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Hinduism's influence on Indian society
History and development of hinduism
Hinduism's influence on Indian society
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Hinduism is often viewed as a particularly tolerant religion. The lack of a single omniscient God, absence of a prophet, and the open worship of what may look like many Gods may tell a tale of open worship, individuality within religion, and a peaceful, tolerant way of life. Without further examining what Hinduism entails, this may seem like the perfect religion. When the impression of superiority is looked at with a little skepticism, the pretty picture is marred by the deep scratches of discrimination, sexism, and elitism.
In Hinduism, people are born into their respective caste, determined by parentage. The four main castes are: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (common people), or Shudras(servants). Each caste has its own duties to attend to, and each is expected to do so without regard to personal thought or choice. If duties are not attended to in the way befitting one’s caste, it is thought that the individual would suffer from bad karma. If an individual responds to situations in a way befitting of their caste, they are likewise rewarded with good karma. This insinuates an easy way to manipulate people into behaving in ways that they might not otherwise behave.
The categorization of a caste descends as low as “untouchables.” This term was ascribed to people that were considered so tainted that they were not to be touched by the other castes, and they were not allowed to even be in sight of the upper class. One could postulate that this is quite similar to the antiquated belief that African Americans were “unclean” and should be segregated from Caucasians.
The four main stages of life in Hinduism also take the caste system into account. The first stage is that of a student, being led by a teacher. T...
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...oes not hide the actual discrimination that is present in every single aspect of the Hinduism lifestyle. I’m sure that this is fine with some of those that are in the higher caste of Hindu society since the effect this bias has is not a detriment for them. However, I am also sure that there are many born into the lower classes that realize they have more to offer to society than their religion tells them they do. These examples show that, although the multiplicity of Hinduism may reflect the recognition that people are different, it does so in a discriminatory and biased manner.
Works Cited
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. Tradition, Challenge, and Change. 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Religious Studies at the University of Wyoming (UoW). Nd.Hinduism. Retrieved February 8th from http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/HSLIFE.HTM
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
Thousands of years ago, Indian society developed into a complex system based on different classes. This system is known as the Caste System. It separated Indians into different castes based on what class they were born into. As thousands of years went by, this system grew larger and became further complex (Wadley 189). This system caused frustration for the Indian citizens because they were receiving inequality.
One of the major Hindu beliefs that Buddhism rejects is the Caste System, or “jati” in Sanskrit (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317). The caste system is the social structure of Hinduism. It starts with the Brahmins, who are the priests and scholars, followed by the Kshatriya or warrior class. Next is the Vaishya, merchant class, and lastly the Shudras, the lowest caste designated to perform the impure and foul jobs the upper castes would never do. (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317) The rules of the caste system are specific. Inter-marriages between castes are heavily discouraged and one can never change their caste during their current lifetime. Each caste has its own cosmic duties to fulfill, and not doing so could be detrimental to the world or an individuals karma. These distinct duties are referred to as one’s Dharma. (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317) The Laws of Manu state “Better to do one’s own dharma badly than another caste’s dharma well” (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317). Through saṃsāra, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, hopefully every soul will eventua...
In every civilization there exists a hierarchy that is accepted by the people that are a part of it. This hierarchy, which is present in all societies, is called a class system and usually includes an upper class, a middle class, and a lower class. The upper class consists of those who are the richest in a society, the middle class consists of the working people, and the lower class consists of the poorest people. There is one class system that consists of five tiers, including one that is below its lower class, and differs from any other system; the caste system of India. In a caste system, the class that is received is hereditary and cannot be changed like in other societies. The civilization of India has an extensive history with this longstanding and controversial caste system that has evolved over time and is still in place today.
Hinduism is a religion in which the caste system exits to this day and this is an important factor because the different levels of the caste system represents each member’s ability to reaching the ultimate reality, Brahman. There are four castes of Hinduism: Brahmins/Seers, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and the Shudra. “The first group India called Brahmins or seers (Smith, 43).” The Brahmins are traditionally priests and scholars who should receive respect. The second level of caste system are the Kshatriya, who are traditionally warriors and rulers; they should receive power. Next are the Vaishya’s, merchants and small class landowners who should receive wealth. Last are the Shudra’s, traditionally the landless and field workers who should receive freedom. The caste system has its limitations and because of that, only the Brahmin (being on the top of the caste system) can become one with the ultimate reality, Brahman. In order to fulfill the core doctrine of Hinduism, it is important to be aware that only certain members “qualify” to unite with Brahman. In order for one to become a Brahman, they must go start from the bottom of the caste level and through the different levels until finally they are born as a Brahmin through good
Hinduism and Christianity are two religions that have been around for thousands of years. These religions have developed philosophies on certain subjects that can be compared in order to show their similarities and differences. Some of the main subjects that can be reflected upon are the paths to enlightenment or salvation, the religions' treatment of women, and the concept of the afterlife. This paper will give an analytic comparison of these religions through the discussion of these topics.
