CoRrect Your ViEw ON Hinduism

As I come across many people in the Malaysian society whether in school or in other places, I often realise that many people are misconception on Hinduism and stay along with it and the most serious is in Malta the government announced it as a Cult, I could not blame them for not knowing it but I am disappointed with the Hindus for failing to make the others understand the Shanathana Dharma (The Code of Life) which is meant Hinduism and even some using it for their own selfish reason.

Hinduism is the name given to the religion that originated in India. The word Hindu came about as a mispronunciation of the name of an ancient river in India called ‘Sindhu’. Hinduism is often misunderstood to be a polytheist religion. (I.e. believing in many almighty Gods and Goddesses). This is not true. Hinduism is in fact a ‘pluralistic’ religion that suggests that God (or Spirit) can be perceived and approached in a variety of ways. This teaching is central to Hinduism. It emphasises that as we are all different, the way we will think of and approach the ultimate reality (God or spirit) will necessarily be different.

Concept of God: (Pluralism – many pathways and hence many religions but still pointing to the same God)


Hinduism being a pluralistic religion offers a vast variety of concepts of God.

Broadly these can be divided into two categories. (Take note: Hinduism does not say that any one approach is better than another is. The choice depends on the individual or any religious group).


God as a personality (sometimes with form and sometimes without form)


Hinduism suggests that as we are human one of the ways we can relate to the idea of God is to think of Him or Her as having a personality. Just like any personality He must have a character. For God, all religions, including Hinduism, like to give him qualities of truth, goodness, compassion, power, knowledge. The two main movements within Hinduism for those who like to think of God in this fashion are called the Arya Samaj and the Brahamo Samaj. One of the offshoots of Hinduism, Sikhism also likes to think of God as a personality but without giving Him any form. But many Hindus do not stop at thinking that God can be thought of as a personality. They are quite happy to think of Him with form. The form chosen is not the form of God but the form the devotee likes to use to think of God. This is a major difference with the Abrahamic faiths that do not like to give form to God. Note: when Hindus worship images of God (do not make the mistake of calling them idols as that is considered to be a demeaning word) the images are called Murtis. They are not worshipping stone or marble that the images are made from. They are worshipping the being that is represented by those images.

Concept of God as a principle that underpins everything (Brahman/Atman):

This approach to God is unusual. It says that the inner being we call our ’self’ is a manifestation of God. The same God is shining in the eyes of every living thing. Like lots of little puddles reflecting the same infinite sky. The essential nature of all living things is really God. When we help anyone we are helping God (or ourselves only). Hence reverence for all living things springs naturally from Hinduism. The definition of God as being our true self is called ‘Atman’. The self becomes manifested as ‘consciousness’. Consciousness defies all classifications. Hence this concept of God is called God beyond the form and the formless. One of the greetings used by Hindus is ‘Namaste’. This gesture literally means ‘reverence to God as your true self’.


Major misconceptions about Hinduism


(1) Hinduism is not a polytheist religion. It is a pluralistic religion suggesting many pathways to the same God. This allows many religions to co-exist with dignity and without having to score points over each other.

(2) Hindus do not worship ‘objects or idols’. The images are tools used to focus on an infinite God. Every religion does it but some do it knowingly while others do it unknowingly.

(3) Hindus do not worship the cow. They revere it as the best candidate in the animal kingdom to receive the thanks of mankind.

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