...Hinduism is the primary religion found in the Indian subcontinent. This religion is indigenous to the area. The common beliefs and rituals make Hinduism differ from other commonly found religions. The belief system of followers of Hinduism is based on the belief that the soul is eternal, and is based on the follower’s ways of lives. In contrast to other types of organized religion, such as Christianity, in which those followers are required to heed to abstract rules and regulations, pre-determined for generations to come, Hinduism is based around an individual’s way of life and that follower’s individual soul. This is reflected in the culture and societal area of India. In terms of other religions, Hinduism in currently the third largest religion in practice. Another important aspect of this religion is Sanatana Dharma. This belief is that of that eternal existence of customs. Dharma has the following in its basis: natural law, duty, social welfare, health, ethics, and transcendental realization. The search for liberation is a major factor in the Hindu religion. This is based on the belief that your soul is free from the confines of your physical body. Their body is not a large contributing factor to whom they are, it is simply a vessel to get one throughout daily life. The soul, however, in the ultimate liberator because it loves on, even after their physical body deteriorates. Karma is another large basic aspect of Hinduism. This is belief of “what goes around comes...
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...sense that it is not founded on one unifying principle or doctrine. Rather, it has grown and changed with time; allowing itself to become an almost living breathing entity that evolves with its followers. The religion is comprised of teachings from several sources. The Vedas is one of the oldest collections of scripture attributed to Hinduism. Centuries later the Upanishads were introduced to reinforce the more inward teachings of the Vedas, such as yoga and reincarnation. Unlike most popular religions that are exclusively monotheistic, Hinduism allows for multiple paths to the divine. This gives its followers a lot of flexibility in finding the path that fits their life. A follower may opt to choose a path of the Shaktas, Shaivites, Vaishnavites, or to recognize a genderless deity. Each group typically worships a specific deity, but will also recognize and honor others. Many of the teachings surrounding Hinduism focus on inner peace, reflection, and respect for nature. The Shaktas in particular have a deep connection to feminine deities. These deities are much more accessible than those of many other religions. The local goddesses are believed to have personal knowledge of the local area. The desire to ascend to something greater than an earthly existence is a common thread found in almost every religion; Christians aspire to gain entrance into heaven, the Vikings sought to earn their place in...
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...10 Must-know Moderns from the Indian Subcontinent Art is incomplete without the inclusion of Modern Artists of the Indian sub-continent. The moderns have an interesting way to express all pertaining to the modern plagues and pleasures. Artsome lists 15 artists that have made global impact with their contributions to the artistic world. 1. Jagdish Chander (1954 to present) Jagdish Chander’s art is an obsession with the figure which reflects an outlook which places humankind at the center of the universe. Jagdish Chander's works highlight a statement that he repeats-'My struggle and ambitions have been for aesthetic and artistic integrity rather than personal fame'. 2. Achuthan Kudallur (1945 to present) One of India's foremost abstract artists, Achuthan, a Kerala born artist, translates the sounds and sights of his native village of Kudallur into calligraphic chromatic strokes. 1. Absolute colors lead to absolute light”according to Achuthan Kudallur 3. Prabhakar M Kolte (1946 to present) Prabhakar M Kolte’s work is distinguishable by the presence of one dominant color in the background on which he placed more complex forms. “Something out of Nothing but Not of Something.” According to Kolte. 3. NS Harsha (1969 to present) Harsha skillfully portrays people occupied with their daily tasks. His paintings are narrative, and are known for the numerous figures that inhabit them, painted with immense precision and skill. NS Harsha: Acrylic on...
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...Essay Assignment #1 | REL330 | Name | Chapter 4, Question 5 List the three major gods of modern Hinduism and give a brief description of each. Chapter 4, Question 5 List the three major gods of modern Hinduism and give a brief description of each. The three gods of modern Hinduism are Brahma, the creator of the universe; Shiva, the destroyer of the universe; and Vishnu, the preserver of the universe – together, they are referred to as the Trimurti. (Hopfe & Woodward, 2012) As with most religions, there is a creator of the universe. In the religion of Hinduism, Brahma is the creator of universe and all things in it. He is often depicted as red in color having four heads, four arms and usually a beard. Sarasvati, Brahma’s wife is the goddess of knowledge, speech, poetry, and wisdom. (Hopfe & Woodward, 2012) Although he is well respected and known to all Hindus, Brahma is the least worshipped of the Trimurti with only two temples in India devoted to him. Unlike Brahma, Shiva, known as the destroyer of the universe, is among the most popular of gods. (Hopfe & Woodward, 2012) Shiva is the god of death, destruction, and disease. His role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. His popularity stems from the belief that he is also the god of vegetable, animal, and human reproduction. He plays a vital role in the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. In Indian thought, death is but the prelude to rebirth. (Hopfe &...
