+Hindu ID

Antigens - see separate pages.

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is a cultural ethos (a religion for practical purposes) that developed and established itself in the Indian subcontinent and vicinity before the arrival of intolerant foreign monotheism, nothing more and nothing less.

Structurally and historically, it has a Core Vaidika mesh: The most foundational and impactful contributions to the Hindu ethos came from sages of the Indo-Aryan vedic tradition, whose very-universal ideas (together with the Indo Aryan conservative ritualist class) penetrated and bonded various similarly pagan populations. This ethos, ultimately, has the following important features:

  • Concepts particular to the core vaidika framework, such as:
    • solid, systematic pursuit of philosophy
    • brahman - Oneness of everything despite varying expressions, moreover the identity of each individual with it (in some sense).
      • satya, rta (cyclic interconnectedness, interdependency)
    • puruShArtha, dharma, rNa (pitR deva rShi Atma manuShya), yajna
    • varNa, including the ritualist conservative setup, and Ashrama
    • rasa, refined arts.
    • saMskAra (solid, systematic pursuit of refinement), sAdhana, tapas, mantra
    • adhikAra-bheda (right to exclusiveness)
  • Adaptability: The Hindu ethos is extremely diverse, accommodating mutually opposite metaphysical/ ritual/ economic etc.. viewpoints peacefully (JM15). Hinduism has an “open architecture” - almost any philosophy can join in, unless it the kind that attacks the “open architecture” itself.
  • Belief: secondary and varied: Hindu ethos encompasses a huge variety of belief systems - ranging from vaidika orthodoxy to epistemological atheism with non-epistemological “faith”, which have for the most part respected each others’ right to exist. Indeed, various subversive ostensibly anti-vedic movements such as buddhism and jainism show a great deal of hindu influence in their epistemology, goals and practice. Practice is far more important than belief.
    • The polytheism [and therefore polycentrism] inherent in the core vaidika system is an important contributor to this universality.
    • Contrast with Abrahamistic monotheisms.
    • Related articles:
      • Sanjeev Sanyal has argued (here) that Hinduism is a complex adaptive sytem.

Hinduism can be visualized as concentric series of maNDalas. The degree to which you dislike or hate the core maNDala determines the degree to which you are Hindu. So,from the core to the periphery, the following may be noted:

  • shrauta / smArta beliefs and practices (especially those similar to the ones mentioned above) are at the core of hinduism
  • while nAstika (veda-nindaka) systems loosely lie at the peripheri
  • Sectarian Astika beliefs and practices (eg. mokSha-drive, pAncharAtra, shaiva, kaumAra) lie somewhere in-between.

Is hinduism a religion? See here.

Essential knowledge

  • Nature of the physical universe (Biology, physics, math)
  • The Gods
  • Their sacred myths
  • The mantras
  • The kalpa
  • The Arya tongue (language, grammar, meter)
  • Some mImAMsA (including the nature of myths)
  • History and our enemies.

Who is a Hindu?

At a high level, for the purpose of this site, a Hindu is a person who is intimately connected with, and not antagonistic towards, the ancient cultural ethos of the Indian subcontinent, which was animated by the great vedic sagely tradition at its core with various mostly-friendly systems at the periphery. This excludes Indian converts to semitic religions, but includes non-Indians - say - Balinese Hindus and Thai brAhmaNas.

HINO-s

Hindus in name only.

They think Hinduism is appeasing grandma by wearing tilakam when told to, lighting some lamps on Diwali and prancing around on Holi. They see no conflict with Liberalism, and feel no repulsion from ‘Modernity’.

Hindus I have found MOST easily made captives to the godless, dishonorable, deracinated, superficially saffron scented Liberal dogma of New Jersey Bollywoodism are those who know no Sanskrit — only token bhajans.

Background and introductions

The last section of chapter 36 of PV Kane’s vol 5 a must-read for every hindu who wants to understand his background.

Here is an introduction to Hindu India by the Hinduism Today magazine:

Against south-Asia

South Asia term basically clubs India/Indians w/ Pakistan/Bdesh & their people & culture (which is different from India). So each bad thing of Pak & Bdesh is imposed on India’s characterisation too while each good thing from India is shared by Pak/BD too under this term.

A musical exhibit said: “South of South Asia” - That’s when I lost it. -Amey and Amit on Brown Pundits