Hinduism : A Way of Life

The city of Varanasi (formerly called Benares) is one of the holiest cities in India, believed to have been founded by the god Shiva. It is sanctified by its proximity to the river Ganges, which is worshiped as a goddess who has the power both to purify sins and release a soul from the cycle of birth and death. Million and millions of pilgrims come here every year to bathe in the purifying waters, to die and be cremated on the banks of the river, and to worship in the temples scattered throughout the city. Though certainly touched by modernity, Varanasi continues to present an ancient face of Hinduism; and it was there, walking among sadhus, beggars, and pilgrims, that I began to think about how to introduce Hinduism to Monotheistic religions. It is no easy task. Of the five major world religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam), it is certainly the case that Hinduism is both the least known and the least experienced by most Americans. This state of ignorance cannot continue, however, as the Hindu population both in the United States and worldwide continues to grow. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity and Islam. The majority of Hindus are located in India (95 percent, according to one source1 ) and Nepal, a secular state though constitutionally Hindu, but Hinduism is on the rise in the United States as well, primarily due to immigration. According to the Hindu American Foundation, “From 1,700 people in 1900, the Hindu population in America grew to approximately 387,000 by 1980 and 1.1 million in 1997