of communal worship called a bajan. This consists of a group of people coming together to sing songs of a religious nature, and can be either done at the temple or someone’s house (or even at a community center).

Rituals vary around the country, and my experience has been that the biggest divide seems to be between North Indians and South Indians. In the US, where there often is only one temple in a city, I’ve seen a number of conflicts arise between different communities when they feel their form of worship is not being accomodated properly.

While there are several festivals or occasions for worship which are common throughout the country, when it comes to specific implementation of the rituals, I can’t think of one that is universal to all Hindus.

73

Sampiro, I’m going to respond to you across several posts, and it may take me a couple of days to answer all your questions.

Most Hindus have an altar in their home at which they can do puja (ritualized worship), so it is not, per-se, necessary to worship at the temple. However, there are certain ceremonies or rituals, which traditionally have a communal aspect of worship to them. Some of these may be done at one’s house (possibly with a temple priest officiating), and some must be done at the temple. Furthermore, the major festivals traditionally are celebrated in or around the temple.

Meditiation, or course, can be done as either a solitary or communal activity.

There is another type of communal worship called a bajan. This consists of a group of people coming together to sing songs of a religious nature, and can be either done at the temple or someone’s house (or even at a community center).

Rituals vary around the country, and my experience has been that the biggest divide seems to be between North Indians and South Indians. In the US, where there often is only one temple in a city, I’ve seen a number of conflicts arise between different communities when they feel their form of worship is not being accomodated properly.

While there are several festivals or occasions for worship which are common throughout the country, when it comes to specific implementation of the rituals, I can’t think of one that is universal to all Hindus.

74

As I noted in a previous post, it has been traditional for Hindu scholars and saints to go on what could be described as a lecture circuit.

From 1893-1896, Swami Vivekananda toured the United States lecturing on Vedanta philosophy, and apparently caused quite a sensation. You can learn more on Vivekananda from this site:

http://www.vivekananda.org/

Also of note, Paramhansa Yogananda arrived in the United States in 1920 and toured the US, giving lectures on a number of Hindu topics, particularly Kriya Yoga. He also founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in the US (for those in Los Angeles, they have a beautiful compound in Pacific Palisades). You can find out more about him here:

http://www.ananda.org/ananda/yogananda.html

75

Upon thinking about this some more, I think perhaps the ceremony called aarati might have widespread commonality among Hindus in it’s implementation. It usually consists of moving a burning flame in a circular motion in front of an idol. Here is a song that can be sung while doing the ceremony.

http://www.dfwhindutemple.org/aarti.htm

76

My experience has been that most Indians are pretty conservative when it comes to sexual issues (at least in theory), so I have a feeling that for the most part, Hindus will say that homosexuality is frowned upon. And, AFAIK, homosexual sexual activity is illegal in India and Nepal.

For purposes of this discussion, I’m going to distinguish between homosexuality and homosexual sexual activity.

What some people have a tendency to do is look at the sexual imagery and iconography that can be found in Hinduism or in ancient Indian literature and make an assumption that this means that ancient Hindus were running around willy-nilly doing whatever they want. I think this type of analysis is quite superficial. Additionally, I’m not convinced that ancient Indians had a concept of homosexuality in the mordern sense, although I’ve seen it argued both ways.

Now, as mentioned previously, one’s karma determines the circumstances of one’s birth. Therefore, if one is born homosexual, this must necessarily be the result of one’s actions in previous births. Being a homosexual, therefore, isn’t good or bad, it simply is.

However, Hindu scripture in general (either literally or by implication) seems to proscribe sex, unless it is for the purpose of procreation. From this viewpoint, both homosexual and non-procreative heterosexual sexual activity would not be allowed.

But, if we look at the post-Vedic philosphies which have been discussed in this thread, it becomes clear that what is of main concern is how one’s attachment to the physical universe, and how one’s desires and actions interfere with the pursuit of God. Excessive physicial desire and indulgence in those desires will necessarily interfere with one’s spiritual growth.

So, I think the best answer I can give you is this:

Homosexuality is neither good nor bad. It simply is the result of one’s karma.

Homosexual sexual activity, like most heterosexual sexual activity creates attachment to the universe, and therefore interferes with one’s spiritual progress.

Many other things create attachment to the physical universe and interfere with one’s spiritual progress.

If anyone has other thoughts on this, please share them.

77

Well, from a theoretical standpoint, we have the “all roads lead to the well” concept, so Islam shouldn’t be viewed dimly by most Hindus.

However, there is quite a bit of religious politicking and the occasional outbreak of religious violence in India. And each wave of violence, of course, creates resentment and bitterness amongst both Hindus and Muslims. The situation has also been exasperated by the fact that many political parties use religion as a political tool, even the supposedly secular ones.

You can find plenty of Hindus who harbor deep-seated animosity towards Muslims, and vice-versa, however, among the younger, urban generation, this seems to be disappearing rapidly.

Also, since many Indians still marry within their traditional communities, it’s not common to find inter-religious marriages, except in certain parts of India.

78

Just to add onto this, there is an excellent fiction movie, called Fire which covers the topic of sexuality (and more specifically, homosexuality) in modern Hindu culture. I think as with any religion, there can be a surface hypocrisy that covers other behaviors, and this gives a good perspective.

79

I suppose part of the reason, like most other religious people, is that I’m a Hindu because that’s the way I was raised.

Now, if you are asking me why am I a Hindu as opposed to another religion, then I will have to say my thought process is necessarily shaped by the Hindu concepts I was exposed to as a child. For example, since Hinduism does not make a claim to be the exclusive path to God, it is difficult for me to accept a religion that does make such a claim. I can easily comprehend that Jesus was a prophet, and that he was spiritual, and even that he was the son of God, but I can’t convince myself that he is somehow singular, in that many of the things attributed to him (such as performing miracles) are routinely attributed to various individuals in Hinduism.

Furthermore, Hinduism’s lack of an eternal damnation makes more sense to me than a religious system that provides eternal damnation. I suppose there’s no good logical explanation for this, but I find it hard to fathom a God who wouldn’t provide repeated chances for salvation.

Finally, I have had specific (perhaps miraculous) experiences in my life which I have a hard time explaining outside a Hindu theological framework. I can come up with logical, non-theistic explanations for them, but they seem convoluted and unsatisfying to me (this answers why I’m not an atheist).

80

I would prefer to amend the phrase “Hindu culture” with "Indian culture. "

(And, IMHO, that particular film was so contrived in its setting, and was composed of ridiculous caricatures, I wouldn’t recommend it as a window into Indian culture, leave alone recommend it as film worth watching)