What is the basis of Hinduism?

Answer 1

Harmony of religions : All religions lead to the same goal that is
to understand and connect with the almighty. Revere all great teachers of all religions, respect their teachings as the same eternal truths adopted to the needs of different peoples at different times. Hindus do not seek to convert.

Incarnation : Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness rises, God incarnates himself on earth to restore righteousness.

Non Violence : Non-violence, non-injury and non-killing (Ahimsa).

Doctrine of Karma : Belief in the doctrine of Karma and rebirth. Ignorance viewed as cause of bondage.

Unity of Existence : All things and beings are the manifestation of one Supreme Being. When the mind is transcendent through spiritual experience, the Universal spirit is seen as the sole essence of the universe.

Dharma : Righteousness and good moral and ethical practices in accordance with the scriptures. Includes all duties -- individual, social and religious.

Humanism : Equality of all human beings, regardless of caste, color and creed. Respect and reverence for womanhood.

Atman : Essence of all living things and beings is Atman, infinite and eternal, unchanging and indivisible. True nature of the individual is the Atman, which is one with the underlying reality of the Universe. There is but one being, one reality "Thou art That".

Reality : The Supreme Reality (Brahman) is both formless and with form, impersonal and personal, transcendent and imminent. The supreme reality becomes manifest in various aspects and forms, and is known by various names. There are various ways by which individuals, in accordance with his/her temperament can realize God.

Moksha : Freedom from cycle of birth and death. To make an individual a better person, so that he/she can live harmoniously in this world and seek union with God.

Authority : Non-reliance on a single book. Has many sacred writings Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma sutra, Sutras, Bhagwad Gita etc.



Truth is one, Sages call it by different names

* Rig Veda, 1.164.46

All Mankind is One Family

* Hitopadesha, Subhashita Ratna Bhandagare

Law of Karma - As you sow, so shall you reap

* Mahabharata, Shantiparva 299.42; BG 18.60

That mode of living which is founded upon total harmlessness towards all creatures or [in case of genuine necessity] upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest morality

* Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.5-6

Whenever there is a decline of virtue, God incarnates Himself on earth to uphold righteousness

* BG 4.7, 4.8

Answer 2

Dear rajan even though I am now not a colossal fan of Nehru however one must now not put out of your mind that once Gandhi he was once essentially the most general chief within the nation. Undermining his relation with the persons of India will most effective be ignoring the tips regardless of how distinctive & alien his perspectives would look to you. sorry for having distinctive factor of view. ...

Answer 3

Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma. Contrary to popular perception, it is not a religion: It does not have any one founder, and it does not have a Bible or a Koran to which controversies can be referred for resolution. Consequently, it does not require its adherents to accept any one idea. It is thus cultural, not creedal, with a history contemporaneous with the peoples with which it is associated. Since Hindu scriptures include not just books relating to spirituality but also secular pursuits like science, medicine and engineering, it defies classification as a religion.

The Aryan Invasion Theory has been completely discredited. It cannot be assumed that Hinduism was the pagan faith of invaders belonging to a race called Aryans. Rather it was the common metafaith of people of various races, including Harappans. The sanskrit word Aryan is a word of honourable address, not the racial reference invented by European scholars and put to perverse use by the nazis. Unless otherwise specified, Aryan will be used in this document as a word of honourable address.

Many believe that multiplicity of deities makes Hinduism polytheistic. Such a belief is nothing short of mistaking the wood for the tree. The bewildering diversity of Hindu belief - theistic, atheistic and agnostic - rests on a solid unity. Ekam sat, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti, says the Rig-Veda: The Truth (God, Brahman, etc) is one, scholars call it by various names. What the multiplicity of deities does indicate is Hinduism's spiritual hospitality as evidenced by two characteristically Hindu doctrines: The Doctrine of Spiritual Competence (Adhikaara) and The Doctrine of The Chosen Deity (Ishhta Devata).

The doctrine of spiritual competence requires that the spiritual practices prescribed to a person should correspond to his (or her) spiritual competence. It is counter-productive to teach abstract philosophical concepts to a person whose heart hungers for faith in a higher power and vice versa.

The doctrine of the chosen deity gives a person the freedom to choose (or invent) a form of Brahman that satisfies his spiritual cravings and to make it the object of his worship. Notice that both doctrines are consistent with Hinduism's assertion that the unchanging reality is present in everything, even the transient.

Evidence that Hinduism must have existed even circa 10000 B.C. is available: The importance attached to the river Saraswati and the numerous references to it in the Rig-Veda (interestingly, Ganga appears only twice) indicates that the Rig-Veda was being composed well before 6500 B.C. The first vernal equinox recorded in the Rig-Veda is that of the star Ashwini, which is now known to have occurred around 10000 to substantiate this claim.

Unity Within Diversity
There are five elements, which contribute to the essential unity of Hinduism:

1) Common Ideals
2) Common Scriptures
3) Common Deities
4) Common Beliefs
5) Common Practices

Common Ideals
All the sects and offshoots of Hinduism share the same moral ideals:

Ahimsa (non-violence)
Satya (truthfulness)
Brahmacharya (often translated wrongly as sexual continence, it actually means the state of incessant search for the ultimate Truth (Brahman). Note that it is not called God, merely the Truth, whatever it is)
Maitri (Friendship)
Dharma (a rather crude translation would be "fulfilling one's duty")
KaruNa (Compassion)
Viirya (Fortitude)
Dama (Self Restraint - mental as well as physical)
Shaucha (Purity - mental as well as physical)

The higher phase of self-control is detachment. Not only do we have to overcome what is evil in life, we must also become independent of what is good. For instance, our love of home and friends is good in itself, but unless we expand it to include everything in the universe, it will be a shackle, what if it is golden. Detachment does not imply disinterest in the changing world: it merely shifts a person's frame of reference to the Reality that endures forever, making his perception more objective, making him better equipped for life.

Truth as a cardinal virtue in Hinduism is far more than mere truthfulness; it means eternal reality. Hinduism says that the pursuit of Truth, wherever it may lead or whatever sacrifices it may involve, is indispensable to the progress of man. Hence no Hindu scripture has ever opposed scientific progress or metaphysical and ethical speculations.

Answer 4

Satan.