Who is a Hindu?

Image from NASA

Came across this very nice video answering the above question. I thought the written word is more powerful. So took the liberty of copying the text from the video. All words belong to the original author,

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You’ve heard the phrase the “Hindu way of Life.”

What is the Hindu way of life?

Which begs the question, who is a Hindu?

As luck would have it, there are exactly 4 types of Hindus. Said no one :)

But let’s pretend that to be the case,

The first is the VIRAT Hindu. The PROUD Hindu. So proud that he is lost in the grandeur of Hinduism, without always grasping that the essential nature of Hinduism is HUMILITY. The PROUD Hindu takes it upon himself to carry the heavy cross of ensuring the longevity of Hinduism without always grasping its TIMELESSNESS. 

The second is the DEVOUT Hindu who can recite mantras forwards and backwards. They are the keepers of tradition. They are our storytellers who don’t always grasp that the greatest tales are those which allow us to question them so we can see for ourselves. That, at its heart, Hinduism is about INQUIRY.

The third is the NON-PRACTICING Hindu who remains impervious to its charms and allures. Except on festive occasions. Let’s let them be. 

Finally, you have the SEEKERS. The ones in search of the Golden Snitch in a cosmic game of Quidditch. The seeker will tell you that Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor is it poly-theistic. And that it is as close to Godless Atheism as any religion has ever come. The Hindu way of life, if there is such a thing, starts with an admission of IGNORANCE. 

“From whence this Creation arose?
The One who watches,
Perhaps He knows?
Or perhaps He knows not.”

That is a hymn from the Rig Veda. 

The Hindu Way of Life, leads to inquiry into the nature of things in the hope that someday we will transcend the desire to define ourselves in the narrow confines created from being obsessed with ourselves. That someday, we will free ourselves of the burden of believing that we are the sole custodians of Truth. A Hindu celebrates the ambiguity that lies embedded in man-made morals. A Hindu worships the beauty that lies in the delicate balance of things. A Hindu celebrates the Spirit which connects us all. 

The purpose of religion is NOT to provide us with an identity. The purpose of religion is to be a parent. To forgive us when we rebel. To pick us up when we stumble. To guide us when we ask. To shape us in a manner that someday it can set us FREE so we can live without it. 
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