Is there unity in Diversity

It will depend on their background, education, or what they have worked out for themselves. However, unity for Hindus is not external or geographical; it deep subtle, spiritually; it has multiple expressions. It lives in them all. It also exceeds them (Rama Swarup). This unity is in the Hindu concept of Brahman. Some paths are straight and direct and others are indirect and circuitous, some lead to Brahman and some to other deities which one may choose to worship. In the end they all lead to Brahman only. Whatever path one may choose, one should not forget that the paths of Hinduism are never separate from Brahman or from act of living. They both connect and remains inseparable. The path which a Hindu chooses is one long sacrifice in itself.

People should embrace these differences in a positive way and remain united in their daily endeavors. To give a clear picture on what unity in diversity means to humanist; it is coexisting with policies and practices that enhance life for all, promoting them regardless of differences. Humanist believe that people should not be discriminated despite of their cultural and lifestyles differences. Ideas should be shared unitedly and forge a bright future together without despising others and involving supernatural powers. To comprehend more on this topic we will consider definition of both Humanism and Hinduism, because they give us direction on what to talk about when it comes to Hindu and Humanist. Karma is a law/regulation that guides the Hindus in their lives.

Reincarnation is a Hindu belief which states that when an individual dies he/she moves to another world in spiritual form, this world is referred to as second world. This belief makes them not to fear death. Therefore this paper seeks to ascertain whether or not there is unity in diversity between Hinduism and Humanism. Hindus acquire guidance on how life should be lived through their religious activities and practices. This is forbidden by ahimsa, and it means to have reverence for all life. Many Hindus illustrate ahimsa by being vegetarians and refusing to eat any part of an animal that has been slaughtered. Some also refuse to eat eggs, because they believe that eggs yields life by ending up in living creatures.

As Manu 5, 38 says, “For every hair on the body of a beast, the person who kills it without reason will be slaughtered in successive births”. A good example of ahimsa comes from Gandhi. Sacrifices and offerings are made at such places. Mahabharata says, “even if there is only one tree full of flowers and fruits in a village, that place becomes worthy of worship and respect”. When it comes to humanists, they acquire guidance on how to live their lives through beliefs and some foundations which are considered public pillars. Humanists believe in democracy as an aspect of constitution. They believe the constitution gives them freedom and right to indulge in several activities in the society without infringing other people’s rights.

Humanists also get guidance from the concept of evolution. They believe they were not created by God but evolved from somewhere. To them life has meaning when you live a wealthy life without worshiping anybody. They don’t believe that there is second world where people go after dying in their physical form. People should try to participate in many activities and travel to new destinations because they won’t enjoy these activities after they die. Junk or fatty meals may lead to heart attack to those who consume them frequently. These fatty foods may cause obesity to those who consume them in large quantities. People should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because they are healthy and have a range of nutritional benefit to the body.

For example people from western countries are prone to obesity due to consuming a lot of fatty meals. Observing ethics in the society is another guidance that humanists seeks. When one is in irreversible coma and feeling a lot of pain, he/she should be killed painlessly. This process is also known as mercy killing or assisted suicide. When a person undergoes mercy killing, the humanists believe he has been released from pain and is happy. Learn a hobby or craft, learning craft will try to keep one busy and avoid indulging in bad activities such as stealing and raping. Craft can turn out to be an important source of employment and income to many people. One for the body entails all humanists’ beliefs that will benefit one in terms of physical body.

These includes guidance such as eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and having enough sleep. One for the mind, this entails activities that are associated directly to one’s consent. One will always feel good by being morally upright and indulging in important activities such as voting and making right choices. One for the community, it entails activities associated with community services such as volunteering and donating to community needy organizations. This means that an individual is open to the ideas of others following different pathways including non-religious ones. We learn a lot on the guidance these two groups acquire. First of all, life has purpose. One should live a good life and give it a meaning by indulging in useful activities and also giving others direction where possible.