HINDUISM & MODERN WORLD : RELEVANCY

Is Hinduism Relevant in today’s Modern World?

The title itself raises a number of questions:

What is Hinduism?
Why is there a question of relevancy?

Have irrelevant elements entered into it?
What is a ‘modern world’?
What influences are guiding today’s modern world?

First of all let me talk about Hinduism. The word ‘Hindu’ comes from the word ‘Sindu’ which is the name for the river Indus in north-west India. It came to be used for India and Hinduism, the faith and way of life of most of the people of India. It has more than 450 million followers and is one of the most colourful and varied religions in the world today.

It is more like a family of religions than a single religion. It does not have a historical founder and Hindus often refer to it as ‘the eternal religion’, (Sanatan Dharma) as it is based on eternal principles.

Unlike other major religions like Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam, the beginnings of Hinduism cannot be traced with certainty. In the middle of the second millennium BCE, the Aryans invaded north India and settled along the Indus valley. They established communities and built the earliest Indian urban civilisation. Two of the Aryan cities have been excavated this century, and it shows how sophisticated the life of the invaders was. They brought their own customs and religion, which included fertility rites and sacrifice. They Aryans developed a class system and by 900 BCE the priestly class dominated. Their poets sang about their Gods and the principle that gives unity to the idea of divinity. Hinduism traces its beginnings to this remote time.

Hinduism has passed through innumerable phases and has always been amenable to new ideas. It may be compare to a mighty river on a journey to the sea, but which takes in many streams on the way.

It does not have an official creed (articles of faith) or central shrine. Nor does it have set rules or rituals. It is a social organisation, a way of life rather than a creed or a fixed set of beliefs.

Rabindranath Tagore, one of India’s greatest poets, welcomed and advocated emphasis on one God who alone is worshipped. Everyone must be free to worship God in his or her own way and not to be bound by the rigid patterns of the temple or set forms.

Shree Aurobindo was a Brahmin and mystic who was devoted to yoga. He taught that all people could live in harmony with God by practising ‘Bhakti.’

‘Dharma’ means sacred law or duty. For Hindus this means doing what is right according to the stage of life reached and the class or caste to which the Hindu belongs.

Main Tenets (rules) of Hindu faith are followed by most. But people choose their particular Deities to suit their daily lives. Worship takes place in the home. Most houses have domestic shrines or wall niches.

Symbolism is used extensively in Hinduism as a means of understanding and describing concepts like God and creation. The underlying principles behind these concepts are very abstract and are not easy to grasp, which is why in Hinduism; abstract ideas have been translated into more tangible and concrete symbols. For example Hindus consider the almighty God as the ultimate which cannot be perceived through the sense organs, is not an emotion to be felt by the mind and is not a concept to be comprehended by the intellect. God is an ‘unknown’ ideal. An idol leads the worshipper to the ideal.

‘Aum’ is a symbol of supreme God. It is considered to be the most powerful word symbol for use in prayers and meditation. It is believed to be the first sound produced at the creation of the universe. The chanting of ‘Aum’, the highest ‘mantra’, has an extraordinary effect on the human mind. It creates harmony, peace and bliss by producing vibrations, which awaken dormant vital centres within the body. It is considered to be the essence of the Hindu scriptures and also represents the concept of one God ‘Ek Omkar’ in Sikhism.

The Swastika is a symbol of auspiciousness, world peace and prosperity. It represents the world wheel (life cycle) or the eternally changing world around a fixed unchanging centre of God.

The lotus flower is a symbol of vegetation and prosperity. The lotus bud is born in watery mud and unfolds itself into a beautiful flower; hence it is seen as a symbol of the universe coming out of primeval waters. It also symbolises the fact that it is possible to raise oneself out of evil (mud) to purity.

‘Tilak’ is the mark of Kanku and sandalwood paste that is applied on the forehead. The forehead is believed to be the seat of memory and the ‘spiritual eye, or the third eye’. Applying the ‘Tilak’ thus symbolises the retention of the memory of the Lord. The ‘Tilak’ also has other functions. It is a mark of respect to the higher centres in the brain where the thoughts are generated and it has the psychological effect of keeping away evil thoughts. Sandalwood is used as it has cooling properties and a very pleasant aroma. This signifies that one’s head should remain calm and cool and should generate pleasant thoughts.

The family is the basic unit of Hindu society and the custodian of its traditions. The Hindu family is an extended family which gives its members a feeling of solidarity and identity, a chance to learn about the traditions, observe the caste customs, and the daily duties, such as yoga and meditation, worship and reverence to the deity. Respect for elders and ancestors, hospitality to the needy and kindness to all living creatures.

I have talked about Hinduism. Now let us consider the question of relevancy of Hinduism in the modern world.

Why is there a question of relevancy? Is it because irrelevant elements entered into Hinduism in the modern world? This raises two further questions.
What is the modern world? And

what influences are guiding today’s modern world?

Let us take that the last question, that of what influences are guiding today’s modern world. We have to go back in history to do this. The advance of civilisation and evolution, Into the higher plane of mind and thought took place in two separate areas of the ancient world. The two areas are India and Greece.

The result of these advances in both India and Greece were far reaching and had a universally undying quality about them. The philosophy that developed and nourished India, and through her, other Asian countries. The Greek/Roman philosophy essentially states that man is a member of a community. This is what one may call the political view of religion. This practise has led to wars and colonial exploitation.

The Indian view was that of Humanism with a stress on social ethics, virtues and graces. This philosophy helps man to achieve character and enhances individual freedom and responsibilities.
The Greek/Roman philosophy gives us a picture of disciplined energy and man unafraid of nature, not thwarted by obstacles. This has challenged all other cultural legacies. It is the challenge India has been facing since the 19th century.

To the uninitiated (ignorant) the modern western approach is very appealing. Many weaker cultures have succumbed (drawn into it) to this onslaught.

Like the ancient Greeks, the modern western man has failed to assimilate the deep spirituality of the Christian religion. The weakness of the modern western world is the strength of the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim world.

During the last 200 years of contact with the western world the Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim world has experienced crumbling of its many social traditions. This process has greatly accelerated in the last 50 years.

Hindu leaders with insight into the strengths and weaknesses of our beliefs and traditions, welcome the impact of western influences. Swami Vivekananda in particular envisaged a root and branch reform of Hinduism as he had complete faith in out strong and undying elements in the Hindu heritage.

The discovery of the immortal ‘atma’ and the tremendous peace, calmness and contentment, this philosophy is attracting a great deal of attention from the serious thinkers of the western world.

The essential value of the Indian culture is derived from the spirituality of the Upanishads. These are, universally non-aggressiveness and humane. It is connected with the whole man and not cut up in caste, creed, sect, race, colour of skin etc.

The science of spirituality, meditation and moderation are the strongest elements in the Hindu heritage. Sooner or later we are all drawn to it.

Hinduism is the only religion or a way of life based on universal principles of world citizenship and humanism.

We must discard the outmoded and obsolete social traditions of castes, creeds, sect and race.

Let us learn to balance the use of our time achieving divinity and at the same time learn to assimilate the western value of materialism to the extent that it helps us to achieve the above.

So we ask again, Is Hinduism relevant in today’s modern world?

The simple answer is, YES.

Edited by Biswamitra