HINDUISM
"This is the sum of all duty:do nothing to others which ,if it were done to you , would cause you pain"
From the Mahabharata
OVERVIEW
Hinduism is the world’s oldest active religion, having its origins in India about 6,000 years ago. It is also the world’s third largest religion, having about one billion followers representing about 14% of the population of the World, mostly in India, but also about two million followers in the United States.
The word Hindu derives from a Sanskrit word Sindhu, “river,” which was applied to the first large river,
today named the Indus, which the Aryans encountered upon their migration into the northwest area of
the Asian subcontinent. When the Greeks later invaded the area, they modified the word to its present form and
identified the people of the area as Hindus, i.e., “People of the River.”
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
None.
There is no central leader, no headquarters and no central governing authority. Each area and individual is free
to worship as they please.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
In the beginning Vishnu was all that existed and he was asleep. He was awakened by the sound of the “OM” (a word made entirely of vowel sounds- a,e,i,o,u). From his navel grew a Golden Egg, in it was Lotus flower and when the Lotus bloomed the god Brahman appeared.
Vishnu ordered Brahman to create the heavens, the Earth and everything else. As he did the God Shiva appeared.
Brahman is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer and Shiva is the destroyer. Hinduism is Monotheistic and these three Gods are actually different manifestations of the One God, much in the same way as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the different manifestations of the one God in Christianity.
Other Gods include :
Krishna, who is a reincarnation of Vishnu. He is the absolute truth . From Krishna everything emanates; by Krishna everything is maintained; to Krishna everything returns at the time of dissolution. Anything that exists is either Krishna or Krishna’s energy. Krishna’s main energies are three:
-His internal energy is manifest as the transcendent Spiritual Kingdom;
-His external energy, as the temporary Material World.
-His marginal energy is comprised of all living creatures, the individual animate Souls.
Rama is one of the protagonists of the Ramayana . Portrayed as the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is portrayed as the epitome of virtue.
VISION OF GOD
Hinduism does not have an anthropomorphic vision of the one God, as in the Abrahamic Religions, but instead sees God as existing in everything and everywhere.
Deities
Hinduism has an almost infinite number of deities. Hindus worship their Deities much in the same way as Christians worship Saints. There is a Deity for every town and village, as well as for every action and cause.
There are over ten million Hindu Gods or Deities.
Hindus are free to choose which Deities, or none, to worship. Hindus worship their Deities much in the same way as Christians have a patron Saint for almost every circumstance and many cities ,towns and villages.
Denominations
As one might imagine, there are many , many denominations of Hinduism which are too numerous to list here. Some of the major denominations are:
Vaishnavism- is the sect within Hinduism that worships Vishnu. It is a devotional sect, and followers worship many deities, including Rama and Krishna, both thought to be incarnations of Vishnu. The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice and ecstatic chanting. They are mainly dualistic, deeply devotional and rich in saints, temples and scriptures.
Shaivism- primarily worship Shiva as the supreme god. Shiva is both with and without form; he is the Supreme Dancer. They are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may be found wandering India with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals. They worship in the temple and practice yoga, striving to be one with Siva within.
Shaktism- worship the divine Mother Shakti. Shaktas use chants, magic, holy diagrams, yoga and rituals to call forth cosmic forces. It is much mass-based, and is directed toward the divine feminine.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
The four primary religious texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas. There are four Vedas,the :
Rigveda (or RIG),the
Yajurveda (or Yajur), the
Samaveda ( or Sama) and the
Atharvaveda ( or Atharva),
All originally composed in Vedic Sanskrit called Suktas. To the collection of hymns was appended, over a period of time, liturgical texts termed Brahmanas, texts presumably written by priests who had retired into the forest, whose texts were called Aranyakas .
This entire corpus of literature was called Sruti, literally “heard,” and was considered too sacred to be written down, hence was memorized by the priests (usually anglicized as brahmins). It was transcribed only in the eighteenth century, hence its continuity through the centuries, and is the most amazing feat of memory in world history.
Also, there are two ancient Sanskrit Hindu poems within the above texts, including the Mahabharata (the other being the Ramayana). Within the Mahabharata, around the middle, can be found the Bhagavad Gita, an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pandava princes.
The Mahabharata contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or Purusharthas (see below). The Mahabharata is the longest known epic poem and has been described as the longest poem ever written.
Other important texts include the Upanishads which are a commentary on the Vedas . As Vedanta (meaning "the end of the Vedas") they are considered revelation. The Upanishads are much more accessible, being more philosophical than the earlier texts.
The Philosophical Sub-schools of the Vedas are :
-Advaita - refers to the recognition that the true self, Atman , which is pure consciousness, is the same as the highest reality, Brahman , which is also pure consciousness. Followers seek liberation/ release by acquiring vidya , knowledge of the identity of Atman and Brahman.
-Vishishtadvaita - The world is reality. Individual souls retain their separate identities even after moksha. Liberation is due to intense devotion to the Lord. Liberation is after the death of the body.
-Dvaita - It emphasizes the existence of two separate realities. The first reality is that Vishu is the supreme God. The second reality is that the universe is real and it exists as a separate reality. God Vishnu takes a personal role and he governs and controls the universe.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Hinduism is founded on certain basic principles which include: Dharma, Karma and Reincarnation.
-Dharma is much like “fate” in Western beliefs, but different as it includes ethics and duty. It is a belief that your life is predetermined and there is nothing that you can do to change it. In Hinduism some say there is no concept of “free will“, and you just must accept whatever happens to you. It is your “DHARMA”. It is also a sense of justice , equity and morality.
Karma is simply the Universal law of “cause and effect”. Whatever you do, good or bad will come back to you in some way, in this life or the next. It is your Dharma. You can shed bad Karma with good Karma a, and visa versa.
Reincarnation is the belief that life is part of an eternal cycle wherein each soul is born, dies and is reborn many times (Samsara) . The Ultimate goal is to stop the process of rebirth and become one with God (Moksha).
Also, there are the four Puruṣārthas (found in the Mahabharata) :
-Kama It is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life (when pursued without sacrificing).
-Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life),
-Artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life); and
-Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization).
One can become SWAMI (or yogi ) who has been initiated into a religious monastic order founded by some religious teacher. A Swami that is a Teacher is called a Guru. Many Gurus teach Yoga.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Hindus have Temples for group gatherings to practice their religion and to worship God and their Deities. However, each Hindu is to have an altar, or small place of worship in his/her home and is free to worship their also called a Punja. In both places sacrifices of food are common and fire is used to honor God and the various Deities.
Bindi is a Red (or other color dot) traditionally, placed in the area between the eyebrows is said to be the sixth chakra, the seat of "concealed wisdom". The Bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. The Bindi also represents the third eye.
Vermilion -Married Hindu women part their hair in the center and place red dye there. It is worn by married women as commitment to long-life and well-being of their husbands.
Yoga - means the realization of a direct experience of the preexisting union between the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness (enlightenment) . There are four traditional schools of Yoga :
Bhakti Yoga: the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion, and service to God and others. All actions are done in the context of remembering the Divine.
Karma Yoga: the path of action, service to others, mindfulness, and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our actions or karma in the world.
Raja Yoga: is a comprehensive method that emphasizes meditation, while encompassing the whole of Yoga. It directly deals with the encountering and transcending thoughts of the mind.
Jnana Yoga- in Sanskrit means knowledge. This path is different from other forms of Yoga in a sense that other form emphasizes on a structured way of experiencing reality through a process of crystallization carried by doing different forms of meditation .
HOLIDAYS
It has been said that Hindus have a holiday for every day of the year, but that may be an understatement. The exact number of Hindu holidays and festivals are celebrated is not known, but more than a thousand different Hindu festivals have been counted.
Major festivals that are likely to be observed by most Hindus are:
-Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking. Holi is probably the least religious of Hindu holidays.
-Diwali, from the Sanskrit word Dīpãvali, meaning "row of lights" is a Hindu festival of lights lasting five days. For many Hindus, Diwali is also New Year's Eve. Diwali is held on the final day of the Vikram calendar, a type of Hindu calendar followed by North Indians.
Mahashivaratri (also called Shiva Ratri) is the Great Festival of Shiva. It is held on the 14th day of the dark half of the lunar month of Phalguna. Mahashivaratri is especially important to Saivites (devotees of Shiva), but it is celebrated by most Hindus.
HEAVEN AND HELL
Hinduism has no belief in a permanent Hell in the traditional Christian sense. Neither does it have a belief in the Devil , but does recognize the existence of Demons.
In Hinduism there are fourteen worlds in the Universe - the seven upper and the seven lower. The highest is where fortunate souls repair after death and enjoy spiritual communion with the personal God, and at the end of the cycle attain liberation.
The lowest of the seven nether worlds, is the realm where wicked souls travel after death and reap the results of their unrighteous actions on earth.
Thus, from the viewpoint of Hinduism, Heaven and Hell are merely different worlds, bound by time, space, and causality. However, Hell is not permanent and one can leave hell by acquiring good Karma in a subsequent life.
An animal or a celestial body is for reaping the results of past karma, not for performing actions to acquire a new body. Performance of karma to effect any change of life is possible only in a human body, because only human beings do good or evil consciously. Human birth is therefore a great privilege, for in a human body alone can one attain the supreme goal of life. This can be done by men and women.
SOCIAL ORDER
Although, somewhat abandoned, some Hindus’ still recognize Castes of which there are generally five:
- Bhramin- which are the priests.
- Kshatryia- which are the warriors
- Viasya- which are the merchants and landowners
Note: the above 3 groups must be at least twice born.
- Sudre- which are the commoners, peasants and servants
- Untouchables- street sweepers, latrine cleaners, etc.
One can move to a higher Caste after reincarnation in another life by accumulating good Karma.
Today, as a practical matter, the caste system is not so much about jobs as it is about whom one can marry and with whom one can cook or eat . The Caste system cannot be enforced by law since the time of Indian independence, so today it depend on one's own personal commitment. It still has some power in the villages, but the "modern" young people of the cities claim to reject caste -- though the marriage ads in papers, even in the West, tend to state caste and most people are aware of their own caste and that of their friends. Today caste is not so much tied to one's work , i.e.- there are Bhrahmin farmers and Kshatriya (not only warriors but also rulers, as well as spiritual leaders like the Buddha) and many of the aggressive, constantly horn-pounding truck drivers of India tend to be Kshatriya background.
INITIATION
None.
To become a Hindu one only decides that he or she is a Hindu and begins to practice as one.
To leave the Hindu religion one just leaves and is free to join another religion or none.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
The ultimate purpose of life is that by accumulating good Karma through good works one can improve his/her lot in the next life. The ultimate goal is to achieve Moksha and become one with God.
CONCLUSION
Hinduism is generally thought of as the world’s most peaceful religion. It is the most tolerant of all other religions and respects those who practice their religion, whatever that might be, in search of God. However , today as a practical matter , to say Hinduism is the most peaceful world religion may be more the ideal than actuality.
Gandhi ,of course, was the great exemplar of non-violence, but not all Indians today truly observe his values, and if one follows the news one will see there is violence and riots, sometimes related to caste or bridal dowries, as well as ongoing tension with Pakistan plus a lot of corruption.
Also, to the typical Hindu, reincarnation means they will be reborn again in their present status. This is why many object to marrying a person from a lower caste.
It is a very complex religion and this little description of it hardly does it justice or scratches the surface of its many complicated beliefs and practices.
Namaste.
Scott Ramsey, May 31, 2015
With special thanks to John Sameluk, Paru Mahesh, KC Oon
and Robert Elwood. Thank you all for your help on this project.
For additional information please see:
http://www.bogglingfacts.com/lists/society/religion/10-incredible-facts-about-hinduism-to-blow-your-mind/
and
Minute Faith- Hinduism- for an excellent short video on Hinduism:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9TErDRXIXcAb6MsnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBzM2wzMzdjBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMjI-?p=Youtube+Minute+Faiths&vid=e68c43d8e597766b5abf4b26cafa88e7&turl=http%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOVP.V14917e3ca6181ddaa325fa0af1e49755%26pid%3D15.1%26h%3D168%26w%3D300%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeHwalImjqgM&tit=Minute+Faith+-+Hinduism&c=21&h=168&w=300&l=145&sigr=11b672fq3&sigt=10n2373e8&sigi=131km9tot&age=1462085144&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&hsimp=yhs-002&hspart=mozilla&tt=b
"This is the sum of all duty:do nothing to others which ,if it were done to you , would cause you pain"
From the Mahabharata
OVERVIEW
Hinduism is the world’s oldest active religion, having its origins in India about 6,000 years ago. It is also the world’s third largest religion, having about one billion followers representing about 14% of the population of the World, mostly in India, but also about two million followers in the United States.
The word Hindu derives from a Sanskrit word Sindhu, “river,” which was applied to the first large river,
today named the Indus, which the Aryans encountered upon their migration into the northwest area of
the Asian subcontinent. When the Greeks later invaded the area, they modified the word to its present form and
identified the people of the area as Hindus, i.e., “People of the River.”
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
None.
There is no central leader, no headquarters and no central governing authority. Each area and individual is free
to worship as they please.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
In the beginning Vishnu was all that existed and he was asleep. He was awakened by the sound of the “OM” (a word made entirely of vowel sounds- a,e,i,o,u). From his navel grew a Golden Egg, in it was Lotus flower and when the Lotus bloomed the god Brahman appeared.
Vishnu ordered Brahman to create the heavens, the Earth and everything else. As he did the God Shiva appeared.
Brahman is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer and Shiva is the destroyer. Hinduism is Monotheistic and these three Gods are actually different manifestations of the One God, much in the same way as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the different manifestations of the one God in Christianity.
Other Gods include :
Krishna, who is a reincarnation of Vishnu. He is the absolute truth . From Krishna everything emanates; by Krishna everything is maintained; to Krishna everything returns at the time of dissolution. Anything that exists is either Krishna or Krishna’s energy. Krishna’s main energies are three:
-His internal energy is manifest as the transcendent Spiritual Kingdom;
-His external energy, as the temporary Material World.
-His marginal energy is comprised of all living creatures, the individual animate Souls.
Rama is one of the protagonists of the Ramayana . Portrayed as the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is portrayed as the epitome of virtue.
VISION OF GOD
Hinduism does not have an anthropomorphic vision of the one God, as in the Abrahamic Religions, but instead sees God as existing in everything and everywhere.
Deities
Hinduism has an almost infinite number of deities. Hindus worship their Deities much in the same way as Christians worship Saints. There is a Deity for every town and village, as well as for every action and cause.
There are over ten million Hindu Gods or Deities.
Hindus are free to choose which Deities, or none, to worship. Hindus worship their Deities much in the same way as Christians have a patron Saint for almost every circumstance and many cities ,towns and villages.
Denominations
As one might imagine, there are many , many denominations of Hinduism which are too numerous to list here. Some of the major denominations are:
Vaishnavism- is the sect within Hinduism that worships Vishnu. It is a devotional sect, and followers worship many deities, including Rama and Krishna, both thought to be incarnations of Vishnu. The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice and ecstatic chanting. They are mainly dualistic, deeply devotional and rich in saints, temples and scriptures.
Shaivism- primarily worship Shiva as the supreme god. Shiva is both with and without form; he is the Supreme Dancer. They are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may be found wandering India with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals. They worship in the temple and practice yoga, striving to be one with Siva within.
Shaktism- worship the divine Mother Shakti. Shaktas use chants, magic, holy diagrams, yoga and rituals to call forth cosmic forces. It is much mass-based, and is directed toward the divine feminine.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
The four primary religious texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas. There are four Vedas,the :
Rigveda (or RIG),the
Yajurveda (or Yajur), the
Samaveda ( or Sama) and the
Atharvaveda ( or Atharva),
All originally composed in Vedic Sanskrit called Suktas. To the collection of hymns was appended, over a period of time, liturgical texts termed Brahmanas, texts presumably written by priests who had retired into the forest, whose texts were called Aranyakas .
This entire corpus of literature was called Sruti, literally “heard,” and was considered too sacred to be written down, hence was memorized by the priests (usually anglicized as brahmins). It was transcribed only in the eighteenth century, hence its continuity through the centuries, and is the most amazing feat of memory in world history.
Also, there are two ancient Sanskrit Hindu poems within the above texts, including the Mahabharata (the other being the Ramayana). Within the Mahabharata, around the middle, can be found the Bhagavad Gita, an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pandava princes.
The Mahabharata contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or Purusharthas (see below). The Mahabharata is the longest known epic poem and has been described as the longest poem ever written.
Other important texts include the Upanishads which are a commentary on the Vedas . As Vedanta (meaning "the end of the Vedas") they are considered revelation. The Upanishads are much more accessible, being more philosophical than the earlier texts.
The Philosophical Sub-schools of the Vedas are :
-Advaita - refers to the recognition that the true self, Atman , which is pure consciousness, is the same as the highest reality, Brahman , which is also pure consciousness. Followers seek liberation/ release by acquiring vidya , knowledge of the identity of Atman and Brahman.
-Vishishtadvaita - The world is reality. Individual souls retain their separate identities even after moksha. Liberation is due to intense devotion to the Lord. Liberation is after the death of the body.
-Dvaita - It emphasizes the existence of two separate realities. The first reality is that Vishu is the supreme God. The second reality is that the universe is real and it exists as a separate reality. God Vishnu takes a personal role and he governs and controls the universe.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Hinduism is founded on certain basic principles which include: Dharma, Karma and Reincarnation.
-Dharma is much like “fate” in Western beliefs, but different as it includes ethics and duty. It is a belief that your life is predetermined and there is nothing that you can do to change it. In Hinduism some say there is no concept of “free will“, and you just must accept whatever happens to you. It is your “DHARMA”. It is also a sense of justice , equity and morality.
Karma is simply the Universal law of “cause and effect”. Whatever you do, good or bad will come back to you in some way, in this life or the next. It is your Dharma. You can shed bad Karma with good Karma a, and visa versa.
Reincarnation is the belief that life is part of an eternal cycle wherein each soul is born, dies and is reborn many times (Samsara) . The Ultimate goal is to stop the process of rebirth and become one with God (Moksha).
Also, there are the four Puruṣārthas (found in the Mahabharata) :
-Kama It is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life (when pursued without sacrificing).
-Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life),
-Artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life); and
-Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization).
One can become SWAMI (or yogi ) who has been initiated into a religious monastic order founded by some religious teacher. A Swami that is a Teacher is called a Guru. Many Gurus teach Yoga.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Hindus have Temples for group gatherings to practice their religion and to worship God and their Deities. However, each Hindu is to have an altar, or small place of worship in his/her home and is free to worship their also called a Punja. In both places sacrifices of food are common and fire is used to honor God and the various Deities.
Bindi is a Red (or other color dot) traditionally, placed in the area between the eyebrows is said to be the sixth chakra, the seat of "concealed wisdom". The Bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. The Bindi also represents the third eye.
Vermilion -Married Hindu women part their hair in the center and place red dye there. It is worn by married women as commitment to long-life and well-being of their husbands.
Yoga - means the realization of a direct experience of the preexisting union between the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness (enlightenment) . There are four traditional schools of Yoga :
Bhakti Yoga: the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion, and service to God and others. All actions are done in the context of remembering the Divine.
Karma Yoga: the path of action, service to others, mindfulness, and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our actions or karma in the world.
Raja Yoga: is a comprehensive method that emphasizes meditation, while encompassing the whole of Yoga. It directly deals with the encountering and transcending thoughts of the mind.
Jnana Yoga- in Sanskrit means knowledge. This path is different from other forms of Yoga in a sense that other form emphasizes on a structured way of experiencing reality through a process of crystallization carried by doing different forms of meditation .
HOLIDAYS
It has been said that Hindus have a holiday for every day of the year, but that may be an understatement. The exact number of Hindu holidays and festivals are celebrated is not known, but more than a thousand different Hindu festivals have been counted.
Major festivals that are likely to be observed by most Hindus are:
-Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking. Holi is probably the least religious of Hindu holidays.
-Diwali, from the Sanskrit word Dīpãvali, meaning "row of lights" is a Hindu festival of lights lasting five days. For many Hindus, Diwali is also New Year's Eve. Diwali is held on the final day of the Vikram calendar, a type of Hindu calendar followed by North Indians.
Mahashivaratri (also called Shiva Ratri) is the Great Festival of Shiva. It is held on the 14th day of the dark half of the lunar month of Phalguna. Mahashivaratri is especially important to Saivites (devotees of Shiva), but it is celebrated by most Hindus.
