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How is Hinduism practiced in the day to day life of adherents? I see videos of Indians praying to certain gods. Is it like Greco Roman religion where they pray to request a favor, and offer a sacrifice if the favor is granted? Is it more like Islam where there is a reward in the afterlife?
It's more like being in a Frat than a religion per se. Notice how temples are somewhat distanced from the practice of the religion, and serve more are source of community. The first point undergirds the rest. You intuitively understand that none of your neighbors might practice the same thing as you. You shrug and move on. But if a neighbor ever puts their nose in your practices and tells you what's right or wrong, that's a grave social mistake.
It is easier to say what's not Hindu than what is Hindu. Never claim to know a universal truth, and never make passes on other people's group's membership rituals. That's a good start. No wonder the Jews and Parsis fit right in. They already performed #2 , and ended up performing #1 simply out of fear borne from being a tiny minority.
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My family is hardly the most religious, but in general Hindus perform sacrifices during certain festivals or auspicious occasions, with an explicit desire for blessings, and a smaller number will perform sacrifices as a thank you for something they perceived as a boon.
E.g. A devout Hindu family's kid is about to give an important exam. They'll perform a ritual, visit a temple and make a donation, all before the exam for good luck. If the kid does well, they might do it again to express their thanks, there's no hard and fast rule.
Reminds me of indigenous East Asian practices in many ways. Daoism always reminded me of what something like “spiritual banking,” would look like. You say a prayer or light incense for your ancestors, in the hopes that some good fortune gets bestowed upon you.
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