Bailey James

HUMA 2400
April 29, 2015
Hinduism In America
Hinduism is one of the most widely spread religions in the world. Its full of ancient
Indian philosophies and uniquely divine spiritualism, much different then the Christian
foundations our Western world was built on. However, over time Hindus have made America
part of their sacred land, a beautiful place of freedom to perform traditional Hindu culture.
Hinduism is unique because there is no single founder. The word Hinduism itself is
more of an umbrella term for a vast collection of religious beliefs and practices that nonetheless
have enough in common to warrant grouping together (Hemeyer). Hindus believe in a one, allpervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, yet they also define that every
living thing is a manifestation of the sacred. The divine can be seen and known in everything that
is, and everything that is can be seen as part of divine. This also means there can be no sharp
separation between things - between the divine and the human, or between people and all other
beings. For which Hindus believe and practice that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered. This
leads to their belief in Karma, the law of cause and effect by which individuals create their own
destiny by positive or negative thoughts, words and actions. Hindus believe that the soul
reincarnates, evolving through many births until all Karma have been resolved, and the Moksha
or liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Unlike most religions which define their faith
as the only true church, Hinduism is unique for its religious pluralistic outlook. They believe no
one religion is the only way to salvation or liberation. As there are any number of ways to climb

a mountain, say most Hindus, so there are many paths to reunite with the divine (Hemeyer,
260). Describing that people differ in their personalities, in their stage and station in life, and that
no one method will be best for all. They feel finding the appropriate path for the individual is
more important than following a single path believed to be correct. As a result, there is little to no
attempt to convert members to Hinduism. Followers see the practice as more of a lifestyle
choice.
The history of Hinduism in America first began in the 17th century, when some of the
Hindu sacred texts were translated from Sanskrit to English. However, these books carried only
fragments of the religion into America. The true introduction of Hinduism came by a disciple of
Ramakrishna, a Hindu leader named Swami Vivekananada. He became a nationally known for
his establishment of the Vedanta Society, which was the first Hindu group in America. His
spirited and enlightening personality raised interfaith awareness and helped spread the Indian
philosophies of Vendanta and Yoga to the Western world. During the next century, the faiths
popularity surged causing a snowball effect in growth population from 1,700 people in 1900 to
approximately 1.1 million in 1997. In 2010 according to Pew Research Centers Forum, the
population has risen to over 2,250,000. Hindus may still be a considered a minority in the United
States, but the religion continues to thrive. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Hindus have
come to the U.S., become citizens, started families, and have prospered together as a
distinguished religious group in society. Today, Hindus are considered the most affluent and most
educated immigrant community in the United States. Thus, not only is America being influenced
by Hinduism, but the reverse is true as well, and both stand to benefit from this inevitable
correlation.

Today, there is more social media validating the health benefits of yoga and meditation,
and in some ways, the influence of Hinduism has never been stronger. Terms like karma and
enlightenment are now part of mainstream vocabulary, and people increasingly speak about the
harmony of religions. Over time, there has been an increasing amount of acceptance toward the
faith and core concepts of Hinduism. From the practice of yoga, meditation, and vegetarianism,
to believing in the more religious traditions of karma, reincarnation, and that multiple paths to
the Truth can exist.
So its clear Hinduism has influenced our culture, however there is also a sense of
conformity to suit the American society. What is difficult for many Hindus living as a minority in
a multicultural society is the need to explain their religion to people totally unfamiliar with its
teachings. Religion in the United States tends to be about belief, or doctrine. Hinduism, on the
other hand, differs dramatically with its emphasis on practice (Hemeyer, 256-257). Hinduism
has never been a religion with a set of beliefs, but rather a culture and way of life. In India,
because the culture and religious ways of Hinduism is so much apart of their nations foundation,
few Hindus ever had to explain their faith. Therefore, the main challenge living in America is the
need explain the complex Hindu tradition and faith to curious outsiders, especially when no
culture on earth has developed as complex an understanding of human and divine manyness as
Hindusim. This has forced Hindus to examine their religious beliefs and discover their own
personal identity as an American Hindu. Yet, in an environment where there is often
misunderstandings about religion, there is also opportunity to clarity those misunderstandings
through interfaith conversations.

Hinduism, in essence, continues to thrive and grow in popularity. They accommodated to

the United States both spiritually and physically by transforming the land, in some cases making
places in America sacred by associating them with Hindu geography and mythology. Hindus
survival and success in any new country depends on their being recognized as part of the new
landscape (Hemeyer). Hindu Temples are rising all over the map. Today, America has the
second largest number of Hindu Temples, the first being India. There are more than 800 temples
in the Unites States and of these includes the Sri Ganasha Hindu Temple in South Jordan, Utah,
which I had the pleasure of visiting (Lingam). It is obvious that Utah does not have a huge Indian
population. However, when it came to building a Hindu temple in Utah, the existence of a large
population is not necessary in order to contemplate and execute a project from which the society
will benefit. The Sri Ganasha Temple was built in 2010, based entirely on communal donations
and has grown to support more than 2,000 followers. It is lovely place to worship, conduct
religious activities, and pursue Hindu ideas, traditions, and culture.
After visiting the temple and participating during worship, I was able to experience just
how unique this religion and culture truly is. Like most people, I have only known Hinduism
through academic study, so being able to witness the beliefs and traditions in person helped
broaden my understanding of the faith. Its really exceptional how Hindu followers can take a
religious tradition thats so ancient and find modern applications for it - internal truths that are
still applicable in todays life, including concepts selfless service, of loving devotion to God, and
seeing the divine in all of existence, is something very special in itself. Especially in a world
where we have religious strife, poverty and hunger, even the issues of depleting our natural

resources. In my opinion, there is so much that we can draw from Hindu teachings that can help
us all become better human beings and eliminate a lot of these issues we face.

Works Cited
Hemeyer, Julia. 1945 - Religion in America. 6th edition. 2010. Book. 8 April 2015.
Harley, Gary. Hindu And Sikh Faiths in America. Faith in America. Infobase Publishing. 2009.
(pg 25-26). Book. 8 April 2015.
Hindu Demographics. Hindu American Foundation. 2014. Web. 6 April 2015.
Hinduism in America - A Context for Diversity. The Pluralism Project - Harvard University.
1997-2015. Web. 6 April 2015.
Hindus. Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life. Dec 2012. Web. 4 April 2015.
Lingam, Sri Skantharajah, A Temple to Call Our Own. Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah.
2007. Web. 7 April 2015.
Rao, D.C Dr. Understanding Hinduism: Basic Concepts Explained. Hindu American
Foundation. (Pg 2-3). Web. 7 April 2015.