¶ … Hindus?
What Am I? My Atman is so subtle that I am unable to perceive it. I know, therefore, that I am not in danger of experiencing the undifferentiated creative energy mentioned in verse 11 of the Katha Upanishad. That, however, does not answer the question posed. What am I? A Hindu might see me as a seeker on one of many possible paths to salvation.
Believers in Hinduism are not condemned from birth with only one possible path to salvation. They do not have to feel guilt for their humanity, nor suffer admonishment for their shortcomings. Hindus seek truth. I am a student and therefore a seeker of knowledge. I am on a path. My life is full of riches. A Hindu would perceive that my former incarnation was, at least, reasonable. I did not come back as harijan. For this, I am grateful. Only grateful, of course, that a Hindu's perception of my being is not distasteful.
My body, according to the chariot metaphor, is a vehicle in which I ride. My intellect, (the charioteer), steers my mind, (the reins), toward the ultimate goal of deliverance from samsara. My senses, (the horses), perceive the many pleasures and pains to which my intellect directs them. My desires form the path. Clearly, I am out of control. My Western culturalization fixates me on material success. "This being the case, the wrong-minded man, who, because his intelligence is inadequate, regards himself alone as the agent, sees nothing" definitely see myself as the agent of my own destiny. Wealth should not qualify as an end in itself, from the Hindu point-of-view. Any achievements I have in this area are, according to the Hindu, empty. I must learn that the secret of life is non-life and the secret of death is non-death. To succeed as a Hindu, I must go beyond Purusha into nothing. That is the end, that is the final goal. (Katha Upanishad, XI).
Only then will I be immersed in the truth of the Self and know He who...
Pilgrimage is another practice which, while not mandatory in Hinduism, is increasingly common. A large number of holy places (Tirtha Sthanas) exist in India, including Varanasi (Banares), Kedarnath and Rameshwaram, and Hindus often take pilgrimages there. The Hindu religious tradition is characterized by many different sacred elements, each of which has tremendous significance and meaning (Fowler, 1997(. These elements include fire, water, and the Hindu trimurti. In addition, the banyan
Conclusion The research showed that Hinduism is a religion that has been practiced in South Asia for more than 4,000 years, and despite having experienced some fundamental changes during these millennia, the religion has been adopted by people from all over the world. While the majority of Hindus are still in India where four out of five people are Hindus, the research also showed that the billions of people who subscribe
Hindu Religion? Hinduism is a faith that embraces love, it unites the laws of karma and dharma, and Hindus believe in reincarnation. Hindus embrace vegetarianism and they say a specific prayer prior to eating (asking to be forgiven for eating a vegetable or plant which may have its own soul). Although there is not one, single, dramatic uniting system of beliefs in Hinduism, there are nine basic Hindu beliefs that
The interviewed individual is an American female, Leela Smith, aged 53, who spent several years of her life in the Indian city of Kochi, Kerala as a homemaker, adopted an ayurvedic diet that was followed by her entire family, and home-schooled her youngest child. Further, she took training in Carnatic music, learned hatha yoga and Sanskrit, and adopted Kalaripayattu, Kerala's health system. In the year 2002, the whole family returned
Aghamkar, Atul. “Traditional Hindu Views and Attitudes Toward Christianity.” Global Missiology English, 2, no. 5 (2008). Available at: http://ojs.globalmissiology.org/index.php/english/article/view/244/684 The author describes how the common Hindus of today in India inherited their views from the Hindu Renaissance leaders. Thus, these leaders’ views are helpful in understanding the common approach toward Christianity in India. The article reveals how there remains tension between the Hindus and Christians of the region. Bauman, Chad. “Pentecostals and Interreligious
Hindus and Buddhists call it karma, the immutable law of cause and effect. One thing leads to another in often predictable, but sometimes indirect ways. For example, I know that if I place my hand in a flame, my skin will burn. However, eating a plate of tainted food might not affect my belly until hours, even days later. Therefore, causality is not always instantaneous. In fact, the concept
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