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Polytheistic religions paper
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Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with countless Gods and Deities, that is now the third most followed religion in the world, after Christianity and Islam. The word “hindu” originated from the Sanskrit word “Sindhu” which is a historical name of the longest river in Asia, northwest of India. Hinduism is unique, the only religion without a founder, no one scripture, and it is without a specific set of rules and expectations. It is often described as being a way of life, unlike other religions, and is said to be an assortment of different religious, philosophical ideas, and cultural practices that began in India. While it doesn’t have specific teachings, it does have sacred texts, the Sanatana Dharma, otherwise known as “The Eternal Teaching”.
In the chapter on Hinduism in Philip Novak’s book The World’s Wisdom the section titled “The Transmigration of the Soul” describes the Hindu concept of reincarnation, the wheel of life, and ultimately becoming one with god. The lines in this passage very concisely describe the Hindu concepts of Brahman, Atman, Samsara, Karma, Maya and Moksha (Molloy). I believe that these concepts are at the core of all of the expressions of the Hindu religion; which makes understanding this paragraph the key to having a basic understanding of the Hindu religion.
The Question of Origin: Hinduism believes everything has been in existence and is a part of numerous gods. In (Foundation of Indian Psychology Vol.2 Pg.116) the text Hinduism is a treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different people in different times of life. Over the centuries the Hindus beliefs are not literally interpreted by the scriptures and there ethics are derived from them.
Hinduism, also known by the name Sanatana-Dharma, is often referred to as the “oldest religion” in the world, is generally considered to be an ethnic religion and is fundamentally based on the religion of the original Aryan settlers. “Hinduism, from the Persian Hindi (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth” (“Facts on Hinduism”). It was founded around 3000 BCE, and is now considered to be the third largest religion in the world. Followers of Hinduism, which is estimated to be anywhere around 900 million, are especially concentrated in India, Nepal, and other countries throughout Asia. The broader world contact that has occurred since World War II allowed various forms of Hinduism to become more widely known and accepted. The multiple Hindu sects, including the Krishna Consciousness, have been particularly successful among young American and Europeans and claims to be adherent around the world. Hinduism is dissimilar compared to other religions, in the fact that it has no founders. This religion is considered to be permissive in creed or code as it is not necessarily coordinated in any way, even though various sects and cults are formulated. This religion is especially known for its tolerance because it is willing to accommodate those who are exceptionally religious; whether it be a Jew, Christian, or Muslim as a part of their religion. Hinduism is very transformable and accepts elements of different religion. Overtime it has even developed different aspects of both Christianity and Buddhism and incorporated them into the religion of Hinduism. Hinduism worships a multiplicity of gods; the most important in...
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.
Hinduism is both a monotheistic and a polytheistic religion, on some accounts, even atheistic. This all depends on how the practice is interpreted and exercised. Because it is the oldest religion, its specifics often get confused due to the followings of its old scripture.Hinduism is similar to Christianity with them each having around a billion followers. Also, they both seek a sort of salvation, and though Hindus do not have a set clergy, they both have priests. In contrast, worshipping for Hindus include meditation, unlike that of Christians, who engage in prayer. Christians worship but one God, yet with Hindus that is blurry margins. Salvation for Hindus is known as constantly worshipping until enlightenment, and reincarnation continues until
Unlike most religions, Hinduism has no specific founder, scripture or set of teachings. Hinduism has over nine hundred million followers today. The history of Hinduism is that it was found in the Indus Valley and it is an oral religion. Hindu’s believe in the three gods named Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is believed to be the creator of the world and creatures.
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134).
Hinduism is often viewed as a particularly tolerant religion. The lack of a single omniscient God, absence of a prophet, and the open worship of what may look like many Gods may tell a tale of open worship, individuality within religion, and a peaceful, tolerant way of life. Without further examining what Hinduism entails, this may seem like the perfect religion. When the impression of superiority is looked at with a little skepticism, the pretty picture is marred by the deep scratches of discrimination, sexism, and elitism.
Hinduism is a very unique religion; it is the oldest living religion and does not have a single founder unlike Buddhism. Hinduism
Hinduism A description of the belief system People who believe in Hinduism believe in the divinity of the Vedas, one of the world’s oldest known books. This book is thought to have primordial hymns which are God’s words and the foundation of the Sanatana Dharma. As well as that, Hindu’s believe in a supreme being that is immanent, transcendent, as well as being “The Creator.” People who believe in Hinduism believe in the world recycling everything with endless cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution. Hindus believe in karma, a law in which someone creates their own fate through their thoughts, words, and deeds.
Hinduism was founded sometime between 1500 and 500 CE in the are of the Indus valley civilization. There is no individual founder and no names given to say who developed it. They are many gods in the religion of Hinduism. Many Hindu followers believe that one of the gods is the true god, this creates a division in Hinduism, Vaishnavaism and Shivaism. People who follow Vaishnavaism believe that Vishnu is the one true god and people who follow Shivasim believe that Shiva is the one true god. Yet there are many sects that worship both gods. Over eighty percent of Hindu people worship the Lord Vishnu. One out of six people in the world is a Hindu. Hinduism can be described as a monotheistic or a polytheistic religion depending on the point of view but Hindu people describe themselves as henotheisitic, which is the belief in one god without denying the existence of others. Hindus believe that the soul is immortal and re-enters a body of flesh and blood to resolve experiences and learn all the lessons that the material life has to offer. Hindus also believe in karma. They believe that karma is one of the natural laws of the universe. If you do good things, good things will happen to you. If you do negative things, negative things will happen to you. Hindus also believe that the cow is sacred. The cow represents their life and all other animals. They also regard the cow as sacred because it gives and gives but only takes grass and grain.
Hinduism is a very complicated religion from an outsiders prospective. When I think about it I never have really given any thought to what Hinduism is, so what is this religion, what do they believe in, what are the social and cultural influences and what is the desire for liberation from earthly existence?
Hello and welcome to the new Hindu Temple. I will be your tour guide today. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in today’s world practiced by most Indians. Hinduism was composed of many different beliefs and traditions gathered from tribal and ethnic groups. The birth of Hinduism can be dated back to the early writings of the sacred texts from the book of the Vedas composed between 1500 and 900 BCE. Santa Dharma is a phrase that is used quite often to describe the Hindu religion. That phrase translates to “Eternal Sacred Duty”.
Today, Hinduism stands as India’s primary religion. In fact, India houses 90% of the world’s Hindi population and 79.8% of India’s population follows the Hindu religion, according to the 2011 census. It is thought by some to be the oldest religion in the world and the “eternal law” (Fowler). This culture is truly one as defined by Edward Taylor: “A complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capability and habit acquired by man as a member of society.” In order to have somewhat of an understanding about what the Hindu religion entails, one must study the Hindu conception of God, its basic concepts and key beliefs, as well as symbolism.
Essentially it is hard to define Hinduism as a religion or a philosophy. It contains so many cultures, philosophical systems that make itself complicated. Besides it has so many Gods and Goddess. We can convey that this state is the reflection of complex society in Indian, people from different races, geographic areas. Whereas it would be seen as a complication, there is a constant ritual with the spiritual of Hinduism.