Casey Clune
March 26, 2015
Richter
Reflective essay
Dr. Duncan Richter’s Comparative Religion course offered an accurate depiction of the
world’s most diverse religions. Of the interesting cultures and religions that were taught, Indian
culture is a very diverse religion of which reincarnation is a popular and strong concept. Within
the faith. Reincarnation is an idea that is rarely found within the rest of the world, though its
inspiration can be seen everywhere. Reincarnation can be found throughout the world; there are
innumerous books, movies, and folklores that cover uncountable stories of one soul passing
away from this world and being placed into another body, whether human or animal. Hinduism,
thought by some to be the oldest remaining religion on earth, presents the world with this notion
of reincarnation, a concept that in many ways could be argued as defining the entire culture due
to its connection within other Hindu ideals such as Hindu gods and gurus, Hindu ideas of karma,
and even the daily life of ordinary Hindus..
Throughout India there are many followers of Hinduism that devote their attention to a
variety of Gods and Gurus. The short film “Legacy: India”, a film that I gladly had to watch for
class, states repeatedly that Hindus believe that a supreme ruler by the name of Brahman controls
every aspect of the universe and exists within all aspects of the universe, however, there many
other teachers and Gods despite the existence of Brahmin. Gods and Gurus had one goal within
the universe and that is to lead loyal Hindus along the best path of life in order to escape the
continuous cycle of life and death. Much like Hindu Gods and Gurus, rituals play a key role in
regards to reincarnation and the quest to end the unrelenting cycle of karma, life, and death.
Many sects of Hindus devote their entire lives to a group of peers that follow that same ritualistic
beliefs. A primary example of the Hindu level of ritualistic obedience can been observed within
the Hindu group “Aghoris”. The people within this group specialize in one thing: death. Though
not thought highly of by many within the Hindu society, who view to much interference with
cadavers as disrespectful, Aghoris act as gatekeepers of the dead, settling down near graveyards,
interacting with the dead in a way that further explains the Hindu concept of death, reincarnation,
and the beauty of all cycles of the soul. They sleep, talk, and even eat (in some extreme instances
the remains of the deceased.
Going hand in hand with the Hindu concept of reincarnation is the concept of Karma,
which is the belief that all actions, whether good or bad, will result in a consequence. Though
not as isolated as the idea of reincarnation, the concept of karma has spanned throughout the
world from Hindu culture as the concept that actions of this life play a role in either the next life
or, in today’s culture, modern life. To Hindus, the idea of karma dictates ones journey through
this life and the next. If the current life is lived poorly there is little to no hope that the next life
will be better. A serial killer or a serial rapist is not going to return to this earth as the rich son of
a king. This is a very profound idea because unlike many other common religions in today’s
society, there is no repenting for one’s sin; people are supposed to try their best to simply be
good people. This could arguably be more effective due to the fact that it is easier to not sin
when it directly jeopardizes your life, rather than simply needing to repent for the action. In
Hinduism, one may die and come back as any living creature: a tree, antelope, dog, or even an
insect. The goal of Hinduism is to live a life composed of enough Karma that your soul will be
able to evolve into someone greater. Performing good deeds will influence ones journey to the
next life, and may even bring an end to the relentless cycle of life and death by allowing for
Moksha ,to occur- the much awaited union with the God of all, Brahman.
Due to the fact that women are often suppressed within many cultures, observing the life
of an average woman within her culture is often very effective in determining the true beliefs of
a culture. As a religion that practices the belief of reincarnation, it is no surprise that women,
though sometimes victims to violence caused by ignorance, are viewed as having a soul that is
also caught in the constant cycle of life, death, and rebirth. This indicates as religion that is in
many ways very progressive, though many would probably deem reincarnation as a pagan belief.
In Hinduism women have the same goal of reaching Moksha as men, and are seen as something
that needs to be protected within the culture. In a religion where reincarnation is rampant, it is
little surprise that they not only desire to protect their women but keep them chaste. Marriage,
wife-hood, and motherhood are all roles that are held with much esteem within the Hindu
culture. Though men are seen as being more dominant, women are also supposed to be viewed
with respect and should be. Of the magnitude of God’s that Hindus have, not all of them are
male, indicating at some level there is an equal understanding between the two genders.
Reincarnation acts as the glue within Hinduism that works to hold the entire faith
together. Without reincarnation there would be little to no need for karma, gurus, polytheism, or
the millions of other elements that make Hinduism the spectacular religion that is, as well as one
of the oldest religions of the world. Dr. Richter’s teachings of Hinduism not only helped to
broaden my horizons concerning Hinduism and its use of reincarnation, but also educated me in
regards to how Hinduism has traveled through history to produce elements such as reincarnation
and karma that are still prevalent within twenty-first century life today.