Running head: INVESTIGATING HINDUISM 1

Investigating Hinduism

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INVESTIGATING HINDUISM 2

Hinduism

Hinduism is a unique religion because it is not a single religion, but instead, it is a

compilation of many philosophies and traditions. Hinduism is seen as both polytheistic and

monotheistic all at the same time. This paper summarizes the interview that I held with one a

practicing Hindu individual about the key beliefs in Hinduism.

Three most Important Hindu Deities

The three main Hindu deities, which are referred to as the Trimurti, are Vishnu, Brahma,

and Shiva.

Brahma

According to information provided by the individual that I interviewed, Brahma is the

Hindu creator god. The concept of god Brahma rises from the abstract concept of Brahman. In

the neuter, Brahman means prayer or hymn, while in the masculine, it means reciter or composer

of the hymn. Braham is considered to be supreme in the triad of great Hindu gods, which

includes Shiva and Vishnu. Today Brahma is not worshipped any more, but his myths are

assigned to other gods and still maintains his status of being the creator god. According to the

Vedic creator god, Brahma was born from an egg that was golden and created the earth and all

the things on it. This god has four heads and four arms, and it is believed that the four Vedas

came from these four heads (Smith, 2016). The Vedas are the holiest and oldest of Hindu

scriptures. In the kalpic cycle of life, Brahma created light and darkness, good and evil from his

own person. According to the interviewee, Brahma created demons, gods, men, and ancestors.

Shiva was then appointed by Brahma after the creation to rule over humanity.

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Vishnu

This god is the absolute Supreme Being in Vaishnava tradition. According to the

interviewee, Vishnu is considered a member of the holy trinity of Hinduism and one of the most

important gods in the Hindu pantheon. He is believed to have originated when lord Shiva rubbed

some nectar on his ankle. This god is depicted with a sky-blue skin. Vishnu has four arms

whereby those at the front of his body represent his physical presence in the material world,

while those at the back represents his existence in the spiritual realm. The function of Vishnu in

the kaplic cycle of life is to preserve. As part of his function, Vishnu, at times, appears on earth

to fight demons, maintain cosmic harmony and fierce creatures in various avatars or incarnations

(Taylor, 2014). He protects the universe from being destroyed and keeps it going according to

the Hindu religion. He has greater powers than any other Hindu god. In Vedic literature, Vishnu

is addressed as the god who separates heaven and earth.

Shiva

As per the Vedic literature, Shiva originated from Rudra. This is a god that was

worshipped during the Vedic period in the Indus valley. Rudra was fierce in his ways and was a

hunter and storm god. The name Rudra became interchangeable with the name Shiva, and

eventually, the modern Shiva ended up being born. According to Shrimad Bhagavatam, Shiva

emerged from a tower that was burning when Lord Brahma and Vishnu were arguing. The

function of Shiva in the kaplic cycle of life is to destroy. Shiva tends to destroy the universe and

is viewed as the destroyer of all things (Smith, 2016). According to the beliefs of the Hindus,

destruction means reproduction, and it is a holy act that is necessary for new birth, unlike in the

western thought whereby destruction is viewed as being a bad thing.

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The Caste System

This system divided Hindus into four main groups, which are Kshatriyas, Brahmins,

Vaishyas, and the Shudras. The Brahmins made the top of the hierarchy of the caste system and

were mainly intellectuals, teachers and were believed to have come from Brahmas head. The

second topmost in the Caste system were the Kshatriyas and were considered to be the worriers

and rulers. The third group was the Vaishyas. This category consisted of traders, merchants, and

landowners. The last category of the caste system consisted of the Shudras. This group did all the

menial jobs for the three top categories of the caste system (Vallabhaneni, 2015). Outside the

Hindu caste system were the Dalits and were considered as the unclean population, and the

homeless. How a particular Hindu individual interacted with individuals from other castes was

dependant on the category they belonged from in the caste system. If an individual was from the

Brahmins category, he/she would not accept drinks or food from an individual who was from a

lower cast like the Shudras. Individuals were only allowed to marry from their castes, and an

individual from the Shudra category would not move upward the hierarchy. The Shudras spent

most of their lives working for the Kshatriyas, Brahmins, and Vaishyas. Individuals had no right

to change their caste as long as they practiced the Vedic religion and had no right to change their

caste. They only did good karma works and hoped they reincarnate into a higher caste.

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Individuals inherited caste from their parents, and hence the system was based on birth

(Srinivasan, Dunham, Hicks, & Barner, 2016).

Comparison between the Principles and Practices of St. Thomas Church of South India

with Four key Hindu Beliefs

The teachings of Saint Thomas Christianity are not a set of imposed dogmas; instead,

they are a way of spiritual life. These Christians believe that there are three external things,

which are the immanent God and individual spirits within him, the transcendental God beyond

creation, and the eternally cycling creation. According to the beliefs of these Christians, these

externals act as a representation of the real father, sons, and holy spirit. According to the beliefs

and practices held by these christians in reincarnation, the immortal soul is born eternally with no

ending of rebirth; an immortal soul can progress from birth to birth till it attains salvation, which

ends the rebirth process. There is only a type of energy that keeps creating a chain of rebirths

there is no immortal soul. The Hindus, on the other hand, hold four main beliefs, which are

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considered to be the essence of the Agamas and Vedas and the fabric of every Hindu’s life

(Klostermaier, 2014). One of the beliefs that the Hindus hold is about karma. The Hindus believe

that in intelligent action and the dispassionate reaction is where karma lies. In Hinduism, not all

Karmas rebound immediately; some of them accumulate and return in other births unexpectedly.

According to the Vedas, people reap what they sore. Another belief of the Hindu’s is on all-

pervasive divinity. Hindus have different perspectives about the divine, but they all worship the

one, all-pervasive Supreme Being hailed in the Upanishads. Reincarnation is another belief of

the Hindu. They believe that after death, people continue to exist in unseen worlds until they

enter into birth again. They also hold the belief that once karma is resolved, reincarnation ceases.

The fourth belief of the Hindu is dharma. This is considered as being God’s divine law that

prevails on different levels of existence. According to the believes held by the Hindu’s, when

dharma is followed, people are usually in conformity with the truth that instructs the universe

and inheres (Weightman, 2017).

Engaging a follower of Hinduism

One of the ways that a Christian can engage a follower of Hinduism with the gospel of

Jesus Christ is by performing kind acts and showing love towards the follower. This can make

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the follower be friendlier and be positive towards the gospel of Jesus Christ because they believe

that good acts are associated with good karma. Another vital point to consider is that the Hindu’s

believe in several gods, and hence, it can be easier to convince them to believe another one.

Another way of engaging a Hinduism follower with the gospel of Jesus Christ is by discussing

with the individual on the importance of right conduct and righteousness because in Hinduism,

that is dharma, and everyone should strive to achieve dharma. This will make the individual have

a positive attitude towards the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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References

Klostermaier, K. K. (2014). Hinduism: A short history. Oneworld Publications.

Srinivasan, M., Dunham, Y., Hicks, C. M., & Barner, D. (2016). Do attitudes toward societal

structure predict beliefs about free will and achievement? Evidence from the Indian caste

system. Developmental science, 19(1), 109-125.

Smith, D. (2016). Hinduism. In Religions in the Modern World (pp. 57-88). Routledge.

Taylor, M. (2014). Hindu activism and academic censorship in India. South Asia: Journal of

South Asian Studies, 37(4), 717-725.

Vallabhaneni, M. R. (2015). Indian caste system: Historical and psychoanalytic views. The

American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 75(4), 361-381.

Weightman, S. (2017). Hinduism. A new handbook of living religions, 261-309.