Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion in the world with a rich and complex history dating back to 1500 C.E. “Hindu” is a Persian word originally intended to refer to the people living around the Indus River. The term Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the early part of the nineteenth century to refer to the Indian civilization and religious way of life that evolved for over 2000 years. Compared to other major world religions Hinduism is not associated with a single founder or religious text. Hinduism is often described as the following by modern scholars:
"[I]t is both a way of life and a highly organized social and religious system,.. Hinduism is quite free from any dogmatic affirmations concerning the nature of God, and the core of religion is never felt to depend on the existence or non-existence of God, or on whether there is one God or many; for it is perfectly possible to be a good Hindu whether one's personal views incline towards monism, monotheism, polytheism, or even atheism. This is not what ultimately matters".[1]
God in Hinduism
Contrary to the popular belief Hinduism regards a singular absolute being named Brahman as the creator and sustainer of this universe. In his essence Brahman is formless, without a beginning or an end. Various gods and goddesses known to the Hindus are said to be the manifestations of Brahman. The most fundamental manifestations of Brahman is known as Trimurti or the Hindu Trinity.
"Trimurti or 'One God in three forms', Brahma--Vishnu--Siva, a trinity in which Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer".[2]
It should be noted that not all three members of Trimurti enjoys the same level of popularity and veneration among the faithful. More temples are dedicated to the worship of Vishnu and Shiva than of Brahma. Some of the most popular male deities are Krishna, Rama, Ganesha, Hanuman and the popular female deities are Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Durga. Some of the deities are more poplar in certain geographic locations than others.
Hindu Scriptures
The Bhagavad-Gita(written in Sanskrit) is considered to be the most important religious text in Hinduism. It is a poem comprising of 700 verses. These verses are divided into 18 different chapters. The Bhagavad-Gita is part of a larger collection of poems called Mahabharata. The oldest scripture is Veda composed between 1400 CE to 400 CE.
Hindu Beliefs
The most essential elements of Hindu beliefs are comprehensively encapsulated in the concepts of Karma, Samsara and Moksha.
Karma
The word Karma means action. It symbolizes the principle of "cause and effect" which teaches that every action/cause must have an effect. Karma teaches that everything one does will have consequences. The following comments on Karma are noteworthy:
" In general karma implies that every man must eat the fruits of his own actions; that whatever a man does will have consequences that he will have to bear; and that everything that happens to him is the inevitable result of his former thoughts, emotions, and dreams, as well as of his deeds either in his present incarnation or some previous one".[3]
One continues to accumulate Karma throughout the different cycles of life. Karma dictates/regulates what is commonly known as Samsara.
Samsara
The way one lives the life(ones karma) will determine what one will experience after death. The kind of life one will live in the next life is directly related to the accumulated Karma. Samsara or the system of reincarnation in Hinduism is explained as following:
"According to this system, at death one would pass on to a life in heaven or hell, depending on the merits of one's activities in life. Then, after a certain amount of time, the individual would be reborn on earth once again".[4]
According to Hindu theology human beings are caught up in the never ending cycle of re-birth. The ultimate goal in Hinduism is to break the cycle of re-birth and gain freedom from Samsara which is referred to as Moksha.
Moksha
Moksha is regarded as the ultimate freedom. Accumulation of Karma stops once someone attains the state of Moksha. The following comments elaborate on breaking away from Samsara and attaining Moksha.
"The only way to stop this cycle of rebirths is to achieve moksha, "liberation" from samsara. This liberation is attained through knowledge. When one truly understands the nature of the Brahman, and hence the true nature of one's own self (the atman), then there is no more accumulation of karman and the individual is not reborn again".[5]
Attainment of Moksha is a laborious process and requires great dedication and discipline in the part of the faithful. Gaining complete control over one's mind and body is the pre-requisite to attaining this illuminating state. Yoga is a great instrument that enables one to exercise control over ones mind and body which leads to acquiring higher knowledge and ultimately Moksha.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. The diversity of beliefs and religious practices among the Hindus around the world is simply fascinating. Many scholars attribute the tolerance in Hinduism towards other faiths to this tremendous inherent diversity within Hinduism. It is fitting to end this article with the following timeless words of wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita[6]:
"The Lord said:
(1) Fearlessness, purity of character, perseverence in the discipline of knowledge, giving, self-control, and sacrifice, recitation of the Veda, asceticism, uprightness,
(2) Non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of calumny, compassion for creatures, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, steadiness,
(3) Vigour, patience, resolution, purity, freedom from malice and excessive pride--these, Bharata, belong to the man born to a divine fulfilment.
(4) Hypocrisy, pride, haughtiness, anger, harshness, and ignorance belong to the man born to a demonic fulfilment, Partha."
References
- Zaehner, R. C. Hinduism. Oxford University Press. 1966. Page 1.
- ibid Page 86.
- Spiegelberg, Frederic. Living Religions of the World. Prentice-Hall. Place of Publication: Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1956. Page 3.
- Shattuck, Cybelle. Hinduism. Routledge. Place of Publication: London. 1999 Page 29.
- ibid
- Johnson, W. J.(translator). The Bhagavad Gita. Oxford University Press. 1994. Chapter 16.
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