Hinduism- How does it effect people today?

Question

Do Hindus practice the same rituals as they used to? Do they believe the same beliefs as they used to? How does it effect them?

Answer 1

Hinduism has something that most other Polytheistic ("many Gods and Goddesses") religions do not: An unbroken and "uncloseted" tradition. Unlike pagans in Greece, Hinduism has always been legal and openly practised in India, and needs no "reconstruction" of traditions.

Because of this, many Hindu traditions are the same as they were two thousand years ago. Many others have evolved over time.

As far as how this affects them, many Christian missionaries are sent to India every year for the explicit purpose of converting Hindus. It's pretty much been that way since India was British, because before then, most people simply did not want to travel to India because of the mountains that separate India from Europe -- a few got there, but the big wave of missionaries came much later that it did to Europe. This is the primary reason that Hinduism has remained largely unchanged, and has evolved in its own way.

So, to answer your questions, yes, they pretty much believe the same thing, but on the other hand, many rituals have grown into something either more or less elaborate than what it was three thousand years ago.

Furthermore, "Hinduism" is kind of an umbrella term that incorporates many different beliefs and practises around the same pantheon (group of Gods and Goddesses) -- kind of like how "Christianity" includes Catholics, Lutherans, Quakers, Jehovah's Witnesses and Menonites, among others. Some Hindu sects are thousands of years old, while others may be only one-hundred to five-hundred years old. They may not always have drastically different beliefs from one-another, but sometimes they do. Still, they are all unified under the same pantheon.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Most Hindu's practice the same rituals, maybe a bit different. It's hard to believe, but apparently the Vedas don't ever say that Puja's should be practiced.

But anyway, Most hindu's do. They worship gods, most [though the numbers are decreasing] don't eat beef, take off shoes in the house, touch elders feet, etc.

Effecting them, I guess makes them a Hindu.

Answer 3

Some Sixty years back the Hindus going to temple in India was very meagre.There used to be near darkness inside the temples and bats used to fly!! In Independent India today people have to wait atleast 4 to5 hours in line to have a glimpse of the main Diety even in medium cities..In some temples like sri.Tirupathi,sri.Vaishno Devi temples one has to wait for his/her turn to have a glimpse of the Main deity,for 1/2 (0.5) a second, one has to wait between 72-96 hours-the temple Authorities issue Number tokens and one has Excellent facilities to stay(Lodging),to have good quality food(restaurents) and has to stand in the line hardly for 10 minutes(token numbers announced in the wide-net-loud speakers)Temples are illuminated with Electric lamps like Day-time-24 hour security.The income of many templea reach Millions per annum.Tirupathi,Melmaruvatthur and many Hindu Temples run Universities,Medical institutes(with advanced Research facilities)Engineering/Nursing colleges with seperate Universities to Teach hindu religious texts.1.2. Billion Hindus are ther in the world.Hindus ,wherever they go(except muslim countries) first construct one or more Hindu temples -in places like New-York,San-Francisco-Chicago ,London,Paris,Berlin,Franfurt,Tokyo etc,etc.

Answer 4

Maybe. Much like all religions, they do evolve.

Buddhism is offspring from Hinduism, which is what I practice. It has changed my life - the practices have caused more confidence within myself, have caused me more contentedness which is spread to others that come across me (I hope), and made me more willing to want to help, I just don't know where to start.

Meditation is still present