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Hindu Practices and Rituals

Hindus prescribe to certain traditional practices in accomplishing the basic goals of their faith. The basic spiritual ideal is to be unworldly but some worldly goals are also respected. These values are kama (pleasure), artha (power and security), and dharma (religious and social duty). Hindus consider Moksha the highest goal. Moksha is liberation or complete freedom.
Yoga is a technique, which Hindus use to accomplish these goals. Yoga is a method or path oriented to the work of a person’s place in society or the work required by his or her caste. These differing paths have created different forms of Yoga. One type of yoga is Jnana Yoga (wisdom yoga) acquired by studying Hindu doctrine and teachings from the enlightened. Karma Yoga (right action yoga) is based on the idea that all purposeful work is done selflessly as a path to perfection. Bhakti Yoga (love and devotion yoga) involves loving devotion to saints or gods. Also, Raja Yoga (meditation yoga) is practiced by inward thought, sitting quietly, and calming one’s thoughts (Molloy 2010). This method conducted regularly in short periods brings peace and lessens stress; practiced for longer durations, it can initiate new states of awareness.
Hindus in their practice of worship seek awareness of God. This can involve pursuing a Deva’s blessing. Worship can either be done at home by creating a shrine with various icons of gods of their choosing or in a temple where there is usually one main deity and subordinate or associated deities. Icons are thought of as a manifestation of divinity and serve as a connection between god and worshipper. Temple worship is not an obligation and practiced mostly during festivals.
Hindus have created iconography as a form of Hindu symbolism which represents the reverent in building structures, literature, art, and worship. The meanings of these

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