ELECTIVES 101

REPORTING

“HINDUISM”

Submitted by:
Kate Millamena Modesto
BSN III

Submitted to:
Ms. Lianna Rose M. de la Cruz, RN
I. WHAT IS HIDUISM?

 Hinduism is one of the oldest known organized religions. It is also one of the most diverse and
complex, having millions of gods. Hindus have a wide variety of core beliefs and exist in many
different sectors. Although it is the third largest religion in the world, Hinduism exists primarily
in India and Nepal.

 Term “Hindu” is derived from the name of River Indus, which flows through northern India. In
ancient times the river was called the Sindhu, but the pre-Islamic Persians who migrated to India
called the river Hindu knew the land as Hindustan and called its inhabitants Hindus.

 Aum or Om is the main symbol of Hinduism. It is the sound heard in the deepest meditation and
is said to be the name most suited for God.

II. HOW DO THEY WORSHIP THERE GODS?

 Hindu worship, or puja, involves images (murtis), prayers (mantras) and diagrams of the
universe (yantras).

 Central to Hindu worship is the image, or icon, which can be worshipped either at home or in
the temple.

1. INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN COMMUNAL

 Hindu worship is primarily an individual act rather than a communal one,

as it involves making personal offerings to the god.

 Worshippers repeat the names of their favourite gods and goddesses, and
repeat mantras. Water, fruit, flowers and incense are offered to god.

2. WORSHIP AT HOME

 The majority of Hindu homes have a shrine where offerings are made and
prayers are said.

 A shrine can be anything: a room, a small altar or simply pictures or

statues of the god.

 Family members often worship together. Rituals should strictly speaking

be performed three times a day. Some Hindus, but not all, worship
wearing the sacred thread (over the left shoulder and hanging to the right
hip). This is cotton for the Brahmin (priest), hemp for the Kshatriya (ruler)
and wool for the vaishya (merchants).
 3. TEMPLE WORSHIP

 At a Hindu temple, different parts of the building have a different spiritual

or symbolic meaning.

 The central shrine is the heart of the worshipper

 The tower represents the flight of the spirit to heaven

III. GODS AND GODDESSES

 Vishnu
 Parvati
 Saraswati
 Shiva
 Brahma (The Creator)
 Laxmi
 Kali
 Yama
 Ganesha
 Dattatreya
 Indra
 Venkateshwara
 Kartikeya
 Hanuman

IV. CORE BELIEFS

1. AFTERLIFE AND REINCARNATION
 The sacred texts and spiritual philosophy of Hinduism are incomplete without the mention
of afterlife and reincarnation. According to Hinduism, the cosmos and everything in it is
an embodiment of infinity, which means nothing really begins or comes to an end. Instead,
everything, especially life, exists in phases and cycles. The soul is immortal and its
existence is eternal, albeit on different planes and in different forms (or vessels, in case of
an earthly or physical existence). Therefore, what we perceive as birth is nothing but the
beginning of an existing soul's journey of an earthly life and death is merely the point of
completion, for the soul to move on to another phase of its cosmic existence. Therefore, in
accordance to this philosophy of eternal continuity, there has to be an afterlife.
Reincarnation, however, is subject to whether or not a soul has achieved the highest levels
of enlightenment from its physical existence on Earth. Due to the belief in the immortality
 of the soul and the eternal nature of the cosmos, Hinduism is known as the Sanatana
Dharma, which means ‘Eternal Religion'.
2. KARMA – ACTION DETERMINES DESTINY
 Newton's third law of motion - to every action there is always an equal and opposite
reaction - draws heavily from the principle of Karma, as put down in the sacred Hindu
texts. According to this principle, the actions (or inaction's) of today determine one's
destiny. Say, for instance, if your car needs repair and you act lazy and keep stalling it, you
are bound to face the consequences in the form of a motor breakdown or an accident,
sometime or the other in the future. The threefold principle of Wicca (whatever
energy/thought you send out into the Universe, the Universe sends back to you threefold)
also involves the basic essence of Karma, as does the famous Biblical idiom, "Whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
3. DHARMA – JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
 Dharma entails upholding righteousness in both material and spiritual affairs. Dharma can
be roughly understood as the natural moral code, which, when diligently followed, ensures
justice for all. Leading a life dedicated to the path of Dharma, or righteousness, leads one
to fulfill his/her material, emotional, intellectual and spiritual responsibilities in a manner
that is free from bias, which is brought on by self-interest. This way, practicing good
Dharma invariably leads to good Karma, which makes way for a righteous existence for
the follower of Dharmic principles. Accumulation of good Karma in due course of a
lifetime is believed to either result in a better life in one's next birth or Moksha (liberation
of the soul from the cycle of birth and death).

4. SACRED LITERATURE IN HINDUISM

 The Vedas, which are actually not one but four books (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda,
Atharvaveda) are ancients religious texts revealing the eternal truth to humans.

 Besides certain rituals and customs certain scriptures, or works of literature, are considered
to be holy and important references to all Hindus.