In The Laws of Manu the caste system is described in great detail. It explains everything one must do to be a part of their caste. In Hinduism each social class (varna) has its own dharma, or social law. The concept of dharma regulates all parts of life for Hindu’s and outlines their duties. However, there are different levels of dharma for people in the twice-born varnas, which includes the Brahmin, Ksatriya, and Vaisya. The different levels of dharma are based on the stage of life that an individual is at. The four stages an individual can be at are a student, a householder, a forest-dweller, or a sannyasin. A sannyasin is the lowest stage one can be in and one reaches that stage when they have cut all of their ties to society. In the text from The Laws of Manu it is stated that a householder may “never, for the sake of subsistence, follow the ways of the world: let him live the pure straightforward, honest life of a Brahmin” (Smart & Hecht 214). The Hindus believed in living a very simple life and being very honorable. The Laws of Manu states that no Brahmin should “attach himself to any sensual pleasures” (214) and also to “avoid all (means of acquiring) wealth which impede the study of the Veda” (214). In The Laws of Manu the idea of final liberation is brought up very frequently. Final liberation is the goal of all Brahmins. A Brahmin lives his whole life striving to reach final liberation and he does so by following dharma. He does not challenge dharma at all and believes that if he follows it, he will reach final liberation.
Because of its long tradition, its links to social status and its integration with cultural activities, Hinduism has had an enormous influence on Indian society. It is not only a religion, but also a way of life for Indians.
Hinduism has a unique afterlife system where if you accumulate good karma your soul will reincarnate as a higher being on the ladder of reincarnation. This encourages Hindus to be peaceful people and to help others in life. One aspect of Hinduism however does not offer such a nice perspective of the religion, the caste system. The caste system is a system where you are trapped in your social class your entire life which. The poor are oppressed into being poor forever, and this system causes the poor to often be not respected, and any ideas that the poor had was often not accepted causing an entire social class to be able to make zero contributions to technology. The caste system was a part of India, the largest Hindu nation until very recently with external
According to sociologists, a caste system is a social structure composed of ascribed statuses; that is, the governing principles of a society divide its people by inalterable traits. However, the Indian caste system is a more complex matter in that it does not exist solely for the division of economic classes, or loosely govern the relations between subcultures. Rather, the castes are binding social contracts that tie directly into the predominant religion of the region. The Hindu caste system, on the whole, represents not only economic disparity in the Indian subcontinent, but social discrimination and the necessity that a society remains at a cultural equilibrium. Spanning several thousands of years, the caste system of India has only recently been abolished, while much of its hold over Indian culture has yet to subside; it is an enduring concept that has profound
The current manifestations of the caste system are now far more generalized across the Indian subcontinent than was the case in former times. Caste as we now recognize has been endangered, shaped and perpetuated by comparatively recent political and social developments. This is evident even i...
Pandey, T.N., 2014. Lecture 1/14/14: Cultures of India: Hierarchy Structure in India. Cultures of India. U.C. Santa Cruz.
The Religion and caste system in India is a system of social stratification which historically separated communities into thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called jatis, usually translated into English as "castes". The jatis are thought of as being grouped into four varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. In Hinduism there exist four castes arranged in a hierarchy. Anyone who does not belong to one of these castes is an outcast. The religious word for caste is 'Varna'. Each Varna has certain duties and rights. Each Varna members have to work in certain occupation which only those Varna members are allowed. Each Varna has certain type of diet. The highest Varna is of the Brahman. Members
The caste system is the second most definitive factor to all Indians. This caste system will determine what kind of job and what set of Dharma one must follow. This caste system tells one whom they can and cannot marry. This caste system directly impacts all of Indian society lives greatly. To me this caste system reflects a segregated community that judge’s people on the mere fact of their birth. This segregation also keeps life for...
The Caste problem is a vast one, both theoretically and practically. Practically, it is an institutions that portends tremendous consequences, it is a local problem but one is capable of wider mischief for as long as caste in India does exist. Hindus will hardly intermarry or have any social intercourse with outsiders, and if Hindus migrate to other regions on earth ,Indian cast would become a world problem. Theoretically, it has defied many great scholars who have taken upon themselves as a labor of love to dig into its origin .Such being the case I cannot treat the problem in its entirety .However, in order to define the caste system we cannot define caste as an isolated unit by itself and not as a group within and with definite relations to the system of caste as a whole. Mr .Sinart, ethnologist who investigated the caste system, draws attention to the idea of pollution as a characteristic of the caste. With regard to this point, it may be safely said it s by no means of peculiarity of caste as such. It usually originates in priestly ceremonialism and as a particular case of the general belief of in purity. Consequently, it’s necessary connection with caste may be completely denied without damaging the working of caste. The idea of pollution has been attached to the institution of caste only because the cast that enjoyed the highest rank is the priestly caste. Well we know that priest and purity are old associates. I may therefore conclude that the idea of pollution is a characteristic of caste only in so far that caste has a religious flavor. Prohibition or rather the absence of intermarriage (endogamy)is the only one that can be called the essence of caste if rightly understood. This will result in lim...