Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations--Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.
The following nine facts, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality or about Hinudism.
1 Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.
2 Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.
3 Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
4 Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
5 Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.
6 Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas (divine beings) and God.
7 Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
8 Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.
9 Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.
Hindus believe in one Supreme Being. In the Hindu pantheon there are said to be three hundred and thirty-three million Lords(divine beings). The plurality of Lords are perceived as divine creations of that one Being. So, Hinduism has one supreme God, but it has an extensive hierarchy of Lords.
Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The First World is the physical universe; the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, angels and spirits live; and the Third World is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevas, "great shining beings," our Hindu Lords. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds.
The Veda is the Hindu holy book. The four books of the Vedas—Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva—include over 100,000 verses. The knowledge imparted by the Vedas ranges from earthy devotion to high philosophy. Their words and wisdom permeate Hindu thought, ritual and meditation. The Vedas are the ultimate scriptural authority for Hindus. Their oldest portions are said by some to date back as far as 6,000 bce, orally transmitted for most of history and written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world’s longest and most ancient scripture. The
Vedas open a rare window into ancient Indian society, proclaiming life’s sacredness and the way to oneness with God.
Hinduism is unique among the world's religions. I boldly proclaim it the oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life.
For more info,please visit http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/wih/
2007-10-05 21:56:04
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answer #1
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answered by Siva 3
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No It is not a Religion.It is a society or a group of people living in a country Earlier was known as Hindustan.This means all the people living in India[Hindustan] of all races more than100 years will be called Hindus since they follower of Hinduism.
2007-10-06 03:19:54
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Hinduism is a religious tradition:
Religious tradition meand a religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.
The earliest evidence for elements of Hinduism date back to the late Neolithic to the early Harappan period (5500–2600BCE).The beliefs and practices of the pre-classical era (1500–500BCE) are called the "historical Vedic religion". Modern Hinduism grew out of the Vedas, the oldest of which is the Rigveda, dated to 1700–1100BCE. The Vedas center on worship of deities such as Indra, Varuna and Agni, and on the Soma ritual. They performed fire-sacrifices, called yajña and chanted Vedic mantras but did not build temples or icons. The oldest Vedic traditions exhibit strong similarities to Zoroastrianism and with other Indo-European religions. During the Epic and Puranic periods, the earliest versions of the epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata were written roughly from 500–100BCE, although these were orally transmitted for centuries prior to this period.The epics contain mythological stories about the rulers and wars of ancient India, and are interspersed with religious and philosophical treatises. The later Puranas recount tales about devas and devis, their interactions with humans and their battles against demons.
Hinduism is based on "the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas. Therefore, Hinduism has developed numerous practices meant to help one think of divinity in the midst of everyday life
In short Hinduism is a religious tradition and the people followed since 1500BC.
2007-10-06 06:45:52
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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The word Hindu has created lot of confusion in the minds of people who are not part of Hindu society. First and for most Hindu is a way of life. But when you attach rituals to it, it becomes religion. Religion it is but it is mispronounced. It is Sanatan Dharma, Which has no propagator, no begining and no end. All religion with above attributes are destined to die, because every begining has a sure end.
2007-10-06 05:57:24
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answer #4
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answered by Panchal J 4
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Yes its a religion just because they claim it to be so..Its not fair from our side to define the term religion and tries to prove that so and so is not a religion.
2007-10-06 03:08:00
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answer #5
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answered by Happily Happy 7
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Yeah... it's no less a religion than any other one. Where would you get that idea?
If you're thinking of Buddhism (which seems likely), a lot of Buddhists think of it more as a philosophical outlook.
2007-10-06 03:06:44
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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I think anything is a religion if you follow it religiously. As The Creator said, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people." Jeremiah 7:23
2007-10-06 03:07:49
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answer #7
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answered by shirleykins 7
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Yes. It is a religion.
2007-10-06 03:02:40
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answer #8
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answered by WaterStrider 5
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Yes because it is.
BB
2007-10-06 03:03:17
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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