The word Hindu has evolved from being the word the Persians used for the Indus River in 500 BC to the accepted name for the primary religion of India this name was originally given by foreign rulers and ultimately used by Europeans in the 1500's as the official name of the religion. History plays an important part of Hinduism because new developments reinterpret an update past practices rather than end them. The Hindu religion is broke down into three periods the Vedic period, the Upanishadic period, the classical period, and the devotional period.
The Vedic period lasted from 1500 to 600 BCE. The Dravidian civilization was located in the Indus Valley of northwest India, this area is now known as Pakistan. The Dravidians were advanced for their time even having a sewage system that connected to homes. It is believed that the Dravidians worshiped goddesses of fertility due to the large number of female deity figurines. Due to a lack of information about the Dravidians it is unknown what impact they had on Hinduism. The Aryans migrated to India and took control of the Dravidians. It was the Aryans who, had a set of oral collections called Vedas. Hinduism uses Vedas as the foundation of the religion and they are called books of knowledge. Hinduism has adopted many of the Vedic traditions and made changes such as meditation as opposed to drugs during the search for hidden truth. The Vedic phase of Hinduism “affirms the world, accepting the physical aspects of the world as good and proper.” (VanVoorst, 2012)
The Upanishadic period lasted from 600 - 400 BCE. During this phase of Hinduism followers embark on a journey for knowledge so profound and sacred that if realized the follower will have eternal freedom from this realm of appear...
... middle of paper ...
...set idea but a way of life. Hinduism recognizes no prophet or founder but a creator Brahama. The whole goal of Hinduism is to merge the personal soul with Brahama through meditation and the ability to be rid of good and bad Karma. Hinduism followers have the right to choose the God or Goddess they wish to worship. Often the chosen God is due to personal need.
Bibliography
Hindu Rituals and Practices. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2014, from Religion Facts: http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/practices.htm
Hinduism. (2014). Retrieved April 21, 2014, from Spiritual Journeys: http://www.spiritualjourneys.net/hinduism.htm
Narayanan, V. (2013, December 24). Hinduism. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from Encyclopaedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266312/Hinduism/261609/Practice
VanVoorst, R. E. (2012). RELG.world Student Edition. Cengage Learning.
Hinduism is made of many different religions and does not have one origin or single founder. The religion of Hinduism is very old, “300-100 B.C.E.--- The first trace of temple worship. Hindu people worship at the shrine, where Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a statue of a god or goddess” (McMillan). In addition, other religions are based off Hinduism, “5000-10000 B.C.---Hinduism can be traced back to 5000-10000 B.C. Hinduism is a very old religion, many religions are based off of Hinduism, like Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism” (McMillan).
Hinduism first started in India around 1500 BC. The word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or river. The Hindu community define themselves as "those who believe in the Vedas", or also "those who follow the way, or dharma, of the four classes and the stages of life. The four classes being the varnas and the stages of life being the ashramas.
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.
Other than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life through philosophy that is mostly concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The impracticality of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas. Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu religion that are considered to be a straight ...
Hinduism is a very unique religion; it is the oldest living religion and does not have a single founder unlike Buddhism. Hinduism
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”.
There are many sacred elements that characterize the Hindu religion. The Vedas are considered to be the religious texts of Sanatana Dharma. However, "their origins and antiquity are still unknown; the Vedas themselves can be examined. They are a revered collection of ancient sacred hymns comprising four parts, which appear to have developed over time. The earliest are the Samhitas, hymns of praise in worship of deities." (Pg 82) Following this, the Brahmanas appeared explaining the "symbolic correspondences between the microcosm of the ritual process and the "real world" in which rituals are performed." (pg 82) The third part of the Vedas is known as Aranyakas; these recluse people went to the forest to mediate. The last of the Vedas consisted of teachings "from highly realized spiritual masters: known as Upanishads. The Vedic devotion centers around fire sacrifice rituals that were created and controlled by the Brahmins.
