1

Fatima Baher
RELS-2300-400-Sp16
Prof. Wijitha Bandara
05/03/2016
Is Dharma a religion?
Religion is a set of traditional practices and belief system, But does
that make any traditional practices or any belief system a religion? Dharma
has set of traditional practices and belief system practiced by the Hindus.
and it's one of the controversial topics that till now people/ scholars still
talking about. Could Hindu practices referred to as religion or Dharma.
Religion become a study object at the time of the European
Enlightenment, therefore, many scholars started to explain the religion and
why it exists based on their own perspectives. There are three major theories
and perspectives:
1. The first theory is: Materialist Perspective, scientific materialism
argued that religion can be found in different forms in every culture around
the world, and therefore this supernatural powers such as God is imagined
by human and they deny the existence of such powers (God), therefore the
materialist definition of religion is' human's invention'. One of materialistic
scholars' who Ludwig Feuerbach that emphasized in his work on reasoning
that power, wisdom, and love are qualities within us humans, but humans
project those qualities outside themselves in deities to worship them when
we don't need them. Karl Marx is another scientific materialists who argued

that culture's religion, and its social structure are springs from economic
framework, and that the religion is the result of the longings of the
oppressed.
2. The second theory is: Functional Perspective, Not everyone agreed
on the materialists perspective therefore French sociologist Emile Durkheim
found another way to explain religion and its existence. He proposed that
human needs the social structure that religion provides, and that religion has
few characteristics that can benefit the society, such as love, compassion,
justice and discipline, that works as glue to hold the society together and
provides harmony. The political scientists Robert Putnam and David
Campbell reached a conclusion after a survey done in the United States that
religious people are more generous and conscientious as a citizen than those
who are not religious or don't practice religion. Add to that from biological,
medical and psychological point of view some positive qualities and benefits
for those who practice religion or believe in God. Some of those benefits are
1. longer life span for people who attend religious services or read scriptures
frequently. 2. reduced mental stress and development of positive emotions
when practicing meditation. Therefore the definition of religion in the eye of
functional perspective : religion is useful to unite people, add harmony and
help heel people mental, physical and psychological problem.
3. the third theory is : Faith Perspective, people with faith perspective
believe that there is a supreme reality that it's truly there, but we as human

cannot perceive it. people of this perspective follow this path and believe in
the unseen reality regardless of their inability of perceiving it with their
ordinary senses due to two main reasons; one of them that they accepted
what has been told to them and believed in what is written in their holly
books. The other reason is: Their own search for the truth that made them
reach to a conclusion of continuing on this path of believing in the existence
of the unseen reality. The philosopher William James is one of faith
perspective followers he points to the existence of other modes of
consciousness that is entirely different than our own. People with faith
perspective have encountered with a mystery feeling similar to awakening
feelings they described it as if they perceived the truth directly , beyond the
senses, human limitation, and blind believes. This experience is called
mysticism. Those encounters with the unseen reality were given names in
their spiritual tradition such as enlightenment, realization awakening, and
gnosis. Some encounter those by accident such as in near death
experiences, and some work to get it by meditation, prayers, chanting ...etc.
Many religion have developed some techniques to get to that awakening
feeling or gain wisdom. Faith perspective definition of religion is the ultimate
reality exists, regardless if we're unable to perceive it with our ordinary
senses.
At the beginning in India, there were a set of practices and beliefs that
Indian people used to practice. Those practices called by the Indian Santana
Dharma, the Indian themselves did not classify those beliefs and practices as

