Árdís - 01.01.1966, Page 34

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ÁRDÍ S
Hinduism
By FLORENCE ROWLANDS
Delivered ai L.W.L. conveniion June 4, 1966 ai Firsi Lulheran
Church, Winnipeg, Man.
Madam Chairman, Dr. Eylands and ladies:
Last summer I had occasion to take a course in Religious Studies,
and one of the subjects was Hinduism the predominate religion in
India. This was merely an introductory course so it did not cover
all aspects of the religion as Hinduism has a variety of beliefs,
practices and gods. The Orient is becoming more important every
day in world news and when we consider that such a large part
of the world’s population is in the Orient it seems fitting that we
should acquaint ourselves with these people as well as we can, in
the hope that the knowledge may provide us with a better under-
standing of them.
The population of India is 475 million people in contrast to
Canada’s 20 million people. Of these 475 million people 85% of
them are believers in Hinduism. Many of the orthodox still cling
to all of Hinduism’s customs and prejudices. The government has
had a campaign to do away with parts of the belief and in most
cities has met with some success, but in the villages where most
of the people are found the pattern of thousands of years hasn’t
changed.
Hinduism is a theology, philosophy, a social system and a way
of life and every act of the orthodox Hindu’s existence rising in
the morning, bathing, eating, praying — is regulated by rituals.
There is no organization such as a church, no founder, no single
creed and although they have scripture there is no agreement as
to what does or does not constitute scripture.
There are two levels of Hinduism. The intellectual Hindu is a
firm believer in one God whom he calls Brahman. To him, the
hundreds of dissimilar god images in Hinduism are merely symbols
of the infinite powers of this one God, Brahman.