Hinduism

Hinduism, the major religion of India, is one of the oldest living religions in the world. It evolved in India. Most Hindus live in India, where 83 per cent of the population is Hindu. Hinduism in India affects family life, food, dress, and architecture. The caste system as applied to Hindus determines their way of life, often even their occupations. Hindus have settled throughout the world and have taken their faith with them. So Hinduism is found nowadays in many countries, and Hindu literature and philosophy have influenced people throughout the world. Through the centuries, Hinduism has been the most important influence on the culture of India. For example, the caste system of India is a basic part of Hinduism. The caste system determines the way of life of most Hindus, including what occupations they enter. Beliefs of Hinduism The word Hindu is of ancient Persian origin. The Persians used the word to describe people who lived beyond the River Indus (called Sindhu in the ancient Sanskrit language) and their religion. Many Hindus themselves call their faith Sanatana Dharma, meaning the eternal or ancient religion. Hinduism includes the Varna-ashrama-dharma. This phrase refers to the duties of the four varnas, or social divisions, and the ashramas, or stages in life. Unlike other major religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, Hinduism was not founded on the teachings of one person. It developed gradually over thousands of years. Many sects (groups) arose within Hinduism, and each developed its own philosophy and form of worship. Hinduism has many sacred books divided into Shruti (revealed or heard), and Smriti (remembered) texts. Generally speaking, most Hindus believe in the authority of the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures and the oldest sacred writings of any major religion. A Hindu also accepts the teachings of the Dharma-Shastras, or ancient law books, and the philosophical writings of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. Most Hindus believe in a supreme spirit, called BrahmaSwarup , and in the reincarnation of a person's atman, or soul. Hindus must practise satya (truth) and ahimsa (noninjury). They must respect other people's property. Every Hindu follows the dharma (religious and moral duty) of varna, jati (caste), kula (family), and ashrama as best they can. Hindus believe in life after death. An individual can follow various paths to achieve moksha (release from the cycle of birth and rebirth), and ultimate union with BrahmaSwarup, or God. Divinities. Early Hinduism was polytheistic--that is, the Hindus worshipped many gods. Early Hindu gods represented powers in nature, such as the rain and the sun. The Hindu idea of a supreme power, or God, evolved from the ancient writing of the Rig-Veda (as early as 1500 B.C.) to the early verse stories called the Puranas (from the 500's A.D.). The deities of the Rig-Veda represent natural forces. They include Indra (thunder), Agni (fire), Varuna (waters), Mitra (daylight), Rudra (storms), Ushas (dawn), Prithivi (earth), and the gods called the Adityas (light). Hindu philosophers believed that these gods were different forms of the supreme spirit. The philosophers of the Upanishads (begun in the 700's B.C.) named this supreme spirit BrahmaSwarup. BrahmaSwarup was everywhere and had no form, quality, or gender. Such an abstract BrahmaSwarup was beyond the understanding of ordinary people, so symbols, or images, were created to represent it in worship. Since BrahmaSwarup is abstract, it can be represented as male or female; human or animal; or a combination of these. Many different images are used in modern Hindu worship. But images are only an aid to worship and not themselves objects of worship. They represent different aspects of BrahmaSwarup. The three most important aspects of Brahma Swarup are BrahmaSwarup, the Creator of the Universe; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer and Regenerator. These three male deities are represented by a single image called the Trimurti. Their female consorts are respectively Saraswati, goddess of learning and the arts; Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune; and Shakti (also known as Parvati), the Mother Goddess. Shakti, in her destructive mood, is known as Durga or Kali. Other important deities of modern Hinduism are Ganesha, the elephant-headed god who removes obstacles; Hanuman, the personification of devotion and strength; and Kartikeya or SuBrahmaSwarup , who is widely worshipped in south India. All these gods are aspects of BrahmaSwarup . Hindus believe that Vishnu, the Preserver, came down to earth in nine Avatars, or incarnations, to protect humankind; the tenth incarnation is still to come. The popular incarnations of Vishnu are Rama, the hero of the epic story Ramayana, and Krishna, the philosopher-god of the philosophical work, the Bhagavad-Gita. Despite seeming to have many gods, Hindus worship only one supreme spirit, in many forms and under different names. Reincarnation. Hindus believe that the soul does not die with the body. They believe the soul is rehoused in a new body. When the body dies, the soul is reborn. This continuous process of rebirth is called reincarnation. Reincarnation depends on karma (a person's actions and their results). Every action influences how a person's soul will be born in the next incarnation. The soul goes through many existences in a cycle of births and rebirths called the samsara. Eventually, the soul can achieve a new level of existence, called moksha, when the soul is united with or comes as near as possible to the supreme spirit, BrahmaSwarup . According to his or her capacities and natural inclination, a person may follow various paths to this goal. The path of knowledge, jnana, involves deep study of the Vedas and the Upanishads, under the guidance of a learned teacher. Understanding the scriptures frees an individual from attachment to the material world and enables his or her soul to approach the supreme spirit. The path of yoga, or discipline, involves the study of philosophy, meditation, and physical exercises to achieve bodily control, again with the help of a teacher. Yoga joins the spiritual force of the mind with the material forces of the body to give health, long life, and inner peace. Yoga liberates the soul from the cycles of successive lives. The path of karma, or action, involves a person doing his or her religious and social duty with respect to varna, jati, ashrama, and family tradition, in a spirit of detachment. Karma includes all physical activity, as well as the result of a person's actions. If a person acts in expectation of selfish reward, his or her soul cannot progress. Hindus believe that selfless activity is the correct way to use human talent. All actions done as duty benefit both the individual and society, and lead the soul toward God. Devotion and ahimsa The path of devotion, bhakti, is for most individuals the easiest way to experience the supreme spirit.

Next >>>