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Karmanye vadhika raste maa faleshu kadachan. (from Geeta) (To do action without attachment and without desiring the fruits of actions.) What Is Hinduism? Hinduism is a major world religion that originated in India and is still practiced by most of its inhabitants, as well as by those whose families have migrated from India to other parts of the world.In recent times, due to the efforts of the Hare Krishna Movement founded by A. C. Vaktivedanata Swami Prabhupada, and other people, many people belonging to other religions have embraced Hinduism and have dedicated their lives to spreading its teachings. When was it founded? Hinduism, one of the world's oldest religions in existence, has no exact beginning; it predates recorded history.Who founded it? Unlike Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, or Islam, Hinduism was not founded by one individual. Rather it is the result of a coming together of many religious beliefs and philosophical schools of thought.What are its scriptures or holy books? The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, The Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana are the most important holy books. But there are many other books. The Vedas were spoken around 10,000 years B.C. and were written down around 3,000 years B.C.(Click here to learn more about Hindu scriptures.) Where do Hindus live? Nearly one billion Hindus are spread all over the world. They live mostly in India, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe, North and South America.While Hindus in each of these societies have altered their religion somewhat to suit the needs of their cultures, all Hindus share a core of rich, poetic, and complex traditions. The Gods of Hinduism Hindus believe in many gods. Some people estimate the number of Hindu gods to be in the thousands. But though innumerable minor gods exist, there really is only one true "god" at the center of Hinduism - Brahman. Brahman is also called the One, the Ultimate Reality, and the World Soul. The many gods found in Hinduism really form part of Brahman.The Sects of Hinduism There are three main denominations: Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism. These sects are each represented by a high god, Shaivism by Shiva, Vaishnavism by Vishnu, and Shaktism by Shakti.These three denominations hold such divergent beliefs that each can be considered a complete and independent religion. Yet, they share a vast heritage of culture and belief namely: karma, dharma, reincarnation, all-pervasive Divinity, temple worship, sacraments, manifold Deities, the many yogas, the guru-disciple tradition and a reliance on the Vedas as the final scriptural authority. Shaktism, meaning 'doctrine of power' or 'doctrine of the Goddess') is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi – the Hindu Divine Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead. It is, along with Shaivism and Vaisnavism, one of the three primary schools of Hinduism. Shaktism regards Dev?, meaning 'the Goddess', as the Supreme Brahman itself, the "one without a second", with all other forms of divinity, female or male, considered to be merely her diverse manifestations. In the details of its philosophy and practice, Shaktism resembles Shaivism. However, Shaktas i.e. practitioners of Shaktism, focus most or all worship on Shakti, as the dynamic feminine aspect of the Supreme Divine. Shiva, the masculine aspect of divinity, is considered solely transcendent, and his worship is usually relegated to an auxiliary role. Saivism, or Shaivism, s the branch of Hinduism that worships Siva (or Shiva) as the Supreme God. Followers of Saivism are called Saivas or Saivites. The foremost Saivite Vedic Mantra is 'Aum Namah Sivaya'. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated reincarnations, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God. So,these sects are each represented by a high god, Shaivism by Shiva, Vaishnavism by Vishnu, and Shaktism by Shakti. These three denominations hold such divergent beliefs that each can be considered a complete and independent religion. Yet, they share a vast heritage of culture and belief namely: karma, dharma, reincarnation, all-pervasive Divinity, temple worship, sacraments, manifold Deities, the many yogas, the guru-disciple tradition and a reliance on the Vedas as the final scriptural authority. What holds the various sects together? All the sects are loosely bound by a single belief: they all recognize that many different and individual paths all lead to the one ultimate goal of Hinduism, moksha, which is release from the attachment people have to this material world. Each sect lays out its own way of attaining moksha - a blissful union with the universal spirit of Brahman.Some important rituals, traditions and beliefs keep the religion vital and hold all the sects of Hinduism together. These are the puja meaning daily worship; dharma meaning one's duties towards one's family and society, samskara meaning rites of passage; samsara meaning belief in the reincarnation or reappearance of the soul in succeeding generations; and moksha, or final release from material existence. What are its basic principles? Hinduism is a vast and profound religion. It worships one Supreme Reality (called by many names) and teaches that all souls ultimately realize Truth. There is no eternal hell, no damnation. It accepts all genuine spiritual paths - from pure monism ("God alone exists") to theistic dualism ("When shall I know His Grace?").Each soul is free to find his or her own way, whether by devotion, austerity, meditation (yoga) or selfless service. Stress is placed on temple worship, scripture and the guru-disciple tradition. Festivals, pilgrimage, chanting of holy hymns, and home worship are dynamic practices. Love, nonviolence, good conduct and the law of dharma define the Hindu path. Hinduism explains that the soul reincarnates until all karmas are resolved and God Realization is attained. The magnificent holy temples, the peaceful piety of the Hindu home, the subtle metaphysics and the science of yoga all play their part. Hinduism is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Why is Hinduism a major world religion? This is not merely by virtue of its many followers (estimated at nearly one billion) but also because of its profound influence on many other religions during its long, unbroken history, which dates from about 3000 BC. For this reason Swami Vivekananda called Hinduism the mother of all religions.About the influence of Hinduism on other religions and vice versa: Hinduism, being the oldest religion, has influenced all other religions. Budhism, Jainism, and Sikhism share many beliefs with Hinduism.Because it has an extraordinary tendency to absorb foreign elements, the influence of various religions on Hinduism has greatly contributed to the religion's syncretism - the wide variety of beliefs and practices that it encompasses. The fact that it comprises whatever all the people of India have believed and done has given Hinduism the character of a social and doctrinal system that extends to every aspect of human life. What is the meaning of the word Hindu? The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word sindhu ("river"-more specifically, the Indus). The Persians in the 5th century BC called the Hindus by that name, identifying them as the people of the land of the Indus.More information about Hinduism The canon of Hinduism is basically defined by what people do rather than what they think. Consequently, far more uniformity of behavior than of belief is found among Hindus, although very few practices or beliefs are shared by all. A few practices are observed by almost all Hindus, e.g. reverence for Brahmans and cows and abstention from meat (especially beef).Most Hindus chant the Gayatri hymn (mantra) to the sun at dawn, but little agreement exists as to what other prayers should be chanted. Most Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, or the Goddess (Devi), but they also worship hundreds of additional minor deities peculiar to a particular village or even to a particular family. Despite the fact that Hindus believe and do many apparently contradictory things- contradictory not merely from one Hindu to the next, but also within the daily religious life of a single Hindu - each individual perceives an orderly pattern that gives form and meaning to his or her own life. Hinduism is also called Sanatana Dharma meaning "the eternal religion," and Vaidika Dharma meaning "the religion of the Vedas." Click here to learn about the Hindu Scriptures, i.e. Hindu Holy Books |