Who and Where are Hindus?

Hindus affirm the reality of the multiverse, all its evolutes and all life. Hindus have different philosophies to understand their connections to it all, as Hindu Dharma traditions work with an individual’s understanding. The majority of Hindus believe in a Supreme Being, but they are not required to, and a good proportion of Hindus do not. Hindus can range from theists to non-theists to atheists, and have the freedom to move through that spectrum as one’s life unfolds. Hindus range from monotheists (veneration of the Supreme/Divine Being) and monolatrists/henotheists (venerating the Supreme Being without denying the existence of others), to nontheists (who see no credible evidence for the existence of a Creator but acknowledge the eternal nature of the multiverse, the essence of life, and the source of both), and atheists who do not believe in anything that cannot be empirically verified.

Hindu Dharmas teach that there is no credible logic that justifies the existence of an absolute evil or devil. They also teach that all beings have selfless, impulsive, and selfish natures in varying proportions. It is up to the individual to learn how to manage these traits in order to change for the better. The Hindu Dharma traditions do not promote ideas of an eternal hell, or that any individual or group is ever condemned to eternal damnation. States of existence that are characterized by tranquility, excess, enjoyment, or suffering exist for all beings. Most Hindu Dharma traditions hold that all beings are innately eternally blissful and that knowledge helps them uncover and exist in this frame of mind. Hindu Dharma traditions also do not promote ideas of being a people who should extend dominion over others due to notions of supremacy. On the contrary, all people have equal, inherent worth and rights to exist, inclusive of all worldviews, genders, sexualities, ancestry, provenance, etc. Moreover, Hindu Dharma traditions do not promote ideas of conversion, expulsion or eradication of those who disagree with them.

Navigating plurality of thought and practice is inbuilt in Hindu philosophies, because Hindu Dharma traditions are seeker traditions, not believer traditions. Their prime value is compassion, so although pluralistic inclusivity is prized, those who step over well-reasoned ethics will be challenged. In other words, they are wisdom traditions. They seek reality, whether personal, situational, or existential. This gives rise to a variety of sometimes opposing views, all of which exist harmoniously more or less, which is possible only through core and common teachings such as self-discovery, self-management, compassion, and pluralism. In order that this plurality be harmonious, the ancient Hindu seers developed robust forums for discussion and idea-sharing. Misconceptions were clarified. Where a singular consensus was not reached, a wise consensus on the diversity was rationalized and accepted. Because pluralism is a core Hindu value, Hindu Dharma traditions are numerous and non-centralized, with no central or worldwide Church or Ummah, and no single supreme religious leader equivalent to the Pope, Grand Mufti or even a Chief Rabbinate.

This ethos of harmonious plurality continues even today. Generally speaking, Hindus view religious hegemony or populism, which all rely on frameworks beyond the ethics of the traditions, disapprovingly. This means that there is not one view that can be presumed to be representative of all Hindus. Even where there are commonalities, Hindu philosophy and Hindus themselves recognize that not all may share those views and that everyone has the right and freedom to form and hold their own views. Hindus affirm individual autonomy, especially in one’s spiritual journey.

The Hindu Dharma traditions prioritize inner transformation via logic, reasoning, and the chief of all practices: meditation techniques. Meditation in the Dharma traditions (Hindu and non-Hindu alike) grounds itself on samatva, or a thorough awareness and ability to manage one’s actions, emotions, thoughts, and memories. Vijñāna is an advanced meditation platform for delving into the inner, eternal truths for true insightful awareness, called realization. In contrast, meditation in Abrahamic religions concerns itself with contemplation of scriptural verses or visualizations of the lives of the saints/prophets. The Hindu Dharma traditions also teach devotional, esoteric, yogic, artistic, scientific, and materialistic pursuits – all of which are valid ways to live out one’s spirituality. Additionally, some Hindu Dharma traditions do use aspirational requests (prārthanā) to seek assistance during acute distress.

Hindu Dharma traditions deal with conflict by teaching that issues are to be arbitrated on the basis of logic and reason; the individual time, place, and circumstances; life lessons available through oral and textual sources of knowledge; guidance from trusted spiritual seers or mentors; and consideration of the impact a decision will have on others. Because of the reliance on logic, context, and individualized application of teachings to the circumstance, there is no retributive divine justice as found in other world religions and their associated cultures. All Hindu Dharma traditions teach sevā or selfless service – serving others without wanting personal or communal rewards for doing so. Indeed, knowledge that there will be rewards or side benefits, overt or covert, would invalidate the sevā.

The primary focus and priority for Hindus is peace, compassion, non-harm, and logic. However, when such rationality fails to prevent a threat, Hindu philosophy advocates for individuals to proactively defend themselves and those in need. Hindus do not view the kind of non-violence that results in total passivity as a rational position. Many indigenous Hindu schools of self-defense techniques evolved, such as Seelambam (popularly thought to be one of the many contributing ancestors of Shaolin Kung Fu through the Buddhist monk Batúo/Buddhabhadra, originally from the Indosphere), Kalaripayaṭṭu, Śastravidyā, Mallavidyā, and more. According to colonial records, these self-defense schools were outlawed by the British in order to remove the ancestral science of self-defense from Indians, thereby making them easier to subjugate. Yet even when Hindu rulers had armies, they never once in the entirety of history invaded other nations at the behest of their “religion” in order to convert or “civilize” the non-Hindus of those lands.