...Hindu Religion Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world. The religion has thousands of diverse religious groupings that evolved in the Indian subcontinent from as far as 1500 BC. The Hindu religion has a variety of traditions, and, therefore, freedom of practices and beliefs are some of the notable feature of this religion. Hinduism includes the following traditionsVaishnavism, Srauta, and Shaivism, among others (Georgis 62). The religion has groupings such as Kapalikas. Hinduism has a variety of philosophies which include a spectrum of prescriptions as well as laws based on dharma and karma among other societal norms. By 21st century, it is reported that the Hindu religion had about a billion followers around the globe, and about eighty percent of Indians practices Hinduism. Hinduism differentiates itself from Christianity and other religions in that; the religion does not have a single founder, a single concept of deity, a central religious authority, a single system of morality, a concept of prophet, or a specific theoretical system. These are some of things that are found in other religions. Early history of Hinduism is a subject to numerous debates, and this is because of various reasons. First, the term Hinduism is a modern term but the sources of Hindu traditions are exceedingly ancient. Secondly, the religion embraces many traditions. Thirdly, there is no definite start point for Hinduism, and the traditions associated with...
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...Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion with almost a billion followers, is considered by many to be more a way of life and less of a religion. Unlike other religions, Hinduism supports different beliefs as opposed to one. “Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefully-worded belief statements. One can believe a wide variety of things about God, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a Hindu” ("Hindu Beliefs,”). One of the best ways to describe the primary difference between Hinduism and other religions is that “Hinduism grants absolute and complete freedom of belief and worship. Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions which would imply a division of identity. Hence, Hinduism is devoid of the concepts of apostasy, heresy and blasphemy”(De Lingen & Ramsurrun,). There are, however a handful of important uniting beliefs that all Hindus subscribe to; beliefs that generally identify the borders between Hindu and non-Hindu. They are the belief in the existence of a soul that is reborn upon death into a new life, the idea that your destiny is determined by Karma and the goal of one day obtaining enlightenment. Reincarnation, also known as Punarjanma, is the “religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after...
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...culture of India refers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life in India and its people. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.[1] Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC[2] and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago.[3] Several elements of India's diverse culture — such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine — have had a profound impact across the world India is the birth place of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, collectively known as Indian religions.[5] Indian religions, also known as Dharmic religions are a major form of world religions along with Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest religions respectively, with over 2 billion followers altogether,[6][7][8] and possibly as many as 2.5 or 2.6 billion followers.[6][9] India is also the birthplace for the Lingayat and Ahmadiyya faiths. India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive...
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...Week Three Checkpoint: Hindu Terms Map HUM/130 Axia College Material Appendix E Hindu Terms Map |Word |What is your personal understanding of each of these |After reading the text, how would you redefine each of |What differences did you find between the popular usage| | |terms? |them? |and actual definitions? | |Karma |Karma is when one does something bad, something bad |Karma means action and the consequence of every action |The difference between my understanding of karma and | | |will happen to them in return. |that is made will shape the future. |the Hindu term is the consequence of any action paths | | | | |the way of their future. | |Reincarnation |Reincarnation is when one’s soul comes back to life in |When one dies, the soul leaves the dead body and enters|The main difference I found between my understanding of| | |a different form. |a new one. One can take birth again and again, over and|reincarnation and the Hindu term is that reincarnation | | ...
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... everything in us that works for privilege, let us work for that knowledge which will bring the feeling of sameness towards all mankind.” Swami Vivekananda, “The Complete works of Swam Vivekananda,” Vol 1, p. 429 Mahabharata XII: 113, 8 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Article 1 "All men are brothers; no one is big, no one is small. All are equal." Rig Veda, 5:60:5 © Hindu American Foundation 2012 Endorsements of Hindu American Foundation's Seventh Annual Report Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2010 "As the founder and former co-‐chair of the...
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...On Thursday September 8th, I visited ISKCON Houston. I chose that site, and Hinduism in particular, because out of all the religions we are going to learn about this semester, I know the least about Hinduism. I did not have many expectations for the service, but I knew that it was not going to be like any kind of religious service that I have experienced before. I went with the school groups and I assume everyone was as new to the experience as I was. Initially, I was met with a puja going on outside that really set the stage for the night. Just in that worship alone, there were lots of bright lights, and people dancing and singing. Inside we had to take our shoes off and were met by the pandit. The building itself was very intricate and...
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...Hist 1110/Spring 2015/Dr. Laumann Second paper Bhagavad Gita paper The Bhagavad Gita is the most famous Hindu religious text in ancient history. The two main characters are Arjuna and Krishna. Arjuna seeks guidance from the Lord Krishna for many reasons, mainly because he does not want to fight in the battle. The Gita is dialogue between these two characters after Arjuna calls for Krishna. The Gita is formed around the Hindu faith of Hinduism and is written in Sanskrit. This paper will discuss the historical context of the Bhagavad Gita and analyze some of the content. The Bhagavad Gita was written around 50 CE in India, it is the most famous Hindu religious text. Around 1000 and 700 B.C.E two of India’s great epics were written: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana (Spodek, 243). The Bhagavad Gita is an excerpt of the Mahabharata, which is the larger of the two epics. India’s main form of religion is Hinduism, which is the oldest leading religion. Hindu’s core beliefs are the caste, dharma, karma, life stages, samsara, and more (Spodek, 274). The introduction states that many “Hindu’s and non-Hindus use the Gita as a spiritual guide within their own lives, reading or hearing it regularly and bringing it to bear on their own situations by commenting on it to themselves” (Gita, Intro). Also, the Gita summarizes a few of the key doctrines of Hinduism. One of those is Karma. Karma is the set of activities of each creature and the effects that these activities have on its atman...
