Hindu and the medical community

[NurseMira]

Hello everyone,
My name is Miranda. I am a nursing student. I am currently taking a class in World Religions and how this applies to nursing. This is an excellent class and one thing that we are supposed to do is learn how we can best serve people of different religions and cultures. I chose to study Hinduism and will be doing a presentation in front of the whole class on Hindu beliefs. I am hoping that some kind souls on this forum could help me by answering the questions I have posted below. Please feel free to answer one question, a few questions, or all the questions. I think there are some excellent, thought provoking and interesting questions below, and the answers will truly help me and my fellow students become more sensitive to the needs of the community around us. I will be truly grateful for any information you can provide.

General Questions:
1.I only know a very basic amount about you religion. What religious beliefs make you religion unique? What are the beliefs that you have that make you proud to say you are Hindu?

2.What contributions have your religion made that has significantly made the world a better place?

3. What religious practices are common among people who practice Hindu?

4.Does your religion have a founder? If so please tell me a little about them.

Personal questions:
1.In what ways is your religion important to your life? What makes you inspired to continue to practice Hinduism on a daily basis?

2.What part of your religion means the most to you?

3.What are your opinions on how your religion has changed through time or diversified with the times?

4.What picture of god(s) does your religion represent? How does this relate to how you worship?

5.What is the purpose of mankind?

6.What does your religion offer that other religions do not offer?

7.Spiritually speaking, who is your favorite role model and why?

Nursing questions:
1.What religious thing should I be sensitive to if I were to have you as a patient? (i.e. incense, reading materials, prayer beads, statues)

2.Please tell me if you have any teachings about faith healings (i.e. shamans or religious healers)

3.Are there any medical interventions that your religion is against (birth control, blood transfusions, vaccines, stem cells, certain diets, taking medications)
4.What are your religious views on death and dying?

5.How do you prepare a person who has passed away (In the US and other countries)

6.When speaking to the family about hard topics (surgery, dying, ect…) are there any cultural considerations that I should be aware of?

7.Please let me know if you have any other advice or information that I did not cover.

[devisarada]

Hello everyone,
My name is Miranda. I am a nursing student. I am currently taking a class in World Religions and how this applies to nursing. This is an excellent class and one thing that we are supposed to do is learn how we can best serve people of different religions and cultures. I chose to study Hinduism and will be doing a presentation in front of the whole class on Hindu beliefs. I am hoping that some kind souls on this forum could help me by answering the questions I have posted below. Please feel free to answer one question, a few questions, or all the questions. I think there are some excellent, thought provoking and interesting questions below, and the answers will truly help me and my fellow students become more sensitive to the needs of the community around us. I will be truly grateful for any information you can provide.

General Questions:

1.I only know a very basic amount about you religion.

From your questions, I would venture to say that you know nothing about Hinduism except for common western stereotypes

What religious beliefs make you religion unique?

We welcome EVERYBODY. We do not proselytize and we do not ask you to change your religion. Although we may not agree, we are respectful of everyone's right to their own beliefs"

What are the beliefs that you have that make you proud to say you are Hindu?

All of them. There are no beliefs that would make me ashamed to say I am a Hindu

2.What contributions have your religion made that has significantly made the world a better place?

Too numerous to mention

3. What religious practices are common among people who practice Hinduism?

Religious practices are varied, depending on the region, the branch of Hinduism and the worshiper.

4.Does your religion have a founder? If so please tell me a little about them.

Hinduism has no founder, it was revealed over time to many sages who passed down the revelations orally from one generation to the next. For millennia, rigorous adherence to the poetry and pronunciation continues to ensure that the knowledge is handed down verbatim and is not altered in any way from the original

Personal questions:

1.In what ways is your religion important to your life? What makes you inspired to continue to practice Hinduism on a daily basis?

These questions are of such a personal nature that the answers would vary from one individual to the next

2.What part of your religion means the most to you?

Hinduism is a way of life and system of belief that cannot be dissected into parts. It is a whole, which is greater than the some of its parts

3.What are your opinions on how your religion has changed through time or diversified with the times?

Hinduism or "Sanatan Dharma" Eternal Religion, as we call it, has remained substantially the same from the beginning of Time

4.What picture of god(s) does your religion represent?

