The Student Room Group

What does it mean that the PM is hindu?

Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against hindus, i just don't understand what they actually believe, and i certainly do not understand what ethical implications that comes out of their belief system.

Many years ago, i hired a man in kerala to help me with some IT stuff online, and he was very nice. He told me that he often went to the temple, and burnt incence and that this was very important to him. But, when he then tried to explain what he actually believed in, it seemed extremely complicated. I once tried to read the upanishades and they read like some sort philosophical treatise rather than the narratives we are used to from Christianity and Islam.

Trevor Noah formulated the confusion I felt at that moment the best. This clip is quite funny. My question then, before you have a look at it, what exactly are the ethical implications of being hindu. I know Biden is catholic, and i understand what that might imply. But Hindu I do not so far understand. There is a gap in my knowledge, please enlighten me
[video="youtube;QhMO5SSmiaA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhMO5SSmiaA[/video]
(edited 6 months ago)
That the PM is a follower of hinduism.

Hinduism is a very diverse religion.
One which has many different deities, religious texts, sect movements and faith leaders.
Many hindus do not consume any dairy products and red meat.
Some hindus are strict vegans who will not eat tomatoes or any root vegetables.
Lots of hindus worship multiple deities and make offerings to the temple murtis (idol statues) of their favoured deities.
While other hindus are focused upon one deity alone, whether it be male or female.
A lot of hindus believe in the caste system and reincarnation.
Reply 2
Mr Sunak's religion does not affect his policies and that. All religions emphasize behaving well which is a good thing.
Reply 3
It appears to have no impact on policy so while not desirable, it is of no concern.
Reply 4
Original post by Rakas21
It appears to have no impact on policy so while not desirable, it is of no concern.

I have no idea whether it is desirable or not because i do not know what ethics that is derived from hinduism. In fact, indian history has been undercommunicated, it has been more isolated than china before nixon in a sense. At least culturally. From China (hong kong, but still) we have had Bruce Lee, jet li and a host of movie stars. India has Bollywood, but their storytelling combined with their distinct musical tradition makes their stoiries alien in Europa and America.

Let me take one example. My friend from kerala reccomended a good "historical drama" to me once, knowing that I was so inclined. I then sat down to watch, and saw that it was a thriller involving an indian man against the Biritish red coats. The british troop was marching down the road with the hero in shackles. There were drum beats, then a dark soundtrack. Suddenly everyone freezes, the music starts, the soldiers dance and in come a hord of gorgeous young women with fluttering silk scarves accompanied by the five armed elephant man. What on earth is going on I thought?
I asked my indian friend about this and he told me that "no story can ever be told without music and dance" and that western cinema was "cold and analytical".
(edited 5 months ago)
Reply 5
Original post by michaelhw
I have no idea whether it is desirable or not because i do not know what ethics that is derived from hinduism. In fact, indian history has been undercommunicated, it has been more isolated than china before nixon in a sense. At least culturally. From China (hong kong, but still) we have had Bruce Lee, jet li and a host of movie stars. India has Bollywood, but their storytelling combined with their distinct musical tradition makes their stoiries alien in Europa and America.

Let me take one example. My friend from kerala reccomended a good "historical drama" to me once, knowing that I was so inclined. I then sat down to watch, and saw that it was a thriller involving an indian man against the Biritish red coats. The british troop was marching down the road with the hero in shackles. There were drum beats, then a dark soundtrack. Suddenly everyone freezes, the music starts, the soldiers dance and in come a hord of gorgeous young women with fluttering silk scarves accompanied by the five armed elephant man. What on earth is going on I thought?
I asked my indian friend about this and he told me that "no story can ever be told without music and dance" and that western cinema was "cold and analytical".

I'm a monoculturalist and bar Buddhism, I consider the other religions including Hinduism to be a threat, that was why I consider it undesirable personally.
Original post by Rakas21
I'm a monoculturalist and bar Buddhism, I consider the other religions including Hinduism to be a threat, that was why I consider it undesirable personally.

Why do you exempt Buddhism? :confused:
Reply 7
Original post by londonmyst
Why do you exempt Buddhism? :confused:

It’s based more around a set of beliefs rather than a god and is generally less aggressive in its cultural impact.
It's not something he seems massively keen to make a big deal out of, really, other than lighting some lamps at Diwali.
Reply 9
he wont eat a Big Mac
Reply 10
Original post by michaelhw
I have no idea whether it is desirable or not because i do not know what ethics that is derived from hinduism. In fact, indian history has been undercommunicated, it has been more isolated than china before nixon in a sense. At least culturally. From China (hong kong, but still) we have had Bruce Lee, jet li and a host of movie stars. India has Bollywood, but their storytelling combined with their distinct musical tradition makes their stoiries alien in Europa and America.

