Who is a Hindu? (Definition)
Bro can you tell me who exactly is a “Hindu?” I’ve heard there’s no set definition because you guys have so many different sects.
Actually, we now have one universal, holistic & formal definition of Hindus which most people don’t know, so here’s the tea.
And the beauty is that applies to everyone regardless of which region or school you belong to, or which belief, rituals, practices and Gods you follow.
A Hindu is someone who believes in our four core pillar concepts called “DASY” - Dharma, Atman, Sampradaya & Yoga.
First, every Hindu is expected to fight for Dharma, which is social justice & reform for everyone, which means uplifting the society & helping others is our main ethical duty.
We are tolerant of all faiths, and inclusive of all people from different background, so we never try to or want to conquer, but the moment someone attacks or abuses our way of life, we not only have the right but our scriptures say it is our duty to defend, raise our voice & protect Dharma using any means necessary - Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah - Dharma protects those who protect it.
Second, each Hindu believes in the concept of Atman, the eternal formless, quality-less soul within. In practice, this means treating everyone equally because we know deep inside, we’re all the same, and all the labels given to us, like our names, castes, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, bodies, nationalities, religions, ethnicities, skin colour, they are all false & temporary.
Third, a Hindu celebrates the power of diversity by accepting the roles of sampradayas within our ecosystem, and choosing to become part of one so that they can get the support of the community & find a guru within it to guide them on their journey. Shaivas, Naths, Vaishnavas, Pushtis, Jagannaths, Murrugan, Shaktas, Smarthas, Ganpatyas, Advaitins, Dvaitins, ISKCONites, Aryas, Brahmos … these are all members of the same family.
Fourth, a Hindu believes that there are many paths to moksha or enlightenment, which is basically the highest point of self-awareness. The different paths, called “Yogas” are - Karma, Bhakti, Dnyana, Kriya, Ashtanga, and all of these are complimentary to each other, lead to the same destination, and no one path is better than others. Hindus are free to choose their path as per their personality.
So how do you convert into a Hindu? There’s actually a process of that, too.