Hindus believe in God (with a capital letter) who is beyond both form and formlessness, and beyond gender. We worship God as formless, or in one of his/her many manifestations. We often use pictures or symbols "OM" to help us focus in our worship, the same way Christians might use a picture of Jesus a a baby, or has a learned teacher, or the cross, as a means to focus the mind

How does this relate to how you worship?

We worship God in many ways, one of the most common ways of worship is to chant the names of God, such as "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA" or "JAI JAI MAA"

5.What is the purpose of mankind?

The purpose of every soul is to reunite with God

6.What does your religion offer that other religions do not offer?

All religions have something to offer their devotees. Depending on their level of understanding and spiritual development, something within them will naturally draw them to a particular religion. When you find the religion that is suitable for you, you will know.

7.Spiritually speaking, who is your favorite role model and why?

Mahatma Gandhi, because he had compassion for EVERYONE, and was not judgmental regarding the value of any religion. One of his favourite quotes was: "I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian."

Nursing questions:
1.What religious thing should I be sensitive to if I were to have you as a patient? (i.e. incense, reading materials, prayer beads, statues)

Don't ask me any questions about my religion. Unless something I have with me is against hospital rules, do not make any comments, even if you might think you are being complimentary. You may come across as being condescending

2.Please tell me if you have any teachings about faith healings (i.e. shamans or religious healers)

Most religions have a traditions of faith healing. We do not have shamans or religious healers, we have ordained priests

3.Are there any medical interventions that your religion is against (birth control, blood transfusions, vaccines, stem cells, certain diets, taking medications)

Views on these topics would vary according to the individual. However, Hindus do not eat beef and many are vegetarian

4.What are your religious views on death and dying?

A priest performs a short blessing on the soul of the dying by repeating the appropriate prayers.

If possible, the dying person should be surrounded by loved ones.

The body of the deceased is treated with gentleness and respect

5.How do you prepare a person who has passed away (In the US and other countries)

That is a private matter for each family, which is accomplished after the body of the deceased has left the hospital

6.When speaking to the family about hard topics (surgery, dying, ect…) are there any cultural considerations that I should be aware of?

The most important part is to listen, and take your cues from the person to whom you are speaking. Use gentle words, just the same as you would for any other person, because everyone has a different level of understanding and emotional strength. Above all, be respectful, and compassionate

7.Please let me know if you have any other advice or information that I did not cover.

My first piece of advice is that you take the time to read the many fora on this website with an open mind to understand the vast and complex world of Hinduism.


Are these questions required by your assignment, or did you come up with them yourself? Because, if you really want to understand Hinduism, you need to ask some different questions.

There are many websites about Hinduism which offer a stereotypical view through a judgmental western perspective. Keep an open mind

Here is an accurate and informative website
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/mon...about/hinduism

Secondly, with respect, I would be very grateful if you posted the answers to these questions based on your religion in your next post on this thread.

[devisarada]

The following is an excerpt from a speech that I gave at an Interfaith Mosaic gathering.

I hope that this will give you some flavor what it means to be Hindu.

I will start by reciting one of Hinduism's many peace mantras.

This one is called the Shantih Path.
It is from the Yajur Veda, chapter 36 verse 17.
It is a mantra that is recited every day by many Hindus during their Morning Oblations..

May there be peace in Heaven,
Peace in the Atmosphere,
Peace across the waters,
May there be peace on Earth,
May peace flow from herbs, trees and creepers,
May the Supreme Being, Brahman, pervade peace,
May there always be peace and peace alone
May that peace come to us and all beings
Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantihi
OM, Peace, Peace, Peace

Namaskar, brothers and sisters.

My interest in Hinduism, or Sanatan Dharma was awakened 18 years ago, when I had the opportunity to study it, not in an academic way, but to actually experience it. Since then, I found Hinduism to be the spiritual path that best resonates with me.

For Hinduism teaches that worldly illusion disappears, and we become one with the Eternal Truth, only when we have become self-realised souls.

No society can function without faith. Our relationships are based on faith and trust. . Our commercial and social interactions all depend on faith that the other person will honour their word.

T.N.Sethu Madhavan, in his explanation of the first section of the Taittiriya Upanishad, said:

“Praise and salutations are offered to Vayu
by the student seeking knowledge of Brahman...
Addressing Vayu, the student says
I will call you the moral order, I will call you the truth’
because no society can flourish without moral order and the rule by truth. “

Religious faith provides that moral framework. It gives us hope, a sense of purpose, and a sense of communion with a higher power. As Hindus, our purpose is to achieve Moksha, or union with God.

