Day 3: My Hindu Shrine

Most people know that Hinduism has many deities, but really, they’re not separate gods but different aspects of the same transcendent reality. Unlike most other religions that require believers to worship one particular representation of God, Hindus get to choose which kind of god they like best.

Every good Hindu keeps a shrine at home to honor his or her favorite gods. So, to mark the next step on my journey, I’ve set up a shrine of my own.

Okay, so it’s not very impressive (see photo above). I actually own a few Hindu-themed statues that I used to keep on my bookshelves because I thought they looked artsy and gave my place a bit of flair. Unfortunately, I moved the statues, along with virtually everything I own, to a storage unit a few months ago, on the advice of a realtor who said my house would show better if it were completely empty. So now, my house looks like a barren wasteland, except for my new “shrine.”

I guess I could have tried to find my statues in the storage unit, for better authenticity, but frankly, I’m a little afraid to go there by myself and nobody was available to help me. The storage unit is dirty and there are always stinkbugs clinging to the door, which really freaks me out. I could have bought some new statues, but I already promised myself I wouldn’t do that—as part of my whole "free myself from the material planes of existence" thing—so I came up with this brilliant alternative.

I printed out some colorful images of Hindu gods, glued them to poster board, and stuck them on a table. To complete the shrine, I’ve added a scented candle—the only candle I have left in the house, which I only have because we had a blackout recently—and a little bowl to make offerings to my chosen deities.

I picked my two favorites—Ganesha and Kali. A fat, elephant-headed god and the goddess of destruction who wears a chain of human heads around her neck may seem like odd choices, but hey—I like what I like. And that’s part of the beauty of Hinduism. I get to choose.

So now my shrine is ready to go. I have a place to focus my daily prayers and meditations—which is good, because I need all the help I can get when it comes to focus. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be doing the whole shebang—offerings, rituals, all of it. Stay tuned.

Day 2: Becoming Hindu

Today is my first full day as a Hindu, so I just added one member to the world’s third-largest religion—not that they need my help. The estimated number of Hindus worldwide ranges from 800 million to more than a billion. But I’m here, so I’ll do my part.

Hinduism teaches that there is some form of divinity in every heart. Our purpose for existing is to find a way to experience that divine part of ourselves directly.

I know it’s only been a day so far, but I’ve got to say I don’t feel all that divine. I pretty much wake up every morning feeling like I haven’t slept at all and wondering how long I can stay in bed before anyone will notice that I’m not actually participating in life.

If I do have any divine spark inside me, I’d like to channel it and ask for something. Not money or fame or power or endless Faustian knowledge. All I want is a little energy boost, just something that would help me view each day as a good thing, a new opportunity, and not just a chore to be endured as painlessly as possible.

I’m hoping I’ll find my spark of divinity, and that a little supernatural energy will come with it, maybe even some optimism. Hinduism has to have some wisdom. It’s been around for 3,500 years, so it must have something to offer or it wouldn’t have such tremendous staying power.

I’ve read that Hindus believe in striving to gain freedom the perceived world by getting rid of their ties to the material planes of existence. That won’t be easy for me. I’m pretty big on the material. I mean, even at this exact moment, while I’m trying to figure out how to transcend the material plane, all I can think about is going out and buying some stuff to help make myself “feel more Hindu.” Maybe some cool statues of gods or something. I do love knick-knacks.

But no. I’m going to fight that urge. I’m going to spend the rest of the day working conscientiously and trying to meditate in an attempt to connect with the divine aspect within me. This is not going to be as easy as I expected.

Day 1: Kickoff to Enlightenment

Today, I am a Hindu.

Okay, not exactly. I’m only Hindu for the next 30 days, but it’s part of a plan. For the next 12 months, I will immerse myself in a new world religion each month. I will follow the tenets, engage in the daily prayers and practices, and live as if I am part of that religion for each month, wholeheartedly.

Why am I doing this? Hard to say, really.

I am a Catholic by birth, a skeptic by nature, and by disposition, somewhat lazy and short on attention span and follow-through. So, 30 days sounds about right to me—it’s about the longest I think I'd be able to maintain focus, so it seems like the appropriate amount of time to try on each new faith. Any more time, and I’ll probably get bored and give up on the whole project. Any less, and it won’t “count”—and I’ve always been an A student, so I’m big on making sure the things I do “count.”

What do I want it to count toward? I’m not quite sure. Enlightenment maybe? Maybe I’m looking for some meaning in life. Or maybe I’m just hoping to find some inkling of faith left within myself by exploring the faith of others. Or maybe I just need something to do.

Whatever the reason is, I’m embarking on a journey for the next year—12 religions in 12 months. And I hope it’ll be worth the effort.