Is Hinduism essentially monotheistic?

Question

To me, a Catholic, it looks polytheistic. The Hindu Godhead appears to comprise multiple individual persons.

Informed answers only please. Only Hindus or people who have actually studied Hinduism.

Answer 1

Hinduism (like Christianity and other faiths) has many sects, interpretations and beliefs. It is therefore difficult to speak for all.

It is possible to be Hindu both religiously and/or philosophically. I know many Hindus who aren't at all religious but honor traditions, practices and a way of thinking that many would say is a Hindu. From a Hindu perspective (philosophically speaking) I have heard good arguments that it would not be impossible to be both a Hindu and a Christian at the same time; although from Christian perspective this might not always be accepted.

Some Hindus believe that there is "one God with many faces (or aspects)." These aspects or attributes of God are personified in the form of other gods. Hindus from Bali worship a Universal God that is supreme over all things. They, like Hindu's from India, also believe in a trinity represented by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are respectively the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe. At face value, Hinduism is definitely polytheistic but many Hindus are actually monotheistic. It's truly a matter of perspective.

Despite fundamental differences. It's interesting that as a former Catholic myself, I find Catholicism to have the most in common with Hinduism across all the Christian faiths.

Here are three observations:

1.Both Hinduism and Catholicism see God in a complicated way and share the concept of a trinity.
2.Catholicism accepts the belief that one can pray (outside of God) directly to Saints, such as the ever popular Saint Jude the patron saint of lost causes. Similarly, Hinduism also believes one can pray to aspects of God represented by gods like Lord Ganesha, the clearer of obstacles. Not exactly the same but also not so different on other levels.
3.Catholicism and Hinduism also share similarities around the use of statuary. Although Catholics say statues and Hindus say idols (a word that often has a negative connotation among Christians) statues play similar roles in the rituals of both (perhaps more similar than many would like to admit). Catholics see statues as representations of Jesus, Mary saints etc. These statues play an important role in Catholic rituals (e.g. May crowning, stations of the cross) and are generally treated with great respect. Many Catholics even keep statues of Mary or Jesus in shrines or special places in their homes. To Hindus, God has no shape or form. Where as an outsider would casually suggest they worship idols, Hindus actually believe they are worshipping God in the form of idols, not the idol itself. A significant nuance. Hindu’s also keep idols in shrines and treat them with a great deal of respect.

Anyway, more food for thought. For what it’s worth I am neither Christian nor Hindu. I think the best analogy is the poem “Blind Men & an Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe

see link below…

Answer 2

Hinduism is the way of living. there is no founder of this religion.I am hindu.
the difficulty lies in determining whether it is a polytheistic, pantheistic, or perhaps even monotheistic religion. It should be noted at the outset, however, that this is chiefly a western difficulty: the Indian mind is much more inclined to regard divergent views as complementary rather than competing.
Supporting a view of Hinduism as a polytheistic religion is the great pantheon of Hindu gods.

"Despite these polytheistic elements, however, many Hindus explain that the gods are various forms of a single Supreme Being "

So is Hinduism polytheistic, pantheistic, or monotheistic? Contributing to the difficulty of answering this question is the fact that Hindus are not nearly as concerned as are western thinkers with such labels and categories. After all, it is a favorite Hindu saying that "The Truth is One, but different sages call it by different names."
"Hinduism worships multiple forms of the one God.
"Hindus believe in monotheistic polytheism, rather than polytheism."
"Even though Hinduism is mistakenly regarded by many as a religion having many gods namely, polytheism, yet truly speaking Hinduism is a monotheistic religion."

Answer 3

Although Hinduism seem to project to the world as a Polytheistic Religion, but the truth is it had always been a Monotheistic Religion. Hindus in fact were able to see & accept all the different sides of GOD daringly. To them Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva are actually the same person - The Infinite! but in different Roles. It something like a man named John in his 30s - To his children he projects a Father Image. To his employees at work he projects a Employer Image. To his Employer he projects a Employee Image. To his Sunday Soccer Team he projects a Captain Image. To his wife he projects a Husband Image. To his parents he projects a Son Image. In all these different images the physical self is still John & John's soul, is still part of GOD - nothing has really changed. But to the ignorant observer, each an every image is different.

Answer 4

Hindus believe in just one God but that God can and does have many forms and aspects which they represent with differ deities. These deities are all considered to be forms of one ultimate deity so in this sense Hinduism is not truly polytheistic. There is only one ultimate God manifested in a variety of ways. I am not Hindu but I enjoy studying different religions and this much I feel competent to say. I also understand that they believe God is present everywhere in everything flowing through all at all times rather than a distinct seperate entity located separately from everything else.

Answer 5

From a hindu in the small island of Mauritius...

"Hinduism is considered a "polymorphic monotheistic" religion, meaning one god, the all powerful Brahman, takes different forms."
quoted from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism#The_many_deities_.28Parts_and_Parcels_of_God.29


I strongly believe in the above. Moreover, Hinduism states that all human beings are also embodiments of Brahman. I learned this from my guru, the world famous Sathya Sai Baba, who is very well versed in Hinduism and other world religions.


More on Hinduism not being a polytheistic religion...

"Many believe that multiplicity of deities makes Hinduism polytheistic. Such a belief is nothing short of mistaking the wood for the tree. The bewildering diversity of Hindu belief - theistic, atheistic and agnostic - rests on a solid unity. "Ekam sath, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti", says the Rigveda : The Truth (God, Brahman, etc) is one, scholars call it by various names. What the multipicity of deities does indicate is Hinduism's spiritual hospitality as evidenced by two characteristically Hindu doctrines: The Doctrine of Spiritual Competence (Adhikaara) and The Doctrine of The Chosen Deity (Ishhta Devata). The doctrine of spiritual competence requires that the spiritual practices prescribed to a person should correspond to his or her spiritual competence. The doctrine of the chosen deity gives a person the freedom to choose (or invent) a form of Brahman that satisfies his spiritual cravings and to make it the object of his worship. It is notable that both doctrines are consistent with Hinduism's assertion that the unchanging reality is present in everything, even the transient."
quoted from
http://hinduism.about.com/library/aa090199.htm

Finally, if you are interested in knowing Sathya Sai Baba (you might learn a few things about Hinduism from his discourses), check
http://www.srisathyasai.org.in/

Answer 6

Hinduism is as "Monotheistic" as Christianity. Christianity is considered Monotheistic because even though there are 3 parts to "GOD" they are technically all one in the same, just separate parts of the same "person." Hinduism is similar in it has minor deities that are separate parts of the one main God. I'm no expert, however it seems that Hinduism is almost closer to a polytheistic religion because it considers the separate parts of the one god to be deities on their own where in Christianity is considered Monotheistic because even though Jesus came to earth he was still "GOD".

Answer 7

Informed answer: Hinduism is whatever you would want it to be...GIta and Upnishads are monothiestic. That 'ONE GOD' however is subject to every individual's imagination...some imagine him as half monkey half human (the missing ink), some imagine him as a cow-sheperd/fluitist/ philosopher, some imagine him as aa dancing destroyer of evil. Some imagine him as an abstract God...not much unlike the one in Judaism and Christianity..the only difference is that in CHristianity God is omagine as separate from creation, in Hinduism His creationas are also His own menifestations.
Hindus are all accepting -so they would not reject polythiests or Islamic, Christian or Buddhist image/concept of divinity.
There is no central power structure in Hinduism that would control how people would and should believe! IN other words, Hinduism is internally and inharently secular. I beilive in an abstrat single God but is ny neighbour wants to believe in 1000 deities, neither of us would fight over it and try to prove that I am right and the other person is wong. We mind our own business when spirituality is concerned!

Answer 8

Some branches of Hinduism (which is more a category of belief systems than a single belief system) can be described as 'henotheistic', which means that they accept the existence of other gods while worshipping only a single one.

It's said that the Hebrews escaping Egypt with Moses were probably henotheistic too.

Answer 9

Yes, it is. They just believe that God is too complex to represent with just on aspect. Personally, I believe it began with the Diaspora, when the Jews where sent all over the world. Many wound up in India and talked of God. Some of the "natives" developed Hinduism to try to explain how one God could cover all of creation. But, that is just my theory. But. just because they are monotheistic, doesn't mean they believe in the Godhood of Christ. They lies the difference.

Answer 10

Hinduism is polytheistic. There are many different gods and goddesses to worship, even if a person only chooses to worship one.