Hinduism And Rastafari Similarities

Hinduism vs. Rastafari There are thousands of different religions in the world, from Hinduism to Christianity to Jainism to Rastafari. Each with there own traditions, Gods, festivals and many other things to make them distinct. Hinduism and Rastafari are two very distinct religions. Hinduism is focused more on their Deities and pleasing the Gods where, as Rastafari does not even have a God. Both have a substantial amount of followers. There are about 1 million Rastafarians in the world and about 828,000,000 in Hinduism (Find the Best). Although Hinduism and Rastafari are different in their origins and Gods, there are similarities in their food laws. The origins are one of the many differences between these two religions. Hinduism has no

The history of Rastafari began in Jamaica during the 1930's after a prophecy by Marcus Garvey (a black political leader). Garvey was the leader of an organization known as the Universal Negro Improvement Association, whose intention was to unify the blacks with their land of origin (BBC World Religions). Garvey preached “Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be your redeemer.” This statement was the foundation of the Rastafari movement. The crowning of Emperor Haile Selassie 1 in Ethiopia followed this prophecy on January 11th 1912. Therefore, the Rastafari know Haile Selassie as the Black Messiah, Jad Rastafari. He is a figure of salvation and it was believed that he would re-unite the Rastafari with their homeland. The first branch of Rastafari was thought to have been established in Jamaica in 1935 by Leonard P. Howell. Howell preaching’s were similar to Haile Selaisse. He explained that all the blacks would gain superiority over whites that have always been intended for them. This message encouraged others to develop and spread the message of Rasta theology. (E.E. Cashmore quote) "All, in their own ways, added pieces to the jigsaw, and the whole

A Trimurti is a trio of Gods; Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Brahma is the first God in the Hinduism Trimurti. Brahma is responsible for the creation of the world and all of the creatures in it. Even though Brahma is the creator, he is the least worshiped God today. Vishnu is the second God in the Hindu Trimurti. Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe. His role is to return to Earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, it is believed that he has been reincarnated nine times, but the Hindu's believe that he will be reincarnated once more, close to the end of the world. Shiva is the third God in the Hindu Trimurti. Shiva is known as the destroyer. Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. The Rastafarians regarded Haile Selassie as the God of the Black race. They believed that he would return to Africa. Haile Selassie never called himself God; he did not even adhere to the Rastafari customs. The Rastafarians believe that he was God because of Marcus Garvey's prophecy: "Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer," (BBC World Religions). This was followed by the ascension of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. Hindus look towards their many Gods for different reasons. They look toward a Goddess called Saraswati for knowledge or the God Murugan for war. The God’s in Hinduism play an important role in their everyday life unlike Rastafari were there