“I am a Hindu,” writes Yann Martel in his book, Life of Pi, ”because of sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow
turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut,
because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God, because of
the… beating of drums… because of the fragrance of incense… because of
foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word – faith. I became loyal
to these sense impressions even before I knew what they meant or what they were
for… I am aware of Presence, not personal the way we usually feel presence, but
something larger. My heart still skips a
beat when I catch sight of the murti, of God Residing, in the inner sanctum of
a temple… My hands naturally come together in reverent worship. I hunger for prasad, that sugary offering to
God that comes back to us as a sanctified treat.”
This is one
of the best descriptions of Hinduism I have come across. We can
understand the philosophy of a religion, but unless we grasp the heart of it –
the colour and the texture of it, the taste and the smell of it, the sound and
the inner heartbeat of it, we won’t be able to fully engage with those whose
very cultural identity is wrapped up with their religion. For the vast
majority, to be Indian or Nepali or Balinese is to be Hindu. To be Hindu
is to be Indian or… to see India
There are one
billion of these humans who do not know Jesus! Will you enter their world
for the sake of their destinies?
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blog: Inside Hinduism: A Story of Freedom
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