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...Hinduism HUM 130 Byrl Shaver Hindus believe in the sacred act of different rituals. Hinduism is considered as of today the 3rd largest religion in the entire world. The concept behind Hinduism is taught to be based around different people’s way of life rather than focusing on a religion. Another word that coincides with this particular religion is Sanatana Dharma. What this religion reflects is the belief that different kinds of customs have existed, this includes natural law, health, duty, social welfare, ethics and also transcendental realization. A doctrine that is considered to be from Sanatana Dharma is reincarnation, which is expres5sed solely by the Upanashidas. What this means is that when a person dies, their soul will then leave the body to enter into either another human life or it can also be present in a specific animal or other living source. Hindus practice this belief. Whenever the soul is present in a human being it then will advance to the ultimate goal of liberation while still living in the absolute reality. This goes on until the living form dies. Karma is another strong belief that the Hindus practice. Outsiders of this religion mar consider this belief to be negative. What the true meaning is has to do with an action and deals with the consequences leading to the action. Karma has a phrase which says “what goes around comes around”. Another belief is that each persons’ actions will affect the future outcome of that person based on what thought...
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...Hinduism India is a land rich in many religions such as Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, with the majority of the other religions in India categorized as Hinduism (Fisher, 2005, p.69). Hinduism is commonly referred to as Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana means eternal, ageless, and reflects the belief that they have always been in existence (Fisher, 2005, p.69). Dharma has been defined as meaning religion. Sanatana Dharma has been thought to exist in the villages as far back as 1500 BEC. Early Hindu happenings were told by word of mouth by vyasas who were known as collectors that would record the events that took place (Fisher, 2005, p.72). Hinduism can be described as when an individual discovers their inner self. When the inner self reaches its transcendent source individuals will feel indescribable peace and bliss (Fisher, 2005, p.73). Hindus believe that after one dies their soul leaves their physical body and takes on the physical body of another. This process is referred to as reincarnation (Fisher, 2005, p.73). The rebirth can take place in another human or animal, however the human body is the most prestigious physical body. Karma is another important belief of the Hindu. Karma is the belief that one’s actions and thoughts in life define our future. Every action affects the future of an individual’s life (Fisher, 2005, p.73). In the Hindu religion the goal is to overcome the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, this is known as samsara. Overcoming samsara is referred...
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...Some of the major branches of hinduism include vaishnavites, shaivites, neo-Hindus and reform Hindus, and veerashaivas. Each of these major branches has different types of worship and places of worship for the same religion. It isn’t enough to just say you are hindu and that is what you believe in, their are many different steps you can take to actually take on this religion and have it work for you in the way you need it to. For example if your goal is to find inner peace then you choose one of the major branches and do what they do to create your destiny and accomplish your...
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...because of this Hinduism is a challenging religion to define. The Hindu religion varies vastly, and is considered both monotheistic and polytheistic. Various cultural and societal influences have made Hinduism vital to India the origin of Hinduism. A Hindu’s karma is the deciding factor of reincarnation. Once a Hindu’s karma is worthy of liberation then their soul is no longer reincarnated and is release from earthly miseries. Hinduism like Christianity has several denominations or categories. Millions of deities are worshiped by Hindus because they feel the divine does not have to have just one face, but can have many faces. “Three main groupings of Hindus are the Saktas who worship a Mother Goddess, Saivites who worship the god Siva, and Vaishnavites who worship the god Vishnu. Every follower has a preferred deity while honoring other deities also.” The collective belief system of Hindus is what makes up the religion. It is described by the Indian supreme court as “Acceptance and reverence for the Vedas as the foundation of Hindu philosophy. A spirit of tolerance, and willingness to understand and appreciate others points of view, recognizing that truth has many sides. Acceptance of the belief that vast cosmic periods of creation, maintenance, and dissolution continuously recur. The acceptance of belief in reincarnation. The recognition that paths to truth and salvation are many. Recognition that there may be numerous gods and goddesses to worship, without necessarily believing in...