My faith removes that feeling of being a cork floating aimlessly on the stormy ocean,
and replaces it with the sense that, I although I am but a small drop of water, together with all of the other little drops, I AM the ocean! This gives me great comfort.

Hinduism has many different points of view. However, we agree on this:

There is the Atma or soul. I am a jiv-atma or living soul who is but a small part of the Paramatma or Supreme Soul, what many would call God. There is a spark of Divinity that is located in the heart in all of us.
.
And when I join my palms in front of me and slightly bow, saying to you:
“Namaskaar” or “Namaste” it means “I bow to the Divinity within you”

For the most part, my observation is that people of faith, are more assured, and more confident than non believers. They can afford to be more generous with their love and respect, because they themselves feel valued.

Faith in God, is the foundation of our lives. Hindus start each day by making an offering to God. That act sustains our connection with God and reminds us that each one of us has a spark of divinity, and we must treat every one we encounter accordingly.

It provides us with a renewed sense of purpose each day. By involving our children in this ritual from an early age, they also benefit in the same way.

Faith in God provides us with that sense of communion with a higher power. It gives us the strength and courage we need to face trying times, and also to make the right moral decisions, even when that may be difficult.

When we come together as a community, we can accomplish such great things, that we could not even dream of as individuals.

A good solid grounding in faith gives our children the potential to fly, to soar with others and to achieve great things.

Without hubris, and without arrogance, we also need to acknowledge the many contributions that the Vedas have made to modern science.

W. Heisenberg, the German Physicist said:

"After the conversations and discussions about Indian philosophy,
some of the ideas of recent Quantum Physics theories,
that had seemed so crazy to me,
suddenly made much more sense and were understandable."


Profoundly influenced by Vedic thought, the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger kept copies of Sanskrit texts beside his bed - the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.

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Perhaps this will give you more of a feeling of what Hinduism is all about beyond the superficial trappings.



I once worked as a volunteer in a long term care facility feeding people who could not feed themselves. The patients were from many different ethnicities.

One of my most challenging was a Caucasian man who actually could feed himself, but was too week to carry is own tray in the dining room. He was very upset that he could not come home because his elderly wife could no longer care for him. He became one of my favourite patients because I treated him with the utmost respect. I called him "sir" and "Mr.... ". And I place his cutlery and napkin "just so" as he requested, with a smile. You see, when you are a patient in hospital, you have no dignity left, people prod you and poke you and treat you like a piece of meat. Not because they feel disrespectful, but because they have not time to waste on the niceties of living graciously.

Another elderly patient I had was a Hindu lady, a Brahmin, of the traditional kind. Socially, the caste system is becoming less and less important, but she was in her eighties and hailed from an earlier time and a distant place. Some Brahmins in the old days felt that their food could only be touched by other Brahmins. This was a very difficult situation, because, she spoke no English. Feeding her was very challenging, I would wash my hands in front of her with hand sanitizer, and a napkin, and spoke in soft tones, cajoling her to eat, and, at last, she did.

This is what I mean by listening, being compassionate, and following the patient's lead. This sometimes, but not always, is a function of culture, often it is more a function of circumstance and perception.

[Eastern Mind]

Hello everyone,
My name is Miranda. I am a nursing student. I am currently taking a class in World Religions and how this applies to nursing. This is an excellent class and one thing that we are supposed to do is learn how we can best serve people of different religions and cultures. I chose to study Hinduism and will be doing a presentation in front of the whole class on Hindu beliefs. I am hoping that some kind souls on this forum could help me by answering the questions I have posted below. Please feel free to answer one question, a few questions, or all the questions. I think there are some excellent, thought provoking and interesting questions below, and the answers will truly help me and my fellow students become more sensitive to the needs of the community around us. I will be truly grateful for any information you can provide.

General Questions:
1.I only know a very basic amount about you religion. What religious beliefs make you religion unique? What are the beliefs that you have that make you proud to say you are Hindu? Too general of a question, each Hindu would give you a different answer.

2.What contributions have your religion made that has significantly made the world a better place? Many, including non-violent protest, sciences, greater connection to nature.

