Mahashivratri and Hindu Culture!
First of all, let us understand what the terms “way of life”, “tradition”, “religion” and “faith” mean.
Way of life: A way of life is a set of values, customs, and practices that guide a person’s behavior and worldview. It includes the habits, routines, and attitudes that shape how a person lives their life. A way of life is often shaped by factors such as culture, geography, and history. It may or may not be associated with a formal religion or tradition.
- Veganism: A way of life that emphasizes a plant-based diet and rejects the use of animal products, often based on environmental or ethical considerations.
- Minimalism: A way of life that emphasizes simplicity, frugality, and the avoidance of excess consumption, often based on a desire to live more sustainably and reduce environmental impact.
- Indigenous ways of life: The traditional ways of life and practices of various indigenous communities around the world, which can include hunting, fishing, and gathering practices, as well as traditional medicines, ceremonies, and spiritual beliefs.
Tradition: A tradition is a set of beliefs, customs, and practices that are passed down from generation to generation within a particular community or group. Traditions can be religious or secular, and they often involve rituals, celebrations, and cultural practices that are important to the community. They may include a way of life or be part of a larger religious or cultural context.
- Chinese New Year: A celebration that marks the start of the lunar new year and is celebrated by people of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese heritage around the world, involving traditional foods, decorations, and ceremonies.
- Christmas: A Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and involves traditions such as gift-giving, Christmas carols, and decorating Christmas trees.
Religion: A religion is a formal system of beliefs, practices, and values that involve a belief in a higher power or supernatural force. It often includes the worship of a deity or deities, a set of moral principles, and a system of rituals and ceremonies. Religion can be a way of life or a tradition, but not all ways of life or traditions are considered religions.
- Christianity: A religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, with a focus on the belief in one God and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It includes various denominations and traditions, such as Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox.
- Islam: A monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and the belief in one God, with a focus on the Five Pillars of Islam, which include the declaration of faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca.
Faith: Faith refers to a personal belief or conviction in something that is not necessarily tied to a particular religious tradition or institution. It can include a belief in a higher power or spiritual force, a set of moral principles, or a sense of purpose or meaning in life. Faith is often rooted in personal experiences, values, and perspectives, and can be shaped by a variety of factors, including culture, family, and individual beliefs.
Belief in a higher power or spiritual force that is not necessarily associated with a particular religious tradition. This can include beliefs in concepts such as karma, fate, or destiny.
Personal moral principles or codes of conduct that are not necessarily linked to a specific religious doctrine. This can include ideas such as compassion, empathy, or the golden rule.
While there is some overlap between these concepts, these are not interchangeable. Each has its own unique characteristics and can be thought of as existing along a continuum, with some traditions being more focused on a formal religious system, while others are more focused on a way of life or cultural practices.
Let’s see if we can fit what we call as “Hindu” into the bracket of what a religion means:
“A religion is a formal system of beliefs, practices, and values that involve a belief in a higher power or supernatural force. It often includes the worship of a deity or deities, a set of moral principles, and a system of rituals and ceremonies.”
“A formal system of beliefs and practices” — there is no one head or organization that owns the Hindu culture and there is no one religious text which all Hindus adhere to. So, it is not formal in any sense. It can at best be seen as a loose set of beliefs and practices.
“It often includes the worship of a deity or deities” — When it comes to Hinduism, the concept of atheism is recognized and accepted. There are schools of thought within Hinduism, such as the Samkhya and Charvaka, which reject the existence of God or a divine creator.
Therefore, a person who follows these schools of thought can still be considered a Hindu, even though they do not believe in God. Additionally, the Hindu concept of dharma, which refers to a person’s duty or righteous way of living, is not necessarily tied to a belief in God. One can follow dharma without necessarily being a theist.
These definitions precisely fit Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam. “Hindu” does not fit into the western definition of what a religion is. For example:
- In Christianity, a person’s belief in God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior is considered a fundamental part of being a Christian. The Nicene Creed, which is a statement of faith widely used in Christian liturgy, declares the belief in “one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God”. Therefore, a person who explicitly and unequivocally denies the existence of God or who rejects the central tenets of the Christian faith, including the divinity of Jesus Christ, may be considered to have left the faith entirely.
- In Islam, the declaration of faith, known as the Shahada, is considered a fundamental part of being a Muslim. The Shahada states, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.” As a result, a person who explicitly and unequivocally denies the existence of God or who rejects the Shahada is considered to have left the fold of Islam.
I would rather go by someone who is learned in the law like Sai Deepak on what the law says ‘Hindu’ means:
(1) It is clear that the Supreme Court of India thinks the term religion is too narrow to be applied to whatever “Hindu” means.
(2) The Supreme Court of India has said Hinduism should be considered broadly as a “way of life”.
(3) That does not mean, “Hindu” is not a particular faith or a set of faiths. It is a faith and many laws & acts are based on that view of who a Hindu is.
So, this whole debate around what Sadhguru has said of Mahashivratri is very relevant in this context.
“Mahashivratri — a Planetary phenomenon not limited to a particular religion, ritual or race but available to all who are receptive to it; may you become available to this Cascade of Grace. -Sg”
Is Mahashivratri a planetary phenomenon? Is it not limited to a religion?
Every month, there is a Shivratri that is calculated based on the moon’s position with respect to Earth and Sun. The Shivratri that comes in the Hindu month of Phalguna is called Mahashivratri. So, it is very much a planetary phenomenon.
If the word Hindu itself is not strictly considered a religion, how can Mahashivratri be limited to religion?
Is Sadhguru taking Mahashivratri away from Hindus?
More & more Hindus are looking at Isha Mahashivratri celebrations online. More & more Hindus are attending the Isha Mahashivratri celebrations in person. In fact, in 2021, the Isha Mahashivratri celebrations were viewed by more people than even the Grammys.
So, this very premise is incorrect.
Is Mahashivratri related to a ritual or a set of rituals? Is Sadhguru taking the sanctity of Mahashivratri away by having dance and music on the night?
We do not have a specific set of rituals attributed to the night of Mahashivratri in the Hindu scriptures. There are traditions of people having done fasting on that day & night, stories of people being awake on that whole night, stories of people chanting mantras on that night, stories of people who did abhisheka to a linga on that night, etc. Even if a person performs any one of these acts on Mahashivratri night, it is considered to be sacred for Hindus.
Actually, all these activities happen in Isha on the Mahashivratri night along with so many other things:
- People meditate during Sandhya Kalas and Brahma Muhurta
- People chant Shiva Panchakshari and Aum on that night
- Anyone can have a darshan of and do Abhishekam to the linga at Isha Yoga Center
And he is making millions of people do all this.
Apart from this, there are thousands of Sadhakas who have taken up a hard 42-day Sadhana for Shiva, walk for several miles and visit the Shiva linga on Velliangiri mountain every year.
If we just ask people to stay up and meditate on this night, 99.999% of them would not even attempt it. If music and dance are what have to be used to keep them up all night, that’s as fantastic a tool as anything else.
After all, Shiva himself is known to be the cosmic dancer and the originator of Indian classical music. If we do not celebrate these aspects of Shiva on the night of Mahashivratri, when do we?
So, this whole debate is relevant in this context of what the identity of “Hindu” means but the controversy around Mahashivratri is most certainly not.
I totally agree with what Sangam Talks tweeted about this — we really need to choose our battles.