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...Hinduism is a religion that has been around for centuries. It spans to all parts of the globes in different, countries, states, and cities it is truly a globalized religion. This is the religion we have studied about the most recently in class and from what we have learned it is one that involves a lot of different expressions. There is no one way of being a Hindu but here is the basics of Hinduism as a whole. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world and is referred to as Sanātana Dharma or “the eternal way.” It comes from the Persian word hindu, which means river, and it refers to the people of the Indus Valley. They have an oral text about which they were brought up from called the “Vedas” also called “eternal truth.” The Vedas consist of 4 collections of texts and the first one is called the Samhitas, which talks about the mantras (also known as hymns). The 2nd text is called Bramanas, which contains their proper performance ways of rituals. The 3rd is Upanishads and they contain the early central concepts. And the final text is called the Sutras which means “that which is heard.” They believe in a trinity of gods: Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Hindus have 4 daily duties which are to revere the gods, respect ancestors, respect all beings, and honor all human kind. They have a few beliefs like karma which is the force that determines their quality of life, and dharma which is where you must find happiness in whatever life you may live...
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...The ten Avaters In Hinduism, an avatar from Sanskrit "descent") is a deliberate descent of a deity to Earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being (e.g., Vishnu for Vaishnavites), and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation", but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation". The phenomenon of an avatar is observed in Hinduism, Ayyavazhi, and Sikhism. Avatar is regarded as one of the core principles of Hinduism. The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable. The avatars of Vishnu are a primary component of Vaishnavism. An early reference to avatar, and to avatar doctrine, is in the Bhagavad Gita. Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars. The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principal in Hinduism, are also described as avatars or incarnations by some scholars and followers ofShaktism. The avatars of Vishnu carry a greater theological prominence than those of other deities, which some scholars perceive to be imitative of the Vishnu avatar lists. In Sikhism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a soul to earth in any form. Guru Granth Sahib believes in the existence of the Dashavatara. In Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh...
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...Hinduism The Beginning of Hinduism Hinduism is the oldest major religion. Making up 79 percent of the population of those are in India. Indian subcontinent is the beginning practice of Hinduism. Derived from a name applied by foreigners to the people living in the region of the Indus River and was introduced in the nineteenth century under Colonial British rule. Santana Dharma is the alternative label preferred today. Santana reference eternal or ageless and reflects the belief that these have always existed. Dharma means religion translated encompasses duty, natural law, ethics, and health. Dharma is the holistic approach to social coherence and the good of all. The scared scriptures of Hinduism consist of teachings contained in Vedas, Upanishads and the scared Bhagavad Gita. Krishna manifest in human form and thought of as an avatar. The wisdom of the ages percolated to the masses. Vedas spread the wisdom orally, because the written scriptures had not yet evolved. Mankind evolved as did the brain of human beings. Invoking wisdom directly from god almighty Vedas became competent. The Aryans forced to settle down in the region we call India today. Ramayana and Mahabharata are two scared epics forming part of Hinduism. Knowing the essence of life the inner truths and living the physical manifest life. Hinduism start was gained from the time humanity had a firm footing on the platform of spirituality. The teachings of Hinduism are universal in nature. The four...
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...prophet, and because of the large differences of Hindu traditions, freedom of belief and practices are worthy features of Hinduism. Hinduism basics and beliefs known as Sanatana Dharma, “the eternal law” in Sanskrit, a religious and classical language of India, is a cluster of different beliefs and as result it is not easy to arrange systematically. An example, some Hindus worship heavenly beings, Devas or deities. (www.peerpapers.com )And there are believed to be thousands of deities that are worshiped in India, but most that practice Hinduism will praise and worship one main deity and acknowledge others as significant. There are three major groupings of deities: Saivites who worship the God Siva, Saktas who worships a Mother Goddess, Vaishnavites who worships the God Vishnu. Hindus also practice spiritual discipline designed to clear the mind and support a state of serene, detached awareness. The practice for increasing static qualities are known as yoga. There are even four distinguished types of people and particular yoga practice that are suitable for each type of person: raja yoga is for meditative people, jnana yoga is for rational people, karma yoga is for naturally active people and bhakti yoga is for emotional people. Bhakti yoga is the most embrace spiritual path by Indian followers of Hinduism....