HEAVEN AND HELL
Hinduism has no belief in a permanent Hell in the traditional Christian sense. Neither does it have a belief in the Devil , but does recognize the existence of Demons.
In Hinduism there are fourteen worlds in the Universe - the seven upper and the seven lower. The highest is where fortunate souls repair after death and enjoy spiritual communion with the personal God, and at the end of the cycle attain liberation.
The lowest of the seven nether worlds, is the realm where wicked souls travel after death and reap the results of their unrighteous actions on earth.
Thus, from the viewpoint of Hinduism, Heaven and Hell are merely different worlds, bound by time, space, and causality. However, Hell is not permanent and one can leave hell by acquiring good Karma in a subsequent life.
An animal or a celestial body is for reaping the results of past karma, not for performing actions to acquire a new body. Performance of karma to effect any change of life is possible only in a human body, because only human beings do good or evil consciously. Human birth is therefore a great privilege, for in a human body alone can one attain the supreme goal of life. This can be done by men and women.
SOCIAL ORDER
Although, somewhat abandoned, some Hindus’ still recognize Castes of which there are generally five:
- Bhramin- which are the priests.
- Kshatryia- which are the warriors
- Viasya- which are the merchants and landowners
Note: the above 3 groups must be at least twice born.
- Sudre- which are the commoners, peasants and servants
- Untouchables- street sweepers, latrine cleaners, etc.
One can move to a higher Caste after reincarnation in another life by accumulating good Karma.
Today, as a practical matter, the caste system is not so much about jobs as it is about whom one can marry and with whom one can cook or eat . The Caste system cannot be enforced by law since the time of Indian independence, so today it depend on one's own personal commitment. It still has some power in the villages, but the "modern" young people of the cities claim to reject caste -- though the marriage ads in papers, even in the West, tend to state caste and most people are aware of their own caste and that of their friends. Today caste is not so much tied to one's work , i.e.- there are Bhrahmin farmers and Kshatriya (not only warriors but also rulers, as well as spiritual leaders like the Buddha) and many of the aggressive, constantly horn-pounding truck drivers of India tend to be Kshatriya background.
INITIATION
None.
To become a Hindu one only decides that he or she is a Hindu and begins to practice as one.
To leave the Hindu religion one just leaves and is free to join another religion or none.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
The ultimate purpose of life is that by accumulating good Karma through good works one can improve his/her lot in the next life. The ultimate goal is to achieve Moksha and become one with God.
CONCLUSION
Hinduism is generally thought of as the world’s most peaceful religion. It is the most tolerant of all other religions and respects those who practice their religion, whatever that might be, in search of God. However , today as a practical matter , to say Hinduism is the most peaceful world religion may be more the ideal than actuality.
Gandhi ,of course, was the great exemplar of non-violence, but not all Indians today truly observe his values, and if one follows the news one will see there is violence and riots, sometimes related to caste or bridal dowries, as well as ongoing tension with Pakistan plus a lot of corruption.
Also, to the typical Hindu, reincarnation means they will be reborn again in their present status. This is why many object to marrying a person from a lower caste.
It is a very complex religion and this little description of it hardly does it justice or scratches the surface of its many complicated beliefs and practices.
Namaste.
Scott Ramsey, May 31, 2015
With special thanks to John Sameluk, Paru Mahesh, KC Oon
and Robert Elwood. Thank you all for your help on this project.
For additional information please see:
http://www.bogglingfacts.com/lists/society/religion/10-incredible-facts-about-hinduism-to-blow-your-mind/
and
Minute Faith- Hinduism- for an excellent short video on Hinduism:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9TErDRXIXcAb6MsnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBzM2wzMzdjBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMjI-?p=Youtube+Minute+Faiths&vid=e68c43d8e597766b5abf4b26cafa88e7&turl=http%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOVP.V14917e3ca6181ddaa325fa0af1e49755%26pid%3D15.1%26h%3D168%26w%3D300%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeHwalImjqgM&tit=Minute+Faith+-+Hinduism&c=21&h=168&w=300&l=145&sigr=11b672fq3&sigt=10n2373e8&sigi=131km9tot&age=1462085144&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&hsimp=yhs-002&hspart=mozilla&tt=b