Stefanie Hopkins

Professor Wijitha Bandera

World Religions
30 October 2014
Hinduism and its Relation to Religion
s ! "as reading the chapter #$o"ard a %efinition of Religion&' it "as (er) diffic*lt to think of
"hat e+actl) ,akes religion different fro, each other or e(en si,ilar in their characteristics to
define religion- Or "hat e(en ,akes a sect of si,ilar beliefs or a deno,ination a religion. !
fo*nd the reading interesting and helpf*l in *nderstanding the si,ilar aspects that do pla) into
defining s*ch a co,ple+ "ord that ,eans so ,*ch to so ,an) different people- Hind*is, is one
that is a specific )et (er) di(erse sect that is often /*estioned of "hether it is an act*al religion
b) definition- $o help better *nderstand "hat religion reall) is and "hether Hind*is, is incl*ded
in this classification' let0s first e+plore this definition of religion f*rther-
!n a /*ote b) Willia, 1a,es e+plains the di(ersit) of religion as' #$he (er) that the) are so
,an) and so different fro, one another is eno*gh to pro(e that the "ord 2religion0 cannot stand
for an) single principle or essence' b*t rather is a collecti(e na,e&34ario*s %efinitions of
Religion'p-15- $o tr) and pinpoint it do"n to an e+act science is i,possible' and "h) this first
definition is helpf*l in *nderstanding it0s diffic*lt in *nderstanding the definition totall)- 6an)
ha(e si,ilarities )et there are so ,an) and so ,an) differences as "ell that the "ord religion
itself is ,ore of a collecti(e na,e than an e+act definition-
nother helpf*l reference b) S"idler states that' #Religion is that s)ste, of acti(ities and beliefs
directed to"ard that "hich is percei(ed to be of sacred (al*e and transfor,ing po"er&34ario*s
%efinitions of Religion'p-25- $his gi(es light to the fact that religion and "hat it acti(el) is to
people is not onl) a set of beliefs b*t of acti(ities and a "a) of li(ing too- $his is "here the
logical sense of referring to Hind*is, as religion see,s practical- Hind*is,' like ,an) other
religions' ha(e traditions and beliefs that are co,,onl) practiced in their dail) ro*tines that are
of a sacred nat*re- $he) also see these practices in helping in the transfor,ing po"er to bring
the, closer to their higher po"er and to beco,e ,ore like the,-
7et for so,e this reference to religion b) ldo*s is perhaps "here the) find it diffic*lt to
categori8e Hind*is, as a religion b*t rather %har,a instead in being ,ore fitting' #Religions are
then s)ste,s of ,eaning e,bodied in a pattern of life' a co,,*nit) of faith' and a "orld(ie"
that artic*late a (ie" of the sacred and of "hat *lti,atel) ,atters&34ario*s %efinitions of
Religion'p-35- $his helps to *nderstand that for ,an) it is the co,,onalit) of co,,*nit) as "ell
b*t the s)ste,s is "here so,e /*estion "hether Hind*is, can be categori8ed' since Hind*is,
e,bodies s*ch a (ast scope of beliefs and sacred practices- !t is not so ,*ch of bringing in to one
p*rpose and faith b*t a self9e+ploration and finding of one0s o"n p*rpose in that spectr*, of life
as "ell-
So if an o(erall /*alification of religion can be *nderstood as a definition s*ch as this'#!n order
for a "a) of thinking' feeling' and acting to /*alif) as religio*s' it ,*st incl*de belief in a :od
"ho can be characteri8ed as e(er li(ing' ha(ing po"ers of reason and choice' ha(ing the po"er
to r*le the ;ni(erse and to hold h*,ans being responsible for their li(es&' then is religion reall)
fitting in referring to Hind*is,.3<*nningha,'=elsa)'p-1>5- !f Hind*is, is not a belief in one
:od b*t rather ,an)' and if their organi8ation is not so ,*ch a set of s)ste,s then is this "here
the discrepanc) is. !s this "here %har,a "o*ld be a ,ore appropriate ter, for Hind*is,
beliefs.
%har,a' as Hillar) Rodrig*es a*thor of #!ntrod*cing Hind*is,& e+plains' #is an e+pression of
ho" one sho*ld beha(e in rectit*de "ith the cos,ic order&3Rodrig*es'p-12?5- !t also e+plains the
relation of %har,a to =ar,a in that a person0s res*lt is in res*lt of their action- s her research
helps to *nderstand that %har,a Sastres are act*all) treatises dealing specificall) "ith %har,a'
and ho" one goes abo*t and perfor,s dail) d*ties and g*idelines to satisf) their %har,a-
$his is "here ! fo*nd this to be ,ost helpf*l and interesting in that ! *nderstood %har,a to relate
to "hat so,e in ,erican c*lt*re and <hristian religions refer to as agenc)- !n the idea that )o*
are free to choose b*t )o* are not free fro, the conse/*ences of )o*r choices- %har,a Sastras
p*rposes are in that the) are o*tlined "ritings that deal "ith the s)ste, and order of ho"
%har,a sho*ld "ork in the Hind* societ)- $his also re,inded ,e of the connection of "hat
script*res are to <hristian societies in that the) gi(e spirit*al g*idance to <hristians' as these
"ritings and s)ste,s do for Hind*- Both are once again a ,atter of choice and not free fro,
conse/*ences and both see, to be set *p as a ,atter of la"s' s)ste,s and (irt*es into a s)ste,
of a right "a) of li(ing-
!t see,s that the relation of Hind* societ) and ho" its di(ision of classes 3(arna5' and other
s,aller gro*ps 3jatis5 is "here it also gi(es ,ore specific instr*ction of each indi(id*als role and
,ake9*p in the s)ste, are defined- @ike the partic*larl) interesting roles of s*ch people as "hat
Hind* refer to as the ;nto*chables- Aach indi(id*al see,s to fit into a distinct place in their
c*lt*re' is this not a for, of s)ste,s as "ell. $he *nderstanding of %har,a is to help *nderstand
ho" the role of this belief helps ,aintains har,on) in Hind* societ)' as "ell as can be related to
si,ilar beliefs of agenc) and har,on) in societ) "ith <hristianit)- 1*st like %har,a can help
each indi(id*al f*lfill their potential and place in the cos,ic order' ,an) in <hristianit) and
other religions belie(e their beliefs and religion can help the, f*lfill the sa,e-
What is helpf*l in tr)ing to sa) that "hether Hind*is, is religion or %har,a is reall) a ,atter of
preference and one0s perspecti(e- %har,a being a cos,ic order of (al*es "ith conse/*ences as a
res*lt of actions3kar,a5' and then religion "ith e+a,ple <hristianit) is a spirit*al g*idance of
agenc) and conse/*ence in actions to help to ret*rn ho,e to :od' on the other hand- Both
definitions see, to ha(e si,ilar o*tlines and principles that co*ld be referenced in *nderstanding
and relating to Hind*is,- So in referring as to "hether Hind*is, fits into either definitions or
e(en both is reall) a ,atter of perspecti(e-
Works cited
<*nningha,' @a"rence S- and =elsa)' 1ohn- The Sacred Quest- Be" 7orkC 1*ne 2>' 200D- Web 2
Sept- 2014
Rodrig*es' Hillar)- !ntrod*cing Hind*is,C $he e Book' Be" 7orkC Ro*tledge' 200E-
4ario*s %efinitions of Religion' httpCFF"eb-pd+-ed*FGtoth,FreligionF%efinitions-ht,