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...Hinduism Paper HUM 130 Religions of the World January 29, 2012 Dennis Ford Hinduism Paper Hinduism has a rich history and some beliefs have been adopted by other cultures and religions all over the world. Many philosophies have helped to shape the religion and its practices. The number of deities that are worshipped by Hindus is vast, and each serves as a special representation of the Absolute. Rituals and rites dictate much of how life should be lived, and the idea of Karma leads many to live a good life in hopes of leaving this world without being reborn to finally reside with the Supreme Being. Philosophical Systems There are many philosophical systems that help to unite all followers of the Hindu religion. The three main systems relating to the Vedas, or religious texts and scriptures, are Samkhya, Advaita Vendanta , and Yoga (Fisher, 2005). Samkhya is understood to be the oldest system of beliefs in India, founded by a mythical sage in the sixth century named Kapila (Fisher, 2005) Samkhya requires a dualistic understanding in order to separate the material world from that of the eternal. Parusha is without change and pure, while Prakriti represents the material world. Confusing these two realities can lead to suffering. Followers of this system must make every effort to understand the difference between Purusha, which represents a transcendent reality, and Prakriti which is the material world we live in now. Advaita Vedanta differs...
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...Hinduism Paper HUM/130 Due Hinduism is a set of traditions and beliefs that have evolved over a 5,000 year period. There are many forms of Hinduism that cannot be traced to one source. Hinduism is also known as Sanatana Dharma. “Sanatana means “eternal” or “ageless” reflects the belief that these ways have always existed.” (Fisher, 2005, 69) ”Dharma, translates as “religion,” encompasses duty, natural law, social welfare, ethics, health, and transcendental realization.” (Fisher, 2005, 69) The earliest forms of the ancient scriptures, Vedas, contain four parts. The earliest is the Samhitas, hymns of praise and worship to the deities. Then is the Brahmanas, directions about performances of the ritual sacrifices to the deities. Next is the Aranyakas, when people would go to the forests to meditate and recluse. Lastly is the Upanishads, consisting of teaching from highly realized spiritual master’s. (Fisher, 2005) Hinduism followers believe in the Supreme Being and many other Supreme Deities. Rig Veda is the oldest of the known Vedic scriptures which praises and implores the blessing of the devas. The major devas include Indra (the god of thunder and bringer of the welcome rains), Agni (god of fire), Soma (the sacred drink), and Ushas (the god of dawn). (Fisher, 2005) The devas represent and unseen reality as which include opaque earth gods and transparent deities. Hindus believe that once one discovers the...
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...course of the performance, one can notice the dancer depicting the structure of the temples and those of the idols, which come to life through the flowing movements, and graceful poses of the dancer. History: Odissi, as a dance form, may very well be one of the oldest forms of classical dances – with caves that date back the 2nd century depicting the origins of a dance scene with the assistance of full orchestration, naturally seen in Odissi. Archaeologists and scholars of dance have dated these caves to before Bharata’s Natyashastra, in which Odissi is mentioned as a style from South India by the name of Odra Magadhi. Though these performances were made at the Jagannath temple in Puri, it was widely performed in many Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Sakta temples in Orissa. The history of this dance form only says so much, the living tradition however, shows a lot more. It has been kept alive through the generations by two clans, the Maharis and Gotipuas. Maharis were once known as the Devdasis of Orissa. The word Mahari is derived from two Sanskrit words, namely Mahan and Nari, which translate as the great / chosen one. These chosen ones would serve Lord Jagannath through the use of music and dance. The Maharis would perform mainly Nritta (pure rhythmic dance steps) and Abhinaya (art of expression) based purely on mantras and shlokas. Then came the time of the famous poet Jayadeva, who composed the lyrics of the Geet Govind. Using the lyrics of the Geet...
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