...Hinduisms Spread With writings and sacred scripts from 1400 to 1500 B.C., Hinduism is a primeval religion that is known worldwide, and has a vast amount of devotees to their polytheistic system of beliefs. This ancient religion has spread across the Indian Sub-Continent from generation to generation. Hinduism had a huge impact toward the development of the caste system in India. The caste system was a determination, system of various social rankings or class. The caste system consists of five different levels, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and the Untouchables. Brahmins are priests; they have much importance for they are closest to god. Kshatriyas are warriors or kings; they are second in ranking for they protect the innocent...
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..."Buddhism, in its origin at least is an offshoot of Hinduism." -S.Rahdhakrishnan Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the world’s largest and most influential religions. Both religions originated in the Asian country of India, and thus stem from a similar culture as well as philosophy. While contrasting greatly with the monotheistic religions of the West, Hinduism and Buddhism also contrast greatly with each other. Although similar in respect to general philosophy, the two faiths differ markedly on matters of social structure. The two religions also contrast in that Hinduism omits and Buddhism emphasizes individual freedom to progress spiritually and socially in the current life. By comparing the two traditions, one can unambiguously see why it is that Hinduism has proved the more unwavering and Buddhism the more humanitarian philosophy. Hinduism and Buddhism are more philosophical than doctrinal. Both exhort and encourage an all-encompassing way of life and define existence itself. For instance, the essential Hindu concept defining the individual and humanity’s responsibilities is called dharma. An intricate term, dharma is conceptually one’s sense of obligation. One must fulfill his role in society and the world. Such responsibilities include procreation and caste duties, but extend into the philosophical realm of peaceful and humble acceptance of one’s position...
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...converting to Buddhism as their religion due to the caste system in the Hinduism religion. The OBC are dealing with a lot of discriminations due to the caste system. They are unable to get good jobs and better education to better their lives. Therefore they have decided to convert back to their religious roots of Buddhism. They were able to trace their religious roots back to Nagvanshis, a group of Buddhist which were descendants of emperor Ashoka, a very notable Buddhist. By doing this it gives them a better course in life that they are unable to pursue in the Hinduism religion. Though the Maharashtra government has not stopped any of them from converting, they fear there will be a backlash due to their previous status in the caste system. Therefore they are keeping an eye on how they are treated by the government and those of different ranks in the society. The Hinduism caste system has been a burden on Hindu society for a very long time. The caste system has done great damage and continues to do so to this day. The caste system is like slavery that existed here in United States many years ago. The caste system divides its people up by their social class, bloodline, and occupation. There are four main caste that are recognized by the Hindu occupations they are, Brahmins (priest), Kshatriyas (warrior class), Vaisyas (merchants), Shudras (servants), and Chandalas (untouchables). Though there are only four levels of the caste system that are recognized, the Chandalas are below all...
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...Head: Assignment: Hinduism Paper Hinduism Paper Kalip Frazier II University of Phoenix/Axia HUM 130 Please repeat title and center it on first page of the body of the paper. Hinduism is a difficult religion for many to understand. The difficulty stems from the fact that many different variations of the religion has developed over time. There are many sects and a variety of other religious groups that have spawned from the bases of Hinduism. Hinduism is a religious belief that was formed and cultivated in South Asia more precisely, India. Hinduism is widely known as the world’s oldest religion. Although America is becoming more and more diverse, most Americans do not know a great deal about Hinduism. The caste system is one of the most connecting links of Hinduism; it combines religion with societal classifications. Understanding this system of hierarchy and what it represents to the people that believes it, is very critical to understand before digging into the religious beliefs of Hinduism. There are four fundamental castes or social classifications of Hinduism. Each individual caste has its own guidelines and mandates for being part of that particular caste. The elite social class is know the Brahman, or priest caste. This class is the equivalent to the King and Queen classification of the monarch system. The next tier in the caste system is the Kshatriyas classification, which includes warriors and rulers. The third tier of the caste system is the Vaisyas class...
