In de serie ‘ a very short introduction‘ schrijft Kim Knott (Kim Knott is Professor of Religious and Secular Studies at Lancaster University.) over het Hindoeïsme. Ik heb dit gelezen in het kader van mijn studie naar het bestaan. Gelovend dat God bestaat onderzoek ik de wereldreligies en zo kom ik ook bij het Hindoeïsme terecht. Wat Knott goed duidelijk maakt is hoe onze westerse bril van invloed is als we naar religieus India kijken. Bestaat er wel zoiets als het Hindoeïsme of kijken wij vanuit onze westerse cultuur en hebben wij dan de behoefte alle religieuze activiteit in India onder één noemer weg te zetten? Bijgaand de samenvatting van haar boek. In mijn overzicht over het bestaan zal ik in een latere fase dit pogen in te passen.
Knott makes it clear that Hinduism is not a religion like Christianity or Islam. It refers more to a way of living, dharma, according according to the order (caste social position) where you were born. The way people in the West look at religion try to pinpoint Hinduism with a central concept which in fact is a diverse collection of different ways of believing. These differences go from non dualism (God in you; Shankara) to partial dualism (God controls you but is not you; Ramanuja) to full dualism (God is separated from you; Madhva). The concept which binds these diferent visions very loosely together is the concept of dharma and the old Sanscrite scriptures the revealed Veda with descriptions of the creation, and prayers to the gods. There are many other scriptures within the tradition. The truths in the Veda are interpreted differently between the believers in the book. Divine presence is transcedent but also in statues and even normal natural stones. There is discussion on the position of the women, old habits like widow burning, castes untouchables, daliths.
Hinduism is concentrated in India (78% of population and 90% of worldwide Hindoes) and Nepal (resp. 81% and 2,3%) with the rest scattered over the world.
What does this study bring me? Firstly a somewhat surprising conclusion that Hinduism is not a uniform religion like we see, more a less, with Islam and Chrisianity. Furhter it is not so much about serving God but more on living a life in the right way. The offerings to God seem to be more geared towards getting help to do that. In a next life you can be better of then. This all shows the diversity of the concept of religion but I do not feel the inclination to dig deeper in Hinduism after reading this.
Wetenschap filosofie religie: begrip zoeken 