Editing Hindus (section)

=== Contemporary usage ===
[[File:HinduDevoteeNepal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A young [[Nepal]]i Hindu devotee during a traditional prayer ceremony at [[Kathmandu]]'s [[Durbar Square]].]]
In contemporary era, Hindus are individuals who identify with one or more aspects of [[Hinduism]], whether they are practising or non-practicing or ''[[Laissez-faire]]''.<ref>Bryan Turner (2010), The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion, John Wiley & Sons, {{ISBN|978-1-4051-8852-4}}, pages 424–425</ref> The term does not include those who identify with other Indian religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism or various animist tribal religions found in India such as [[Sarnaism]].<ref name="Marty1996" /><ref>James Minahan (2012), Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia, {{ISBN|978-1-59884-659-1}}, pages 97–99</ref> The term Hindu, in contemporary parlance, includes people who accept themselves as culturally or ethnically Hindu rather than with a fixed set of religious beliefs within Hinduism.<ref name=jefferylong /> One need not be religious in the minimal sense, states [[Julius J. Lipner|Julius Lipner]], to be accepted as Hindu by Hindus, or to describe oneself as Hindu.<ref>Julius J. Lipner (2009), Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-415-45677-7}}, page 8</ref>

Hindus subscribe to a diversity of ideas on [[Spirituality#Hinduism|spirituality]] and traditions, but have no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, nor a single founding [[prophet]]; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist.<ref>[[Julius J. Lipner]] (2009), Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-415-45677-7}}, page 8; Quote: "(...) one need not be religious in the minimal sense described to be accepted as a Hindu by Hindus, or describe oneself perfectly validly as Hindu. One may be polytheistic or monotheistic, monistic or pantheistic, even an agnostic, humanist or atheist, and still be considered a Hindu."</ref><ref>Lester Kurtz (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict, {{ISBN|978-0-12-369503-1}}, Academic Press, 2008</ref><ref>MK Gandhi, [http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/essence_of_hinduism.pdf The Essence of Hinduism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724045756/http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/essence_of_hinduism.pdf |date=24 July 2015 }}, Editor: VB Kher, Navajivan Publishing, see page 3; According to Gandhi, "a man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu."</ref> Because of the wide range of traditions and ideas covered by the term Hinduism, arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult.{{sfn|Flood|1996|p=6}} The religion "defies our desire to define and categorize it".<ref>{{cite book |title= Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction|last= Knott|first= Kim|year= 1998|publisher= Oxford University press|location= Oxford|isbn= 978-0-19-285387-5|page= 117}}</ref> A Hindu may, by his or her choice, draw upon ideas of other Indian or non-Indian religious thought as a resource, follow or evolve his or her personal beliefs, and still identify as a Hindu.<ref name=jefferylong />

In 1995, Chief Justice [[P. B. Gajendragadkar]] was quoted in an [[Supreme Court of India|Indian Supreme Court]] ruling:<ref name=SCI>[[Supreme Court of India]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20061030015441/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/in-depth_issues/RKMission.html "Bramchari Sidheswar Shai and others Versus State of West Bengal"], 1995, [http://indiankanoon.org/doc/967081/ Archive2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207043454/http://indiankanoon.org/doc/967081/ |date=7 December 2015 }} Archived from [http://www.hinduismtoday.com/in-depth_issues/RKMission.html the original] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030015441/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/in-depth_issues/RKMission.html |date=30 October 2006 }}.</ref><ref name=SC1966>Supreme Court of India 1966 AIR 1119, [http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs1.aspx?filename=2757 ''Sastri Yagnapurushadji'' vs ''Muldas Brudardas Vaishya''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512221716/http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs1.aspx?filename=2757 |date=12 May 2014}} (pdf), page 15, 14 January 1966</ref>
:When we think of the Hindu religion, unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or [[creed]]. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.

Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, Hindus share philosophical concepts, such as but not limiting to [[dharma]], [[karma]], [[kama]], [[artha]], [[moksha]] and [[samsara]], even if each subscribes to a diversity of views.<ref name=frazierintro /> Hindus also have shared texts such as the [[Veda]]s with embedded [[Mukhya Upanishad|Upanishads]], and common ritual grammar ([[Sanskara (rite of passage)]]) such as rituals during a wedding or when a baby is born or cremation rituals.<ref name=carlolson>Carl Olson (2007), The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction, Rutgers University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-8135-4068-9}}, pages 93–94</ref><ref>Rajbali Pandey (2013), Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments, 2nd Edition, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-81-208-0396-1}}, pages 15–36</ref> Some Hindus go on pilgrimage to shared sites they consider spiritually significant, practice one or more forms of [[bhakti]] or [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]], celebrate mythology and epics, major festivals, love and respect for [[guru]] and family, and other cultural traditions.<ref name=frazierintro>{{cite book|last1=Frazier|first1=Jessica|title=The Continuum companion to Hindu studies | date=2011|publisher=Continuum|location=London|isbn=978-0-8264-9966-0|pages=1–15}}</ref><ref name = Flood>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qSfneQ0YYY8C&q=uniting+and+dispersing+tendencies&pg=PA4|title=The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism|first=Gavin|last=Flood|date=7 February 2003|publisher=Wiley|via=Google Books|isbn=978-0-631-21535-6|access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126071337/https://books.google.com/books?id=qSfneQ0YYY8C&q=uniting+and+dispersing+tendencies&pg=PA4|url-status=live}}</ref> A Hindu could:
* follow any of the Hindu [[Hindu philosophy|schools of philosophy]], such as [[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]] (non-[[Dualism (Indian philosophy)|dualism]]), [[Vishishtadvaita]] (non-dualism of the qualified whole), [[Dvaita]] ([[Dualism (Indian philosophy)|dualism]]), [[Dvaitadvaita]] (dualism with non-dualism), etc.<ref>Muller, F. Max. ''Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga; Naya and Vaiseshika''. 1899. This classic work helped to establish the major classification systems as we know them today. Reprint edition: (Kessinger Publishing: February 2003) {{ISBN|978-0-7661-4296-1}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Radhakrishnan |first1=S. |author-link1=Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |author2=Moore, CA |title=A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy |year=1967 |publisher=Princeton |isbn=0-691-01958-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/sourcebookinindi00radh}}</ref>
* follow a tradition centred on any particular form of the Divine, such as [[Shaivism]], [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaktism]], etc.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tattwananda |first=Swami|title=Vaisnava Sects, Saiva Sects, Mother Worship  |year=1984 |publisher=Firma KLM Private Ltd. |location=Calcutta |edition=First revised }} This work gives an overview of many different subsets of the three main religious groups in India.</ref>
* practice any one of the various forms of [[yoga]] systems in order to achieve [[moksha]] – that is freedom in current life (''jivanmukti'') or salvation in after-life (''videhamukti'');<ref>TS Rukmani (2008), Theory and Practice of Yoga (Editor: Knut Jacobsen), Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-81-208-3232-9}}, pages 61–74</ref>
* practice [[bhakti]] or [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] for spiritual reasons, which may be directed to one's [[guru]] or to a divine image.<ref name=jeaneanefowler>Jeaneane Fowler (1996), Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-60-8}}, pages 41–44</ref> A visible public form of this practice is worship before an idol or statue. Jeaneane Fowler states that non-Hindu observers often confuse this practice as "stone or idol-worship and nothing beyond it", while for many Hindus, it is an image which represents or is symbolic manifestation of a spiritual Absolute ([[Brahman]]).<ref name=jeaneanefowler /> This practice may focus on a metal or stone statue, or a photographic image, or a [[linga]], or any object or tree ([[Ficus religiosa|pipal]]) or animal (cow) or tools of one's profession, or sunrise or expression of nature or to nothing at all, and the practice may involve meditation, [[japa]], offerings or songs.<ref name=jeaneanefowler /><ref>Stella Kramrisch (1958), Traditions of the Indian Craftsman, The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 71, No. 281, pages 224–230</ref> Inden states that this practice means different things to different Hindus, and has been misunderstood, misrepresented as idolatry, and various rationalisations have been constructed by both Western and native Indologists.<ref>Ronald Inden (2001), Imagining India, Indiana University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-253-21358-7}}, pages 110–115</ref>