“If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God.”
According to Western scholars, the religious tradition that we know as Hinduism is the product of at least 5,000 years of development, with roots stretching back to the Indus Valley civilization, which prospered some 4 - 5,000 years ago. However, the origins of this religion are shrouded in mystery and according to Hindu scriptures may be millions of years old. Lord Shiva is called the Destroyer and Re-creator, The universes were made by Lord Brahma the Creator, cleansed by Lord Vishnu the Preserver and destroyed by Lord Shiva. After each world is destroyed it is left with a vast ocean. Resting on the great snake Ananta, is Lord Vishnu. Som...
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 one of the world’s major religions that evolved from the Vedic religion of ancient India. Hinduism has branches that contain several sects. The major branches are Vaishnavism and Shaivism. These sects rely on their own set of scriptures but their focal point is the ancient Vedas. The philosophical Vedic texts, from the Aryans, involved the Upanishads in searching for knowledge on how the human beings would escape reincarnation. Hinduism has a cosmic principle Brahman, whereby they believe in rebirth after death. Hinduism emerged around the beginning of Common Era then coexisted within Buddhism for several centuries (Clearly, 2013). It spread to Southern India and parts of Southeast Asia from the Northern India. The basic teaching of Vedanta is the belief that the human being is neither confined in the body nor mind but the spark of God within the soul. Most Hindu’s practice bhakti as a way to worship and follow their deity. Rather than live of fear of their deity, bhakti focuses on being connected with the...
Hinduism has faith in the deity that is visualized in a triad. They are Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Siva, the destroyer. The article about Hinduism in the www.religioustolerance.org states that there are thousands of gods that Hindus believe, but generally there are two major sects in Hinduism; the Vaishnavaism – esteems Vishnu as the supreme god, and Shivaism – esteems Siva as the supreme god. Like other religions, Hinduism has books that give its followers directions for living. They are the Vedas and Upanishads, and epics such as Mahabarata, Ramayana, and Bhagwad Gita. The Vedas is the most fundamental book for Hindus. It was dictated by the god Syva's
There are many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization that took place in 4000 BC to 2200 BC. India was a land of diverse cultures, religions, races and ethnicities. Hinduism was the unifying umbrella that brought peace to the land. The belief in Ahimsa or non-violence reduced warfare. In Ancient India, the caste system brought about social order but later this system decayed and gave rise to social ills. Many other cultures and invaders of the region influenced the development of Hinduism over the centuries. When the Indo-Europeans invaded India during 1500 to 500 BC, their religion of Vedas also greatly influenced the indigenous beliefs of Hinduism. Over 80% of Indians still practice Hinduism in modern India. The Hindus brought up in Hindu families are so steeped in the various Hindu traditions from infancy that they are totally imbibed into the Hindu religious system. The sages and seers over the ages held a prominent place in the religious beliefs of the region and their teachings of non-violence, unity, prayers and a life of righteousness have greatly influenced Hinduism.
The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless example of how Hinduism can be applied and seen in Indian life. It also enforces the example of how Hinduism is the heart of India by demonstrating the qualities of ancient Indian culture. These beliefs although outdated, are also seen manifesting in many important values, such as Buddhism, which will be discussed later. It is in this document that both sets of beliefs which provide the foundation of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs are combined.
Hindu mythology has been around for ages; it is the world’s oldest surviving religion. Hinduism was formed through diverse traditions in the year 2,000 B.C.E. There is no single person that gets the credit of developing Hindu Mythology because one person did not create it. Hinduism was originated in India, where it is the most practiced now. Hinduism has over a billion followers and about two-thirds of those people are in India. There are many temples open to worship gods and goddesses. “The needs of the gods would be met by the worshipers who have to prepare themselves through purification rites to draw near to their god” (Organ,193) Hinduism is not only the oldest religion but one of the biggest, with Islam then Christianity being above it.