 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
 32,711 (0.03%) (2020)[1] | |
| Scriptures | |
| Bhagavad Gita,Mahabharata,Upanishads | |
| Languages | |
| Indo-Aryan languages (Sanskrit,Hindi andSindhi), Butuanon,English,Ibanag,Kapampangan,Pangasinense,Tagalog,Visayan |
Recent archaeological and other evidence suggestsHinduism has had some cultural, economic, political and religious influence in thePhilippines. Among these is the 9th centuryLaguna Copperplate Inscription found in 1989, deciphered in 1992 to beKawi script (fromPallava script) withSanskrit words;[2] thegolden Agusan statue (Golden Tara) discovered in another part of Philippines in 1917 has also been linked to Hinduism.[3]
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There is some growth in the religion as of late, although most temples cater to the same communities. Actual adherents ofHinduism are mostly limited to communities that include indigenous and native peoples, expatriate communities, as well as new converts. There are variousISKCON groups and popular Hindu personalities and groups such asSathya Sai Baba, andParamahansa Yogananda (SRF),Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (Ananda Marga) that can be found. TheRamakrishna Mission is also present as theVedānta Society of the Philippines.[4] Hindu based practices likeYoga andmeditation are also popular. There are also notable archery ranges named after characters in theRamayana and theMahabharata called "Kodanda Archery Range" (named after Lord Rama's bow Kodanda) and "Gandiva Archery" (named after Arjuna's bowGandiva).
One source estimated the size of the Indian community in the Philippines in 2008 at 150,000 people, most of whom are Hindus and Christians.
At present, however, it is limited primarily to the immigrantIndian community and localButuanon people, though traditional religious beliefs in most parts of the country have strong Hindu and Buddhist influences.
Over the last three decades, a large number of civil servants and highly educated Indians working in large banks,Asian Development Bank and theBPO sector have migrated to Philippines, especially Manila. Most of the Indian Filipinos and Indian expatriates are Hindu, Sikh or Muslims, but have assimilated into Filipino culture and some are Christians. The community regularly conducts philanthropic activities through bodies such as the Mahaveer foundation, The SEVA foundation and the Sathya Sai organization. Most Hindus congregate for socio-cultural and religious activities at the Hindu Temple (Mahatma Gandhi Street, Paco, Manila), and the Radha Soami Satsang Beas center (Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila).
The archipelagos ofSoutheast Asia were under the influence of HinduTamil Nadu and Indonesian traders through the ports ofMalay-Indonesian islands. Indian religions, possibly an amalgamated version of Hindu-Buddhist arrived in Philippines archipelago in the 1st millennium, through the Indonesian kingdom ofSrivijaya followed byMajapahit. Archeological evidence suggesting exchange of ancient spiritual ideas from India to the Philippines includes the 1.79 kilogram, 21 carat gold Hindu goddess Agusan (sometimes referred to as GoldenTara), found inMindanao in 1917 after a storm and flood exposed its location.[5] The statue now sits in theField Museum of Natural History in Chicago, and is dated from the period 13th to early 14th centuries.
A study of this image was made by Dr. F. D. K. Bosch, ofBatavia, in 1920, who came to the conclusion that it was made by local workmen in Mindanao, copying a Ngandjuk image of the early Madjapahit period – except that the local artist overlooked the distinguishing attributes held in the hand. It probably had some connection with the Javanese miners who are known to have been mining gold in the Agusan-Surigao area in the middle or late 14th century. The image is apparently that of aSivaite goddess, and fits in well with the name "Butuan" (signifying"phallus").
— H. Otley Beyer, 1947[3]
Juan R. Francisco suggests that the golden Agusan statue may be a representation of goddessSakti of the Siva-Buddha (Bhairava) tradition found in Java, in which the religious aspect ofShiva is integrated with those found in Buddhism ofJava andSumatra.Butuan, in present-day Agusan del Norte in Butuan, used Hinduism as its main religion along with indigenous animism. A Hindu Tamil-Malay king ofCebu was also recorded.[6] In the nearby kingdom ofSanmalan in theZamboanga Peninsula, the Chinese recorded a tribute mission from its ruler named Rajah Chulan.[7][8] According toM.C. Ricklefs, traces of Sanskrit influences can still be found in theTagalog language.[9]
Another gold artifact, from theTabon Caves in the island ofPalawan, is an image ofGaruda, the bird who is the mount ofVishnu. The discovery of sophisticated Hindu imagery and gold artifacts in Tabon Caves has been linked to those found fromOc Eo, in theMekong Delta in SouthernVietnam.[10] These archaeological evidence suggests an active trade of many specialized goods and gold between India and Philippines and coastal regions ofVietnam and China. Golden jewelry found so far include rings, some surmounted by images ofNandi – the sacred bull, linked chains, inscribed gold sheets, gold plaques decorated with repoussé images of Hindu deities.[10][11]
In 1989, a laborer working in a sand mine at the mouth ofLumbang River nearLaguna de Bay found a copper plate inBarangay Wawa,Lumban.[5] This discovery, is now known as the Laguna Copperplate Inscription by scholars. It is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines, dated to be from the 9th century AD, and was deciphered in 1992 by Dutch anthropologistAntoon Postma.[2] The copperplate inscription suggests economic and cultural links between the Tagalog people of Philippines with the JavaneseMedang Kingdom, the Srivijaya empire, and the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of India. Hinduism in the country declined whenIslam was introduced by traders fromArabia which was then followed by Christianity from Spain.[5] This is an active area of research as little is known about the scale and depth of Philippine history from the 1st millennium and before.
Many fables and stories in Filipino Culture are linked to Indian arts, such as the story ofthe monkey and the turtle, the race between deer and snail (slow and steady wins the race), and the hawk and the hen. Similarly, the major epics and folk literature of Philippines show common themes, plots, climax and ideas expressed in theMahabharata and theRamayana.[12]
According toIndologistsJuan R. Francisco andJosephine Acosta Pasricha, Hindu influences and folklore arrived in Philippines by about 9th to 10th century AD.[13] There is aMaranao version of the Hindu Epic Ramayana known asMaharadia Lawana (KingRāvaṇa[14]).
With the advent ofSpanish colonialism in the 16th century, the Philippines became a closed colony and cultural contacts with other Southeast Asian countries were limited, if not closed. In 1481, theSpanish Inquisition commenced with the permission ofPope Sixtus IV and all non-Catholics within the Spanish empire were to be expelled or to be "put to the question" (tortured until they renounced their previous faith). With the re-founding ofManila in 1571, the Philippines became subject to theKing of Spain, and the Archbishop of New Galicia (Mexico) became the Grand Inquisitor of the Faithful in Mexico and the Philippines. In 1595, the newly appointedArchbishop of Manila became the Inquisitor-General of theSpanish East Indies (i.e., the Philippines,Guam, andMicronesia), and until 1898 was active against Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. As was the case in Latin America and Africa, forced conversion was common and any refusal to submit to Church authority was seen as both rebellion against the Pope and sedition against the Spanish Crown, which was punishable by death.[citation needed]
Linguistic influence left lasting marks on everyPhilippine language. Below are some borrowed terms, which were often Buddhist and Hindu concepts, with the originalSanskrit; some of the words in many Philippine languages are loaned from Sanskrit andTamil.[15] The conservative nature of these loanwords and shared correspondence with Malay suggest that many of these loanwords were borrowed from an earlier form of Classical Malay that preserved the distinction between several Sanskrit phonemes.[16]
