Árdís - 01.01.1966, Blaðsíða 35

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
33
The village level has an unsophisticated approach to Hinduism
and has a local shrine and village gods.
Between these two groups is found a devotional approach to
Hinduism where a Hindu has his own personal god.
However, regardless of one’s approach, whether intellectual,
unsophisticated, or devotional, the basic unity in Hinduism is that
all have the same conviction of man’s ultimate destiny or law of
life. The Law of Life (Dharma) holds every human being to un-
forgiving account for every one of his earthly deeds. Also one part
of the Law of Life is the Caste System. Briefly, the Caste system
divides Hindus into four major groups. The highest, the Brahmins
are priests and intellectuals, next the Kshatriyas are the aristo-
crats and warriors, then the Vaishyas are merchants, farmers,
tradesmen, and finally the Shudras are servants and craftsmen.
The rule prohibits marriage or other social contact outside one’s
Own caste. Outside the caste system are 65 million people known
as the Untouchables. They are unskilled laborers, totally illiterate
and are considered second class citizens. In every day life problems
are dealt with as indicated by the law of the caste to which a
person belongs. If one does not adhere to his caste he becomes an
outcast, which means he is regarded as nothing and no one cares.
The Caste System has been declared illegal by the government
but is still practiced as it is part of the Hinduism belief. The good
of the caste system is that it makes a stable, orderly society but
the drawback is that then the society is static. By requiring every
man to stay within the station and occupation to which he was
born prohibits the upward flow of talent.
To the Hindu, the visible world is regarded as maya or illusion.
This includes human beings so they are also not what they seem
to be. He believes that the preoccupation with the outer self of a
person that is personal opinions, desires, pleasures, pains, fears
and frustrations is the true source of all evil and misery. What
is important is that buried deep within each human being, the
true Self. This true Self is called the Atman and is part of the
universal soul Brahman so can be referred to as Brahman-Atman.
He believes that eternal union with God or Brahman-Atman which
is deep within him is the supreme goal and destiny of all human
beings.