Re Hinduism and Buddhism, October 2009
It is with trepidation that I venture to respond to such and eminent theologian as Dr. Joseph McLelland.
Ninian Smart observed recently “that the understanding of the different aspects of religions is indispensable in the plural cultures of the contemporary world.” How then, is a Westerner to understand Hinduism?
The large majority of Hindus commune with God by rituals handed down by way of the Sanskrit Veda by a priestly class over some 3,000 years. In the rituals there is little stress on a creed or a set of beliefs. Dr. Gavin Flood in his Introduction to Hinduism says, “If it is possible to define Hinduism, it is certainly not possible to do so in terms of doctrine and theological beliefs.”
It is unfair to characterize Hinduism as spiritual and Christianity as materialistic. Hindus petition God for prosperity just as “our fundamentalists” do. Hinduism also has its full quota of jealous, wrathful Gods who, in their ferocity, would put Jehovah to shame! Traditional Hinduism is very much materialistic and the rising middle class in India is equally so for different reasons. This materialism is offset by a long tradition of world renunciation that favours asceticism and renounces worldly desires and practices, often through different forms of yoga. This was the origin of Buddhism. But the large majority of Hindus are not world renouncers, although some high caste Brahmans become world renouncers after they have fulfilled their family and social duties (dharma). This complex religion is difficult for a Westerner to grasp, especially a belief-oriented Protestant, despite of Christianity having an element of world renunciation, its own rituals and, in some cases, God being immanent (as in Hinduism) in icons, shrines, processions and the elements of the Eucharist.
However, this is not the Hinduism mainly referred to by Dr. McLelland. Vivekananda, Chakkarai and Chandera Sen, whom he references, were part of the Hindu Renaissance of the 19th century. Many of the reformers wrote in English and studied at Western universities. The Hindu Renaissance took as much from Christianity and Western philosophy as it did from the Veda and its Upanishads. The main characteristics of the Renaissance were: an emphasis on reason, rejection of icon worship and in some cases the rituals, rejection of some elements of the caste system with an aim to “construct Hinduism as an ethical spirituality, equal or superior to Christianity or Islam.” This is the Hinduism that appeals to a rising, educated middle class in India and is the Hinduism known to Westerners. Furthering this globalization of Hinduism, a number of Indian swamis had significant influence on prominent Westerners at the beginning of the 20th century. The swami is essentially a world renouncer who seeks to reach and join a transcendent God through asceticism, meditation and other forms of yoga. It was from these swamis visiting America that Westerners came to regard Hinduism as transcendent and non-materialistic, as later did the intellectuals of the rising middle class in India. This was akin to the pizza that was exported to America from Italy as hot bread, was garnished in America then exported back to Italy where it was claimed it as an Italian original! Regardless of the toppings, the swami version was and is a narrow view of Hinduism. As Dr. Gavin Flood says, “All religions view God as a transcendent Being who created the cosmos but who cannot be known in essence which is ineffable.” This view is by no means a Hindu prerogative.
Dr. McLelland asks, “Must my belief in Jesus as the Christ deny all other forms of faith?” Although this may have been rhetorical, the short answer is no. No one can reasonably argue that Hinduism and Buddhism are not valid religions whereby mankind communes with God. Nevertheless, I believe that Jesus was and is unique to God’s plan for humankind. Although it may be tempting to equate Jesus with the avatars of Hinduism and with the divinity of Buddha, imbued in him later by Buddhist theologians in the first centuries of the Christian era, I can see no equation. That said, Jesus is for all humanity. It is not surprising that Jesus is becoming part of Hinduism as indicated by Dr. McLelland.
