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mollpeartree has been asking a few questions about Hinduism, I've once again been idly contemplating the uniqueness of Hinduism.
For example, there is, as far as I know, nothing in other religions which comes close to the Archana Puja. The Archana is one of those rituals which is so popular that in order to perform it as often as people want, it has been stripped down to the shortest form possible. It might be considered a sort of fast food drive-through prayer. It's quick, accomplished by brahmins in a perfunctory manner, and there's usually a line for it. My father once told me that when he grew up, people would stop by a temple on the way to work to perform it the same way Americans might pick up a ham 'n' cheese croissant from McDonalds. Yet, the symbolism behind it remains potent, if you pause to consider it. ( Read more... )
mollpeartree has been asking a few questions about Hinduism, I've once again been idly contemplating the uniqueness of Hinduism.For example, there is, as far as I know, nothing in other religions which comes close to the Archana Puja. The Archana is one of those rituals which is so popular that in order to perform it as often as people want, it has been stripped down to the shortest form possible. It might be considered a sort of fast food drive-through prayer. It's quick, accomplished by brahmins in a perfunctory manner, and there's usually a line for it. My father once told me that when he grew up, people would stop by a temple on the way to work to perform it the same way Americans might pick up a ham 'n' cheese croissant from McDonalds. Yet, the symbolism behind it remains potent, if you pause to consider it. ( Read more... )