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GraysonHull
Dr.WijithaBandara
WorldReligions
29April2016

Hinduism:DharmaorReligion?
MostoutsiderswouldconsidertheHindupracticesoneofthemajorworldreligions.
However,thepractitionersofHinduismwouldnotagree.HinduscalltheirpracticesSanatana
Dharmaandnotareligion.
Dharma
isaHindutermwhichdoesnothaveanaccuratetranslation
inEnglishitsmeaningissomewhatofacombinationofduty,law,andorder1.Thisenigmatic
termisresponsibleforallaspectsofHinduculture:Indiasancientcastesystem,rituals,and
moralcodes.InordertodetermineifHinduismisDharmaorareligion,onemustlookatit
throughthethreespectaclesscholarsofreligionwoulduse:materialisticperspective,functional
perspective,andfaithbasedperspective2.Thefunctionalandmaterialisticperspectivesareused
byscientificmindstofigureoutwhymenhavewhatwechoosetocallreligion.Thesetwo
viewpointsdifferbecausefunctionalistslookathowreligionisusefultohumans,while
materialistschoosetobelievethatreligionwascreatedbyhumansandlookatwhyitwascreated
3

.Afaithbasedperspectiveisbaseduponbeliefinthepracticeswhichishowfollowersofa

religionwouldperceiveit.IfHinduismfitsintotheselenses,itcanbeconsideredareligion.

Flood,GavinD.
AnIntroductiontoHinduism.
NewYork,NY:CambridgeUP,2009.Print.p52
Fisher,MaryPat.LivingReligions.7thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,2008.Print.p27
3

ibid
1
2


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NowtoseeifHinduismfitsthematerialisticviewpointofreligion.Thephilosopher
LudwigFeuerbachhasthisperspective.Feuerbachbelievedthatwhatreligionsperceivedasgods
wereactuallyjustembodimentsofhumanemotionsandqualities.Thisisechoedfurtherinthe
wordsofKarlMarx,Manmakesreligion:religiondoesnotmakeman4Sothequestionis,
doHindupracticesfitthisideology?Hindupracticesincludetheworshipofover300million
differentdeities.Thedeitiesembodydifferenthumanqualities.Withsomanydivinebeings,the
wholerangeofhumanemotionsandqualitiesarethoroughlycovered.Therefore,alotof
supportingevidenceforFeuerbachsaboveclaimispresentinHinduism.KarlMarx,asocialist
philosopher,isalsoofthisperspective.Marxholdsthebeliefthatreligionistheproductof
oppressedpeople:theyusereligionasjustificationfortheirpoorcircumstances5 .Marxalso
claimsthatreligionisimplementedasatoolbytheoppressortokeepdowntheirsubordinates.6
AninfamousHindupracticeistheircastesystemitisnowdetestedbymanyaroundthemodern
worldbecauseitisviewedasatoolforoppression.Brahmins,Hindureligiousleaders,derived
thehierarchyoftheHinducastesystemfromtheSastras,Hinduholytexts7.Thecastesystems
hierarchyisbaseduponthelevelsofpurityestablishedinthisgroupoftexts,andwhatfamily
oneisbornintodeterminestheunmalleablecaste.Brahmins,thehighestbornecaste,aresaidto
havethemostpuritywhereastheUntouchablesarethemostpollutedandarethelowestborne
caste.TheUntouchablesaregiventheimpure,dirtyjobsandrolesinsocietyasprescribedbythe
BrahminsinterpretationofDharma.Ancienttextsprovideindetailaboutgruesomepunishments
fordifferentcastemembershavingintimaterelations8 .Hindusaccepttheirroles,goodorbad,

Ibid
p3

ibid
6

Ibid
7
Flood,GavinD.AnIntroductiontoHinduism.NewYork,NY:CambridgeUP,2009.Print.p57
8

Ibid
p60
4
5


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becauseofthebeliefthattheyarevitalforsocialandcosmicorder9.Fromthe
Marxistmaterialisticviewpointofreligion,Hinduismscastesystemfitsquitewell.Itcouldbe
saidtheBrahmins,oroppressors,createdtheirreligioustextstojustifyoppressingthelower
castes.
Next,Hinduismwillbelookedatthroughthefunctionalistlensetoseeifitfits.The
functionalperspectiveofreligionisheldbypeoplethatlookatreligionasausefulsystemfor
mankind10.ThesociologistEmileDurkheimgivesnotablecontributionstothisperspective.
Durkheim,beingasociologist,chosetofocusonthefunctionsofreligioninasocietyheasserts
thatwellstructuredsocietyisanecessitytohumanlifeandreligioniswhatbindssocieties
together11 .Fromthisperspective,theHinducastesystemisagoodthinginasense.Ahierarchy
likethisprovidesinstructionsforwhowilldowhatjobandlivewhere.Theverydefinitionof
Dharma,lawanddutyandorder,fitsDurkheimsbeliefthatareligionhelpsbindsociety
together.DharmicguidelinesforhowsocietyshouldworkarefoundinHinduismsholytexts.
BiologistJohnBowker,whousesthefunctionalperspectiveonreligion,claimsthatreligionaids
humansbiologically.Bowkersclaimisbasedonhisbeliefthatthecommunityaspectof
religionshelpstoguaranteereproductionandchildrearingbybringingpeopletogether12.A
socialorderliketheonefoundinHinduismaidsreproduction.Potentialmates,orthoseofthe
samecaste,willbecloisteredtogetherinthesameareasthusensuringtheywillcomeinto
contactwitheachother.So,Hinduismfitsthefunctionalperspectivesdefinitionofareligion.

