Hindus do not consume beef because the cow is considered sacred within the Hindu religion. Those who are Muslim, do not consume pork because the pig is considered to be impure. Buddhists tend to avoid all variations of meat
Tag: Hinduism
The Reason The Ganges River is Considered a Living Goddess Within Hinduism
In Hinduism it is believed that Lord Shiva, one of the most important gods in Hinduism, absorbed the powers of the goddess Ganga as she fell from the heavens, and through the locks of his hair. This is why the Ganges River is believed to be a living goddess, with the power to wash away the sins of a lifetime. It is written in Hindu mythology that Ganga will cease to exist in the Age of Downfall which seems to be the case as the glaciers which feed the Ganges River have been retreating at a steady pace
The Naga Baba Holy Sadhus of India
Naga babas who are naked holy men, reject the physical world including clothing to be closer to Lord Shiva, one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism. Naga babas live in the Himalayan mountains and smoke incredibly large amounts of cannabis regularly. Naga babas often hand out blessings for a small sum, carrying out the blessing by hitting the person requesting it on the head with a peacock feather wand
The Country With the Most Vegetarians Per Capita and the First Notation of Vegetarianism Within Western Literature
The country with the most vegetarians per capita is India, with 39% of the country identifying as vegetarian and/or vegan, a value which equates to 276,000,000 (276 million) people. This is primarily due to the dominant religion within India which is Hinduism, a faith which 79.8% of the country subscribes to, and to a lesser extent, Sikhism, a faith which promotes vegetarianism and is subscribed to by 1.7% of the country. Mexico trails India for the second spot internationally with 19% of the country identifying as vegetarian and Brazil takes the third spot with 14% having adopted this diet. The first time vegetarianism is mentioned within recorded western history is by the Ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras around 500 BC, however it is unclear if this is the first recorded text worldwide
The Agama Texts of Hinduism
Hinduism is not a religion of the book as there is no central source of authority like the Christian Bible or the Islamic Quran to refer to, however there is no shortage of scripture. The whole canon of Hindu philosophy thrives upon debate and spiritual inquiry, much of it contradictory. Collected all together, these texts would fill many, many volumes of text. The Agamas were created to be a set of rules to guide those who subscribe to Hinduism and its ideological principles. The Agamas are incredibly vast in their range of topics offering instructions upon temple construction, the intricacies of the guru and disciple relationship, and meditation practices, covering every moment of life from waking to sleeping, from birth to death. The agamas originated in Tamil Nadu and are written in the Tamil language. The agamas provided Hinduism a formal structure which are still considered cornerstones in the practice of Hinduism during the modern day
Reincarnation Within Western Religion
Reincarnation does not only show up in eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, it also is apparent in ancient religion. The ancient Greeks believed in a process like this with Plato writing of the soul entering a new body after the body it was previously in had perished. In the Bible, Jesus Christ asks a person who they think he is and the person responds “some say you’re John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and some say you’re Jeremiah” which is a subtle and indirect nod towards reincarnation. This statement hints at the fact that Christ came back as one of those people which is why he acted the way he did. Furthering this theory, Christ has stated “when two or more are gathered in my name, I am there”
The Reason Islam Has Dominated Indonesia
In Indonesia, during the 16th century (although various sources of contrasting Islamic documentation state Islamic traders brought Islam to Indonesia in the 8th century), Islam had mass appeal to the general population. Islam strictly forbade discrimination and idolation of any monarchy or royal bloodline, and gave the common people the same opportunity to ascend to paradise as their rulers did. Islam does not have an intermediary when dealing with divine power which further made the religion attractive to the native islanders. These values made Islam more liberating in comparison to Hinduism and Buddhism which were the dominant religions at the time. The most recent mass conversion to Islam was during the fall of communism in Indonesia in 1965. Massive and brutal murders of Communist Party of Indonesia members occurred in the late 1960’s as the accepted convention at the time was that communists were atheists and atheists were therefore communists. The safest method to ensure survival during this turbulent time, especially for the indigenous Javanese who adhered to local indigenous religions, was to declare themselves Muslim so they would not be mistaken for communists and by default, atheists