Rites of passage are developmental milestones that people everywhere experience. The components and degree of importance vary extensively across cultures, but in all cases may have a profound impact on the individual and the society as a whole. For Hindu’s, these sacraments are known as samskaras, a collection of the most significant events in the lifecycle, beginning prior to birth and continuing past the individual’s death. Although there are sixteen recognized samskaras, only a subset is commonly practiced. From one Hindu society to another, there will be variations in which samskaras are observed, as well as the details involved in each. Translation of the word samskara reveals it to mean “making perfect” or “refining,” and thus is seen as a process by which one works toward a life of meaningful spirituality and bondage with the community (Dasa, 2007).
While there are several samskaras that take place prior to birth, simantoyannayanam, the baby shower, is the most widely performed. The birthing ceremony is known as jatkarma, followed by nama karana, the naming ceremony, anna prashanna, the first consumption of solid food, karnavedha, the ear piercing, and chudakarma, the first haircut. Vidyarambhana marks the entrance of the child into education, while upanayana signifies the coming of age of the child and entrance into society. The marriage sacrament is referred to as vivaha, and the funeral is denoted antyesthi. The remaining six samskaras are more traditional and less commonly practiced today.
Samskaras have a great deal to do with society, morality, and the belief that the consequences of one’s actions extend farther than oneself. They are considered developmentally important in that without them, the individual is vulne...
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... cremation, these rites of passage are highly influential to the development of the individual and society. They mark the stages at which one is able to grow in spirituality and attain meaningful relations with others.
Works Cited
Britannica Academic Edition. Samskaras: Rites of passage. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266312/Hinduism/59788/Samskaras-rites-of-passage; accessed November 12, 2013.
Dasa, S. N., (2007). A Hindu primer. Devasthanam: A Hindu resource where faith an scholarship meet. Retrieved from http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/samskaras.html; accessed November 12, 2013.
Prad, (2012). 16 Samskara—16 Hindu rites performed from birth to death. Retrieved from http://pradeepamohan.net/blog/2012/12/31/16-samskaras-16-rites/; accessed November 12, 2013.
Sigelman, C. K. & Rider, E. A., (2012). Life-span human development.
1.) Intro: I decided to focus my Religious Ethnography on a friend whom I recently have become close with. Adhita Sahai is my friend’s name, which she later told me her first name meant “scholar.” I choose to observe and interview Adhita, after she invited me to her home after hearing about my assignment. I was very humbled that she was open to this, because not only was it a great opportunity for this paper, but it also helped me get to know Adhita better. I took a rather general approach to the religious questions that I proposed to the Sahai family because I didn’t want to push to deep, I could tell Hinduism is extremely important to this family. Because this family does not attend a religious site where they worship, I instead listened to how they do this at home as a family instead.
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The belief systems of Hinduism and Buddhism have been around for centuries, and play a pivotal role in many countries around the world. Both Hinduism and Buddhism derive from the same source and area, which naturally gives them similarities, but they differ in many ways as well. These similarities and differences can clearly be seen when looking at how both belief systems approach spiritual fulfillment and the dilemma of how this fulfillment can be achieved.
Living in a society where several cultures and religious beliefs are represented, such an event as memorable as death is bound to be celebrated differently. The paper attempts to look at the various ways different culture and religious practices prepare the body of the deceased for burial and the role of health care workers.
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“Religion as defined by the great sages of India…it did not require belief in a set of doctrines, but rather hard, disciplined work, without which, any religious teaching remained opaque and incredible” (Armstrong 51). The profound history of Hinduism contains important fundamental elements that play a major role in the daily life of its followers. Hinduism is famously known as one of the oldest religions in the world, which is widely embraced and composed of three prominent attributes: spiritual, tradition, and the caste system. The combinations of these three attributes in the Hindu belief system add rich tradition and deepen cultural meaningfulness and experience that uniquely defines the Hindu system of beliefs
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The four main stages of life in Hinduism also take the caste system into account. The first stage is that of a student, being led by a teacher. T...
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