Bird's Eye View of Hinduism

Lalit A Patel

Comparative Analysis

Being the oldest surviving religion, Hinduism has become a very complex religion. In order to grasp the essence and significance of Hinduism, it might be a good idea to start with a comparative analysis of different religions.

Religions differ in their formats and layouts. From the format and layout perspective, it can be said that Islam is a political religion, Christianity is an organizational religion, Judaism is a survival religion, Buddhism is a physical religion, and Hinduism is a cultural religion. The format and layout of a religion are shaped by the causes and circumstances of the origination and interaction of the religion, and they govern the growth and survival of the religion.

Religions differ in their interpretation of and ideas about God. It can be said that Islam interprets God as the owner of the universe, Christianity interprets God as the creator of the universe, Judaism interprets God as the savior, Buddhism ignores the very idea of God, and Hinduism interprets God as a symbol of products and processes of the universe. It is no wonder that these different interpretations of God are closely linked with the formats and layouts of religions.

Hindu Temples

There is a wide spectrum of Hindu temples. They differ in their architecture and engineering, heights and widths, tops and bottoms, bricks and mortars, idols and paintings, timings and rituals, preachings and gospels, and leaders and visitors. One thing common about almost all well-planned Hindu temples is the symbolization of the expectation from visitors. Irrespective of the main idol or idols installed in the temple, each Hindu temple has two small, but well-carved, idols just behind the entry point. The idol of Ganesha on the left side advises the visitor to purify and strengthen the soul before proceeding further, and the idol of Hanuman on the right side advises the visitor to purify and strengthen the mind before proceeding further.

Multi-Tier Concept of God

Perhaps there are more gods and goddesses than believers in Hinduism. Ancient rishis (seekers) and munis (preachers) had stated there are eight million forty thousand gods and goddesses. Vague and varying definitions of god and goddess, permission and encouragement to equate gurus or martyrs with gods or goddesses, and wealth and other motives of the media have been increasing the number of gods and goddesses day by day and clashing one god or goddess with another.

This multitude of gods and goddesses has been making it difficult for westernized Hindu children to make meaningful contributions to Hinduism, hard for non Hindus to make head or tail of Hinduism, and simple for converters and the converted to make fun of Hinduism. This multitude of gods and goddesses has hampered the survival and growth of Hinduism. It is because of this that Gautam and his followers denounced Hinduism to start and spread Buddhism, and Hinduism would have vanished if Adi Shankaracharya had not carried out a rescue operation.

From another perspective, a good thing about Hinduism as compared to many other religions is that Hinduism has a multi-tier-flexible interpretation rather than a single-tier-rigid interpretation of God, and this interpretation allows females as well males and non-human species as well as human species to be in or achieve the god-hood level.

The topmost tier is the integrated view of the universe, wherein the whole universe acts as the God. This God has no name or form.

The second tier is the symbolism for products and processes. The old era of Hinduism advocated the products concept, wherein Indra symbolizes and rules the solid phase of products, Varun symbolizes and rules the liquid phase of products, and Agni symbolizes the gas phase of products. Lord Krishna led Hindus from the old era to the new era of Hinduism. The new era advocates the process concept, wherein Brahma symbolizes and rules the creation process, Vishnu symbolizes and rules the maintenance process, and Shiva symbolizes and rules the clearance process.

The third tier is the symbolism for virtues and guides. This tier includes gods and goddesses whose names and forms have been acting as pole stars for understanding and explaining the rules and regulations for the overall well-being of the society. Lord Ganesha advises human beings to be pious and watchful in seeing (with small eyes), hearing (with long ears), talking (with long nose), digesting (with big stomach), and walking (with short feet). Lord Rama advises children to obey their parents (if parents help them for their career), husbands to protect their wives at any cost (if wives help them for their valet), and kings to harmonize their citizens (if citizens follow them for their actions). Lord Krishna advises human beings to be true to their work and to leave the rewards to the doctrine of deeds (karma).

The fourth tier consists of physical entities that help human beings. Human beings can not live without the Sun and the Earth, and so, human beings should worship the Sun and the Earth. A farmer (in a tractor-less Indian village) relies heavily on bullocks and a cart, and so, the farmer should worship the bullocks and the cart. A worker (in California) can not go to work without a vehicle, and so, the worker should at least respect the vehicle. A student (in an American college) can not study without a computer, and so, the student should at least respect the computer.

The fifth tier includes human beings who have made distinct positive contributions for the welfare of the society. Gurus and leaders that keep human beings on the right tract are worth being worshipped.

Doctrine of Deeds

Almost all religions talk about the doctrine of deeds (karma) in one way or the other. However, Hinduism is very emphatic about this. Mahabharata, which is the longest and broadest poem, emphasizes with illustrative stories that every one and every thing is governed by the doctrine of deeds. Every one, including Lord Krishna himself, is bound to be rewarded and punished by one’s own deeds. Every organization, including Rome and AT&T, is bound to be rewarded and punished by its own deeds. There is an equal and opposite reaction to every action, as stated by Newton for non-living things.