Lesson 8: Hinduism

Amit was raised in a Hindu family and participated in all the religious customs. As a child he prayed every day. He was sincere but felt a spiritual emptiness. Amit read Hindu writings to try to understand his own religion better. He was taught that beliefs don’t matter because all religions are ways to God. He wanted to find real truth that would lead him to God, but wondered if truth like that really existed.

► Read Isaiah 46 aloud together. Each student should write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What contrast does the passage make between God and idols? Each student should write a list of statements. As a group, discuss what you have written.

Introduction to Hinduism

[1]The religion of Hinduism began in India earlier than any history can determine. Hinduism has no individual founder and no organization that contains all followers. There are more than a billion Hindus,[2] but they have a great variety of beliefs. Many Hindus practice only some of the Hindu religious customs.

Hindus believe that their religion originates from ancient Indian writings called Vedas. The Vedas are made up of hundreds of volumes.

There is no doctrinal statement that represents universal Hindu belief about deity. Most Hindus believe in many gods who have personality and do both good and evil. Hindus use many idols that represent the gods and spirits that they worship.

Jesus said we are to worship only the one true God, see Luke 4:8.

[3]Some Hindus worship one god as supreme. Some Hindus call the supreme god Shiva; other Hindus have other names and descriptions of their supreme god. Shiva has a wife and children. Shiva does both good and evil. Some call Shiva the creator, but they do not mean that the world was created at a particular time.

Even when Hindus talk about a supreme god, they do not mean the same thing that Christians mean when they refer to God. Christians believe that God is the ultimate reality and personal Creator of the world. Hindus say that they believe in one god, but it is not a god that thinks or com­municates, except through the various gods who have taken physical form.

The prophet Jeremiah said that God created by his power, and all false gods will perish, see Jeremiah 10:9-12. God communicates with people and tells us who he is, see Isaiah 46:9-10.

Hindus believe that there is an ultimate, impersonal reality that originated the world. Some Hindus call the ultimate reality Brahman. They believe that everything that exists is part of Brahman. They believe that Brahman is the soul or essential self in every living thing. They may even say that they believe in only one god, but what they mean is that everything that exists is one, and it is god.

Genesis 1 says that God created everything by his command. He is distinct from the things he made, see Genesis 1:1.

Hindus believe that any great leader who benefits people might later become a god. Every person is a manifestation of Brahman, but a god is a person who manifested Brahman more than others.[4]

► What are some differences between the Christian and Hindu concepts of God?

Hindus claim to be tolerant of all religions. They have a saying that “All truth is one.” They say that there are many paths to the goal, even though different religions have very different concepts of the life a person should live and the goal he should try to reach. They don’t mean that “all truth is one” in the sense that all the truths in various religions are rationally consistent with each other. They mean that all truth is an expression of the ultimate reality that cannot be put into statements.

The Apostle Paul said a primary responsibility of a pastor is to teach true doctrine, see Titus 1:9. All religion is not the same, see 1 Timothy 1:3-6.

Christians believe that even though God is greater than we can understand, he has revealed some true statements about himself. If a religion contradicts the truth God has revealed about himself, that religion is wrong.

Some Hindus believe that Jesus was a person who practiced the principles of Hinduism and was a great teacher like others who have lived in other times. They do not believe he is the unique Son of God.

Hindus believe in endless cycles of time, with no beginning, no ending, and no events that change things permanently.

Hindus believe in reincarnation. They believe it is the rebirth of a person’s essential self into various life forms, many times.

The Bible says that people die once then go to judgment before God, see Hebrews 9:27.

[5]Hindus believe in karma. According to the concept of karma, a person receives good and bad consequences for his actions in this life and the next. Karma is a natural law of the universe, not based on laws imposed by any god, and not regulated by any god.

The Christian obeys the law of God and has a personal relationship with God, see John 14:15. The Bible tells us that Christ will judge all people by his righteous standard, see Acts 17:31, 2 Corinthians 5:10, James 4:12.

A person is guilty if he does something that harms himself or others. He can balance wrong actions with good actions to get better consequences. But, there is no forgiveness.

