Hinduism Paper Dwayne Gillmore Hum 130/World Religions 19 February 2012 Byrl Shaver

Hinduism Paper Hinduism is one of the oldest living religions in the world, Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it had no single founder but grew over a period of 4,000 years in syncretism with the religious and cultural movements of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism claims 1/6 of the world's population, with over 750 million followers worldwide. Most Americans have had at least some exposure to what has become known as the New Age movement. They would be surprised to learn that Hinduism is the wellspring of a good deal of New Age thinking. There are approximately 200 Hindu temples or Hindu centers in the United States ("What Makes Up Hindu Religion? 2012). Some core beliefs common to virtually all Hindus. There is no hard and fast dogma that all Hindus must believe. It's actually a family of gradually developing beliefs and practices. Hinduism is both polytheistic, belief in many gods, and pantheistic, view that the universe and god are identical. Although there is not a strict orthodoxy in Hinduism, the various sects share several principle beliefs. Virtually all Hindus believe in the three-in-one god known as Brahman. There are three gods that compose Brahman Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Hindus also worship the wives of Shiva, such as Kali, or one of Vishnus ten incarnations. Hindus believe in a strict Caste System. Karma, the law that good begets good, and bad begets bad, dictates how a Hindu interacts with the world. The believe every action, thought, or decision one makes has consequences good or bad that will return to each person in the present life, or in one yet to come. Hindus do not believe in an afterlife in the Christian since, however they do believe in reincarnation, also known as transmigration of souls or samsara. They believe when reincarnated, it is a journey on the circle of life, where each person experiences as series of physical births, deaths, and rebirths. With good karma, a person can be reborn into a higher caste, or even to godhood. Bad karma can relegate one to a lower caste, or even to life as an animal in their next life. The ultimate goal of the Hindu is Nirvana. Nirvana is the release of the soul from the seemingly endless cycle of rebirths ("Hindu Beliefs", 2002-2008). The roots of Hinduism are in the interrelationship of two basic religious systems, the ancient civilization residing in the Indus River Valley from the third millennium B.C. and the religious beliefs brought to India by the Aryan people (possibly from the Baltic region). They began infiltrating the Indus Valley sometime after 2000 B.C. The religion of the Aryans is described in the writings of "holy men" contained in the Vedas (meaning "knowledge" or "wisdom"). The Vedas are four collections of writings composed between about 1500 and 500 B.C., which form the basis for Hindu beliefs. The later sections of the Vedas are known as the Upanishads. These Vedic writings are considered inspired. Later Hindu writings, including the renowned Bhagavad Gita, are of lesser authority, but widely popular. There are lots of possible answers to the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated question. The people of the Indian Subcontinent were racially, religiously, ethnically, and culturally diverse. The acceptance of the umbrella faith called Hinduism created a unifying influence and philosophy that established peace and cooperation. Although not discredited, in ancient India the Caste System established social order, defined authority ("Hindu Beliefs", 2002-2008).

The Hindu people have a desire for liberation from earthly existence. As discussed earlier, Hinduism teaches that all living things are Brahman, or god, in their core. Enlightenment is attained by becoming tuned in to the Brahman within. Only then can one reach Nirvana. The release from the wheel of life that allows access to Nirvana is known as moksha. There are three paths to moksha, or salvation. The first is the way of works. Karma yoga is a very popular way of salvation, which emphasizes the idea that liberation may be obtained by fulfilling ones familial and social duties thereby overcoming the weight of bad karma. The second way of salvation is the way of knowledge. The premise of Jnana yoga is that man remains in bondage to the cycle of rebirths in this world because of ignorance consisting of a mistaken belief that we are individual selves, and not one with the ultimate divine reality Brahman. This same ignorance gives rise to bad actions, resulting in bad karma. Salvation is achieved after attaining a state of consciousness that realizes an identity with Brahman. This is achieved through deep meditation, often as a part of the discipline of yoga. The third way of salvation is the way of devotion. Bhakti yoga is the way most favored by the common people of India. It satisfies the longing for a more emotional and personal approach to religion. It involves the selfsurrender to one of the many personal gods and goddesses of Hinduism. This devotion is expressed through acts of worship, temple rituals, and pilgrimages. Through these three paths, some Hindus conceive of ultimate salvation as absorption into the one divine reality, with all loss of individual existence. Others conceive of it as heavenly existence in adoration of the personal God ("Hindu Beliefs", 2002-2008).

References What Makes Up Hindu Religion?. (2012). Retrieved from http://Hindu Beliefs. (2002-2008). Retrieved from http://contenderministries.org Hindu Beliefs. (2002-2008). Retrieved from http://www.contenderministries.org/hinduism/hindubeliefs.php