Explain Hinduism to me, Veeky Forums. What is it? Can it be compared to European polytheism...

Explain Hinduism to me, Veeky Forums. What is it? Can it be compared to European polytheism? How diverse are the beliefs? How does the caste system factor in? Does it have clergy? What are the goals? What does it mean to be a good Hindu?

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>Can it be compared to European polytheism?
Yes
>How diverse are the beliefs
I'd say about 6 major regions with their varieties inside them
>How does the caste system factor in
Lol, you're in for a world of hurt
>does it have clergy
I believe it;s actually mandatory, that you need an archaka when you go to pray at a temple, and they perform the same stuff you see in Christianity, though not the same in Judaism

>I'd say about 6 major regions with their varieties inside them

Could you elaborate?

>What is it?
The collective native beliefs and traditions of the Indian people
>Can it be compared to European polytheism?
In a very general sense yes
>How diverse are the beliefs?
Very
>How does the caste system factor in?
The Varnas developed during Vedic times

The Manusmriti theoretically divides society into four varnas which can be further divided into jatis.

Brahmin - religious priests and scholars
Kshatriya - kings and warriors
Vaishya - merchants and artisans
Sudra - service

Outside of these four groups is the Dalit - earlier so called "untouchables" or "pariahs" who can historically do only menial jobs, like street cleaning, cremation and leather tanning.

However, these are not THE castes. This is a common misconception. There are thousands of groups in India that are called castes and an Indian will identify with one of these thousands of groups rather than one of the varnas. With the exception of Brahmins and Dalits, whose varna is truly a large part of their identity.

The concept of jati is closer to the actuality of caste, and infact the two words "jati" and "caste" are often used interchangeably in India. There is not always a clear-cut hierarchy because there are a lot of jatis, and they change across region and time. Castes can also arise from various ethnic, tribal, or religious divisions (i.e, not solely from class or occupational divisions). In addition, there can be overlap and redundancy, with more than one jati occupying the same "niche" of occupation or function.

It wasn't always as vicious as it later became, in the beginning it was about performing duties.

In the Mahabharata Uttanka wanders in the desert and is thirsty. He sees a untouchable who walks up to him and offers him water in a bag made of animal skin. Uttanka refuses due to his prejudice. Krishna appears and states that the untouchable was actually Indra who had ambrosia/nectar in his bag that would make him immortal. He then chastises Uttanka for his prejudice.

Women in the Mahabharata were less subjected to caste restrictions and could rise up to a higher caste/social station through hypergamy. Satyavati is the daughter of a fisherwoman and becomes the wife and Queen of Shantanu. Vidura's mother is a slave who slept with Author Avatar Vyasa whose son therefore easily rises to the level of Vizier.

Even the Great Sage Valmiki was once a common thief before walking the path of Dharma.

>Can it be compared to European polytheism?
No.
>How diverse are the beliefs?
Very diverse.
>How does the caste system factor in?
The caste system revolves around it.
>Does it have clergy?
No.
>What are the goals?
There is no goal.
>What does it mean to be a good Hindu?
Depends which deity you worship.

I heard that there is no 'caste system', that it is a myth invented by europeans intended to make indians/hindus look bad.

>Does it have clergy?
Brahmins

>What are the goals?
Liberation from ignorance and delusions, and achieve union in God

>What does it mean to be a good Hindu?
Uphold Dharma

I'm not a teacher user, it's hard for me to explain, but Mysore, Maharashtra, Hindustan (or Punjab, whatever floats your boat), West Bengal and Rajastahn are all different entities from each other, and if Indian history went differently, would be different countrys

>>Does it have clergy?
>No.
If we consider clergy to be priests and such, how are you saying no? That's blatantly wrong

Imagine if Semitic paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and all their weirdo offshoots were classed as one religion

The fact that Sikhs and Bengalis exist in one country truly boggles my mind


hint, I've dated one of them. Guess which.

>>Can it be compared to European polytheism?
Only in terms of origin. It's a religion which is often classed as pantheistic/monistic/softly 'monotheistic', and thus doesn't bear as much of a resemblance to European paganism as one might expect.
>>How diverse are the beliefs
Very. Hinduism is an umbrella term, there are several subsets of the tradition which vary widely from one another.
>>How does the caste system factor in
As the primary goal of a Hindu life is escape from the cycle of reincarnation, concern for 'dharma' (responsibility) is integral -- this obviously ties into responsibility to act within the bounds of one's caste.
>>does it have clergy
Yes.