Fisher,MaryPat.LivingReligions.7thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,2008.Print.p99

Ibid
p4
11

Ibid
12

Ibid
10


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Lastly,itistimetoseeifHinduismfitsthethirdperspectivesdefinitionofreligion:the
faithbasedperspective.Thisviewisheldbyreligiouspeople.Thesearepeoplewhochooseto
holdabeliefthatthereisaninvisiblerealitythatisnotthesameastherealitywenormallysee13.
Hindusbelieveinaninvisible,orultimate,realityandbyfollowingtheVedicguidelinesonecan
transcendintothisspiritualrealm14 .Thistranscendenceisalsoknownas
moksha
.Theconceptof
mokshawasexplainedbyteachersknownas
rishi
.Theseteachingswereguidelinestoachieve
knowledgeoftheuniverseandimmortality.Knowledgeof
Brahman
,theHindusgreatlifeforce
andultimatereality,istheprimarygoalbecauseBrahmanisineverythingincludinghumans.
Atman
,orthesoul,isthepartofBrahmanthatisfoundinallhumans.AllHindusbelievein
reincarnationthisprocessisanotherwisecontinuouscycle,called
Samsara
,oftheAtmanbeing
rebornintoanewbeingwhenthepriordies.Itcanonlybebrokenby
moksha
,whichiswhen
AtmanmergeswithBrahman15.ThusthisbeliefinaninvisiblerealityconfirmsthatHinduism
fitsthisperspectivesdefinitionofreligionaswell.
Hindupracticesfitthethreescholarlydefinitionsofreligion:materialist,functionalist,
andfaithbased.Thereforeitcanbeconsideredareligionandisnotsomethingelse,orDharma.
Hinduismhasalltheaspectswewouldthinkastereotypicalreligionhas:deities,priests,temples,
rituals,andtexts.IwouldhaveconsideredHinduismareligionbeforethisclass,butthis
assignmentshowedmehowtoactuallysupportthatclaim.

Ibid
p6
Flood,GavinD.AnIntroductiontoHinduism.NewYork,NY:CambridgeUP,2009.Print.p62
15
Fisher,MaryPat.LivingReligions.7thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,2008.Print.p79
13
14


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SITEVISIT
FormyEasternReligionSiteVisit,IwenttotheSikhTempleofUtah.Wedidnotcover
Sikhisminclassthissemester,butIwasabletoapplyconceptsdiscussedinclasstogetmoreout
ofmyexperienceattheworshipservice.Priortothisclass,theEasternreligioustraditions
seemedsoalientomeIwouldhaveneverbeencomfortableventuringintoanEasterntradition
worshipservicestoobserve.LearningaboutHinduismandBuddhisminclasschangedthis
drastically.IncomparisontoHinduismandBuddhism,Sikhismwasactuallymuchmoresimilar
totheChristiantraditionsIamaccustomedto.Therewasmusicandachoirofthreemensinging
worshipversesatthebeginningoftheSikhsserviceinthefrontoftheworshiphallbythealtar.
Thealtarwasadornedwithtwoswordsandcoveredwithacanopy.Theirpriestalsoledthe
congregationinprayerliketheChristiantraditionIamfamiliarwith.Aftertheservice,Iwas
invitedtoacommunitymealinthetemplesdininghall.Allofthemembersofthecongregation
wereextremelykindtome.OnceIgothomefromtheSikhTemple,Idecidedtolookatthe
chapteronSikhisminmytextbook.IlearnedSikhismismonotheisticliketheAbrahamicfaiths.
Ialsolearnedtheirscripturesemphasizecharityworkandbeingkindtoeveryone.Thiswas
apparentwithhowwelltheyreceivedme,howkindtheyweretome,andthemsharingameal
withme.Thisaltruisticattitudereflectsthefunctionalperspectiveofreligionbecausealtruismis
beneficialtomankindssurvival.Overall,Iwasverypleasedwithmyexperienceatthisplaceof
worship.


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WorksCited
Fisher,MaryPat.LivingReligions.7thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,2008.Print.

Flood,GavinD.AnIntroductiontoHinduism.NewYork,NY:CambridgeUP,2009.Print.