Hinduism

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The Hindu religion and culture is a very complex subject. The Hindu religion combines rich ethnical and standard beliefs. We will take a closer look and try to understand the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (Major World Religions, 2006). The Hindu religion began to develop about 4.000 years ago in India, but it there was no single founder or system of belief (Major World Religions, 2006). There are many diverse and various Gods in the Hindu religion. One of the most important beliefs is the theory of karma, which holds that all beings, human or animal have karma which determines which soul is for which body and the birth attribute of each soul. The ideal of the Hindu religion is for the soul to move upward to the most sacred level through reincarnation. Reincarnation is when "one takes birth again and again in countless bodies—perhaps as an animal or some other life form—but the self remains the same. Birth as a human being is a precious and rare opportunity for the soul to advance toward its ultimate goal of liberation from rebirth and merging with the Absolute Reality" (Fisher, 2005). In other words if a person leads a good life, does good deeds, and has good faith then he or she will attain good karma and his or her soul will move upward as a higher being. With good karma his or her soul will have a much better chance in the coming life, but if he or she did bad things in their lives then his or her soul will move downwards to an inferior position in life maybe a dirty animal or instinct. Hinduism is primarily found in India but continues to grow across the world. Hindus are very peaceful and passive...

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...d or cultures because of this experience. There are many ideologies in Hinduism that would help other human beings grow as a person or help our society be more peaceful regardless of what religion they come from. To be more forgiving, more open, and less violent as Hindus are could not hurt anyone but instead build more character and make life easier for everyone else in our society.

Works Cited

Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Hartman, R. (Speaker). (2006). Interview with T. Khanna. (cassette recording).

Major World Religions. (2006). The Major World Religions. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from Om Sakthi website: http://www.omsakthi.org/religions.html

Religion Facts. (2006).Symbols in Hindu Art and Ritual. Retrieved April 2, 2006., from Religion Facts website: http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/symbols.htm

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