Vedic Cultural Inertia keeps Hinduism going - but for how long without strong devotional practices?
Radhika Gopinatha dasa
Professor of Vedic Theology and Religious Studies: Present society needs a new paradigm of devotion to God.
Today Vedic Sanatana Hinduism is strong but as the foundations of rituals, beliefs, processes and culture changes, will it remain strong against the onslaught of Abrahamic religions which of course are themselves crumbling leading to a collective atheism (lack of belief in an eternal soul, afterlife, Supreme Personality of Godhead, and ethics/morals of any kind).
According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 22% of Hindus in India report reading or listening to the Bhagavad Gita (or other Hindu religious texts) at least weekly1. While 82% of Hindus say the Bhagavad Gita is the word of God, regular engagement with the text is much lower. The survey also notes that reading or listening to religious texts is more common among upper-caste Hindus (29%) compared to lower castes (19%), and among more highly educated Hindus5.
In the book The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the author mentions:
“Destroy in man his belief in his own immortality, and at the same moment not only will love disappear, but also all the vitality that accompanies life will disappear. Moreover, all sense of moral decency will disappear and everything will be permissible.”
This reflects Dostoevsky’s view that belief in immortality (i.e., the soul, afterlife, divine justice) is the foundation of moral order and meaningful love. Remove that, and people become unmoored—ethically, spiritually, emotionally. Two theories are very prevalent and relevant:
1. Terror Management Theory (TMT)
Developed by psychologists Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, and Tom Pyszczynski, TMT argues that:
This aligns directly with Dostoevsky: belief in immortality provides psychological structure and moral restraint.
2. Meaning and Purpose
Psychologist Viktor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, argued that humans need meaning more than pleasure or power. That meaning is often tied to:
When people lose belief in something greater than themselves (whether God, the soul, or collective human purpose), rates of depression, nihilism, and antisocial behavior tend to rise.
Cultural inertia:
Cultural inertia refers to the tendency of societies to maintain established moral codes and norms, even when the original reasons for those codes—such as metaphysical or religious beliefs—have faded or changed. This phenomenon is well-documented in philosophical and sociological literature.
Moral codes often persist due to cultural inertia, even after their metaphysical foundations are no longer widely accepted. As Mary Maxwell notes, the authority of tradition and the power of religious language can restrict critical moral thought, making the existing set of moral rules seem paramount and unchallengeable, whether or not their original religious or metaphysical justifications are still believed1. This inertia is reinforced by respect for authority and the intertwining of moral codes with political power, leading people to accept inherited norms without reevaluating their origins or relevance1.
Culture deeply shapes moral beliefs by providing norms, rituals, and values that are passed down through generations1. These moral values can outlast the original spiritual or metaphysical beliefs that gave rise to them, becoming embedded in social practices and expectations. Over time, cultures may “hollow out” the spiritual content of religious traditions, replacing it with other values or ideologies while retaining the outward forms and social functions of the original codes2.
Cultural relativism further explains how societies treat their inherited moral codes as authoritative simply because they are traditional. As sociologist William Graham Sumner observed, “the notion of right is in the folkways”—what is handed down from ancestors is accepted as right, regardless of its origins3. This makes moral codes resistant to change, even when the metaphysical beliefs that once justified them are no longer persuasive.
Case studies:
Vedic Sanatana Hinduism and Reincarnation
Abrahamic Traditions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism)
Why Remooring Is Necessary
Across traditions, loss of belief in the soul or divine reality has led to:
As Dostoevsky warned, removing the immortal soul from human self-understanding doesn’t leave a neutral void—it invites decay.
STRATEGIES TO REMOOR CIVILIZATIONS IN SOUL & GOD
1. Recover the Depth of Tradition (not just ritual)
Most people encounter religion as ritual without understanding. To remoor:
People need not just outer rites, but direct experience of the divine.
2. Bridge Science and Spirit (instead of conflict)
People often reject God and soul because they believe science refutes them. But:
Instead of fighting science, expand it to include the science of mind and soul and Supersoul.
3. Cultivate Sacred Education
Re-moored civilizations must raise children with the language of the soul (atman):
Without intellectual initiation, youth drift into secular materialism by default.
4. Art, Music, and Storytelling
Truth can enter through the 'before the head'. Reawaken awe and longing for God (Krishna) through:
Serious devotion:
2. Perform five aratis to God (Bhagavan Krishna) each taking five minutes
3. Offer Vegetarian food to Images of God and eat them as prasadam - restaurant or cafeteria or catered in food may destroy your gentle consciousness and keep you embedded in misery while being wealthy
4. Give charity in the mode of goodness to temples that do not divert funds for mundane education or to promote false religions - ISKCON is one such organization
5. Chant gods names and dance for him - else you will dance for matter in a stressful manner
References: