Notes took:
- Worlds oldest religion
- A billion followers
- Belief in reincarnation is a vital characteristic
- Cycle of births and deaths
- A way of life, a 'Dharma'
- Responsible for birth of concepts such as Yoga, Kharma, Puja, Tantra
- Some scholars believe it existed around 10,000BC
- Rig Veda is earliest Hindu scripture
- Hinduism not found anywhere in scriptures, word Hindu inf act comprised from foreigners referring to people living across the River Indus or Sindhu
- Key hindu scriptures are called 'shastras'
- Most popular texts are the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharata
- One supreme Absolute called 'Brahman'
- But thousands of worshipped dieties/gods/godesses
- Also worship trees, animals and even planets
What is Hinduism?:
Hinduism is the world's oldest extant religion, with a billion followers, which makes it the world's third largest religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness, and the desire for liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
Read More: How do you define Hinduism?
How is Hinduism unique from other religions?:
Hinduism cannot be neatly slotted into any particular belief system. Unlike other religions, Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action. It has its own beliefs, traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. The religious tradition of Hinduism is solely responsible for the creation of such original concepts and practices as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vastu, Jyotish, Yajna, Puja, Tantra, Vedanta, Karma, etc.
Read More: The Uniqueness of Hinduism
How and when did Hinduism originate?:
Hinduism has its origins in such remote past that it cannot be traced to any one individual. Some scholars believe that Hinduism must have existed even in circa 10000 B.C. and that the earliest of the Hindu scriptures – The Rig Veda – was composed well before 6500 B.C. The word "Hinduism" is not to be found anywhere in the scriptures, and the term "Hindu" was introduced by foreigners who referred to people living across the River Indus or Sindhu, in the north of India, around which the Vedic religion is believed to have originated.
Read More: Theories About the Origin of Hinduism
What are the basic tenets of Hinduism?:
There is no “one Hinduism”, and so it lacks any unified system of beliefs and ideas. Hinduism is a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, in which the prominent themes include:
- Dharma (ethics and duties)
- Samsara (rebirth)
- Karma (right action)
- Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara)
Read More: The Main Tenets of Hinduism
What are the key Hindu scriptures?:
The basic scriptures of Hinduism, which is collectively referred to as "Shastras", are essentially a collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different points in its long history. The Two types of sacred writings comprise the Hindu scriptures: "Shruti" (heard) and "Smriti" (memorized). They were passed on from generation to generation orally for centuries before they were written down mostly in the Sanskrit language. The major and most popular Hindu texts include the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Read More: The Sacred Texts of the Hindus
What are the major Hindu deities?:
Hinduism believes that there is only one supreme Absolute called "Brahman". However, it does not advocate the worship of any one particular deity. The gods and goddesses of Hinduism amount to thousands or even millions, all representing the many aspects of Brahman. Therefore, this faith is characterized by the multiplicity of deities. The most fundamental of Hindu deities is the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - creator, preserver and destroyer respectively. Hindus also worship spirits, trees, animals and even planets.
Read More: Gods & Goddesses in Hinduism
Who is a Hindu and how to become one?:
A Hindu is an individual who accepts and lives by the religious guidance of the Vedic scriptures. While the teachings of the Hindu tradition do not require that you have a religious affiliation to Hinduism in order to receive its inner teachings, it can be very helpful to formally become a Hindu because it provides one a formal connection to the “world's oldest continually existing enlightenment tradition."
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