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...Hinduism Hinduism is the dominant faith of India. It is practiced by more than half of the population. Hinduism is not easily defined. It can be described as a way of live based on the teachings of sages and scriptures like the Upanishads and Verdas. Hinduism is known to the practitioners as Sanatana Dharma, which means everlasting or eternal religion, rule or truth. Over the last three thousand years the most orthodox divisions of Hinduism has changed. The caste system is the oldest practice of Hinduism. An understanding to the caste system must be conceived before the Hindu religious beliefs. In the caste system there are five basic social classes. Each class has its own obligation for living and its own set of rules. The Brahman which consist of the priest is the elite caste. The Brahman acts as a counselor. The Kshatriyas caste which consist of the warriors and rulers. The Kshatriyas are protectors of the society. The Vaisyas caste which consist of the farmers and merchants. The Vaisyas own land and are money lenders. The Shudras caste which consist of the laborers. The Shudras does manual laborer. The Dalit caste which consist of the untouchables. The Dalit does the dirty jobs that no one wants to do. The perform job like cleaning toilets and sweeping. It is decided when born what caste system you will belong to and will not be determined by the individual. All Hindus believe in Brahman, the caste system, karma, reincarnation, nirvana. Brahman...
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...2016 Caste System: Effects of the British Regime In the realm of Hinduism, the caste system originated as a cycle indicating that one’s current actions would be the deciding point of which caste they would be born into in their next life. This karmic distribution was intended to reiterate the importance of a predestined dharma, or duty, that one would be obligated to fulfill according to the caste they were birthed into. The four castes, Brahmin as the priests, Kshatriya as the warriors, Vaisyas as the merchants and Shudras as the laborers became established to regulate each separate yet equally important role. However, scholars have argued that although the castes were not originated to instigate hierarchy but to perpetuate the sense of duties- it inevitably evolved into more of a class system, reconfiguring the meaning of the idea of caste itself. Scholars have also proposed that the context in which the caste system was established seemed to take a tangent from religious volition and became a means of categorization instead. In the face of this apparent hypocrisy begs the question: Did the colonization of India by Britain in the 19th century deter the caste system because of their personal interpretation of it towards a hierarchy rather than a means of accomplishing one’s spiritual duty? One of the plausible answers to this question is that the reign of the British empire during the 19th century resulted in the alignment of the caste system to the class system to consolidate...
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...belief systems do you see integrated into Hinduism? What were the external conditions (environmental/societal/political/economic etc.) which gave rise to the origination of Hinduism? What was it about this time period? Location? Population? In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion since some elements of it date back thousands of years; Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings despite many key figures and numerous holy books that might indicate otherwise. Hence why Hinduism is often referred to as a “way of life” and why it makes sense that the religion was informed by so many external conditions around its “birth” (BBC Religion Profile, Hinduism) For instance even though the birth of the term “Hindu” could be traced back to the Sankrit word, Sindhu, the river complex of the northwest, used by the Aryans in the second millennium B.C. It likely dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries when it was used by people to differentiate themselves from followers of other traditions, especially Muslims in Kashmir and Bengal at the time (BBC Religion Profile, Hinduism) (Hinduism, www.web.csulb.edu). Hinduism evolved or rose as a religion by the way it was used to group people by certain cultural practices, belief systems and rituals that enshrined certain sacred things or defined rites of passage. But it was also used to group people by geography and politics. Most scholars can say that: 1) Hinduism is rooted...
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...Hinduism February 27, 2012 By: Crystal Carter Hinduism is a religion that is mostly different from any other religion in the world. Hinduism is different from other monotheistic religions in that it does not have a single founder, a s single concept of deity, or the concept of a prophet. These things alone separate the Hindu religion from the many different religions. Along with being different from other religions, Hinduism is also regarded as the worlds oldest organized religion. It ranks third in the survey of population who practice this religion. It falls just behind Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is the dominate religion in India, Nepal, and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. According to an article on religious tolerance.org, Hinduism has over 950 million followers, which is about 14% of the world’s population. The Hindu belief system is not one that is very organized. Although it is not very organized there all still some beliefs that are strictly followed by the Hindu’s. The Hindu fundamental beliefs are in the authority of the Vedas. The Vedas are the oldest Indian Sacred Texts. The Brahmans are highly respected in the Indian culture also. These are the priests that perform the offerings. They believe in reincarnation, which is the idea that when you die your spirit finds another body to inhabit. Lastly they believe in karma, which is the idea that you get back whatever you put out into the universe. Hinduism does not seem to stand out in today’s...
