The Hindu religion disputably began around 2500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically located along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” by the Persians who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and its inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion. The main deities of the Hindu religion are Brahma and his two deputies named Shiva and Vishnu. The god Vishnu is the creator, and Shiva is the destroyer. One is not looked upon as better than the other. These are not the only gods in Hindu culture. There are many others and all have special skills and talents. The gods themselves also give birth to the idea of avatars, or the form of god when he or she comes to earth. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation from God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier, and Lord Krishna who is the mortal reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. He appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice, general good sense and insight on many subjects.
Perhaps the most important part of the philosophy of Hinduism lay in its path to enlightenment. The main ideas of enlightenment come through the four goals of Life. The first of these ends is Moksa. Moksa could be considered the realization of separation between the spiritual self and the physical self. It is only through this realization that one can be released from the mortal life and allowed to