INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON HINDU CULTURE

PRACTICES OF CULTURE HINDUISAM TRADITION

Pramuja singh — 2025-11-25

Culture of hinduisam encompasses a vast array of beliefs and practices, as well as culture of hinduisam Tradition, and literature. To attempt to condense all of these elements into a reading unit of only a few thousand words would be to undermine Culture of hinduisam's primary strength—its diversity of beliefs and practises. Culture of hinduisam began basically as a system of laws or guidelines to support people in living a disciplined life. These rules promote the value of self-realization through meditation, fulfilling commitments, and moral values. It is not just the teachings of one particular individual or divinity. The worship of several deities, each of whom represents a different moral principle, natural force, or quality, makes it polytheistic in fact. In this article, principles, beliefs and practices of Culture of hinduisam Tradition has been discussed.

SCRIPTURE, STORY, AND SPIRITUALITY: INTERPRETING HINDU TEXTS THROUGH LITERARY LENSES

I Wayan Artayasa — 2025-11-25

This study explores the intersection of scripture, narrative, and spirituality in Hindu literary traditions through a hermeneutic literary lens. By examining the Vedas, Itihāsa, and Purāṇas, it argues that Hindu scriptures are not merely doctrinal texts but narrative theologies that use story as a medium of revelation. Through poetic symbolism, metaphor, and mythic imagination, Hindu texts communicate ethical insight and spiritual truth accessible to both scholars and devotees. Using qualitative hermeneutic analysis, the study interprets how narrative structures embody dharma, how myth functions as a vehicle for theological reflection, and how the act of reading itself becomes a form of sādhanā (spiritual practice). The findings reveal that Hindu literature integrates rational exposition with imaginative revelation, transforming scripture into a living dialogue between divinity, language, and human consciousness.

LIVING HERITAGE: CONTINUITY AND INNOVATION IN LOCAL RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS

I Ketut Gunarta — 2025-11-25

Local religious traditions represent a form of living heritage in which ritual, belief, and communal memory interact to shape cultural identity across generations. Despite the pressures of globalization, technological advancement, and shifting social dynamics, many local traditions continue to thrive through flexible adaptation and creative reinterpretation. This study explores the continuity and innovation embedded within local religious practices, with particular attention to how communities negotiate sacred authority, cultural authenticity, and contemporary relevance. Through a qualitative approach that integrates ethnographic observation, textual interpretation, and interviews with ritual practitioners, this research demonstrates that local traditions are neither static nor threatened, but dynamically sustained through community participation and situational transformation. The findings reveal that innovation does not diminish sacred values; rather, it revitalizes ritual meaning and strengthens collective identity. As living heritage, local religious traditions provide a resilient framework for spiritual expression, cultural cohesion, and intergenerational knowledge transmission in the modern era.

UNRAVELING THE POSO CONFLICT ANALYSIS OF ROOT CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS FOR RECONCILIATION BASED ON ICEBERG THEORY AND U-THEORY IN RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL SULAWESI

I Wayan Joni Artha — 2025-11-25

Indonesia is a vast country rich in religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity, resulting in complex social dynamics prone to conflicts, including the prolonged religious conflict in Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi. This paper aims to analyze the root causes and reconciliation solutions of the religious conflict in Poso using the Iceberg Theory and U-Theory approaches. Qualitative methods and analysis of social media data through Social Network Analysis (SNA) and netnography are employed to understand behavioral patterns, social structures, and societal paradigms underlying intolerance and violence. Findings indicate that the Poso conflict is not merely an inter-religious confrontation but also influenced by socio-economic, political, cultural factors, state apparatus bias, and mental models fostering an "us versus them" polarization. The Iceberg Theory reveals the layered dimensions of the conflict, while U-Theory emphasizes collective consciousness transformation as the key to reconciliation. Field studies involving Sai Study Group Indonesia demonstrate that Vedic spiritual values can serve as healing energy and a foundation for peaceful, sustainable reconciliation. This paper recommends multi-dimensional interventions integrating structural changes and mental paradigm shifts to foster tolerance and harmony in Indonesia’s pluralistic society.

EMBODIED DHARMA: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HINDU RITUAL AND EVERYDAY LIFE

I Nyoman Subrata — 2025-11-25

This article explores how dharma becomes embodied through the ritual practices and everyday life of Hindu communities. Using a sociological lens, the study examines how rituals, gestures, spatial arrangements, and habitual actions function as embodied expressions of moral order, cultural identity, and social cohesion. Drawing on theories of embodiment (Merleau-Ponty), symbolic interactionism (Goffman), and interpretive anthropology (Geertz), the analysis reveals that dharma is not merely a philosophical doctrine but a lived social reality enacted through mindful practices, communal participation, and embodied discipline. Through ethnographic insights from Hindu ritual spaces in Bali and India, this study demonstrates how daily offerings, temple routines, bodily movement, and ritual choreography reinforce collective memory, negotiate cultural meaning, and maintain social harmony. The article contributes to sociological discussions on religion by showing how sacred values become material, sensory, and performative in contemporary Hindu life.

