...Hindu Religious Traditions Hindu Religious Traditions People around the world worship something, depending on their beliefs. Christians worship God believed to be the creator of the entire universe. Muslims worship Mohammed believed to be a prophet from God, Buddhist believe in the founder Siddhartha Guatama known as Buddha and Hindus believe in Brahma who is known to dwell in all part of reality, and existence throughout the whole universe. I will be writing on Hinduism religious traditions and beliefs. Hinduism is considered one of the largest religions in the world and dates back to 8000 BCE (Fisher, 2002 p. 83), recognized as one the complex and different religions because of the many gods they worship. Hinduism has no founder but has enlarged slowly over the period of years and widely practiced in Nepal and India. Settlers who lived by the Indus River obtained the name Hinduism. “It is derived from a name applied by foreigners to the people living in the region of the Indus River, and introduced in the nineteenth century under colonial British rule as a category for census-taking” (Fisher, 2002, p. 79). Today the preferred name for Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal religion. According to the Indian tradition, there are as many as 333 million deities (Fisher, 2002, p .79). However, the three major deities of Hinduism are Shiva, believed to be the creator and destroyer of every living thing, Brahma, known as the creator, and Vishnu considered...
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...11/14/12 Vedic way to eradicate corruption LONG AGO A NASTY REPORTER CONFRONTED THE Indian Iron Lady, Indira Gandhi, who had dismembered Pakistan, with the rampant corruption at almost all levels of administration. Indeed indirectly she shouldered the responsibility of overseeing the governance of a big nation with a large and diverse population. She deftly brushed aside the loaded question by a swipe of her hand accompanied by a short sentence that Corruption was a global phenomenon. How true and how false. Undoubtedly large amounts of cash changed hands in big offices in Japan for granting favours illegally and resigning when caught in the act. Same was the case with the developed countries of the West. But India walked away with the cake in being submerged inb corruption from top to toe in all walks of life. How is it now, one may ask. Well, the situation on the corruption front has gone from bad to worse. Now under the present regime at the Centre, headed by the same Congress party to which Indira Gandhi belonged, there is a scam a day, There is hardly a Minister of the government who is not directly or indirectly involved in a scam. So, no one can claim that he or she is more pious than the Pope. No one is in a position to exercise the right of throwing the first stone at the sinner because all are sinners and sailing in the same boat. WHAT IS CORRUPTION The dishonest or illegal behavior of people in authority for granting favours for a consideration is termed...
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...and perhaps the most complex of religious systems. It is difficult to provide adequate history of Hinduism because it has no specific founder or theology. * The earliest product of Indian literature, the Rig Veda, contains the songs of the Aryan invaders who were beginning to make a home in India. Thus, Hinduism is commonly regarded as the offspring of an Aryan religion, brought into India by invaders from the north and modified by contact with Dravidian civilization. (Elliot, 1921) * The literature of Vedic Aryans is relatively ancient and full and there is no available information about old Dravidians comparable with it. Yet, some argue that it is more correct to describe Indian religion as Dravidian religion modified by the ideas of the Aryan invaders. * This is accentuated by the fact that major deities of Hinduism (Siva, Krishna, Rama, Durga), and some of its core doctrines, are either totally unknown to the Veda or obscurely indicated in it. * The chief characteristics of mature Indian religion are characteristics of an area, not of a race, and they differ from those of other ancient religions in Persia, Greece, Egypt or other Aryan lands. (Mamandram.Org, 2011) * The word “Hindu” is an incorrect term given to a follower of the Vedas. The true name of the religion is “Sanatana Dharma”, meaning “the eternal religion”. * Ancient Arabians gave rise to the term as they were referring to the followers who lived along the Sindhu River. The Arabians...
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...along the banks of the Indus river, the darker-skinned inhabitants of well-developed cities of the Indus Valley were overwhelmed by the lighter-skinned invaders who were nomads from Persian and areas to the west. Each group contributed ideas to the culture that emerged, and from the dynamic mix and forging of a society, came the mixture of ideas we call Hinduism. I. Historical Development—Origins II. Shruti and Smriti: Revelation and Scripture a. The Four Collections for the Vedas b. Gods of the Rig Veda i. Agni—God of fire used in sacrifice ii. Indra—Warrior, slays demons, preserves humans, drinks Soma iii. Soma—deified plant (see Haoma of Persians) may have come with the Aryans, hallucinogenic? iv. Varuna—god of sky, protector of truth v. Mitra—ally of Varuna, personifies covenant or contract c. The Brahmanas and Aranyakas III. The Upanishads do not deny the Vedas, but go beyond them, speaking of Brahman, who is behind the changes in the univers, and Atman, who is behind the changes in the individual. Sacrifice become psychological instead of offerings of meat and vegetables. Teaching of rebirth and re-death (that is, another life comes after this one, but at the end of that life is another death). Cycle is unrelenting. a. The Gurus, or teacher of the Upanishads is more seer than prophet or priest. They are not fortune tellers, the bringer of warnings...
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...What is Hinduism? It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews. Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran. Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true. Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism...
