Hinduism Sociology

People are born into the caste of their parents and are not allowed to cross into another one. They are also expected to marry in the same caste. The unequal distribution of money, influence, pain and suffering are seen as a natural consequence for ones previous actions, both in this life and in previous lives. Hindus can be reborn at a higher level through pure acts, good thoughts and devotion. They can also be reborn at a lower level through bad deeds. It is even possible to be reborn as an animal. Arizona State University (2004) lists the five social castes. They are: Brahmins (priests and academics); Kshatriyas (military); Vaishyas (farmers and merchants); Sudras (peasants and servants); and Harijan (outcasts or untouchables).

Since the beginning of civilization many religions and cultures have come and gone. One of the few that has stood the test of time is Hinduism. Hinduisms base flourishes from the practical view of human life, belief in eternal truth and it’s ability to make small adaptations to it without compromising its core values. Hinduism is the oldest known religion in the world and also the third largest in the world. Most of its one billion followers live in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Even with its immense amount of followers and lengthy existence, many non followers are unaware of its history, beliefs, and practices.

Hinduism is one of the main religions in South Asia that focuses on one’s soul and eternity of themselves. This religion has shaped into a patriarchal society in India with a caste system that affected gender. In addition, Hinduism has impacted some of the aspects in United States politics. As the Aryans brought this religion to India around 1500 BC, its system and practices spread and evolved around the world into a primary belief. Hinduism has impacted the world socially, politically and even economically.

There are three main gods in Hinduism: - Brahma is what Hindus believe who create the world. - Vishnu is what Hindus believe takes care of the world. - Shiva is what Hindus believe is the destroyer. - Brahman is what Hindus believe is the energy that is everywhere. Hindus tend to believe that Vishnu appeared on earth 4 times to save the world from demons, naturel dis and mean/cruel people.

Although the caste system was a social structure, it helped stabilize India’s political foundation. Based on the citizen’s profession, the caste defined their social standing. This system contained 5 main levels; the Brahmans were the priest, highest of the caste, they ruled and ordered by telling the lower castes what to do, helping to govern the region with their significant knowledge of their religion. Next came the Kshatriya who were the

Hinduism, even just by virtue of its name, is deeply Indian in nature. The word Hindu is derived from a Persian word which means “the Indus River” or more simply, just “Indian.” The word began as a purely geographical term. It wasn’t until the invasions into India that the word became associated with the religions of the subcontinent. The invaders classed all the beliefs of India’s indigenous peoples as one religion, Hinduism. Even before the imperial takeover of the British, the ideas and beliefs of “Hinduism” were already undergoing significant changes, with the instruction of new teachings from invaders.

Dissimilar to Christianity, Hinduism is portrayed as a family of beliefs. “Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality” (Molloy, 75). Hinduism can be compared to that of the Ganga Ma, a significant river in the Indian culture. Comparing it with the river saying that it flows and gains momentum. The Hindus have four very important life goals; kama or pleasure, artha or economic security, dharma or social and religious duty, and moksha or complete freedom. While Hinduism consist of more than one god, individuals tend to focus on a particular god. Three gods are particularly central in the life of Hinduism. The three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, represent creation, preservation, and destruction. (Molloy, 75).

I did not know much about Hinduism, apart from the fact that they worship multiple gods and believe in reincarnation. Three concepts that helped me grasp who the Hindu people are would be, the four acceptable aims of life, the caste system, and the idea of karma. These three ideas helped me identify how the Hindu’s are supposed to live in their daily life and why they live a certain way. One bump I found in Hinduism is number of gods they have and worship.

Hindus believe in only one god, but in a variety of forms and worship them through rituals, sacraments and personal devotion. The people choose which form they want to follow. Both male and female deities are worshipped with equal reverence in Hinduism.

The caste system itself is a system of social stratification, based on two concepts, varna and jati. Varna

Since the dawn of religion, the perception of divine beings in human forms have been a prevalent belief. Most religions represent gods and goddesses as having human qualities and behaviors as well as humanoid forms. This is called anthropotheism, or the assigning of human qualities to deities. However, Hinduism is unusual in that followers identify their divine beings with physical qualities that are not humanoid. The major images of gods and goddess of Hinduism are studded with blue skin, animalistic features, multiple arms and eyes and elongated earlobes. While Hindus believe that Brahman, the principle god is formless, they accept that the majority of people cannot fathom a god without a form. As a result, intellectuals of the religion chose

Imagine a religion so old that it is said to be timeless and has always been there, even before humans set foot on the Earth. It’s mindboggling to think that the knowledge of everything is floating in the space of the universe and the mind is just a way of reaching it. Hinduism is a very complex religion, yet it still sets one ultimate goal for the soul. To deeper understand Hinduism we must reveal its origin, doctrines, customs, and culture.

Most Hindus believe in God but what this means varies in different traditions. The Sanskrit words Bhagavan and Ishvara mean 'Lord' or 'God' and implies an absolute reality who, in essence, controls destroys the universe over and over again. Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God, whose qualities and forms are represented by the multiple forms he has. God, being unlimited, can have unlimited forms and expressions, but the belief in one superior being makes this religion monotheistic.

Vishnu, to his worshipers, is all-powerful and supreme. He is believed to be to god from whose navel a lotus sprang giving birth to Brahma, the creator. Vishnu created the universe by separating the heavens and the earth and has rescued it on a number of occasions. As Hopfe and Woodward state “Vishnu is known as a god of love, benevolence, and forgiveness (Hinduism 94).” “ In some incarnations, he has come as a man.” (94). The third popular god is Brahma, the creator of the world.

Hinduism is considered to be more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life and a code of behavior (Khan, 2016) Although modern day clothes are worn by Hindu women it is custom to wear tradition garments such as the sari in everyday life including the work place (HAF, 2016). Therefor the employer must accommodate the employee’s rights to wear the clothing which customary the Hindu religion (HAF, 2016). Hindus are vegetarian therefor if a staff meeting of any kind their diets of choice should be accommodated. It would be considered discrimination to provide a verity of food for the other employees and not have some vegetarian options ion for the Hindu employees (HAF, 2016)