hinduism in pittsburgh. 245
- Hinduism is a tolerant religion.The statement in the “Visitor’s Guide” to the
Penn Hills temple that the most significant feature of Hinduism is its belief
in religious tolerance is typical. The Vedas proclaim, “As the different
streams having their sources in different places mingle their water in the
sea, so the different paths which men take through different tendencies,
various though they appear, all lead to the same one God.” Statements like
“Truth is one, Paths are many” are voiced even as India experiences sepa-
ratist violence repeatedly. - The supreme being is seen as a trinity.Many educated Hindus seem to con-
sider the “trinity” as the most important feature of the “godhead.” State-
ments such as the following are heard frequently: “The Godhead has three
main functions: Creator (Brahma), Preserver (Vishnu), and Destroyer
(Siva).” Yet Brahma has no more than a walk-on part, and an extremely
important deity—the Goddess—is left out of this picture. While the no-
tion of the trinity is found in Hindu scripture and, above all, in Hindu
iconography, it is given more importance in nineteenth- and twentieth-
century thinking than it warrants. Statements about the trinity such as that
above lead the uninitiated Western audience to believe that Brahma the
Creator is very important and that Siva the Destroyer could not be very
good. Such statements about the trinity mislead more than they inform,
and obscure more about the Hindu tradition than they clarify. - All rituals have an inner meaning that has to do with promoting good health and
a safe environment.In other words, science and Hinduism are fully compati-
ble. I have already discussed at length the “inner meanings” of rituals;
what I did not touch on is the compatibility between science and religion,
the perceived value of yoga and meditation and their impact on the human
brain and body. Many discussion groups in this country focus on the merits
of these activities or other religious rituals, which are seen as leading to
better human health or creating a safer environment. The “antiseptic”
properties of turmeric or cow dung are promoted, for example.
The Penn Hills temple and other temples in the United States provide examples of
both continuity and innovation in Hindu traditions. The temple at Penn Hills has
given participating communities (a) a local place of worship, where icons of the lord
have been formally consecrated and formal prayers can be offered by priests on be-
half of individuals; (b) a place to conduct sacraments; (c) a place to send offerings