Let me take one example. My friend from kerala reccomended a good "historical drama" to me once, knowing that I was so inclined. I then sat down to watch, and saw that it was a thriller involving an indian man against the Biritish red coats. The british troop was marching down the road with the hero in shackles. There were drum beats, then a dark soundtrack. Suddenly everyone freezes, the music starts, the soldiers dance and in come a hord of gorgeous young women with fluttering silk scarves accompanied by the five armed elephant man. What on earth is going on I thought?
I asked my indian friend about this and he told me that "no story can ever be told without music and dance" and that western cinema was "cold and analytical".

True Dat bro. China has indeed derived all cultural ethics from Bruce Lee and Jet Li
you forgot Cung Le as well
Reply 11
Apparently it doesn't mean that you can't wear a kippah.
Original post by londonmyst
That the PM is a follower of hinduism.

Hinduism is a very diverse religion.
One which has many different deities, religious texts, sect movements and faith leaders.
Many hindus do not consume any dairy products and red meat.
Some hindus are strict vegans who will not eat tomatoes or any root vegetables.
Lots of hindus worship multiple deities and make offerings to the temple murtis (idol statues) of their favoured deities.
While other hindus are focused upon one deity alone, whether it be male or female.
A lot of hindus believe in the caste system and reincarnation.

Interesting. What is the problem with root veggies?
Original post by Kutie Karen
Interesting. What is the problem with root veggies?

Sometimes the ban on root vegetable consumption arises from ahimsa beliefs relating to being wrongful violence to uproot the whole plant or risk accidentally killing lots of very small insects/microscopic creatures in the process of collecting the root veg.

Other hindus are following the teachings and diets of their fringe sect leaders or specific gurus who prohibit the consumption of all root veggies in the same way as they do all dairy, eggs, seafood and meat.
Often along with some red or purple coloured fruits like tomato and beetroot.
Curiously enough none seem to have a problem with anyone eating honey.
Reply 14
in Hinduism, philosophy is highly worked. seems like ancient people have highly worked in it. even they are fictional stories but written very patiently that seems like a code written for future . i am athiest but those who have written literatures were intelligent and are resonable. i wish if khilji would not burn Nalanda university. there were thousands of anciant books in library. it has an interesting story
Original post by londonmyst
Sometimes the ban on root vegetable consumption arises from ahimsa beliefs relating to being wrongful violence to uproot the whole plant or risk accidentally killing lots of very small insects/microscopic creatures in the process of collecting the root veg.

Other hindus are following the teachings and diets of their fringe sect leaders or specific gurus who prohibit the consumption of all root veggies in the same way as they do all dairy, eggs, seafood and meat.
Often along with some red or purple coloured fruits like tomato and beetroot.
Curiously enough none seem to have a problem with anyone eating honey.

very interesting . thanks
Reply 16
Original post by Prem 885
in Hinduism, philosophy is highly worked. seems like ancient people have highly worked in it. even they are fictional stories but written very patiently that seems like a code written for future . i am athiest but those who have written literatures were intelligent and are resonable. i wish if khilji would not burn Nalanda university. there were thousands of anciant books in library. it has an interesting story

Yes, Nalanda is a sort of unrecognized library of alexandria (there were two such large universities in India). There was a chinese munk who brought manuscripts back to china, and he described the university as it was when he was there. What is interesting about both nalanda and alexandria in Egypt, is that they were part of two academic networks, that is organized knowledge production, over a very long time, 1000 years. Which is extraordinary. They had similar networks in ethiopia and in the songhay empire, Timbucto etc. A lot has been said about the ones in european antiquity, but the effect of these ancient academic networks outside europe has not been recognized or understood. We must assume that something similar existed in south america, at least among the maya, who had a writing system and books (codexes). and also in the old angkor kingdom. The angkor kingdom even had a public health system in the middle ages 🙂 It is assumed that harvey discovered the circulation of blood, but that was an arab scholar. It is assumed that Durkheim was the first modern social scientist, but Ibn Khaldun may have beat him by centuries. In Europe it is assumed that Herodutus was the first historian, but Sima Qian, the grand historian in china, invented the historical biography, at least. and the travel journal of Ibn Batutta is in many ways supperior to that of marco polo, which is just a record of sites and places, whereas ibn batutta tells you who is and what he actually feels. Marco Polo gives you a map in writing, not much more. and the Ethiopian contemporary of kant, Zera Yacoub is never trapped by racism in the same way as hume and in part kant. But it would be interesting if one could generalize or quantify about academic networks and the superstructure they can yield? If you can do this in mapped ancient network, you can then create some sort of model which may help reconstruct Angkor or perhaps some culture in mesoamerica, or elsewhere. You can also make assumptions about literacy etc. So it is very interesting...
(edited 5 months ago)

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending