Hinduism Religion Research Paper

Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as SanÐ"Ѓtana Dharma (Ðo¤Ñ'Ðo¤ÐÐo¤Ñ*Ðo¤¤Ðo¤Ð Ðo¤§Ðo¤oÐoҐЌÐo¤®) by its practitioners, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal path" or "the eternal law".[2]

Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion that is still practiced.[3] Its earliest origins can be traced to the ancient Vedic civilization.[4] A conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, Hinduism has no single founder.[5][6] It is the world's third largest religion following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal.[7] Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and Canada.

Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as Ð*Ñ™ruti (revealed) and Smriti (remembered) and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living). In the orthodox view, among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the PurÐ"Ѓбâ„-‡as and the epics MahÐ"ЃbhÐ"Ѓrata and RÐ"ЃmÐ"Ѓyaбâ„-‡a. The Bhagavad GÐ"«tÐ"Ѓ, a treatise excerpted from the MahÐ"ЃbhÐ"Ѓrata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.[8]

Contents [hide]

1 Etymology

2 Beliefs

2.1 Concept of God

2.2 Devas and avatars

2.3 Karma and samsara

2.4 The goals of life

2.5 Yoga

3 History

4 Scriptures and theology

5 Practices

6 Rituals

7 Pilgrimage and festivals

8 Society

8.1 Denominations

8.2 Ashramas

8.3 Monasticism

8.4 Varnas and the caste system

8.5 Ahimsa and vegetarianism

8.6 Conversion

9 See also

10 Notes

11 References

12 Further reading

13 External links

Etymology

The Persian term HindÐ*« is derived from Sindhu, Sanskrit for the Indus River.[9] The Rig Veda mentions the land of the Indo-Aryans as Sapta Sindhu (the land of the seven rivers in northwestern South Asia, one of them being the Indus). This corresponds to Hapta HЙ™ndu in the Avesta (Vendidad or Videvdad: Fargard 1.18)вЂ"the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism. The term was used for those who lived in the Indian subcontinent on or beyond the "Sindhu".[10]

Beliefs

Temple carving at Hoysaleswara temple representing the Trimurti: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.Hinduism is an extremely diverse religion. Although some tenets of the faith are accepted by most Hindus, scholars have found it difficult to identify any doctrines with universal acceptance among all denominations.[11] Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include Dharma (ethics/duties), SamsÐ"Ѓra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).

Concept of God

Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism,[12] panentheism, pantheism, monism and atheism. It is sometimes referred to as henotheistic (devotion to a single God while accepting the existence of other gods), but any such term is an oversimplification of the complexities and variations of belief.[13]

Most Hindus believe that the spirit or soulвЂ"the true "self" of every person, called the Ð"ЃtmanвЂ"is eternal.[14] According to the monistic/pantheistic theologies of Hinduism (such as Advaita Vedanta school), this Atman is ultimately indistinct from Brahman, the supreme spirit. Brahman is described as "The One Without a Second;" hence these schools are called "non-dualist."[15] The goal of life according to the Advaita school is to realize that one's Ð"Ѓtman is identical to Brahman, the supreme soul.[16] The Upanishads state that whoever becomes fully aware of the Ð"Ѓtman as the innermost core of one's own self, realizes their identity with Brahman and thereby reaches Moksha (liberation or freedom).[14][17]

Other dualistic schools (see Dvaita and Bhakti) understand Brahman as a Supreme Being who possesses personality and worship Him or Her thus, as Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva or Shakti depending on the sect. The Ð"Ѓtman is dependent on God while Moksha depends on love towards God and on God's grace.[18] When God is viewed as the supreme personal being (rather than as the infinite principle) God is called Ishvara ("The Lord"[19]), Bhagavan ("The Auspicious One"[19]), or Parameshwara ("The Supreme Lord"[19]).[15] However, interpretations of Ishvara varyвЂ"ranging from non-belief such as followers of Mimamsakas, in Ishvara to identifying Brahman and Ishvara as one as in Advaita.[15][20] There are also schools like the Samkhya which have atheistic leanings.[21]

Devas and avatars

Krishna (left), the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu, with his consort RadhaThe Hindu scriptures refer to celestial entities, called Devas (or devÐ"« in feminine form; devatÐ"Ѓ used synonymously for Deva in Hindi), "the shining ones", which may be translated into English as "gods" or "heavenly beings".[22] The devas