THE AESTHETIC OF DHARMA: LITERARY PATHWAYS TO VIRTUE IN HINDU TEXTUAL TRADITIONS OF BALI

I Nyoman Mandiasa — 2025-11-25

This study explores the aesthetic of dharma as manifested in Balinese Hindu literary traditions, particularly in classical works such as Kakawin Arjunawiwaha and Geguritan Dharma Prawerti. Through a hermeneutic and qualitative textual analysis, this paper argues that Balinese literature functions not only as an artistic expression but also as a moral-spiritual pedagogy that shapes character and consciousness. The synthesis of beauty (sundaram), goodness (śivam), and truth (satyam) creates an aesthetic path toward ethical and spiritual realization. The findings show that Balinese Hindu literature embodies dharma through emotional depth (rasa), symbolic structure, and ethical narrative, enabling readers to internalize virtue through aesthetic experience.

DIGITAL THEOLOGY IN PRACTICE: TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION THROUGH VIRTUAL LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS

Ni Made Anggreni — 2025-11-25

The rapid development of digital technologies has significantly reshaped theological education worldwide. This study explores how Digital Theology emerges as both a field of inquiry and a pedagogical practice within virtual learning ecosystems. Through the integration of Learning Management Systems, interactive video platforms, online libraries, and AI-assisted tools, theological education expands beyond traditional classroom boundaries. This transformation not only enhances accessibility and flexibility but also redefines how students engage with sacred texts, spiritual formation, and critical theological reflection. Using qualitative analysis and case-based observations, this paper argues that virtual learning ecosystems foster collaborative, reflective, and contextually responsive theological learning. Ultimately, Digital Theology offers a new paradigm that harmonizes technological innovation with the spiritual and ethical foundations of theological education.

LOCAL WISDOM IN HINDU RITUALITY: ETHNOGRAPHIC INSIGHTS FROM INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS

Jro Ayu Ningrat — 2025-11-25

This article explores the deep entanglement between Hindu ritual practices and the indigenous local wisdom that shapes their meaning, form, and function. Drawing on ethnographic insights, the study examines how ritual expressions—such as offerings, purification ceremonies, seasonal rites, ancestral worship, and spatial sanctification—are embedded within the cultural logic of local communities. Far from being static traditions, Hindu rituals evolve as living systems informed by communal values, ecological rhythms, and cosmological understandings. The findings highlight how indigenous knowledge systems guide ritual symbolism, material culture, sacred timing (kāla), and the relational dynamics between humans, nature, and the divine. This research contributes to broader discussions on ritual theory by demonstrating how local wisdom sustains cultural resilience, spiritual identity, and social harmony in Hindu communities across diverse regions.

THE WORD NUMERIC SYSTEM OF CHANDOMAÑJARĪ: MARKING PAUSES IN SANSKRIT METRES

Dr. Subhendu Manna — 2025-11-25

In Chandomanjarīkāra Gaṅgādāsa’s description of vṛtta and jāti metres, he has indicated the yati (pause point of the tongue) within the vṛtta metre not only through numbers such as tri (three), chatur (four), etc., but also by using words like vāṇa, gaja, and others. Although these words have their own dictionary meanings, in this context they also convey specific numerical values.

For example, in the verse — māttau gau cec chālinī veda-lokaiḥ — which describes the characteristics of the śālinī metre, the yati occurs at the fourth and seventh syllables. Here, the word veda indicates the number four, and loka indicates the number seven, because there are four Vedas (Ṛk, Yajuṣ, Sāman, and Atharvan) and seven lokas (worlds such as bhū, bhuva, sva, etc.).

EMBODIED DHARMA: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN MODERN HINDU RELIGIOUS LIFE

I Ketut Budi Rach Suarjaya — 2025-11-25

Yoga, as an embodied spiritual discipline rooted in Hindu philosophical traditions, has undergone significant reinterpretation in the modern era. While contemporary global culture often frames yoga as a wellness practice, its deeper foundations remain intrinsically connected to dharma—ethical living, self-realization, and devotional consciousness. This study explores the role of yoga in shaping modern Hindu religious life by examining its theological meanings, ritual integrations, ethical implications, and emerging digital expressions. Through textual analysis of classical sources such as the Yoga Sūtra, Bhagavad Gītā, and Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, combined with observations of contemporary Hindu communities in urban and digital environments, this research highlights the continuity and transformation of yoga as both spiritual embodiment and cultural practice. The findings reveal that yoga continues to function as a vital medium of dharma: harmonizing mind, body, and spirit; reinforcing devotional practices; and enabling Hindus to navigate modern challenges, mental health concerns, and globalized identities. In modern Hindu religiosity, yoga emerges not merely as physical exercise, but as a lived theology—where spiritual insight is cultivated through disciplined embodiment and mindful action in everyday life.