1 | 2 | INDEX

What is at stake here is ownership--who owns Hinduism and who speaks for Hindus? Hinduism is often called both the oldest and the newest religion in the world. It is the oldest major religion in the world because the sources of the Hindu tradition, namely Vedic culture and the Indus Valley civilization, date back at least 4,000 years. The earliest textual source for Hinduism, the Rig Veda, represents the oldest living tradition on Earth.

However, Hinduism is also the world's newest major religion because the word "Hinduism" has only been used to designate a singular religious tradition since the nineteenth century. The term "Hindu," used initially by the Greeks, was later adopted by the Turks and Persians to describe the people who lived south of the Sindhu river. So for hundreds of years, "Hindu" was only a geographic designation and did not denote religious practice.

The Indian subcontinent has historically had thousands of different religious traditions, cultures, dialects, customs, and ritual practices, with no real underlying unity amongst them. British colonialists lumped these traditions together and called it "Hinduism," more for bureaucratic and administrative reasons than theological ones. Even today, problems of definition persist. The Indian Constitution makes a distinction between "Hindu" and "Hinduism," whereby a practitioner of another religion, such as Sikhism, Jainism, and Zorastrianism, is constitutionally regarded as a "Hindu." Modern-day Hindu fundamentalists and the "Hindu-right" have a difficult time presenting a definitive view of Hinduism that unifies all of the different religious traditions of India. For unlike any other major religious tradition, Hinduism does not have one central God, prophet, text, ritual, creed, code, or community.

The only permanence in Hinduism is impermanence; the only constant in Hinduism is change. Hinduism has a remarkable ability to absorb within its cosmological worldview an array of other religions. Far from being exclusionary, Hinduism has traditionally accepted all other teachings, even those that directly contradict its own. A popular axiom among Hindus is, "There are many paths up the mountain, but the top is the same. There are many names for God, but God is one."

But India's new encounter with American popular culture is challenging this very notion, as new-age appropriation of Hinduism adds to an already contested and diverse pool of Hindu identities. In the past, Hinduism has creatively incorporated Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. And if it remains true to form, Hinduism will make room for American pop culture as well. Older Hindus may continue to complain, while their children learn Sanskrit prayers from Madonna.

React >
Ready to enter the fray? Step into the Forum, or write a Letter to the Editor.
Like what you just read? Give Inthefray.com a buck.

Also Inthefray >
The paths up the mountain
I n t h e f r a y . c o m
Written by Victor Tan Chen | Editor's Notebook | June 7, 2001
In a world of many faiths, how do we prevent the next holy war?

Editors’ Picks >
If ordered through these links, a portion of the sale goes to Inthefray.com

Nirvana for sale

Who speaks for God?

Story Index