more hinduism

Across the past few weeks we've been diving deeper into Hinduism. One of the things we've been talking about more is puja, which is a religious ceremony. it involves a number of odd (to us) customs, including where one cleans themself first. Next they anoint the deity in milk and dress it, avoiding eye contact. Afterwards there is chanting, both of the traditional vedas and the puranas. Finally, there is Darshan- the climactic moment of contact with the deity where the eyes meet. There is also gift giving, like donating money in church, in the interest of reciprocity.

The most commonly worshipped god in Hinduism (there are many gods) is the god Vishnu, who is also the most widely recognized. Vishnu's symbols are a conch shell (presumably like a battle horn), a disk, and a mace.

We also learned about the four castes:

Brahmins- priests

Kshatriyas- rulers, warriors

Vaishyas- skilled workers, merchants, farmers, artisans

Shudras- unskilled laborers, servants

Also, there are outcasts/untouchables, who handle jobs considered dirty to society.

We keep seeing the number 4 popping up in Hinduism, in the stages of life, the four goals, the four sutras- i think there may be some deeper connection with the number in Hinduism.