Hindu and Sikh Psychology

In the article “Recovering the potentials of non-Western psychological perspectives”, Misra and Kapur (2014) articulate the changes that have taken place in Indian world views as an argument for a dynamic approach to the development of modern cultural psychological perspectives. This analysis was undertaken in response to a Confucian Cultural Psychology (CCP) proposal by Haiming Wen and Hang Wang (2013), which emphasizes the connections between Confucian philosophy and human life. This project integrates ontological ideology (i.e., beliefs about existence) into the traditional psychological point of view. In mainstream psychological perspectives, ontological expressions are typically reflected by a distinct separation of “self” and “other” (or “self” and “environment”). Alternatively, Wen and Wang suggest that human life and the environment are interdependent components of existence that reciprocally influence one another.

Wen and Wang (2013) contend that the continuity between a given person and the environment is strengthened by practicing contextual intention, which refers to the practice of purposefully and mindfully engaging with the external world. The concept of contextual intention has implications for improving interpersonal interactions by increasing unity between self and the other. The authors recognize the potential utility of CCP, however, they suggest that further analyses are necessary to discern its relevance in the modern world, given the dynamic nature of culturally-oriented world views.

Misra and Kapur (2014) discuss human-environment reciprocity in Hinduism and Sikhism. In the Hindu worldview, human-environment reciprocity is considered in terms of Rin, the concept of debt and obligation. Rin reflects the idea that people exist within a greater social context, and offers a means of coexisting harmoniously with others. There are four rins which constitute this worldview: Pitri Rin (debt to ancestors, parents, and society), Deva Rin (debt toward God), Rishi Rin (debt to teachers, sages, and elders), and Bhuta Rin (obligation to all living beings). These rins (in the order in which they are presented above) involve the responsibility to pass on the family name, recognize that everything in the world is sacred, continuously acquire and pass on knowledge and traditions, and give to others. According to this worldview, the fulfillment of an person’s responsibilities is done by performing sacrifices, or yajnas (i.e., giving/offering something). Yajnas can be conceptualized as external, meaning that they affect the physical environment (including other persons), or internal, including thoughts, desires, and aspirations dedicated to the Gods.

On the other hand, the concept of human-environment interaction in the Sikh worldview relates to self-transformation through service to the environment/society. Thus, the community is inherent to the process of self-transformation. The Sikh perspective holds that one achieves a greater sense of self through one’s interactions with others, which serve to promote well-being in both the individual and the broader society. These interactions include acts of remembrance (simran), service (seva), and collective participation (sangat). Through these interactions, one can move away from being self-centred (manmukh) and toward being God-oriented (gurmukh), which is the ultimate goal in the Sikh way of life. Both the Hindu and Sikh world views involve the consideration of continuity between the human and the environment, yet they differ conceptually, giving rise to distinct beliefs and practices. Through this example, Misra and Kapur have shown how philosophical notions can transform and evolve, even within a given culture and/or society. Therefore, they have sufficiently justified their argument that it is essential to consider the dynamic process of sociocultural evolution to formulate modern cultural psychology adequately.

References

Misra, G., & Kapur, P. (2014). Recovering the potentials of non-Western psychological perspectives: Combining Chinese and Indian perspectives. Culture & Psychology, 20, 440–450. https.org/doi:10.1177/1354067×14542527

Wen, H., & Wang, H. (2013). Confucian cultural psychology and its contextually creative intentionality. Culture & Psychology, 19, 184–202. https.org/doi:10.1177/1354067×12456711

Contributions

• Kundan Ahluwalia
• Julia Gollob
• Kalyan Krishnareddygari