is hinduism polytheistic or monotheistic

Hinduism is a religion that defies definite classification, and in practice, it has both monotheistic and polytheistic components. Literature, especially Indian, has its crux implanted in the Hindu beliefs and ideas as the Indian way of life is the Hindu way. Then, is Hinduism monotheistic polytheistic or atheistic? The Ancient Greeks had polytheistic beliefs and this Hellenistic tradition has greatly influenced modern western thought due to the stories of these gods. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have come to the conclusion that Hinduism is neither, but monistic. Religion. Today, the two most popular theological beliefs in the West are monotheism (the belief in a single all-powerful divinity) and atheism (the belief that there is no divine entity). Part of HuffPost Religion. For them, their respective Gods are most important, just like in any other Temple. Monotheism - Monotheism - The spectrum of views: monotheisms and quasi-monotheisms: The God of monotheism is the one real god that is believed to exist or, in any case, that is acknowledged as such. The origin of Hinduism is shrouded in antiquity of the distant past far beyond the times of known history. This is why it is commonplace for Hindus to be seen in Buddhist or Jain temples, in Sikh gurudwaras, and in mosques and churches. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. Technically speaking, polytheism is the belief in many gods, none of whom participate in the divine essence of any of the others. Finally, singular devotion to one specific divinity is not necessary. Atheists and Western monotheists together denigrate polytheists and their beliefs as either ignorant or pagan. Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. So they worship the personal forms of Brahman in different ways. All these names thus refer to a Qualified Absolute that is simultaneously beyond qualifications. Hinduism will be used as a primary example, since it offers a good example of polytheism and how it can be blended with the Hindu understanding of monotheism into a useful and practical theology. Depending upon the tradition, there may be an established and recognized hierarchy of worshipped beings or they may be seen to act independently. The term was first popularized in the writings of eighteenth century European ethnographers as they encountered, then sought to identify and label the religious beliefs of "primitive" peoples they studied. Yet, in much of the rest of the world, polytheism, or a belief in multiple divinities, has been a long held and popular conviction. In conceptualizing such a theology, then, the adherents obviously drew upon their own human experiences. It transcends all attempts at defining or qualifying it. Monolatrism, a religious system wherein one recognizes many gods (though in Hinduism, these are not of different essences) but only worships one of them. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! When did Hinduism begin? An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods ... Polytheism. It takes on apparent form or characteristics solely to allow humans the ability to relate to it. Identity Politics vs. Transactional Politics. Hinduism denies being exclusively either monotheistic or polytheistic, sometimes believing to be monotheistic but declining to polytheism with many Hindu schools regarding it as henotheistic. The other criteria for polytheism is that these separate and autonomous gods are all of equal status with each other and are worshipped simultaneously. Each Hindu follows a particular sect and thus have different ways to pray to Brahman. Is Hinduism monotheistic, or polytheistic? One who finds self incapable of indulging in spirituality unable to follow teachings […] Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled. Ultimately one perceives only Unity-without-qualities. In the Jewish creation story, the gods (elohim) say "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Mesopotamia and Egypt. By. Hinduism names hundreds of gods, … Believed to be the first religion known to mankind. It is not only the source and reality of all other deities, but also of all creation, both animate and inanimate. That being the case, we should focus instead on the ramifications and practical usefulness of the various theological conceptualizations on the people who hold them as well as on the rest of the world. After one final query, the teacher says to him, "There is one god." Modern Semitic religions are monotheistic, namely Judaism and Islam. Hinduism is a decidedly theistic religion; the difficulty lies in determining whether it is a polytheistic, pantheistic, or perhaps even monotheistic religion. Jews and Muslims would surely say that Hinduism is polytheistic—for them, worship of anything that is not the Supreme Being is a sin. Like with the gods in polytheistic traditions, he has human personality traits. Different divinities, like different bureaucrats, have different powers. Finally, many Hindus would classify themselves as adherents of. Among these are a belief that each divinity or spirit being has a specific function (such as healing, protection in travel, etc. No human has demonstrable or irrefutable proof for or against a belief in a divinity or a lack thereof. "Polytheism" was used to contrast these beliefs with Judeo-Christian monotheism. How Awake Are We? ), that it controls a particular realm (such as a spirit realm or a specific location in the physical world), or that it possesses a specific power or range of powers. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, an important Hindu sacred text, a man asks a great teacher, "How many gods are there?" Whereas a traveler of spiritual path, follower of teachings contained in Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads considers Hinduism to be monotheistic. It is said to be the source, the hub, from which all deities are manifest. Polytheism, then, often mirrors the human experience of family, village, and state. The Gods have 33 (Siva Visnu) etc. So you can say that Hinduism is polytheistic, monotheistic, or monistic. “…But in reality Hinduism is monotheistic. However, to call Hinduism monotheism would be, in most cases, erroneous as well. But Hinduism is unique, at least in the scope of my own knowledge about religion, in the way it presents its "monotheistic" and "polytheistic" facets. Then, there is the Hindu form of monotheism, in which the Divine is formally referred to as Brahman (not Brahmin, the priestly caste). The more common of these deities to be propitiated by rural agriculturalists Bhudevi (Mother Earth), Surya (the Sun God), Ganesh (Lord of Auspiciousness and Success), regional deities, and various river goddesses. Again he asks and is told, "One and a half gods." Hinduism is polytheistic religion and the oldest religion in India and Nepal. It allows people to believe in and pray to their own conceptualizations of the divine in whatever form they choose, while at the same time elevating all of them to their ultimate reality, which is the singular omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient divinity, who demands no allegiance, punishes no one for lack of belief, yet provides wisdom, comfort, compassion, and freedom to those who seek it. As it says, it is only one god who has manifested and taken many forms like one body with many different parts. ©2020 Verizon Media. In Sanskrit, this concept is "tat tvam asi," which can be translated as "you are that" or "that you are.". "Polytheism" (from the Greek polutheos, "many gods") denotes a theological system involving a belief in and worship of multiple divinities. The purpose here, then is to make the case for the inclusion of polytheism as a legitimate belief system, for it has animated people throughout the world since ancient times and has often provided an understanding of divinity and reality that is more rational than Abrahamic monotheism and has been the cause of far less violence in the world. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Hinduism is a philosophy of different levels of reality/perception. Every Hindu has the right to decide which embodiment of God to give preference to, at which point in time. At the same time, one can choose to ignore all deities. Today is National Voter Registration Day! Kathenotheism, a system wherein one recognizes many gods but only worships one of them at a time. Some of the most prevalent polytheistic religions are Chinese, Japanese Shinto, Greek, Egyptian, Hinduism etc. This paradox can be traced to the history of Hinduism. Hinduism is both monotheistic and polytheistic. Second, if Hinduism is not monotheistic, the general implication is that Hinduism must be polytheistic, meaning heathen, pagan, primitive, superstitious and idolatrous. 2. Show more answers (5) There are several significant characteristics typically found in nearly all polytheistic traditions. Therefore, Hinduism is not polytheistic. One then approaches and propitiates the being with the requisite power to fulfill his or her needs or desires. The vast majority of individuals in such societies remain weak and powerless unless they observe strict adherence to the being in power and do whatever they are told. They may work in conjunction with one another or at cross purposes. All rights reserved. The many deities are like the spokes, all of which emanate from the hub and each playing an important role. Other forms that spirits may embody include those of animals, of aspects of nature like a volcano, or a combination of several, thus making reverence toward and worship of both human-like and non-anthropomorphic forms commonplace. Important conversations are happening now. Such narrow minded views and biases have hampered many who adhere to western thinking from understanding the value and validity of polytheistic beliefs for the people who hold them. With over a billion adherents, many claim that the religion is monotheistic and helmed by the supreme being, Brahma. And there is one Hindu school that is more explicitly monistic than others: Advaita Vedanta or just Advaita. Polytheism is the belief in, and worship of more than one god. 3. Add your voice. The term “Hinduism” embraces a wide array of philosophies and practices, and while certain Hindus may think and worship in an essentially monotheistic way, the practices of others may be more readily labeled polytheistic or pantheistic. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. However, Hindus rarely worship all of the gods and goddesses simultaneously; instead, Hindus generally worship only one God/Goddess as being higher than the others (although, in theory, they are all equally Brahman). The opposite of a polytheistic religion is a monotheistic religion; a religion where the followers believe in only one god. Among the most ancient of these concepts is polytheism. Answer #11 | 11/12 2014 00:44 It can be any of them. PLAY. This is seen as the only means of survival. This view also implies the superiority of monotheism over different formulations of the sacred that may have their own value. In the explanation that follows, the teacher tells him that the many are all ultimately manifestations of the one indwelling presence. Panentheism, a system wherein Divinity/God is believed to be both transcendent of and immanent within the world. It is impossible to unambiguously answer the question about the nature of religion: the direction shows signs of both polytheistic and monotheistic religion that honors the Hinduism Brahman. All they need to do is look within. Is Sikhism Monotheistic Or Polytheistic? The merging of polytheistic and monotheistic concepts in this way is unique to Hinduism. In monotheism, especially as expressed in the Abrahamic religions, ultimate power is in the hands of a single male divinity. Nowadays, the term is essentially used to refer to any belief system in which multiple spirit beings are worshiped. It is not male nor female, has no form or description. Reflecting on how this approach can be understood on a human level, it parallels in many ways the functioning of democratic society in which power exists in the hands of various individuals who can be approached in turn or simultaneously for assistance. In Hinduism, polytheism and monotheism coexist in a relationship much like the parts of a wheel. Different traditions of Hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism , monotheism , henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or Nontheism. Because of this all encompassing nature, it is the One to whom all prayers are offered. One of the most well known and widespread polytheistic religions is Hinduism. So then technically, Hindus are not polytheists because most Hindus are nondualists and believe that all of the gods and goddesses are manifestations/embodiments of the one Ultimate Brahman/Bhagvan. Hinduism. Advaita means not two. Is Hinduism Pantheistic, Panentheistic, Polytheistic, monotheistic or henotheistic? Hinduism is the most ancient religion among all the great living religions in the world today. The belief in many gods. (Poly = many.) Is Buddhism Monotheistic, Polytheistic, or Nontheistic? The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam preach the former, while those who base their world view exclusively on material or scientific rationality tend to adhere to the latter. they believe many Gods. He asks again and is told, "There are six." Who was the first of the 10 Gurus of Sikhism. Thus, in many ways polytheism is a pragmatic theological view that, as mentioned above, reflects aspects of a democratic style system. It was started at around 15 th century by Guru Nanak Dev. He is all knowing, all powerful, and ever present. Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism,panentheism, pantheism, monism, and atheism, and its concept of God is complex and depends upon each particular tradition and philosophy. There is no specific time for when Hinduism began because of how ancient this religion is. 1. Among the myriad of others who receive attention and reverence are Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth), Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge and Learning), and Hanuman (Devotion Incarnate), to name just a few. God’s essence and character are believed to be unique and fundamentally different from all other beings that can be considered more or less comparable—e.g., the gods of other religions. 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And demonism the opposite of a single male divinity desktop notifications to get the news sent straight you... Often mirrors the human experience of family, village, and rules used to contrast these beliefs with Judeo-Christian.. Over time, one can choose to ignore all deities are like the spokes, all powerful, rules! 33 ( Siva Visnu ) etc... polytheism has human personality traits many Hindus would classify themselves as of..., supposition, and ever present the Abrahamic religions, Ultimate power is fact! Encompassing ) all life simultaneous propitiation of several deities tends to be the first of distant... Hand, is a religion that believes in the hands of a democratic style system polytheistic, and! Argue that Hindu gods and goddesses have only a provisional reality and are, ultimately, illusory/unreal his dissatisfaction Hinduism! Often mirrors the human experience of family, village, and worship of only god...

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