Hinduism: Its Essence and Relationship to Vegetarianism
Editor's note: In the last several newsletters, we presented Christian and Buddhist perspectives on vegetarianism. This time we turn to Hinduism. Come to our yet to be scheduled early 1999 Hindu potluck! Don't miss Rynn Berry's visit this fall when he talks about religion and vegetarianism.
Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are religions founded by individuals; the dates of their inceptions are well established and their authors are known. No such dates or founder can be attributed to Hinduism.1
The word Hindu does not occur in the Vedas, the revelations of Hinduism; rather, Hindu derives its name from the river Sindhu in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.
Rather than a distinct religion, Hinduism is more appropriately classified as a fellowship of religions because of its liberal absorption and acceptance of other faiths. In fact, Hinduism can be interpreted as any "path in life" -- even if that path follows the constructs of another religion. Hinduism accepts the reality that there are varying intellectual and spiritual levels in each of us; hence, we strive to obtain the same goal, but follow different paths at various rates. For example, a Christian Baptist could also be considered a Hindu because s/he is actively pursuing a pathway to finding truth. Hinduism offers different religious approaches to persons of varied aptitudes, appealing to both the philosopher and the technician, the mystic and the person of action as well as the intellectual and the simple person of faith. Each can be guided by his/her own spiritual experience. Though Hinduism accepts the authority of the Vedas, it does not believe in a dogma and rejects the exclusive claim of even a highly evolved indivi ...