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Home > Society and Culture > Belief Systems > Focus studies > Focus study: Hinduism

Focus study: Hinduism

Rob Julian

Ravenswood School for Girls

Outcomes

Historical basis of Hinduism

The role of tradition and cultural heritage within Hinduism

Important scripts in Hinduism

The nature of power and its effect on gender roles

Aspects of continuity and change: the impact of technology and globalisation

The extent of Hinduism in the world today

The future

Activities

More

Outcomes

H2	analyses relationships within and between social and cultural groups (e.g. between fundamentalist and liberal groups, or men and women within Hindu society, and between Hindus and groups that have other belief systems)
H3	accounts for cultural diversity and commonality within societies and cultures (what are similarities and differences between Hindu beliefs and your own?)
H4	evaluates continuity and change and assesses social futures and strategies for change and the implications for societies and cultures (the impact of technology and globalisation on traditional Hindu life)
H5	evaluates the influence of power, authority, gender and technology on decision-making and participation in society (this will help you understand the issues facing Hindu women today, for example)
H7	applies appropriate language and concepts associated with society and culture (whenever you are writing about, or making presentations about Hinduism as a case study of a belief system)
H8	selects, organises and evaluates information and sources for usefulness, validity and bias (critically consider all information, ensuring your knowledge of Hinduism is accurate and relevant to the syllabus)
H10	communicates information, ideas and issues using appropriate written, oral and graphic forms.

 Extract from Society and Culture Stage , © Board of Studies NSW, 1999.

Focus: The focus of this study is the role of Hinduism in one’s personal life and its relationship to societies, cultures and environments through time.

 

Historical basis of Hinduism

Hinduism is unique in that there is no founder of this religion. It is rather, an amalgamation of the indigenous cultures of India, the Indus Valley civilisation and the Aryans that resulted in the formation of a new belief system. It is therefore difficult to pinpoint the exact time of Hinduism’s beginning, but it is thought to date from approximately 1500 BCE.

The role of tradition and cultural heritage within Hinduism

It is difficult to establish a list of beliefs that all Hindus adhere to because of the diversity of this belief system. But, an understanding of the following concepts is important:

• karma: the consequences of one’s actions (“what you sow, so shall you reap”)
• samsara: reincarnation, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
• dharma: one’s duty according to his or her caste and life stage (varnasrama-dharma)
• maya: the illusory nature of the world
• moksa: the release from the cycle of samsara.

It is important to develop an understanding of how this belief system impacts on the everyday life of a Hindu, e.g. the role of ritual in such places as the banks of the Ganges (Varanasi), samskaras (the transformative rituals in Hinduism, e.g. birth, marriage, death) and puja.

Important scripts in Hinduism

You will need to understand the two main types of scripture, the sruti (the revealed scriptures of divine origin, the Vedas) and the smriti (the secondary scriptures, e.g. the Bhagavad Gita, the Laws of Manu) and the impact of these scripts on the life of a believer. Most Hindus will be familiar with the Ramayana, the Gita and the Mahabharata (smriti), but many may not be familiar with the Vedas. The essence of the Vedas (written in Sanskrit) is made more accessible through the stories (often re-enacted through dance and drama) and scriptures of the smriti scripts.

 

The nature of power and its effect on gender roles

The power and leadership of the Brahmins lies in the dominance of males in Hindu society. The struggle of women and the feminist movement in India and the development of positive role models for women which challenge male dominance can be seen in people such as Indira Gandhi and the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. People such as Vivekananda and Ramakrishna have advocated for women to take their rightful place in Hindu society and have promoted the discussion of issues concerning family such as arranged marriages, dowries and divorce.

The acceptance or rejection of the roles prescribed for each individual by Hinduism have been countered by the development of the Brahmo Samaj movement, begun by Ram Mohan Roy and others, which aims to restore Hinduism to the rational and ethical system it once was. The rise of Hindu fundamentalism and its connection with government and politics in India has played an important role in shaping these views, e.g. the political party, Bharatiya Janata (BJP) and the cultural organisation, Rastriya Svayam-Sevak Savak (RSS). The RSS protects the interests of Hindus in India. Much of the communal violence in India’s recent history has been linked to the RSS.

