Once there, they have been able to find work or establish their own small businesses. Nevertheless, in spite of various degrees of Westernization, most Bengalis have retained strong cultural ties. In Islam, recruitment of clergy is voluntary. Any man who has a desire to study the Qur'an may do so. Bengali Hindu worship many gods, some of which are animals.
Cows are sacred, but they revere monkeys, snakes, and other animals as well.
They believe that the soul may be reincarnated, or reborn, as an animal or as a human. The law of karma states that every action influences how the soul will be born in the next life. If a person lives a good life, his soul will be born into a higher state. The cycle continues until spiritual perfection is achieved. Then the soul enters moksha, a new level of existence, from which it never returns.