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...should invest massive amounts in nuclear devices and why it persecutes a Christian religious minority that has made bold attempts to empower the poor of India. Religious Landscape in India Of the one billion people in India, 85 percent are Hindus, 10 percent Muslims, and 2.5 percent Christians. The rest belong to other religious minorities: Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsees and other groups. Though the decennial census classifies 85 percent as Hindus, there is no positive definition of what Hinduism is. Negatively, whoever does not belong to any of the other religious minorities is taken to be a Hindu. British discourse shaped the terminology used in reference to Hinduism. The British in India began by asking the Indians: "Our religion is called Christianity, what is yours?" It was then decided to call India’s religion Hinduism. The British asked, "We have the Bible as our scripture, what is your scripture?" It was decided to consider the Vedas, the Upanishads, etc. as the scriptures of Hinduism. Further the British asked, "We have religious heads like the pope and the bishops, but who are Hinduism’s heads?" They declared the Shankaracharyas as their pontiffs. The West initially tried to understand the religions in India in its own terms and categories. But in truth many religions are grouped together...
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...Comparison of Buddhism & Hinduism For many in the western world zen, yoga and feng shui concepts are the most that is understood about eastern religions, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. Although many would be interested to know that yoga is not just an exercise class that makes you zen; there are many more important details about Buddhism and Hinduism we are misinformed about; especially, the differences of these two religions. Since Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, they are very similar, but they are two different faiths, with different sets of beliefs and interpretations on life and enlightenment (the ultimate objective of both). It might be in our best interest to begin this discussion at the end, with enlightenment. This is the goal of both Hinduism and Buddhism. To be exact, enlightenment in its simplest definition, is the ultimate release from the cycle of samsara, or the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. In both faiths, every living spirit will eventually achieve this goal, even if it takes numerous reincarnations. In Hinduism, this goal is also called moksha, liberation of the soul from suffering. However, in Buddhism enlightenment is called nirvana, and is a release from the cycle completely into a state of bliss. The sort of middle way between these two extremes is a belief held by Mahayana Buddhists, whom identify the Buddha in three bodies, one of which, the Ultimate Buddha underlies the entire universe and is identified as nirvana itself. On this...
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...“Thank goodness for eastern religion, I’m going to yoga class now and I redid my room to improve like my Zen, it really works…” for many in the western world, this is the most that is understood about eastern religions, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. Although many would be interested to know that yoga is not just an exercise class; there are many more important details about Buddhism and Hinduism we are misinformed about, Especially, the differences of these two religions. Since Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, they are very similar, but they are two different faiths, with different sets of beliefs and interpretations on life and enlightenment (the ultimate objective of both). It might be in our best interest to begin this discussion at the end, with enlightenment. This is the goal of both Hinduism and Buddhism. To be exact, enlightenment in its simplest definition, is the ultimate release from the cycle of samsara, or the cycle of birth, death and rebirth (Wagnu, 2001). In both faiths, every living spirit will eventually achieve this goal, even if it takes numerous reincarnations. In Hinduism, this goal is also called moksha , existence in the realm of the gods (Wagnu, 2001). However, in Buddhism enlightenment is called nirvana, and is a release from the cycle completely, not a deployment to the realm of gods. The sort of middle way between these two extremes is a belief held by Mahayana Buddhists, whom identify the Buddha in three bodies, one of which, the Ultimate Buddha...
