A basic outlook of what is contemporarily considered as Hinduism

In this part I will try to give some idea about the basic outline of what is generally considered as Hinduism and Hindu identity contemporarily.

The term Hindu, in contemporary parlance, includes people who accept themselves as culturally or ethnically Hindu rather than with a fixed set of religious beliefs within Hinduism. One need not be religious in the minimal sense, states Julius Lipner, to be accepted as Hindu by Hindus, or to describe oneself as Hindu.

Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s), no theological uniformity nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, kathenotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, naturalist, hedonistic or humanist. Ideas about all the major issues of faith and lifestyle including: vegetarianism, nonviolence, belief in rebirth, even caste, are subjects of debate, not dogma. Because of the wide range of traditions and ideas covered by the term Hinduism, arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult. The religion “defies our desire to define and categorize it”. A Hindu may, by his or her choice, draw upon ideas of other Indian or non-Indian religious thought as a resource, follow or evolve his or her personal beliefs, and still identify as a Hindu.

Before continuing further, I suggest the readers to go through this link, and have a look at the list of the vaious hindu/Indian denominations, that I have compiled:- List of Different Hindu/Indian traditions

Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, Hindus share philosophical concepts, such as but not limiting to dharma, karma, Kāma, artha, Mokṣa and Saṃsāra, even if each subscribes to a diversity of views. Most traditions considered Hindu contemporarily revere a body of religious or sacred literature, the Vedas, although there are several exceptions; have a common ritual grammar (Saṃskāra (rite of passage)) such as rituals during a wedding or when a baby is born or cremation rituals. Some Hindus go on pilgrimage to shared sites they consider spiritually significant, practice one or more forms of bhakti or Pūjā , celebrate mythology and epics, major festivals, love and respect for guru and family, and other cultural traditions. A Hindu could:.

• follow any of the Indian schools of philosophy, such as Nyāyá, Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Karma-Mīmāṃsā, Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaita , Dvaitādvaita, Śuddhādvaita, Śaiva-Siddhānta,etc.
• follow a tradition or denomination centred on any particular form of the Divine, such as Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism, Śāktism, Gāṇapatya,Smārtism, Śrautism, Sourism, Kaumāram, etc. These denominations have various sects and sub sects within each of them.
• follow Folk traditions & cults, based on local traditions and cults of local deities and extending back to prehistoric times, or at least prior to written Vedas; or any local saint, which is collectively called as the Sant Mat.
• practice bhakti or puja for spiritual or other reasons, which may be directed to one’s guru or to a divine image. A visible public form of this practice is worship before an idol or statue. This practice may focus on a metal or stone statue, or a photographic image, or a Liṅga, or any object or tree or animal (cow) or tools of one’s profession, or sunrise or expression of nature or to nothing at all, and the practice may involve meditation, japa, offerings or songs; regular or occaisonal visits at the temple. I call these type as non-denominational hindus.
• follow any esoteric , heterodox traditions , the Vāmamārgas; renunciate and join any monastic order from any sect of any denominations or may live an ascetic life without taking any formal initiation or joining any monastic order.
• follow any neo hindu organizations or movements.

The four major forms of Hindu religiosity are the classical “Karma-Mārga (The path of rituals), Jñāna -Mārga(The path of knowledge or self realization), Bhakti-Mārga(The path of devotion) and Dhyāna-Mārga(The path of meditation). A hindu may follow either of these or a combination of either of these. Now many people confuse Karma-Mārga to be just the path of selfless actions/deeds, but that is Karma-Yoga, which is related of Bhakti-Mārga only, not to the Karma-Mārga.