Aspects of continuity and change: the impact of technology and globalisation

There is a conflict between fundamentalist Hindus (continuity) and those who embrace the western values and lifestyles that are a direct result of globalisation (change). The introduction of technologies such as satellite TV and the Internet has allowed western culture to encroach on the conservative values of Hinduism, e.g. MTV and McDonalds.

Science has also started to challenge the beliefs of the Hindus by identification of the pollution of the Ganges versus the belief in the purification aspect of this sacred river.

Globalisation and westernisation has ignited the challenge of the feminist movement in India today. In traditional Hinduism, women were thought to be subordinate: nurturing, passive and giving. Global Hinduism, inspired by people such as Vivekananda and Ramakrishna, is developing. Within this movement, women’s voices are beginning to be heard. See the feminist magazine Manushi where the idea that men and women are equal is expressed.

The extent of Hinduism in the world today

Hinduism is the belief system of approximately 85% of Indian people. However, due to migration, one can refer to the diaspora (the spread) of Hinduism globally.

Hindu ideas have had a worldwide impact as far back as the 1800s, when transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau brought the ideas of Hinduism back to America. Since the end of the 19^th century, “seekers of the truth” have been responsible for the transmission of Hinduism to the West, e.g. Theosophy.

During the 1960s many Hindu ideas and practices had a large impact upon the counterculture. Dominant figures in popular culture, e.g. the Beatles and Alan Ginsberg, promoted Hindu ideas and gurus. There was a flow of Indian gurus to the West, such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM), Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, who brought the Hare Krishna movement to America in 1965 and Satya Sai Baba, who commands a large following, not only in India, but also in the West. The influx of Hindu teachers and ideas during the 60s and 70s has contributed to global Hinduism.

Elements of Hindu culture, such as yoga, bhakti (devotion), gurus, Hindu teachings, dance and music have been exported to the West where they have gained great popularity and, as a consequence, gained popularity among urban Hindus in India.

 

The future

The most significant question facing Hinduism today is whether this belief system belongs to the world (universalisation) and contributes to contemporary global culture, or is one that is exclusive, local and focused on the national identity of India. The affiliation of some Indian political parties with Hinduism and the resulting friction between the Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities in India has evoked terrible violence. In order for Hinduism to move forward into the future, this vexing problem must be addressed. Hinduism has within it the resources for peace and reconciliation, resources that may contribute to finding solutions to the global problems that face humanity in the new millennium.

 

 

Activities

1. Read an abridged version of the Ramayana or the Mahabharata or view Peter Brooks’ film version of the Mahabharata. What are the main values of Hinduism that either of these epics seek to explore?
2. Investigate why the cow is considered sacred in Hinduism. How are the various products of the cow used in Hindu ritual?
3. Many people wrongly believe that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. How would you explain this misconception?
4. Account for the impact of globalisation on traditional Hindu beliefs in India.
5. Which aspect of the Hindu religion has come to form a part of popular culture in many western societies?

 

 

More

There are many books and journals that will help you understand Hinduism better, such as, Hinduism Today magazine.

The Adyar Bookshop in Clarence Street, Sydney is a good place to look for resources on Hinduism.

Useful videos to look at include:

• Gandhi (1982), motion picture, biography, Richard Attenborough (dir.), UK/India.
• City of Joy (1992), motion picture, Roland Joffé (dir.), France/UK/USA.
• Father, Son and Holy War (Pitra, Putra Aur Dharamyuddha) (1994), documentary, Anand Patwardhan (dir.), India.
  This documentary explores the theme of machismo, the rise of Hindu fundamentalism and the position of women in Indian society today.

The religion section of ABC Online provides an excellent resource for this focus study. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2002) viewed 23 October 2002.