QUICK LOOK IN DEPTH RESOURCES/LINKS
- PRACTICED BY
Approximately 726 million people
- MAJORITY OF FOLLOWERS IN
India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
- FOLLOWERS CALLED
Hindus
- DAY OF WORSHIP
No specific theological practice
- FOUNDER
None
- DEITY/DEITIES
Millions
- SACRED TEXT(S)
Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions still existing today. Some studies have traced the origins of the religion as far back as 3000 BCE. It is a henotheistic religion meaning that one central god is worshiped, but other gods are recognized as manifestations of the principal god. The central god in Hinduism is that of Brahman. Brahman puts forth the idea that the entire universe is at one and the purpose of one's existence is to be at one with Brahman while transcending it as well.
Because of its multiple representations of Brahman, Hinduism is sometimes considered a polytheistic religion. The most famous of these gods include the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Each of these male personifications has an equal feminine consort. Brahma is the Creator. Brahma comes from the mighty sound of "OHM," the vibration of the universe. Often times when drawn, Brahma is shown with four heads, one pointing in each direction, symbolizing his creation of the universe. The Vedas are usually shown in Brahma's hands. The Vedas, although not a text defining the laws of Hinduism, are sacred texts to Hindus. They contain hymns, incantations and ancient rituals. Saraswati is the feminine part of Brahma. She is worshiped as the Goddess of Wisdom and Learning. Vishnu is the second piece of the trinity. Vishnu is the Preserver of order, righteousness, religion, law and duty. These things make up Dharma. Vishnu's counterpart is Lakshmi. Lakshmi manifests the spirit of Giving. Lakshmi is most often depicted on a lotus with one finger pointing up and the other pointing down. The Lotus represents purity and the need to live a pure life. The upward pointing finger teaches the followers of Hinduism not to have fear and the downward pointing finger reminds them of the prosperity she gives. Shiva is the Destroyer, the third part of the trinity. Shiva destroys all things that hinder the Hindu in her quest for transcendence. Shiva represents the passing of time and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Shiva's female representation is Parvati. Parvati fights the great evils of the world; greed, hate, passion, vanity, envy, jealousy, and contempt. There are many other gods that are worshiped in Hinduism, but Brahman teaches that everything in the universe is part of Brahman, and therefore God.
The acceptance of its "330 million gods" has led Hinduism to be one of the most accepting religious groups in the world. Many Hindus say it is quite possible to be a "Muslim Hindu" or a "Christian Hindu." To summarize this idea, many Hindus say "The Great God is One, and the Learned only call Him by different names."
Hindus believe in reincarnation. They believe in karma, which is the total of good deeds done in life. Karma determines position in the next coming. Reincarnation and the accumulation of karma are necessary to achieve transcendence of the Brahman. Hindus realize that this process is not easy, and understand that everyone moves through this process at different speeds.
http://www.religious tolerance.org/hinduism.htm Author: B.A. Robinson, Copyright © 1995, 1997, 1999 to 2002 incl., by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, Latest update: 2002-AUG-9
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/ © 2000 V.Jayaram.
Hicks, Johnnie. Ideas from class discussions and handouts, Multicultural Education, a Global Perspective.
Copyright ©2003, Jason Coleman
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