The Hindu’s ultimate goal is to find release from the cycle of reincarnation in an eternal condition called nirvana. Some Hindus define this condition as an eternal existence of the self, while others see it as absorption into Brahman, like a drop of water falling into the sea. Many Hindus believe that the person ceases to exist as a conscious individual when he is absorbed into Brahman.

The goal of the Christian is to live eternally in a personal relationship with God in heaven, see Revelation 21:3.

► What are some differences between the Hindu concept of nirvana and the Christian concept of heaven?

Hindu Lifestyle

According to Hindu belief, those who fully renounce the world are not to produce, prepare, or store food. They must beg for their food every day. Some depend on relatives; others go from house to house to beg. The best examples of Hindu followers do not work to support themselves.

The Bible says that a person should not depend on others and refuse to work, see 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Many Hindus are vegetarians. Among those who eat meat, most do not eat beef because cows are reverenced. Food is often offered to idols before it is eaten, even in homes.

The Bible says that all meat may be eaten, see 1 Timothy 4:3-4.

Hindus have very elaborate temple art and architecture, costumes, and personal adornments with religious significance.

Hindus believe that they should care equally about every form of life. They believe a person should care about a suffering dog the same as he would care about his son. They believe that no relationship should make a person have emotions about someone’s need. They believe that to care for someone because of a relationship is a wrong motivation. They believe that Brahman has no emotions about anything, having no sorrow and no joy. A Hindu is supposed to try to reach that level.

When Hindus talk about caring equally about everyone, they may sound like they have the same idea as Christians. Actually it is not the same at all. Christians believe they should love others as they love themselves. Hindus believe you should not have concern about others or yourself.

For a Hindu, to meditate means to have complete control over your own mind, so that no thought comes without your permission. Their worship is designed to empty the mind. That is why they use repetitious sounds and words and exercises. The purpose of meditation is to think about nothing. Yoga began as a Hindu system of exercises for clearing the mind.

Hindus pray to gods as a way to focus the mind. If a Hindu achieves total focus, he will no longer need gods and will not need to pray. They do not pray directly to Brahman.

► Now go back and read the bold and italicized text and each scripture.

Because Hindus do not believe the Bible, using proof texts to refute their beliefs will not change their mind. Instead, present the biblical gospel in a way that addresses their need. The Christian’s personal testimony of relationship with God helps to touch the Hindu’s need to know God.

God, the Creator and Sustainer of the world, is a person who thinks and speaks, in contrast to the Hindu Brahman.

God is righteous and loving, with no evil side to his nature. He can always be trusted, in contrast to the Hindu gods who have selfish motives and conflicts in their own character.

God loves mankind and created us with the purpose of living in relationship with him. He has a design for our lives and a plan for us to live in heaven with him eternally. Each of us can personally know God as Father.

People are individually separated from God because they have sinned against his will. Every person will be judged individually by God for sin. This is different from the Hindu concept of impersonal karma that operates as a law of nature.

Jesus came as the incarnation of God to die as a sacrifice for our sins so that we can be forgiven. Each person can come into relationship with God by asking for forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice.

By forgiveness we come into personal relationship with the God who loves us and has promised to adopt us as his children, rather than worship­ping distant, uncaring gods who have made no promises to us.

When Amit first met a Christian, he was offended at the idea that there is only one way to God. When he read the parables of Jesus in the Bible, he was amazed at how they applied to his life. As he researched the accuracy of the Bible, he believed that the Bible has been well preserved from its original writing. One day he saw a film about the crucifixion of Jesus and made the decision to put his faith in Christ. Amit says, “If Christianity is merely one of many equally valid religions, then the sacrifices I made, including the loss of my family’s peace, were senseless. I was comfortable in my Hindu faith and enjoyed an active prayer life; I only gradually felt a void and stubbornly resisted God’s call from within the church. It was truth and love that finally forced me to accept Christ as Lord.”

► Now read Isaiah 46 again. Each student should write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for a Hindu. Several students can share what they wrote.

Remember to find an opportunity to present the gospel to someone from this religious group. Prepare to share with your classmates about the conversation you have had. Write your 2-page written report and turn it in to your class leader.