Hinduism

SIDE NOTE: Hinduism is not a homogeneous, organized system. Many Hindus are devoted followers of Shiva or Vishnu, whom they regard as the only true God, while others look inward to the divine Self (atman). However, most recognize the existence of Brahman, the unifying principle and Supreme Reality behind all that is.

Also known as: Sanatama Dharma

QUICK FACTS:

Founder: no single founder or teacher
Founded in: earliest forms date to 1500BC in India
Adherents Worldwide: 900 million
Adherents in US:
God(s) and Universe: One Supreme Reality (Brahman) manifested in many gods and goddesses
Human Situation and Life's Purpose: Human nature is in bondage to ignorance and illusion, but able to escape. The purpose of life is to attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of reincarnation.
Afterlife: if karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body; if karma resolved, attain moksa (liberation)
Practices: Yoga, meditation, worship (puja), devotion to a god or goddess, pilgrimage to holy cities, live according to one's dharma (purpose/ role)
Texts: The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, etc.

SUMMARY:

Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the Persian word hindu, meaning "river," used by outsiders to describe the people of the Indus River Valley. Hindus themselves refer to their religion as sanatama dharma, "eternal religion," and varnasramadharma, a word emphasizing the fulfillment of duties (dharma) appropriate to one's class (varna) and stage of life (asrama). Hindus believe in a universal eternal soul called Brahman, who created and is present in everything. They recognize the single deity, and as well recognize other gods and goddesses as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of that supreme God. However, some Hindus visualize their God as a triad -- one God with three persons: Brahma: the Creator who is continuing to create new realities. Vishnu: (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations. And, Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. Believing that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived. The Vedas are the most ancient religious Hindu text. It is believed that these texts were received by scholars directly from God and passed onto generations by word of mouth. Hindus celebrate many holy days, but the Festival of Lights, Diwali, is the most well known. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include (but are not restricted to), Dharma (ethics/duties), Samsāra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).


Three paths:


karmamarga - path of works and action
jnanamarga - path of knowledge or philosophy
bhaktimarga - path of devotion to God

Three debts:


debt to God
debt to sages and saints
debt to ancestors

Four stages of life:


brahmacharga - school years - grow and learn
grhastha - marriage, family and career
vanaprastha - turn attention to spiritual things
sanrgasu - abandon world to seek spiritual things

Four purposes of life:


dharma - fulfill moral, social and religious duties
artha - attain financial and worldy success
kama - satisfy desires and drives in moderation
moksha - attain freedom from reincarnation

Ten commitments:

  1. Ahimsa - do no harm
  2. Satya - do not lie
  3. Asteya - do not steal
  4. Brahmacharya - do not overindulge
  5. Aparigraha - do not be greedy
  6. Saucha - be clean
  7. Santosha - be content
  8. Tapas - be self-disciplined
  9. Svadhyaya - study
  10. Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to God

RESOURCES