Hinduism
- Imagine telling a seven-year-old about the world’s religions. Describe Hinduism in three sentences. Explain what similarities it has with some of the other world religions and what sets them apart.
- Hinduism is a religion that is clearly linked to a place, namely the land of India and a number of the surrounding countries. Use the interactive map to find out more about the countries outside India where many Hindus live. Find out more about the reason why there are many Hindus right here (for example in the United Arab Emirates).
To avoid violence
A central concept in Hinduism is ahimsa, the principle of non-violence, which means reverence for all living things and is strongly associated with Mohandas Karamchand (“Mahatma”) Gandhi. Gandhi is not least known for leading peaceful protests in the Indian independence struggle against the British Empire.
Read about ahimsa and Gandhi in the National Encyclopedia and explain what you learn about this principle of non-violence, how Gandhi interpreted it and used it for peaceful purposes. Compare this view of peace with that of other famous peace thinkers, such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu in South Africa.
What role does, for example, forgiveness and reconciliation play in the various thinkers? What sets them apart when it comes to basic views and ethics?
Text analysis: The creation myth
The anthem of origin, from Rigveda (one of the four Vedic scriptures):
“Then there was no being or non-being, no sky was, not the sky above.
What covered everything? Where and in what care was the water and the bottomless abyss? Then neither was death, immortality either; then was not the sign of day or night;
THE ONE windless breathed in itself, and except that there was nothing else to be found. It was dark; and everything here was water, at first hidden by the darkness, inseparable. What was empty, surrounded by emptiness,
THE ONE was born of the inner glow. The desire first moved in this: it was the very first seed in the spirit; the seers who piously researched in the heart, in the non-being, found the friendship of the being. […] ”
TEXT ANALYSIS In the following exercise, you will deepen your knowledge of Hinduism by doing a text analysis of the anthem of origin in Rigveda. Using the template’s four different steps of the text analysis, you will draw conclusions about the text’s view of origin and time.
- What is the text about? What conclusions do you draw from the anthem’s view of origin and time?
- To whom / to whom is the text addressed? What is its purpose? Perspective?
- Interpret the original hymn and compare it with the creation account in Genesis 1: 1–31. [(If you have a Bible, it is the first chapter in the book, if not you can go to bibeln.se and search in Genesis 1.) Where is the creator in the hymn? Compare with the Bible’s creation account.
- What are your own thoughts and reflections if you allow them to associate freely?
The throwing system
Indian society is largely characterized by Hinduism’s doctrine of order in society where the caste, jati, still plays an important role. In some Indian villages there are still special wells where those belonging to the lower castes fetch their water. Further back in time, the division was even clearer. If a shadow from a so-called untouchable happened to fall on someone, that person had to undergo careful purification rituals.
Not only can the cause of this social structure be seen in Hinduism, but it must also be added that this structure was systematized by the British colonial power in the 19th century in order to govern India more effectively.
Discuss the connection between the caste system and the idea of karma and reincarnation. What significance has this had for the development of society in India?
What significance do you think the British colonial power has had on the caste system and societal development?
All people in a society have a group affiliation. We can compare castes with different social classes in other societies, where the higher strata of society have more power and better economic conditions than those in the lower ones. What parallels can be drawn to the Indian caste system in this area? Motivate your answer.
Think through and try to live into what it is like to live in a special caste in Indian society. In what different ways do you think the experiences differ between people living in lower and higher castes, respectively?
