In article <ghenE6ov61.Lnn@netcom.com>, Mani Varadarajan <mani@be.com>
writes > >Jerry writes: >> >> My son, a 6th grader in Pennsylvania is working on a report on Hinduism. >> One of the questions he has to answer is "Who are the people (or person) >> responsible for the beginning of the religion. Tell about what the >> people (or person did)." Try as he might he has been unable to answer >> this question. He has asked me to hit 'the net' for help. >> > >There is no founder of Hinduism per se, since Hinduism >is an amorphous mass of religious and cultural beliefs rather >than a single belief system such as Judaism, Christianity, >or Islam. > >There are roughly three religious strands of Hinduism prevalent >today [the following terminology is borrowed from the late scholar >Agehananda Bharati, a Hindu monk and anthropologist at Syracuse >University]: > > o ``Great Tradition'' Hinduism, which is an ancient > tradition of worshipful meditation, philosophy, > and literature, based on the Vedas, ancient > philosophico-religious texts ``perceived'' by > various seers from at least 1000 B.C. > > Great Tradition Hinduism is centered around philosophical > learning, contemplative meditation, and devotional worship > of the deity (or deities) mentioned in the Vedas. > A central aspect of the religious process is devotional > worship, in temples and in the home, of God as the > Supreme Self, the Absolute Entity who contains > everything within Itself. This is what most western > Indologists identify as Classical Hinduism. > > This form of Hinduism is the religion of the > intelligentsia and has long held sway among the > learned elite of India. It is also the most influential > form of religion, mostly due to its intellectual > and charismatic power and the significant personalities > who have propagated it over the years. However, it is > important to note that there is a wide variety of > belief systems in this broad tradition itself. > > The Vedas are considered by the devout to be eternal, > authored not even by God Himself; the Vedas are thought > to be the very thoughts of God. As such, the people > responsible for the beginning of the religion can be > considered the ancient Vedic seers, known as > ``rishis'', who perceived these truths and taught them > to their disciples. Well-known Vedic rishis include > Vishvamitra, Vamadeva, Yajnavalkya, and Uddalaka. > > In the thousands of years since the Vedic seers, thinkers > of all sorts propounded philosophies based on the metaphysical > revelations of the Vedas. The most famous among these > philosophers are Sankara (7th century) and Ramanuja (11th century), > who each formed religious subsects and philosophical schools > that continue to flourish today. > > o ``Little Tradition'' Hinduism, which is the form of > religion practiced in the villages and by the masses of > people in most parts of India. This consists of various > forms of shamanism, ancestor worship, totemism, worship > of local deities to ward off evil spirits, etc. > > Obviously, there is no person or group of persons who > began this form of religion. > > While the Great and Little Traditions have mutually > influenced each other a great deal, for the non-elite > Hindu, the instinct is to approach a local or family > deity in times of trouble. The philosophical > underpinnings of the all-pervasive Absolute Self, > the grand speculations of the Vedic thinkers, and the > colorful stories of the gods of the Hindu pantheon all > fade into the background for the average Hindu when > he or she is busy propitiating his local deity through > ritual offerings to ask for good luck or to ward off some > impending danger such as disease, etc. > > It is important not to trivialize this aspect of the > religion. In fact, many social aspects of Great Tradition > Hinduism cannot be understood outside the context of Little > Tradition Hinduism. > > o ``Neo-Hinduism'' -- this is the religion of the modern, > urban, English-speaking Hindus, who, alienated from their > cultural past and religious traditions, seek to create > a new Hindu consciousness through a modern reinterpretation > of the scriptures. The beliefs of these Hindus tend toward > a vague reformulation of monistic thought laced with a > strong dose of politics. > > The calls for Hindu nationalist pride are the most obvious > example of this new form of Hinduism and is a trend that is > completely alien to the tradition of which they are heirs. > > The originators of this modern movement (started 19th century) > include Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekananda, and others > in pre and post revolutionary India. > > The non-English speaking, traditional Hindus in India > find this form of Hinduism completely irrelevant to > their lives; unfortunately, this is the new face of > Hinduism to the rest of the world, precisely because of > its modern, English-speaking roots. > >I hope I haven't muddled the issue more than when you asked the question. > >Mani > >
I am an English A level Student studying Hinduism. I am not as
knowledgable as Mani, but as I understand it, Hinduism has developed and
evolved from invading cultures. The Pre Aryans (3000bc - 1500bc
approximately)were the original inhabitants. They had many practises
which later reemerged in Hinduism, such as Phallic veneration, worship
of a mother godess, and domestic worship. The Aryans, from what we now
call Russia invaded India, bringing an early version of the Caste system
(with the Pre Aryans or Dravidians at the bottom) and their panthenon of
gods. They were patrilinear and the centre of their cult was sacrafice.
They wrote the Vedas, which are today regarded as revealed literature or
Sruti. In later Aryan period the gods dwindled in importance and
sacrafice increased in importance because it was believed that sacrafice
was mantaining cosmic order by repeating the sacrafice of Primal man
which created the universe. This period was full of questioning as
regards the origin of the universe, and a tentative monotheism
developed. this period led to the writing of the Upanishads, which
contains much of todays Hindu teaching. Hinduism has developed since
this period, constantly evolving and adapting, but as I know it, these
were its roots.
