Negotiating Contemporary Hindu Beliefs and Practices in the United States

Major religions maintain adherence to the guiding force of a literary canon in shaping morality and ethical behaviour in the believer. Hinduism's various strains of orthodoxy and orthopraxy create a pluralistic confusion for the casual onlooker attempting to systematize a code of conduct for practising Hindus. Doctrinal beliefs such as samsara, karma, reincarnation, moksha, and practices of various meditations, yogas, or dietary restrictions, are recognizable features of Hinduism in popular culture. However, the variation in religious ideology among believing individuals should be assessed in light of contemporary philosophy and social science. The purpose of this article is to investigate, through qualitative interviews, the contemporary negotiation of religious beliefs and practices in two Hindu communities in order to provide a context to a dialogue of what it means to be Hindu in the United States.