Before you answer it, let's look at the meaning of s the word, "Hindu".
The word Hindu is derived from the river Indus. The people east of the river Indus were called Hindus. The religious practices of those people were collectively called Hinduism. [1]
If you were born in India, there is 85% chance that you are a Hindu based on the above definition. Almost 100% of them were born into Hinduism. This is important because we take so much pride in things that we had nothing to do with.
So, what does it mean to be a Hindu?
India, the name again coming from river Indus, has a billion Hindus and so expectedly would get a million different answers. It would range from atheists to devout followers of Vedic tradition all in one umbrella. Yes, I said, Atheists, because of lack of a central authority that dictates what a Hindu can and cannot do or believe in. It's all up to the individual. That's the beauty of Hinduism.
Some construe the tolerance as a sign of weakness but it's absolutely not. It takes a lot of strength to embrace things which are so fundamentally different from yours. That's the reason many other religions thrive in India. Hindus when converted to Christianity just replaced their Hindu god with Christian god.
But of late there has been a concerted effort to impose the Vedic tradition on all Hindus.
For the vast majority, Hindu means praying for stuff from the god of your choice at home or at the temple. And that can sometimes even be Jesus or Prophet Mohammed. I have spent many Christmas attending midnight mass and eat animals slaughtered in the name of Allah. I ate meat though raised a Saivite which by its very definition means vegetarianism and that's pretty much the norm. That doesn't make me less of a Hindu. I have read books on many religions and adopt those I like and reject the ones I don't like. This was all possible because we grew up where religious beliefs were not dogmas but common sense. Our parents were our spiritual gurus who told us what to do and what not to do. I did what I was told out of sheer obedience when I was young. When I became old to think for myself, I did things only when it appealed to my reason. That's how I was raised and that's the same way I intend to raise my children.
Now answer the question, Are you a Hindu?
Source:[1] http://www.shraddhananda.com/Meaning_and_Origin_Of_The_Word_Hindu.html
The word Hindu is derived from the river Indus. The people east of the river Indus were called Hindus. The religious practices of those people were collectively called Hinduism. [1]
If you were born in India, there is 85% chance that you are a Hindu based on the above definition. Almost 100% of them were born into Hinduism. This is important because we take so much pride in things that we had nothing to do with.
So, what does it mean to be a Hindu?
India, the name again coming from river Indus, has a billion Hindus and so expectedly would get a million different answers. It would range from atheists to devout followers of Vedic tradition all in one umbrella. Yes, I said, Atheists, because of lack of a central authority that dictates what a Hindu can and cannot do or believe in. It's all up to the individual. That's the beauty of Hinduism.
Some construe the tolerance as a sign of weakness but it's absolutely not. It takes a lot of strength to embrace things which are so fundamentally different from yours. That's the reason many other religions thrive in India. Hindus when converted to Christianity just replaced their Hindu god with Christian god.
But of late there has been a concerted effort to impose the Vedic tradition on all Hindus.
For the vast majority, Hindu means praying for stuff from the god of your choice at home or at the temple. And that can sometimes even be Jesus or Prophet Mohammed. I have spent many Christmas attending midnight mass and eat animals slaughtered in the name of Allah. I ate meat though raised a Saivite which by its very definition means vegetarianism and that's pretty much the norm. That doesn't make me less of a Hindu. I have read books on many religions and adopt those I like and reject the ones I don't like. This was all possible because we grew up where religious beliefs were not dogmas but common sense. Our parents were our spiritual gurus who told us what to do and what not to do. I did what I was told out of sheer obedience when I was young. When I became old to think for myself, I did things only when it appealed to my reason. That's how I was raised and that's the same way I intend to raise my children.
Now answer the question, Are you a Hindu?
Source:[1] http://www.shraddhananda.com/Meaning_and_Origin_Of_The_Word_Hindu.html