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...religion ). However, when trying to define, or describe, something, it is always best to start from the beginning and so let us look at Hinduism in Context. Hinduism, perhaps the oldest religion in existence, in today’s recorded history, can be traced back to the Rig-Veda , to today’s one billion followers, most of whom still inhabit the Indian subcontinent. In fact, the word Hindu was given by Greek, British and/or Persian explorers to describe a set of people who lived on the other side of the river in the Indus Valley, whom all shared a similar set of beliefs. As Christianity spread across Europe as the religion, it would only make sense that a people on the same (sub)-continent would also have a unifying religion. This is perhaps the biggest problem when it comes to trying to define Hinduism: an historical event that set the wheels in motion to trying to coin the Western interpretation of the word religion to the Eastern. Although they are both spelt the same, both have very different meanings. As mentioned before, Hinduism was an archaic term for a collection of people all of whom shared similar beliefs, but are these believes similar, compatible or contradictory? Within Hinduism there are four Veda which can be classed as the most authoritative texts, as these are regarded as śruti (that which has been heard (by the sages) from the eternal sound (Bani Ram Naam )). However unlike the Bible, these were not written by man, nor were they written through man via the...
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...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 primary scared scriptures that combine together form Hinduism, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda are books containing wisdom invoked by mankind. The knower of Bhagvad Gita finally emancipates from the cycle of birth and death forever. Practices and Rituals Roughly there are two million individuals that are Hindu. Centered around unique ceremonies and customs, featuring...
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...Task 2: Hinduism – An Insider’s Perspective Hindu Worldview Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in India and accommodates approximately 80% of the population of India. Hinduism is a highly organized and disciplined religion with prayers sometimes exceeding five times a day. Hinduism is a way of life with the law that governs all action a Dharma. Unfortunately we are unable to trace its origin, there is not a central person to be found. Hinduism has its own beliefs, traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. Karma is the teaching that all our actions have the appropriate consequences. Ethically good actions result in desirable consequences and ethically bad actions result in undesirable consequences (Yadlapati, M. p.150). Karma isn’t only the physical action a person makes, but it also a person’s thoughts and desires that will affect the future. The Hindus goal is to get away from Samsara which is the cycle of birth, death and re-birth and to gain moksha which is the liberation from the limitations of space. Moksha transcends the karmic worldview in which one does good to achieve good and instead seeks to avoid accruing karma at all ( Yadlapati, M. p.151). To achieve moksha they have to release all evil doings and wrongs to get there. They live through their yoga and correcting living dharma. Once all this is achieved the Hindu will have a more desirable reincarnation. Dharma is the natural universal...
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...to their followers. Anything, usually edible, that is first offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master or the Avatar and then distributed in His name. The prasad has the deity's blessing residing within it. In contemporary Hindu religious practice in India, the desire to get prasada and have darshan are the two major motivations of pilgrimage and temple visits. As a mental condition, prasāda has a rich history of meanings in the Sanskrit tradition from Vedic literature onwards. In this textual tradition, prasada is a mental state experienced by gods, sages, and other powerful beings which is marked by spontaneous generosity and the bestowing of boons. Prasāda is understood in this sense of a mental state from the earliest literature (Rig Veda) onwards—not as an aspect of ritual practice. In later texts such as the Shiva Purāna, references to prasada as a material substance begins to appear alongside this older meaning. In its material sense, prasada is created by a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the divine god. For example, a devotee makes an offering of a material substance such as flowers, fruits, or sweets—which is called naivedya. The deity then 'enjoys' or tastes a bit of the offering, which is then temporarily known as bhogya. This now-divinely invested substance is called prasāda, and is received by the devotee to be ingested, worn, etc. It may be the same material that was originally offered, or material offered by others and then re-distributed...
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...holistic and spiritual approach and uses many scriptures (Verdas) about theology, mythology, and philosophy. These Verdas are the foundations of Sanatana Dharma. Hinduism is considered to be one of the most complex religions in the world and is sometimes referred to as hetheism, which means one has devotion to one “God”, but does not deny the existence of others. Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is the eternal faith and is the practice of Dharma. It is the belief in one Supreme Being, represented by many gods. The Hinduism religion is based off the scriptures of Vedas which were written over a 2,000 year period and reflect about the belief, rituals, and practices of those who follow it, but it has changed significantly over the last 3,000 years. The Vedas include hymns, texts, and prayers that explain the Hindu belief. There are four parts in the collection and include the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the texts of Hinduism (Fisher, 2005). They believe that there are 33 devas (divines) that each have a significant function that supports humans living in the world (Shaivam, 2011). Hinduism’s greatest strengths are the diversity and the complete discipline they have in their faith and lives. Their lives are so imbued with spiritual meaning and rituals to help them on their journey through life. Yoga, acupuncture, and acupressure are vital part of Hindu’s life as well. These all keep balance and the morals of these individual in line, they...
