Hinduism

by Perry Beahm, June 2014

900 words

3 pages

essay

Hinduism

Origin and Founder: It is believed that Hinduism began when Aryans added the gods of the Indus Valley people to their own. After this other people began to bring in other gods, beliefs, and practices as well. Hinduism does not have a founder and there is no unified system of beliefs or common doctrine.

God - gods: Most Hindus believe in the universal God, who also is inside every living being and who can be approached in different ways. The principal gods of Hinduism is the divine triad which consists of gods Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

Scripture/Book: For many centuries the Hindu scriptures were transmitted orally and in verse form. Later, they were recorded. Most of sacred texts are written in Sanskrit. They are divided into two categories Sruti and Smriti. The four Vedas are considered to be the most ancient scriptures.

His/Their relationship, interaction with humans: Hindu religious practices are primarily focused on the awareness of God which helps to receive blessings from Devas. Therefore, in Hinduism there are various rituals that help a person to think of God in daily life. For example, Hindus perform Puja. Mantras and prayers (their meaning, sound and repetition) help to concentrate the mind on the spiritual level or to express devotion to gods, or Devas.

Creation-Origin of the universe: In Hinduism, there are at least three versions of the creation of the universe: from the "cosmic egg", from "primary heat" and from the first man Purusha (from part of his body).

Creation-origin of man/woman: Hindus believe that humans appeared fully formed nearly trillion years ago. In addition, there is a belief that animal species and humans came down from a high state of pure consciousness.

Mankind’s problem: The main problem of the mankind does not refer to the moral but to the metaphysical field. A person is not guilty of violating the moral law of Gods, he/she just somehow forgot about their true nature. Thus, a human is not a sinner, he/she simply does not know their true “I”.

Solution to mankind’s problem: Salvation in Hinduism comes down to awareness of so-called "true essence". It is when we are able to change our minds and reach the higher level of consciousness. Over the past thousand there was developed a number of ways to influence the human nervous system in order to change the mind. These methods are combined under the yoga practice.

Their afterlife: The concepts of heaven and hell can be found in the Puranic literature of Hinduism. It describes innumerable heavenly and hellish lokas, where the dead are rewarded or punished according to their good deeds or sins.

How one attains their afterlife: A Soul can be rescued from hell by the sacrifices of food and water, which must be held by the children and grandchildren. After spending some time in the heavenly or hellish planet, the soul passes through the various material elements (earth, water, air, fire, etc) and, finally, is re-born in one of the 8.4 million types of bodies that fill the universe, thus …

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