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...Hinduism and Buddhism are two religions that both originated in Asia. Together they are the most popular religions across Asia (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Buddhism is thought to have developed based on Hinduism. It is said that the creator of Buddhism liked Hinduism Theology but found it lacking in some areas and therefore created Buddhism to fill those gaps (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Since Buddhism was founded on Hinduism there are many similarities, however since it was created on the basis that Hinduism was lacking some fundamental values there are also a wealth of differences. Buddhism originated in the 5th Century B.C.E in northern India. Most historians agree that Siddhartha Gautama was the founder and the original Buddha, which means the “awakened or enlightened one.” (http://www.patheos.com). Gautama started a journey to make life better when he observed so much suffering in the world. It has been said that he meditated and achieved a state of peace, therefore putting an end to suffering and freeing his soul from rebirth. (http://www.patheos.com) Buddhism is a study and religious practice building off Hinduism and incorporating Gautama’s life teachings and living from his experiences in order to achieve divine happiness. Hinduism is a religion based out of India, there is no known founder or origin that it can be traced back to. Hinduism is understood to be built on a collection of historical traditions and beliefs that are timeless. To many...
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...Hinduism 1 Hinduism Starla R. Heyward Religions of the World HUM/130 April 29, 2012 Dr. VL Merlini Hinduism 2 When we think of Hinduism, we do not think of a religion. Hinduism is a set of beliefs that revolve around traditions that have been around for a long time. The Hindu belief is one of the oldest religions in the world. There are different sects of Hinduism. In addition to that, there are ancient scriptures called the Vedas that are admired by all who practice Hinduism. There are many cultural and societal influences surrounding Hinduism. One big societal element is that India is one of the last ancient worlds culture. The actual name is Sanatana Dharma or “Universal Truth or Way.” In the Hinduism belief, they have a concept that the ultimate reality called Brahman, (universal soul) and its identification with the individual soul. Each person or creature goes through a birthing that is determined by karma. Karma is what happens if a person does something bad in their present life, it will come back to haunt them in their present or future life. I like to refer to it as the law of sowing and reaping. The post-Vedic deals with elaborate myths of popular gods. It is described as undergoing on eternally cycle of preservation, dissolution, and creation. This represents the trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer as the supreme. In Hinduism, the beliefs that hundreds of deities control everything...
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...October 8, 2014 Introduction to World Religions My Religion Paper Hinduism The religion Hinduism began in India. Some of the characteristics of this religion are that Hinduism does not have founder, religious organizations, specific theological system, and do not have a system of morality, but this religion has evolved over thousands of years. Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses, but they also believe in the one Supreme God that manifests itself in various forms. Hinduism consists of beliefs and traditions. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moksha. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. Hinduism is considered one of the oldest religions in the world. Hinduism seems to be the product of the melding of two religious and cultural influences. One was the Indus Valley Civilization that was located in what is today Northwest India and Eastern Pakistan, and the Aryan culture. The warm climate in India allows people to live outdoors much of the time. This climate has helped to promote religious values. Although hot and dry in many parts, India has many rivers and streams which the most important is the Ganges. This river is so important to the Hindu Religion. Some Hindus believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in one's lifetime.(Library) Hinduism is different from Christian theology in respect to the fact that...
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...would think that Christianity and Hinduism would have nothing in common, but in some ways they are. But mostly there are differences between the two. In this comparison that I am making one can find these similarities and differences. First I will start off by helping one understand Hinduism. To define Hinduism is very nearly impossible. Actually it is not so much a religion as a religion-social system. Although Hinduism contains a whole farrago of theologies, philosophies, and sacrificial systems, nevertheless its one dominant note is that of caste. Elaborate tissues of ancient religion-social laws were created and were indestructible. Hindu's tried to build a wall of law around the faith so that none could stray from it. The main part of the wall was naturally the caste distinctions, and these therefore received the most careful attention of the lawmakers. The superiority of the Brahmans and the inferiority of the laborer were declared to be ordered in heaven according to divine plans for the prosperity of the world. The cast system was with a man like his breath, was with him instantly from birth to death. Indeed, unlike his breath, it was suppose to follow him into the grave. These laws that regulate the caste are saved for there is no other unifying element in all Hinduism. Also Christians often form castes or endogamous bodies analogous to castes. This is done to form a more or less separate community. There are two major sections in Hinduism and at least fifty-seven sub sections...
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