ABSTRACT
Hinduism, the third largest religion in the world, represents a collection of the beliefs, practices, and ethos that arose in India around 1500 bce. It is rooted in the Vedas and the history of the people of India and connected by sanatana dharma, “eternal duty,” which suggests a common orientation toward liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth (Young 2005: 58-9). The term Hinduism is in itself complex and requires careful analysis so as to represent it more accurately. The religion that we now call Hinduism has “no historical founder, no single scriptural text recognized by all, no single authoritative voice or organization or institution, no common creed” (Schmidt et al. 1999: 208). While the history of Hinduism may be traced back to 1500 bce, the designation “Hindu” was used much later and referred to the people of the Indus Valley. This new designation came as an attempt to create a religious distinction when Islam came to India. Another complication with the term Hinduism is the diversity of beliefs and practices found within the religion. There are many gods with various ritual beliefs and practices. Despite these many variations of beliefs and practices the common thread that holds things together appears to be the social traditions of those who follow Hinduism. Prakash Desai, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois, explains:
Perhaps here lies the secret of the survival of the Hindu tradition. Accumulating various interpretations of reality, Hindus arrive at a vision of the good life determined by adaptation and accommodation to prevailing conditions. As the subcultures of multiple ethnic groups were being assimilated into a social order, regulation of behavior appears to have been more important than regulation of beliefs. The
private lives of the populace were left alone, and in early India few attempts were made at consolidating a social philosophy that would then govern both public and private behavior. The result is a profound conviction that “truth” or self-realization is discovered through many paths, and a simultaneous rejection of absolutes in consideration of personal morality.