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...I. Part One: i. The Question of Origin – Hinduism does not have a founder or actual date of origin. Hinduism is the religion of the people of India. It is confusing due to the belief of several different Gods and sects. ii. The question of Identity - Hindus, refers to their religion as Dharma, a path to complete balance and harmony. They have several customs and rituals, worship everything, even animals and food. Their connection with yoga and meditation, engages their soul. They accept the Four Vedas, which contain the Shruti texts, Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Athatva Veda, Smriti, Brahmanas, and Upanishads. The Hindus believe that their soul is eternal and once they reach nirvana, they become one with Brahman. The Hindus believe in reincarnation and the law of karma. iii. The question of Meaning/Purpose – Hindus have four goals in life: pleasure, wealth, harmony, and liberation. The first two goals consume Hindus; the desire for wealth and pleasure causes greed, while harmony and liberation fulfill them, giving them peace. Once they find harmony and liberation, they reach a release know as the moksha, salvation. iv. The question of Morality – Reaching moksha through harmony and liberation, finding salvation through all of their rituals and yoga, and then due to all of their actions and ethics through life, karma determines their caste. v. The question of Destiny – Depending on your life choices, karma brings to you what you give it. Your...
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...encapsulated in any one god. The Hindu accept and celebrate the pluralistic and multileveled nature of their traditions. Today Hinduism is also referred to as “Sanatana Dharma.” Sanatana, meaning “eternal” or “ageless” and Dharma, meaning “religion”, encompasses duty, natural law, social welfare, ethics, health, and transcendental realization and the belief that these ways have always existed (Fisher, 2005). The religious texts of the Santana Dharma are referred to as the Vedas and considered to be the foundation of the religion. The Vedas are a compilation of sacred hymns and are not considered to be the work of humans, but are the breath of the eternal. The origins of the Vedas are unknown but it is believed that the scriptures were transmitted orally and then later written down. The Reg Veda is the oldest of the known Vedic scriptures, which praises and implores the blessings of the devas. The devas is the controlling force in the cosmos, deities who consecrate every part of life ( Fisher, 2005). The Vedas consist of four parts, the earliest being the Samhitas, hymns of praise. The second is the Brahmanas, directions about performance of the ritual sacrifices. The third part of the scared hymns are the Aranyakas. They are the writings from the people that went to the forest to meditate as recluses. The last is the Upanishads, which is the teaching from highly spiritual masters that explain the personal transformation that results from psychic participation (Fisher, 2005)...
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...The Vedas, or “Books of Knowledge,” are the foremost sacred texts in Hinduism wrote by Braham. These books, written from around 1200 BCE to 100 CE contained the many values and practices of the religion and was widely used in the empire. A strong belief of Hinduism is the caste system which Zheng He supported. The population was broken down into 4 major social classes based on their role within the society. Among the higher classes were Brahmins (priests) they educated others about the religion and taught its practices. Kshatriyas were seen as the warriors. The lower classes were Vaisyas (farmers and merchants) and Sudras (laborers and servants). The wealthier upper class population had more say in government, rights, and better treatment than that of those in lower castes. Women among upper class who did not have to work in the fields bound their feet as men found this attractive and it became a...
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...BUDDHISM AND HUNDUISM REL 212 WORLD RELIGIONS PROFESSOR EUGENE MUHAMMAD OCTOBER 4, 2013 In this paper I will attempt to shed a better understanding about the religious background surrounding Buddhism and Hinduism. This paper will briefly describe how the two religions got its start, how the two has spread itself throughout the world. Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world….. The word comes from “budhi”, to awaken. It’s has origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha. At the age of 35 he himself was awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35. Buddhism is not just a religion it goes beyond that, to so many it is more of a philosophy in other words the “way of life”. To so many Buddhism explains a purpose to life, and it explains injustice and the inequality around the world. But it also provides a code of practice as well as a way of life that leads all too true happiness. Buddhism has become very important to the western countries because he has the answers to many of the problems that are a part of the modern materialistic societies. Buddha teaches many things in summing it up by the four Nobles truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Lumbini in 583 BCE, what is known today as Nepal. His father was a king and a leader of a Shakya...
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...Teaching Business Ethics and Environmental Responsbility, Using Hinduism As A Tool. Abstract The crux of Hinduism is to revere nature in all its forms as they are considered to be manifestations of God himself. Even humankind is understood to be a composition of elements of nature and therefore maintaining a symbiotic relationship is essential for self preservation which is reinforced through the theory of karma which lays heavy emphasis on one’s action and corresponding rewards and punishment and therefore establishes adverse consequences to negative acts of destruction and depletion. The current paper proposes to use these basic tenets of Hinduism to teach business ethics to students through examples and validations from the Hindu texts and scriptures. This combination would help bring to class a synergetic combination of theology and business management where students shall find essence and a deep sense of association between the theological thoughts and their commercial applications. Key Words: Business Ethics; Hinduism; Management application; Education. Research Type: Concept Paper Affiliation Details: Dr. Ruchi Tewari; Assistant Professor; Amrut Mody School of Management (Ahmedabad University) Navrangpura; Ahmedabad – 380058 (India) Phone No.: 093761 44037 Email id: drtewariruchi@gmail.com; ruchi.tewari@ahduni.edu.in Introduction Human development has been over-zealous and has in the process...
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