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...taxi late one night two years ago. Tehelka, the newsmagazine I work with, had just broken a major investigation. It was an hour past midnight. e airwaves were still crackling with the amplifying shames of the story as television anchors quizzed a conveyor belt of public figures on its implications. In February 2002, 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya – the symbolically surcharged birthplace of Lord Ram – had been burnt alive in a train by a Muslim mob in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Over the next week, retaliatory Hindu mobs hacked and burned 2,500 Muslims across the state. As the world watched in shock, an impenitent government led by the rightwing Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put out smart theories about ‘action and spontaneous reaction’ – Hindu retaliation for Muslim crime – and refused to apologize. A year later, though evidence of his culpability was piled high, Gujarat strongman Narendra Modi – an inscrutable fascist and skilled demagogue – was re-elected as Incandescent: Hindutva chief minister of Gujarat on a zealots rage against the mega vote: a terrifying reflection arrest of Sadhvi Pragya, of popular Hindu sentiment in the a Hindu ascetic, under state. Success can be a tremendous suspicion of a terror attack. sanction. With the fig leaf of the popular mandate in his pocket, even India’s liberal élite began to look the other way. Now four years later – S H A I L E N D R A PA N D E Y / T E H E L K A coincidentally just as Mr Modi was gearing up...
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...language is Hindi and there are 14 other languages e.g. Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu and Punjabi. The major religion that is follow by majority of people is Hinduism. In India people speaks different languages, dress differently, follow different religions, eat different food but they all have the same nature. Whether it is a happy occasion or a moment of sadness people participate in it with feeling of happiness or pain. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or home. They whole community or neighborhood is involved in bringing a joy to an occasion. In India people consider guests as a gift from god. They give much respect to guest and welcome them with open heart. Indian people look afterward for each other in every occasion. They live with love and peace. Religion There are three main religions in India; Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Buddhism is follow by 307 million people. Buddhists believe in Buddha as a spiritual being. According to the teachings of Buddha, we learn that there is nothing in self and that we only suffer and gain agony by going towards something that is not permanent. A Buddha is free from greed, hatred and ignorance, and characterized by wisdom, compassion and freedom. Hinduism is follow by 650 million people. Hinduism is a multiple religion in which many sects worship in the home and the many gods and goddesses. The caste system is strictly enforced on all...
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...a musical instrument still played by Muslim Pinoys, is of Indian origin. Moreover, some Philippine literature are also influenced by Indians for instance the Maranaw epic Darangan is Indian in both plot and characters. Balituk, the tale of the Ifugao legendary hero, is similar to Arjuna’s exploits in the Mahabharata, the great Hindu epic. The Agusan legend of a man named Agnio, resembles the story of Ahalya in the Ramayana, another great Hindu epic. An eclipse is called laho in Tagalog and Kapampangan. According to Wikipedia, India and Philippines signed an agreement which state that this two country will establish a Joint Commission on Bilateral Co-operation, it is signed when president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the India on October 5, 2007. The establishment of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Co-operation aims to further strengthen and develop the co-operation in the field of trade, economic, scientific, technological and other fields of co-operation. According to wordfactsandknowledge, Hinduism has been a major cultural, economic, political and religious influence in the archipelago that now comprise the Philippines. The Hindu religion came to the Philippines from the Javanese empire of Majapahit. Decline of Hinduism in the Philippines started with the arrival of Islam in...
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...Hindu From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Hindu (disambiguation). Page semi-protected Part of a series on Hinduism Om.svg Hindu History Concepts[show] Schools[show] Deities[show] Scriptures[show] Practices[show] Gurus, saints, philosophers[show] Other topics[show] Glossary of Hinduism terms Portal icon Hinduism portal v t e Hindu (About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. In common use today, it refers to an adherent of Hinduism. The two common forms that represent Hinduism are Shaivism and Vaishnavism.[1][2] The Hindu religious texts did not use the term 'Hindu' or an equivalent thereof, or any name at all for that matter to refer to the inhabitants of the Indian peninsula nor the religion of the inhabitants, in alignment within a larger lack of 'proper noun' nomenclature typically visible in texts of Hindu literature. Despite that, the history of the word 'Hindu' is long and its usage widespread, since the outside world had, since antiquity, used several names for the Indian people, specifically for the inhabitants of the Indian peninsula east of the river Indus viz. 'Indos' (Ἰνδός) used by the Greeks in the works of Herodotus and Megasthenes, circa 5th century B.C., and later 'Hindus' used first by the Persians and later on by Arabs to refer to the Indian people and their customs. 2nd century B.C...