3. What religious practices are common among people who practice Hindu?
Varies, but many Hindus would appreciate a small picture near their bedside. It would depend on the patient. Some might like to chant on beads.

4.Does your religion have a founder? If so please tell me a little about them. No.

Personal questions:
1.In what ways is your religion important to your life? What makes you inspired to continue to practice Hinduism on a daily basis?
We're Hindus. All of it is important.

2.What part of your religion means the most to you?
In the hospital, reincarnation, and karma.

3.What are your opinions on how your religion has changed through time or diversified with the times?
Hindus have kept up with technology.

4.What picture of god(s) does your religion represent? How does this relate to how you worship?
Both with form, and formless, causal, immanent, underlying energy.

5.What is the purpose of mankind?
To merge back with God.

6.What does your religion offer that other religions do not offer?
A cessation to suffering.

7.Spiritually speaking, who is your favorite role model and why?
My Guru.

Nursing questions:
1.What religious thing should I be sensitive to if I were to have you as a patient? (i.e. incense, reading materials, prayer beads, statues)
Patients might want a small altar, and would appreciate you keeping the evangelists away.

2.Please tell me if you have any teachings about faith healings (i.e. shamans or religious healers)
Some might. Families might pray alongside a patient.

3.Are there any medical interventions that your religion is against (birth control, blood transfusions, vaccines, stem cells, certain diets, taking medications) Vegetartiansm for some.
4.What are your religious views on death and dying? Natural process, part of life, a transition.

5.How do you prepare a person who has passed away (In the US and other countries) Some go for immediate or cremation as soon as possible. A funeral home would know these days how to prepare the body. Many believe in no embalming.

6.When speaking to the family about hard topics (surgery, dying, ect…) are there any cultural considerations that I should be aware of? None I'm aware of, just be direct. Generally speaking, speak to elders, or men first about such things, and they will relay it.

7.Please let me know if you have any other advice or information that I did not cover.Listen, listen, and ask, because each case is different. Never assume that the next Hindu will be at all like the first.

Vannakkam Miranda. One of the first things you should know is that Hinduism are vast, so there would be very few generalisations that would work for all Hindus. For example, you can't assume your Hindu patient is vegetarian, but indeed there would be a higher likelihood of it.
I put my answers within your document in blue.

Aum Namasivaya

[Believer]

Namaste Miranda,

Hope it is not too late to provide answers to your list of questions. As has already been emphasized, different Hindus are bound to give you different answers based on the sect they belong to. However, I am not going to use that as an excuse to not answer your questions and will give you my perspective on various issues.

General Questions:
1.I only know a very basic amount about you religion. What religious beliefs make you religion unique? What are the beliefs that you have that make you proud to say you are Hindu?
Reincarnation, belief that we are the soul and not this temporary body that we associate ourselves with, and a fair degree of respect for alternate paths.

2.What contributions have your religion made that has significantly made the world a better place?
It has 1+ billion adherents who don't provide a threat to any race/religion/nation

3. What religious practices are common among people who practice Hindu(ism)?
Daily prayers, meditation, reading of the scriptures.

4.Does your religion have a founder? If so please tell me a little about them.
There are no founders.

Personal questions:
1.In what ways is your religion important to your life? What makes you inspired to continue to practice Hinduism on a daily basis?
It is the essence of my existence. The knowledge that it is the most ancient and the most perfect theology known to mankind.

2.What part of your religion means the most to you?
The freedom to practice any of the paths within the confines of the basic beliefs.

3.What are your opinions on how your religion has changed through time or diversified with the times?
The term Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) means The Eternal Religion. It has withstood the test of time and the basic tenets have remained unaltered.

4.What picture of god(s) does your religion represent? How does this relate to how you worship?
God appeared in different human incarnations at different times of the human existence. So, we all select one of the incarnations as the prime God and worship Him in that form (via His deity form as a picture, statue or even a formless entity.)

5.What is the purpose of mankind?
Spiritual advancement is the only purpose of this life.

6.What does your religion offer that other religions do not offer?
Superior and complete set of answers to the mysteries of life.

7.Spiritually speaking, who is your favorite role model and why?
We tend to think of our Guru - spiritual master - as the role model.

Nursing questions:
1.What religious thing should I be sensitive to if I were to have you as a patient? (i.e. incense, reading materials, prayer beads, statues)
If the family of the patient wants to put a deity's picture/statue/scripture near the patient, treat it with reverence.