V. HINDU BELIEFS AFFECTING HEALTH CARE

 FOOD BELIEFS

 Hindu dietary practices can vary depending on the individual’s beliefs and customs

 Most Hindus do not eat beef or pork and many follow a vegetarian diet. Fasting is common
among Hindus, but there are no set rules and the decision to fast is up to the individual.
  Many Hindus follow Ayurvedic dietary practices. Under this system certain foods are
classified as hot or cold and can adversely or positively affect health conditions and
emotions.
 The classification of foods as hot or cold is unrelated to temperature. Hot foods are
generally those foods which are salty, sour or high in animal protein, while cold foods are
generally sweet or bitter.
 Some strict Hindus do not consume garlic or onion as the properties of these foods disturb
spiritual practices such as meditation.

 KARMA
 A central belief of Hinduism is the doctrine of karma, the law of cause and effect.

 Hindus believe that every thought, word and action accumulates karma, which can affect
current and future lives. Hindus believe in reincarnation.

 Actions from a past life can affect events in the current life, including health and
wellbeing.

 Health care providers should be aware that a strong belief in karma can affect decision-
making regarding health care.

 HOLY DAYS
 Hindus do not observe a specific day of worship, although some days of the week may
be associated with particular gods.

 Hindus do observe a number of holy days and festivals which can have an impact on
health care due to associated fasts.

 Most Hindu holy days are based on the lunar calendar and the dates can vary from year
to year. Some festivals can occur over an extended period with celebrations lasting for
days or weeks.

 FASTING
 Fasting is an integral part of Hinduism and is seen as a means of purifying the body and
the soul, encouraging self-discipline, and gaining emotional balance.
 Fasting may be practiced on specific days of the week, during festivals or on holy days,
or in conjunction with special prayers.
 It is not considered obligatory for a Hindu patient to fast during hospitalization. However,
some patients may wish to fast while in hospital.
 There is no specified way to fast, but individuals may choose to abstain completely from
all food and drink or only abstain from certain foods.
 MENTAL HEALTH OR/AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION

 Many Hindus have a strong belief in the concept of the evil eye and may believe this to
be a cause of mental Illness.
 In addition, all illness, including mental illness, may be seen as the result of karma from
this, or a previous life.

 TRANSPLANT AND ORGAN DONATION

 Hinduism supports the donation and transplantation of organs. The decision to donate or
receive organs is left to the individual.

 SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

1. ABORTION
 Beliefs about abortion may vary depending on cultural or religious interpretations.
 Many Hindus believe that the moment of conception marks the rebirth of an
individual, which may make abortion unacceptable, except in emergencies.

2. CONTRACEPTION
 There is no official Hindu position on contraception.

3. ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY

 There is no official Hindu position on contraception.

 PAIN MANAGEMENT

 Hinduism encourages the acceptance of pain and suffering as part of the

consequences of karma. It is not seen as a punishment, but as a natural consequence
of past negative behaviour and is often seen as an opportunity to progress spiritually.

 DEATH AND DYING

 Hindus believe that the time of death is determined by one’s destiny and accept
death and illness as part of life.
 As a result, treatment is not required to be provided to a Hindu patient if it merely
prolongs the final stages of a terminal illness.
 Under these circumstances, it is permitted to disconnect life supporting systems.
However, suicide and euthanasia are forbidden in Hinduism.
VI. SPIRITUAL CARE
 As is the case with other religions, Hindus have sacraments (samskara) that play a large
part in their spiritual care and give expression to their aspirations and ideals. The
sacraments aim to secure the welfare of the person performing the sacrament and advance
his/her spirituality. These customs, rituals, rites and ceremonies give a deeper meaning and
purpose to living and dying.

 The sacraments have a practical utility and form an integral part of the care associated with
dying people and the bereaved. The samskara relating to the time after death is very
important because, for a Hindu, the value of the next world is higher than that of the present.
The pandit (the Brahmin priest) can be very helpful in terms of carrying out spiritual care.
For example, he may talk with the dying person about the philosophical attitudes to death
in Hinduism and read from Hindu texts. He may also be able to help with the puja, the act
of worship. He can also bring water from the Ganges as a comfort for the dying person.

VII. MODESTY AND HYGIENE

 People in the terminal stages of their conditions inevitably become more dependent on
nurses and other members of the healthcare team for all their care needs. Nurses must be
aware that, in Hinduism, as with other religions of the Indian subcontinent, there are
particular requirements relating to modesty. Hindus need total privacy when it comes to
bed baths, physical examinations and almost any other procedure.

 In addition to standard privacy norms practiced by nurses, privacy aspects relating to

culture include limiting the number of nurses in the room, only exposing the body part
which needs to be washed instead of exposing the whole body, and not allowing males in
the room of a female until the person is dressed completely. If patients are unable to wash
themselves, nurses can organize the washing utensils and then go back once the person has
finished. For Indian women, the person providing health care needs to be female. If a
female nurse is not available, the care can be given by a female member of the family.
Gender restrictions do not apply if the patient is male.