Hindu Studies In Academia-hindu University Of America

By Author: Hindu university of America
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Introduction

Religion is an integral part of our life. It deals with some of the most fundamental questions that humanity has grappled with since the dawn of time. Religion is a major source of inspiration, meaning, and controversy in human culture, history, politics, economics, art, and literature. Consciously or unconsciously, religion forms an important part of our individual identity and psyche; it informs our attitudes and reactions in matters large and small.

Yet, paradoxically, the vast majority of us know very little about our religious beliefs. What little we know often comes by osmosis from observing family elders performing rituals and festivals. While this is true in principle of all religious groups, for reasons to be discussed shortly, it is especially true of Hindu society.

This raises some important questions: Is it necessary to "really know" one's religion in order to practice it well? Why is it not enough to understand its practices and rituals on a working level? If the answer to the first question is yes, what is the best way to study it?

These are important questions that every ...
... religion must answer. However, we will deal with these questions specifically from the point of view of Hindus and Hinduism.

Complexity of Hinduism

Hinduism is undoubtedly a very complex religion, especially compared to other major world religions. Indeed, to the casual observer it can appear to be a confusing collection of beliefs and rituals.

First, Hinduism encompasses a number of sampradayas or traditions. Each of them has its own history, thought system and practices. Their philosophical perspectives and practices often appear to be mutually incompatible.

Second, the source literature of Hinduism is vast, to say the least: 30 million Sanskrit manuscripts, according to one Google search! Even the list of its core scriptures is quite large: 4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 18 Maha Puranas and so on. Considering the countless scholarly commentaries on these scriptures, the amount of Hindu sacred literature can be quite overwhelming, especially compared to the three Abrahamic religions, where the entire belief system rests on a single source text.

Third, cultural and regional diversities add additional layers of complexity to the Hindu belief system.

Finally, the concept of a personal deity or Ishwara gives Hinduism a very sharp and visible layer of complexity. The same deity may appear very different to different Sampradaya or cultural or regional entities. Many popular Hindu deities look visibly abnormal or unnatural.

It is therefore quite a challenge for the uninitiated to reconcile such a bewildering array of beliefs and practices with the principle of Hinduism "Ekam sat, viprah bahudha vadanti".

How Complexity Affects Hindus

Those well-grounded in Hindu philosophy would rightly argue that beneath this confusing collection of beliefs lies a powerful unifying system of thought that underpins Hinduism. However, without a good understanding of this thought system, the apparent complexity and contradictions in Hinduism lead to confusion, uneasiness, and ultimately doubt about the veracity of the entire belief system. This in turn leads to such phenomena as "Hindu in name only" (HINO) and "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR).

It is clear that a HINO or SBNR parent cannot be expected to reliably pass on their inherited traditions to the next generation. Not only do these parents lack commitment to their heritage, but also the ability and confidence to express their inherited faith to their children. While this is a huge problem for Hindu society as a whole, it is an existential threat to Hindu communities living in countries where they are only tiny minorities.

That's not all. HINO and SBNR aside, many deeply committed Hindus who do not have a good understanding of the philosophical structure of Hinduism find themselves inadequate in articulating their belief system to a non-Hindu audience. To make matters worse, they often conjure up completely clumsy and awkward answers to basic questions about Hinduism, thus contributing to a distorted and negative image of Hinduism.

Last but not least, Hinduism has long been under constant attack by a range of interests from academic, media and political circles. Some of the criticism may stem from honest differences of opinion. However, much of this appears to be a mischaracterization of Hindu ideology in bad faith. If we are to defend our religious heritage from these corrosive forces, we have no choice but to develop a strong cadre of Hindus dedicated to acquiring a deeper knowledge of its philosophical underpinnings. Not only this, he must also have a thorough understanding of the main points of attack on Hinduism (i.e. "purva paksha") and also have a working knowledge of the attackers' own religious beliefs.

Academic study of Hinduism

From the above it is clear that for Hinduism to maintain its vitality, Hindu society needs to focus less on observing rituals and pay more attention to understanding the philosophical underpinnings of Hinduism. We require a clear, comprehensive and above all unbiased view of how the various elements of Hinduism intertwine, how the apparent diversity is supported by a unified thought system with shared values ​​and perspectives, as well as a comparative analysis of Hinduism in relation to other major world religions. Faith-based institutions can certainly help in this business. However, their views will always be challenged due to excessive dedication to their respective traditions. Academic institutions, on the other hand, can offer a believable, panoramic and clinical treatment of the subject and are therefore better suited to the task.
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