a religion practices, however the western point of view of these beliefs and
practices put them under religion name and category. Hinduism was the
name the westerner scholars called it. Hinduism is the oldest documented
religion on earth, and has 330 million deities1 even thought they believe in
one God, each deity represent God in a different form. There is no founder
for this religion nor a known prophet. Santana Dharma teaches of how to live
our daily lives, how to behave, how to treat human and animals , our social
order in life. It teaches us how to be tolerant to others. It's about exploring
the reality itself and finding the relationship between human and their Gods.
Santana Dharma has multiple components and beliefs and they are:
1) The cast system: Hinduism believe in cast system and it consists of
A-Brahmins which includes the priests, and teachers.
B- The second level is :Kastriayas which includes warriors and rulers.
C-The third level is Vaisyas : farmers, artesian, merchants .
D- The fourth level is sudras the laborers.
2) karma: means Action and its consequences. Hinduism believe that
through good deeds and good thoughts people can build up good karma ,
and good karma going to reward us with good future ; either in this life or the
next upcoming life, and the same goes with bad deeds or thoughts which
eventually changes our future ( this life, or the next life).
1 Hinduism. Santana Dharma. Video Lecture.

Hindus believe in the reincarnation and they call it Samsara: The wheel of
birth, death, and rebirth . Hindus believe at the time of death, the soul leaves
the current body to enter a new body, the second body might be
human( male or female) or an animal's body. Karma controls it, If the person
had good deeds which create a lot of good karma, he/she would go to a
human body (There are ranks for humans as well for example male
considered better than females). If the person had bad deeds it might go to
an animal's body. and the cycle goes on. Only one way for the person to be
liberated from Samsara and it's by reaching Moksha. You have to achieve
enlightenment to reach Moksha, and to reach enlightenment you have to
study and read the Vedas the Hindus sacred texts or by doing Yoga.
3) Ashram : is another belief of Santana Dharma in which the individual
goes through four stages in life. Each stage last approximately 25 years.
Those stages are:
The first stage is: Bhramahari which resembles a student's stage where he/
she studies and try to obtain a n education/ or a degree/ or a job skill.
The second stage is : Grihastha: whish resembles a householder stage. At
this stage He/ she forms a family, work and contribute to the society, and
tries to fulfill his/her desires of life of health/ wealth and all other desires.
The third stage is: Vanprastha: is a stage of retired life, this stage starts
mostly about the age of fifty. At this point the person would have formed a
family, raised his/her kids and ready to be retired. At this stage the person

should start on giving back to the community by sharing his knowledge and
experiences.
The fourth stage is : the stage of renouncing life , in this stage the person
should start meditating, reading the Vedas, try to liberate him/herself to
either reach Moksha or to be reborn as a human in his next life.

I visited Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple in Salt Lake City couple of times,
the second time I had the chance to see up close, how the local Hindus
worship Shiva one of their Deities. Shaivites is one of major sectors in
Hinduism as we read about him in the class, Shiva is called the destroyer of
Ego and bad habits and he is famous of loving his wife Shakti. Most of people
who came to the temple were married and some with kids as well. One
women took some of the colored powder and applied it on her neck and a
necklace( some Hindus wear a certain style of necklaces made only for
married women) I took her action as if she is taking a blessing from Gods to
protect her marriage.
Based on Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary, Religion's definition
is " the belief in a god or in a group of gods, an organized system of beliefs,
ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods, an interest,
a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group" I think
that all the activities and rituals that I observed in the temple, people were

giving offers to their deities and bowing and kneeling , the prayers, all of
these; I think goes under religion category.
What I concluded from the conversation I had with the temple's priest,
that what I read in the book about Hinduism's beliefs was practiced and
believed by the Hindu people in the temple. therefore I think there is a
connection between the scriptural teaching and the general religious
practices of the Hindu believers.
what I saw at the temple of how the priests reading( chanting) some
religious scripts from their books and then how people started to read with
the priests towards the end, the food offering, the prayers, the bowing and
kneeling, and the display of many deities in the temple made me think this
is a place of worship not a place of normal community gathering.
I think Dharma is a religion. Many factors made me get to that
conclusion and those are: what I observed in the temple, my conversation
with the priest, My class book and the religion definition all together
combined lead me to believe that Dharma is a religion not just a regular
practice of Hindus.

Reference
Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religion. Ninth ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Print.
"Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma)." Slcc.Canvas. Web. 27 Apr. 216. Online Lecture.