Many of the world’s major religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are deeply connected to the everyday lifestyles and cultures of their followers. Countless aspects of life, including diet, appearance and dress, marital relations may be affected by spiritual beliefs and customs. However, few religions can claim such an interconnectedness with the history and development of a region’s culture and people as Hinduism.
Although the exact origins of Hinduism are not known, it is estimated to be the world’s oldest surviving religion, with its practice spanning approximately 5,000 years. (Hindustanlink) The Hindi language is widely used in religious contexts, but in India, where Hindus comprise 81% of the national population, British English is the lingua franca, and Hindi is spoken regularly only in northern areas of the country. (Hindu American Foundation) The continued adherence to British English and the common view that English is the language of wealthy, educated members of society lessen the probability for culture shock among American and British travelers embarking on a journey to India. (Butler) However, many cultural differences remain that non-natives should consider.
Hinduism is a unique spiritual path in that it does not have an identifiable beginning, a sole founder, a central governing establishment, or a single preeminent scripture upon which its followers base their worship. (Hindu Website) Hinduism is monotheistic, as Hindus do believe in one supreme deity or god figure. However, as Hindus also view their supreme deity as having both masculine and feminine aspects, and feel that He or She may be acknowledged and worshipped in many different forms and by different names, Hinduism can also be viewed as henothestic, meaning that one God can be worshipped without denying the existence of other forms or manifestations of that God. (Hindustanlink)
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Hinduism is a religion that originated in India, and is still practiced by most of its inhabitants. It is proclaimed as the oldest religion in the world, and is declared as the official religion of the country and is also practiced in other parts of the world including East and South Africa, Southeast Asia, the East Indies and England. The word "Hindu" comes from the word "Sindh u" meaning the ...
Two essential foundations for Hinduism are tolerance and pluralism. Tolerance exists because of the fundamental Hindu belief that there is divinity in all things, and therefore, all living organisms are considered equal. (Hindu Website) Hinduism theorizes that all people are born into a cycle of karma (every action will be rewarded or punished) and reincarnation (rebirth of the soul into another body following the body’s death), and that only by achieving a high level of consciousness and detachment from the material world can you break free from the constraints of karma and reincarnation. (Wikipedia) Those beliefs fuel the Hindus’ tendencies to be accommodating, accepting and understanding, and has also resulted in a significant portion of the Hindu population living a vegetarian lifestyle.
Pluralism is tolerance taken one step further. By openly acknowledging and accepting the existence and validity of spiritual paths other than Hinduism. In fact, Hinduism states that to insist one’s own spiritual beliefs make up the only true and meaningful path to divinity is both harmful and inherently flawed. As a result of this foundation, Hindus refrain from proselytizing, using military force to invade another country in the name of religion. (Hindustanlink) Instead, Hindus seek to foster an environment of peace, tolerant coexistence of various faiths (including Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Sikhism in the Southeast Asia region alone) and prosperity for all people. The principles of karma, tolerance and pluralism recur often in Hindu communication, between parents and children, husbands and wives, managers and employees, and even amongst strangers.
India has a high Power Distance Index (PDI) on the Hofstede scale, ranking 77 (Wikipedia) Iconography such as the aum, which is regarded as the Brahma himself in word or symbol form, and the swastika, which represents the evolution or involution of the universe, can be seen on buildings, clothing, artwork, or jewelry, and reflect deeply rooted spiritual history. (Wikipedia) Body art including the tilaka (dots or lines painted on the face with clay or paint to denote religious sect or marriage status), bindi and henna tattoos (used mainly as a fashion statement in modern Hinduism) reflect the Hindu belief that religion and culture are always melded together as one. (Wikipedia)
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In conclusion, the Hindu faith is a complex spiritual path and way of life. Communication, both verbal and nonverbal, play an important role in the maintenance and development of Hindu relationships with each other and with the divinity. By understanding the roots of Hindu philosophy, we can hope to better understand the Hindu culture and its people.
References
All Experts: Indian Culture. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from All Experts
Web site: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Culture-2871/Indian-nonverbal-communication.htm
Art of Travel: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from Art
of Travel Web site: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Culture-2871/Indian-nonverbal-communication.htm
Butler, Patty. Indian Business Etiquette. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from Cyborlink Web
site: http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/india.htm
Chillibreeze: Indian Street English. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from
Chillibreeze Web site: http://www.chillibreeze.com/
StreetEnglishIndia.asp
Hindu American Foundation. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from Hindu
American Foundation Web site: http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org
Hindustanlink: Culture. Retrieved May 21, 2007, from Hindustanlink
Web site: http://www.hindustanlink.com/Destination/ culture.htm
Hindu Website. Retrieved May 20, 2007 from Hindu Way of Life Web
site: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduwayoflife.asp
Stylus, Inc. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from Stylus, Inc. Web site:
http://www.stylusinc.com/business/india/
communicating.htm
Wikipedia: Hinduism. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from Wikipedia Web
site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
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