Antropology Essay - Visiting Hinduism

            Before making an attempt to study or understand religious beliefs and practices, we must first accept that some religions are not as familiar to us as others. In order to grasp a more narrow understanding of what a religion is and does, we cannot rely solely on a "textbook" that covers religions' scriptures, major figures and formal institutions, as this only provides a general vision of world religions, which often times "obscure the creative and flexible ways people practice their religion that may diverge from the ideal" (Guest 578). Through religious ritual and practice, people "make sense of the world, reach decisions and organize their lives," which was evident during my visit to the Hindu Temple in Flushing, Queens. I was interested in learning about Hinduism on a more personal level, through my observations and experiences at the Hindu Temple. During my visit, I analyzed my encounters with Hinduism in terms of the anthropological definition of religion, "a set of beliefs based on a unique vision of how the world ought to be, often revealed through insights into a supernatural power, and lived out in the community" (577). I was mainly interested in the way religion is lived out in the community and the role it plays for the everyday lives of devotees, as many popular definitions of religion fail to account for the personal aspects that come with ritual and practice. I came to this understanding of a "personal" religion during my visit to the Hindu Temple. .
             Before my visit to the temple, I thought of Hinduism as a spiritual and peaceful religion, having overheard their worship of a cow multiple times. The cow has truly become a popular factor of this religion, as it is often used to describe Hinduism to those who are unfamiliar with the religion. While the cow is a symbol in Hinduism, it is definitely not the only or the most prominent in the religion, which I would have never recognizes, had I not visited the Hindu Temple.