There are no priest in hinduism.

>what are brahmin

Kings of their respective kingdoms

>Can it be compared to European polytheism
In what capacity?
Generally speaking, no.

>how diverse
Incredibly.

>I'd say about 6 major regions with their varieties inside them
I'd put it closer to 12 or 15.

>How does the caste system factor in?
Depends; some systems reify it. Others undermine it. Generally the nondualists are all about undermining the status quo but this isn't a hard rule.

>Does it have clergy?
Define; there are 'priests' there are 'saddhus' and a ton of other designations.

>What are the goals?
Depends on the sect. Broadly speaking they're mostly after Moksha or Mukti (Liberation from the wheel of reincarnation).

>What does it mean to be a good Hindu?
Depends on the group in question.

^This guy gets p. close.

^This too.

Saivists and Vaishanvs are all "Hindus".

>pantheistic/monistic/softly 'monotheistic', and thus doesn't bear as much of a resemblance to European paganism as one might expect.
Moreover, they can go from hard polytheist to henotheist to monist.

I believe it is Monotheistic.

They all believe in Brahman, the Godhead which humans are capable of experiencing as their true self.

There is also Ishvara, the personification of the Godhead in the universe.

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are all aspects of the same Godhead, like how in Christianity the trinity is all equally God.

High castes. Doesn't necessarily mean they're priest. A samana has more credentials of being a "priest" than a brahman.

There are no priests in Hinduism.

>Saivists and Vaishanvs

Could you briefly explain these?

>Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are all aspects of the same Godhead, like how in Christianity the trinity is all equally God.
Eeeeh, this depends greatly on the sect therein.

The Trika worship three forms of Kali in a triadic manner and generally view every godform as subordinate to Shiva.

Saivists worship Shiva.
This comes in many flavors from the Heterodox Vamacara to the relatively orthodox Shaiva Siddhanta which are closer to Advaita.

Vaishnavu are your Krshnites and Vishnu worshipers. This can range from Advaita itself to ISKCON.

>What is it?
It's a system of belief originating in India. It's a mix of Harappan and later Vedic tradition.
>Can it be compared to European polytheism?
No, because there are many deities but they're all just different manifestations of a driving force behind all life. This is the Hindu equivalent of God.
>How diverse are the beliefs?
Very, because there's no central authority. For example, Catholics have the Vatican but Protestants don't (which is why there are so many Protestant sects).
>How does the caste system factor in?
In India, while not officially backed up by laws, caste-based stigma is strong. People are often killed over it. Some Hindus don't even care about castes, though. It depends on the individual Hindu and sometimes where they live.
>Does it have clergy?
Yes, there are Brahmins, but there's no unified center like the Vatican.
>What are the goals?
The goal is to end the cycle of reincarnation and achieve moksha.
>What does it mean to be a good Hindu?
Don't steal, don't be a dick, be modest, just standard decency. There are no set-in-stone rules, though. It's more like suggestions on how to best end the cycle of rebirth.

Here's a link to the Tantra thread I did some days ago:
desuarchive.org/his/thread/2035001/#2035001

You seem very well versed on Hinduism.

I believe that moksha is real and that liberation is possible through following the path of jnana yoga(proper meditation) and karma yoga(proper service).

Thoughts?

archaka are priests you fools

>A pujari or archaka is a Hindu temple priest. The word comes from the Sanskrit/Hindi word "Puja" meaning worship.[1] They are responsible for performing temple rituals, including puja and aarti, and taking care of murtis. Pujaris are mainly drawn from the Hindu Brahmin caste. Both men and women can be pujaris.
>Traditionally, priests have come from the Brahmin varna, although in various parts of India, people from other communities (such as Lingayats in parts of Karnataka) have performed the function. In modern times, archakas have been recruited from various communities with lesser regard to caste.

Hindu priests are known to perform services often referred to as puja. Priests are identified as pandits or pujaris amongst devotees.[1] Priests were the instigating factor to why ordinary people of Hindu religion became indulged severely in a devotional path. Hindu priests through their extended knowledge of the literature, the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana were able to encourage the Hindu community's devotion to Hindu deities.[2]


Why the fuck is Veeky Forums infested with autistic knowitalls who in fact know nothing

That's just the basic assertion of the yogic texts.
I "believe" if that's what you wanna call it.

Thanks m8