what does hinduism bring to you?

arjun2826 · June 15, 2009

What does hinduism bring to you? What does it mean ? Simply rituals or way of life or only worshipping gods or dead member of family or of friends ?

Are you happy with it ? How ?

Do you think that if you were involved in another religion you would be less happier ?

Sephiroth · June 16, 2009

Have you ask this question to Muslims and Christians?

Kali_Upasaka · June 16, 2009

Hinduism can be compared to Ice Cream. Like Ice Cream there are ever so many flavors. There are flavors of Ice Cream being created every day. Likewise Hinduism flavors are being created every day.

McDaniel (2007) distinguishes six more generic "types" of Hinduism, in an attempt to accommodate a variety of views on a rather complex object:

* Folk Hinduism, as based on local traditions and cults of local deities at a communal level and spanning thorough to pre-historic times or at least prior to written Vedas.

* Vedic Hinduism as still being practiced by traditionalist brahmins, for example shrautins.

* Vedantic Hinduism, for example Advaita (Smartism), as based on philosophical approach of the Upanishads.

* Yogic Hinduism, especially based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

* "Dharmic" Hinduism or "daily morality", based on the notion of Karma, and societal norms such as Hindu marriage customs etc.

* Bhakti or devotionalism, especially as in Vaishnavism.

But if you reaserch long enough you can make the above categories to twenty or more.

You could walk into an Ice cream parlor and order an Ice cream which is your own mix of the different basic flavors. Similarly all Hindus have their own mix of the above categories.

Take my example. I was born a Vaidic Brahmin. The Hinduism I practice is a mix of

1. Vaidic rituals and recitation of Vaidic hymns.

2. Tantric and Mantric rituals and practices.

3. Yogic Practices and

4. Bhakthi.

5. the God/Goddesses I worship ( more than six in number) consist of

a. Vaidic deities.

b. Tantric deities.

c. Pouranic deities

c. Folk deities who are neither Vaidic, Tantric or Pouranic.

Since I follow the different samsakaras, I can very well say that my Hinduism is a combination of all the six categories and more. This is a sampradhaya which follows certain other traditions which are not even mentioned by McDaniel.

The Hinduism practiced by most of the Hindus is like that.

It is terribly confusing to a person who wants to know about Hinduism. But there are Hindu movements which are monotheistic and strictly follow certain scriptures. Hare Krishna Movement is the most prominent one. It is easier for a non-Hindu to understand and adapt.

Then there is some talk about way of life. Way of Life includes culture like dress, food and language. The Punjabis of Punjab and the Bengalis in Bengal dress differently, speak a different language and eat totally different food ( wheat Vs Rice). Then in Punjab Arya Samaj is the most popular Hinduism whereas in Bengal it is Vaishnavism and Sakthism. So where is the question of a way of life. Whose way of life?

Hindus in general are happy with their religion. The basic reason is that you have no central authority or a set of rules to follow. You need not go to a temple at all, perform any ritual or pray to God and still be a Hindu. You are a Hindu if you are born a Hindu.

The other religions do not offer this kind of freedom.

But where there is freedom, absolute freedom, there is Chaos. That is what we have in Hinduism. CHAOS. But we are Happy.

kshama · June 16, 2009

What does hinduism bring to you?

It brings me immense happiness.

What does it mean ?

What does it mean to me? It makes me understand there is a way of life that gives me the liberty to choose my own path of devotion, makes me tolerant and respect people of different religions and paths of devotion and above all makes me live my life to the fullest.

Simply rituals or way of life or only worshipping gods or dead member of family or of friends?

It is much more beyond that. It is assimilation of many positive things.

Are you happy with it ? How ?

Yes every in every breath I take I am happy to be a Hindu. I do not know how to be happy when I am already in a state of bliss, how could I ask for more?

Do you think that if you were involved in another religion you would be less happier ?

I do not know in details about other religions,but, every religion has it's beauty and path to reach god. From what I see, the followers of the religions are the ones confused and make the religion complex.

Namaste

arjun2826 · June 16, 2009

The other religions do not offer this kind of freedom.

But where there is freedom, absolute freedom, there is Chaos. That is what we have in Hinduism. CHAOS. But we are Happy.

I agree with you. In hinduism, it seems ther is less constraint than in other religion.

First, there are many more gods in hinduism. Consequentely, you are free to worship more one god than other.

Second, the veda should be read only by brahmins. Consequentely, most people of the other casts are not involved in the reading of such literature, consequentely hindu laws are not allways wellknown by them and consequentely some people talk and do things they THINK that are good for god, sometime even, they are completely convinced and it becomes their dharma. But actually, this work was not asked to be done in veda scriptures.

For example, do you think that veda scriptures say to do puja every two days ? Today people do often puja. And the most they do, better they feel, because they are convinced God will give it them back. And even if a member doesn't want to do it, he has pressure to do it, because it will bring him happiness and he has to do like the comunity.

Sure, freedom is good, but the freedom in interpretation of these scriptural documents can be dangerous because a way of bringing unhapiness in the name of god.

People are happy, ok. But do you think that if some were not, they would say it with all the social pressure ? They will give up, won't they or be excluded ..