Social Issues in Hinduism

1780 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women violence in india essay

Hinduism is known as a diverse religion with its numerous traditions and customs. Hinduism accepts and gives an absolute freedom of beliefs and worships to the devotees. It bonds the whole world as one single family that is built upon one truth, and therefore do not discriminate anyone. However, there are some social issues that Hinduism accepts which have encountered criticisms from the Hindu community along with the external world. Few of the prominent issues include caste system, Sati practice, dowry system etc.

Hinduism takes a very strong stand on unity and considering all the Hindus as family regardless of age, gender, beliefs or Hindus living in different countries. Therefore its apparent that one would believe that everyone gets treated equally. The term "unity" definitely applies to Hinduism until certain topics get discussed such as the caste system. The caste system discriminates people based on their socio-economic status. The caste system is a hierarchical sequence including the Brahmins at the top who are the priests. The caste Kshatriya comes next in the hierarchy who are wealthy ruling families along with nobles and warriors. Then comes the caste Vaishya who are the merchants, the business people, the farmers etc. The last and certainly the least caste is the Shudra, also known as the untouchables. The untouchables are the most mistreated and poor people. Because of their caste they don't get hired at any good job positions therefore they live in the poverty for rest of their lives. There are many talented individuals that cannot make the right usage of their intelligence because of their caste. Hinduism divides the people based on their birth and family lineage and calls it the will of God. Yet at the same tim...

... middle of paper ...

...They all got started with good intentions but over the years people have customized it and now it's just examples of violence and discrimination.

Works Cited

Bumiller, Elisabeth . May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India. 1st. New York, USA: Ballantine Books , 1991.

Bowen, Paul. "Themes and Issues in Hinduism." World religions: Themes and issues. 1.4 (1998): 79-99.

Embree, Ainslie. Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 (Introduction to Oriental Civilizations). 5. 1. Richmond, TX, USA: Columbia University Press, 2005. 365-498

Feldman, Rayah, and Kate Clark. "Women, religious fundamentalism and reproductive rights ." Reproductive Health Matters. 4.8 (1996): 12-20.

Hawley, John. "Sati, the blessing and the curse: the burning of wives in India." Oxford University Press. (1994): 215-305.

Show More
Related

  • Religion Ethnography Essay

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    1.) Intro: I decided to focus my Religious Ethnography on a friend whom I recently have become close with. Adhita Sahai is my friend’s name, which she later told me her first name meant “scholar.” I choose to observe and interview Adhita, after she invited me to her home after hearing about my assignment. I was very humbled that she was open to this, because not only was it a great opportunity for this paper, but it also helped me get to know Adhita better. I took a rather general approach to the religious questions that I proposed to the Sahai family because I didn’t want to push to deep, I could tell Hinduism is extremely important to this family. Because this family does not attend a religious site where they worship, I instead listened to how they do this at home as a family instead.

    Read More

  • The Seperation of Hinduism and Buddhism

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Comparing Hinduism And Spiritual Practices

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions which would imply a division of identity. It is the belief that animals and human castes were created

    Read More

  • Caste System In Hinddia Essay

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    The caste system in India has been dated back to approximately 1000 BC and still affects the lives of millions of people not only in India but also through South Asia. The determination of this system of social layer for 3000 years of changing economic and social environments is a confusing idea. The Hindu conception of social order is that people are different, and different people will fit into different aspects of society. Social order or class according to the Varna is that the framework of moral duties according to personal characteristics of individuals and not necessarily birth (Pruthi, 2004). Varna is the term used for the four groups into which the traditional Hindu society is divided. This essay will outline the main social and economical features of the caste system in India and how it fits within the ontological framework of Hinduism (Philosophy 312).

    Read More

  • Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism: Similar Views of Life

    2658 Words  | 6 Pages

    Larry A. Samovar, Richard E. Porter, Edwin R. McDaniel, “Hinduism”, communication between cultures, pg 132-138.

    Read More

  • What Is Religion?

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.

    Read More

  • Ancient Religions

    2998 Words  | 6 Pages

    Basham, A.L. The Origins and Developments of Classical Hinduism. Ed. Kenneth G. Zysk. Boston: Beacon, 1989.

    Read More

  • Asceticism in Buddhism and Hinduism

    1799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eliot, Sir Charles. HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. 1921. Vol. 1. London: ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD, 1954. 3 vols. wisdom library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Sati: the "Good Women" in Hinduism

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    Daniel, Aharon. "Sati-Burning of the Widow." India History. Tripod, 2000. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Hindu Culture And Diversity: The Pride Of Hindu Dharma

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism as a way of living or religion is beautiful which is based on the diversity that interlinks social fabric, culture, language, customs, rituals, belief systems, astrology, art and science. India society is very diversified and one of the still thriving great social formations of world. This is a beautiful subject for social scientists and reformers to study on a deep basis. This fabric should not be lost to any kind of monotheist kinds as their scope is very limited and flat. It has to be noted that many major cultures got vanished by the surge of major religions in many parts of the world. Hindu culture is still intact due to its naturalness and social depth. Now, those lost cultures of the world can only be studied through books,

    Read More

  • Hindu Religious Traditions

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, “There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’” (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance.

    Read More

  • The Status of Women and the Bhaki Movement in India

    2215 Words  | 5 Pages

    Indian women in medeival India were confined within the four walls of the house and w...

    Read More

  • Hinduism

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.

    Read More

  • Women's Place in India

    2938 Words  | 6 Pages

    Forbes, Geraldine. The New Cambridge History of India: Woman in Modern India. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1996

    Read More

  • Dowry Death: The Consequences Of Dowry Death In India

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    The bestowing of dowries is an ancient tradition. Unlike the Western concept of a single ‘‘bride payment’’, the Indian tradition consists of an ongoing series of gifts both before and after the marriage to appease the husband and his family. In Western culture, a young married couple establishes their own home with both partners contributing to the welfare of their new ‘‘family’’, while in India, the husband’s family takes in the bride, adding a financial burden to the extended family living arrangements. When the dowry demands are not met, husbands and in-laws render significant mental and physical harassment on the young brides in an effort to encourage her family to fulfill their dowry obligations and even kill the young bride1. Dowry deaths

    Read More

More about Social Issues in Hinduism

Open Document