2.Please tell me if you have any teachings about faith healings (i.e. shamans or religious healers)
None that I know of.

3.Are there any medical interventions that your religion is against (birth control, blood transfusions, vaccines, stem cells, certain diets, taking medications)
That varies with how strictly we practice our faith. By and large, we tend to accept all of the modern medical advancements/procedures.

4.What are your religious views on death and dying?
The eternal soul changes clothes (bodies) at death.

5.How do you prepare a person who has passed away (In the US and other countries)
In India, we bathe the body, dress it in fresh clothes and take it to the crematorium ASAP. In the US, mostly the body is embalmed due to logistical reasons and kept for 2-3 days till the dear and near have a chance to travel to where the person passed away.

6.When speaking to the family about hard topics (surgery, dying, ect…) are there any cultural considerations that I should be aware of?
God will help the doctors do the right thing and emphasize the positive outcome.

7.Please let me know if you have any other advice or information that I did not cover.
Just be sensitive and keep you antennas up to see if the patient is uncomfortable with what you are saying or doing.

Hope the answers are constructive. If a further explanation is needed on any of them, please do let me know.

Pranam.

[devisarada]

As you can see there is indeed a broad spectrum of beliefs practices and traditions. One thing I would like to add is that not all Hindus would prefer that you speak only to the men. For example when my brother in law was very ill, his daughter was the family spokes person. Again as Eastern Mind said the most important thing is to listen listen listen.

By the way, I would still be very interested in your posting the answers based on your own religion.

I am more skeptical than some on this forum and I believe that you have an agenda beyond merely that of a nursing student because many of the questions you asked are not related to nursing.
One clue is that you have not responded in any way to this thread.

I would also very much appreciate your posting your assignment here as well.

[Believer]

Namaste,

By the way, I would still be very interested in your posting the answers based on your own religion.

What good would it serve to know a Xitian's answers to these questions in a Hindu forum? If you are really interested in answers to these questions by a broad spectrum of Xitians, why not formulate and post your own set in a Xitian forum?

I am more skeptical than some on this forum and I believe that you have an agenda beyond merely that of a nursing student because many of the questions you asked are not related to nursing.

The OP has mentioned about taking a course in World Religions and has chosen to research how Hinduism relates to her profession. Should I be skeptical about this? I hope not.

Pranam.

[devisarada]

I sincerely hope that there is nothing to be skeptical about

[devisarada]

Namaste,

What good would it serve to know a Xitian's answers to these questions in a Hindu forum? If you are really interested in answers to these questions by a broad spectrum of Xitians, why not formulate and post your own set in a Xitian forum?


The OP has mentioned about taking a course in World Religions and has chosen to research how Hinduism relates to her profession. Should I be skeptical about this? I hope not.

Pranam.

What is a Xitian? If it means non Hindu, then I used to be one. A Christian, in fact.
I have a lot of experience with a certain brand of Christian that hates Hinduism and is out to destroy it. There are many Christian missionaries whose tactics have become very sophisticated at brain washing "pagans" by using their own words against them.

In the 5 days since she posted this request, she has not once come back to the forum to thank anyone for their help. This suggests to me that she was on a fishing expedition, trying to find something that she could twist to her own nefarious advantage in order to "debunk" Hinduism.

People like that have no scruples. They approach you innocently enough, and then, all of a sudden, you have been trapped.

I don't like to be cynical, or negative, but these people exist, and, I believe Miranda is one of them.

I am not really interested in what Miranda has to say about her religion, if it is Chrisitianity, I know all I need to know; I was merely testing her to see if she would share views in the same way she asked us to share ours.

[Anirudh]

Namaste Devisarada,

This suggests to me that she was on a fishing expedition, trying to find something that she could twist to her own nefarious advantage in order to "debunk" Hinduism.

I fully agree with you comments in this thread.

In this internet age, even if someone doesn't know anything about a particular alien subject, Wikipedia will give the basic idea of it.

I checked the Wikipedia for Hinduism and it is decent enough for a layman to understand the basics of Hinduism.

Remember I just checked Wikipedia alone that too a mere glance...

If this nurse was serious, wouldn't have made the questions that were made because answers are already available in public domain...I guess these days, if Hindu is assertive it is seen as a crime