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...ETH/125 Donna Elaine Mann November 29, 2013 Religious and Ethnic Groups Hinduism is a complex religion. It is the world’s largest religion, after Christianity and Islam, with over a billion followers. It originated in India and is a mixture of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices. Hinduism is characterized by the belief in reincarnation (Samsara), the multiplicity of deities, the laws of cause and effect (Karma), following a path of devoutness, and the desire for freedom from the cycle of births and deaths (Moksha). It is a way of life called Dharma, which is the law that governs all action. Hindus regard their religion as eternal (Sanatama). Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the Persian word Hindu, meaning river. It has no founder or date of origin. Scholars believe that Hinduism may have existed in circa 10000 B.C. with the earliest scriptures, The Rig Veda, composed well before 6500 B.C. The word Hinduism is not found anywhere in the scriptures. The term Hindu was introduced by foreigners referring to people living across the River Indus or Sindhu, in the north of India where the Vedic religion is believed to have originated. Christianity and Islam consider Hinduism as evil because it is a humanistic religion permitting enormous liberties within a few rational and humane boundaries. Because Hinduism is thought to worship and perform rituals to many gods, it is considered paganism. Hinduism gained popularity...
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...World Literature I October 21, 2014 The Story of Jesse The Story of Jesse of Harnett is one of the most profound pieces of literature in the American culture. It is a religious Hindu text and is one of the two most famous epics written in US. The Story of Jesse is considered an epic and does contain a lot of action, but at the core of it, it is a love story. Were it not for love none the actions in The Story of Jesse would have taken place. This tale became almost like an epidemic that spread throughout the U.S. Shows on television about The Story of Jesse were aired and when they came on almost all of the U.S. shutdown to watch this show. The Story of Jesse had a huge moral impact on the U.S. and became a way to pass down Jesse ideals to younger and more modern generations. Young boys and girls were told to follow in the footsteps of the righteous Jesse. The Story of Jesse is a timeless American text that portrays the religious beliefs of the Jesse religion through its characters; these idealistic behaviors can be seen clearly in characters such asJesse, Sita, and Laksmana. Jesse is one of the main characters throughout the story and is supposed to be portrayed as the hero of The Story of Jesse. Jesse is a noble prince and is seen as the epitome of righteousness throughout the tale. When Jesse is banished by his stepmother, Kaikeyi, and father, King Dasaratha, to the forest he accepts this without any hesitation or negative emotions. He stays calm and “understands...
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... Copy for General Distribution-Hitaya Hinduism under Threat! 1. Mass Conversions 2. Destruction of Hindu Institutions 3. Vote Bank Politics 4. Hindu Apathy and Ignorance 5. Solutions Copy for General Distribution-Hitaya Mass Conversions -15,018 persons converted in single day in Ongole -10,000 churches planned in 2005 alone, by just one group, the Seventh Day Adventists. Kyle Fiess, Maranatha (Org for building churches) marketing director reports: "We were astonished when Ron Watts (head of Seventh Day Adventists) presented us with a proposal for 10,000 churches in India…After many experiences like the one in Ongole, we no longer consider 10,000 churches to be an unrealistic goal, but an unparalleled opportunity”. http://www.christianaggression.org/item_display.php?type=NEWS&id=1103997730 article has links to may Copy for General Distribution-Hitaya missionary websites. Mass Conversions In 1998, the Seventh Adventist Church reported 225,000 members. In 2005, the numbers reached 825,000. “Most of the people in the villages are from a Hindu background, so it was gratifying to see so many people accepting Jesus," said Stenbakken (Seventh Day Adventist). This much conversion by just one organization. There are several other organizations working in parallel. Copy for General Distribution-Hitaya Mass Conversions Goal of 100 Million Hindu Converts Declared by Reverend Pat Robertson in Dallas Christian Conclave in Oct 2005 Worldwide Goal of One...
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...forceful wrongdoing, while ahimsa goes much deeper to prohibit even the subtle abuse and the simple hurt. Devout Hindus oppose killing for several reasons. Belief in karma and reincarnation are strong forces at work in the Hindu mind. They full well know that any thought, feeling or action sent out from themself to another will return to them through yet another in equal or amplified intensity. What we have done to others will be done to us, if not in this life then in another. The Hindu is thoroughly convinced that violence which he commits will return to him by a cosmic process that is unerring. Two thousand years ago South India’s weaver saint Tiruvalluvar said it so simply, “All suffering recoils on the wrongdoer himself. Thus, those desiring not to suffer refrain from causing others pain” (Tirukural 320). A similar view can be found in the Jain Acharanga Sutra: “To do harm to others is to do harm to oneself. You are he whom you intend to kill. You are he whom you intend to dominate. We corrupt ourselves as soon as we intend to corrupt others. We kill ourselves as soon as we intend to kill others.” Many today are wondering how we might move from violence to nonviolence, how mankind might transform itself from approval of killing to opposition to it. The Hindu knows...
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