I PRACTICE HINDUISM; DO I NEED TO STUDY HINDUISM?
Hindu University of America offers many courses such as: B. Vedic Courses, Sanskrit Courses, Vedic Study Courses, Hindu Vedas.
I practice Hinduism; so why do i have to study hinduism?
Many of us are ardent followers of Hinduism and its philosophy – we just express it in different ways. Some of us follow rituals and traditions; others focus on their gods and places of worship; a few delve deep into the scriptures and read them regularly; some are vocal about the role of Hinduism in today’s society; and some accepted a particular community under the guidance of a Swami or Guru. For many, Hinduism is purely about the joy of celebrating festivals and holidays; for some it is a spiritual experience that leads them to dhyana and dharma, and there are those who are very particular about their faith and practice.
Since Hinduism has so many aspects, wouldn’t it be enough for one to practice one or more of them? If so, why the need to embark on the academic pursuit of the Vedas and Sanatana Dharma?
Just as all other aspects of practicing Hinduism have their place in our lives, so does the structured and guided teaching of the great principles of this ancient religion. Imagine practicing yoga without being formally trained in it – we are constantly at risk of injury or health risks due to an incomplete understanding of the science or because we have failed to learn the intricacies of each asana. While each asana has its own health benefits, there are clear guidelines for who can perform them, when and how they should be performed. Hence the need for formal training and a guru.
The need to engage in academic endeavors on Hinduism is equally important for the following reasons:
Need to Know: How is Atman different from Brahman? What does the Bhagavad Gita tell us? What is the significance of vegetarianism in Hinduism? Why is yoga not an end in itself, but only a means to the path of spiritual enlightenment? Why is knowledge of Sanskrit paramount to a better understanding of Hinduism? What is the truth behind the much maligned caste system attributed to Hinduism? Is the suffix -ism justified when Hinduism is linked to other world religions, even though it predates any of them by thousands of years? There are many other questions we need answers to. We need to know this because it is this knowledge that will propel us on our spiritual journey. And this knowledge cannot be obtained by random research on the Internet. It takes academic commitment to research, study, introspect and find these answers. It requires the guidance of experts who will become our gurus on this journey.
Need to guide: Many of us follow or practice certain aspects of Hinduism because our elders initiated us into it and we obeyed them without question. But when it comes to encouraging our next generation to follow in our footsteps, we need to be able to answer their questions and satisfy their need to understand before they accept. How many of us can raise our hands and claim to know the nuances of Hinduism, what they mean, why they should be practiced and how they benefit us? Contrary to popular Western belief, every aspect of Hinduism, be it tradition or practice, belief or worship, is built on a solid foundation of rationale. Everything can be explained, but only if we have the answers. This can only happen when we open ourselves to the teachings and let ourselves be guided by the practice that expands the horizons of what we know about Hinduism. Academic study makes this exercise possible.
Need to promote: Hinduism has been subjected to a long, endless phase of discrimination because of its “majority status” in India and because of the misconceptions about it in the West, resulting in it being called polytheistic, idolatrous and pagan. This led to a dilution of its core values among the majority of Hindus who deviated from their original path of spirituality and instead chose a hybrid path dictated by Western practices. There is a long-standing need to clear the fog that has obscured this path and show the way to those Hindus who have been led to believe that their religion has infected society with discrimination and superstition, again a colonial narrative that needs to be disproved. This can only be achieved by studying Hinduism in detail and acquiring Vedic wisdom. Only academic activity can contribute to the fulfillment of this goal.
The need to protect: When the colonial powers left India, they unfortunately left behind legions of skeptics – Hindus who were critical of their own religion. Rather than questioning beliefs, practices, and ancient scriptures in an attempt to find answers, they ended up questioning their religion more to express their disagreements and flaunt their western mindset. This continues to this day with the rise of liberal voices who have been indoctrinated into the colonial perspective of believing that the West is the ultimate source of knowledge and authority and that everything in the world must meet their approval in order to exist.
Need to be corrected: For centuries, the written word about Hinduism mostly came from the pen of foreigners. Their interpretation is seen as more “objective” and their interpretation of Hinduism is promoted as a worldview that is seen as more “informed” and more “in line with” the colonial narrative that was forced upon us. If we need to respond and offer the right story, which is an insider’s perspective, we need to be better equipped to do so. This requires a deep knowledge of our own past, our ethos, philosophies and our scriptures. It also requires a working knowledge of the wonderful language in which all our scriptures were presented to us – Sanskrit. Casual reading or internet research would not be enough. It is likely that such efforts may lead us back to the colonial perspectives that may appear as search results. Or we may end up reading westernized versions of our epics because we chose to study them in English. Therefore, we must undertake a formal academic journey into Hinduism.
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