...Hinduism Paper Greg L. Fowler Hum/130 Religions of the World March 6, 2011 Michael Harris Hinduism Paper In this paper the subject is the religion of Hinduism. In this paper the subjects to explain are the makeup of the Hindu religion, what the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated are and finally will explain the desire for liberation from earthly existence. The Hindu Religion “Hinduism is the oldest religion on the planet. Hinduism is actually known as the Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Truth. The uniting belief systems of Hinduism, and there are many, include the conviction that Truth is knowable and can be directly experienced” (Rood, 1995-2011). The Hindu religion has two core values. The first core value is the “doctrine of karma. Karma states that every thought and action results in certain consequences born by the actor or thinker. If a person lies or steals, he will be wronged in some way in the future. Most Hindus believe that though his/her present is determined by his/her past, nonetheless we can influence our future by conducting ourselves in a proper manner in the present” (Rood, 1995-2011, p.1). The modern day member of the Christianity faith may see some similarity between the karma and the verse in Galatians 6:7 which whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Hinduism has a strong sense of morality. The Hindu religion teaches non-violence. Another belief of...
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...Hinduism - A Way of Life Humanities 130 Hinduism is a not just a religion; Hinduism is a complex way of life. Hinduism is a religion which is followed and lived on a daily basis. This religion is non-violent and does not trail after power and pride. Human worth is deemed of great value and importance. They believe that each person is of value. This religion is based on personal enlightenment. There are not a set of strict rule which are followed. Although, all Hindu's do share a common belief in the Supreme Being. This religion is based upon traditions and beliefs. Hinduism evolved over an immense era of time. There are a number of scriptures which have been written over many years. These scriptures are equivalent in philosophy, theology. They also play a vital role in myth giving spiritual guidance and insight which go hand-in-hand with practicing dharma. The religion is derived from the ancient Vedic traditions and other indigenous beliefs. No central church controls the movements or progress of Hinduism as a religion. The religion continues to grow despite attacks from other religions who seek to destroy it. One reason Hinduism continues to grow and thrive is because Hinduism is a way of life. Hinduism is a commitment to better oneself through enlightenment. Karma is an element in Hinduism. The belief is held that there is cause and effect for all things. Everything...
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...Contemporary Issues in Eastern Religions Contemporary Issues in Eastern Religions Common Characteristics between Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism is closely related to Hinduism, they both share some important beliefs. They both believe in reincarnation and the cycle of samsara - birth, life, death, and rebirth - and in the influence of karma on the circumstances into which you will be born in the next life. They both believe that the ultimate end is to escape from the cycle of rebirth. However, they are quite different in some very fundamental ways. For Hindus, there is an eternal soul that does not change, in essentials, from life to life. The material bodies it inhabits are like clothes. Buddhists believe that there is no core soul - that your experiences, actions, and intentions (your karma) constantly act upon you and you are constantly changing in response, so that the cycle of samsara is a long process of becoming. They also have different beliefs regarding the escape from the cycle of reincarnation. For Buddhists, achieving enlightenment, seeing the true nature of phenomenon and of oneself, eliminating all craving and desire releases you from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. For Hindus, realizing the oneness of existence, achieving mental peace or perfect unselfishness, perfect detachment from the world, or perfect knowledge of oneself, or the realization of unity with god releases you from the cycle of rebirth. As it relates to salvation...
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...Hinduism is the world’s oldest living major religion and is comprised of around one billion followers, making it the world’s third largest religion behind Christianity and Muslim. It is practiced predominantly in the Indian sub-continent where it originated. What makes Hinduism so different from other major religions is that it has no single founder and is a mixture of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas. Hinduism can be considered more of a way of life than an actual religious belief system as we know it in the West. Hinduism is a complex and diverse religion. There is a huge variety of traditions ranging from small groups to large religious movements consisting of millions of followers. Hinduism allows for an unrestricted freedom to believe and worship whatever on desires and allows for separation of a distinct set of beliefs. Another factor that makes Hinduism different from other religions is its concept of god or gods. The concept of God completely depends on the individual, one may practice monotheism, polytheism, or even henotheistic. Some may believe that there are millions of gods while others are devoted to a single god but accept the fact that there are other gods. Although there may be many gods, most Hindus believe there is one supreme creator and that is Brahman. Brahman is an entity believed to inhabit every portion of reality, dimension, and existence throughout the entire world and universe. There are numerous different sects in Hinduism and they...
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...History and Development of Hinduism * Hinduism is the oldest and perhaps the most complex of religious systems. It is difficult to provide adequate history of Hinduism because it has no specific founder or theology. * The earliest product of Indian literature, the Rig Veda, contains the songs of the Aryan invaders who were beginning to make a home in India. Thus, Hinduism is commonly regarded as the offspring of an Aryan religion, brought into India by invaders from the north and modified by contact with Dravidian civilization. (Elliot, 1921) * The literature of Vedic Aryans is relatively ancient and full and there is no available information about old Dravidians comparable with it. Yet, some argue that it is more correct to describe Indian religion as Dravidian religion modified by the ideas of the Aryan invaders. * This is accentuated by the fact that major deities of Hinduism (Siva, Krishna, Rama, Durga), and some of its core doctrines, are either totally unknown to the Veda or obscurely indicated in it. * The chief characteristics of mature Indian religion are characteristics of an area, not of a race, and they differ from those of other ancient religions in Persia, Greece, Egypt or other Aryan lands. (Mamandram.Org, 2011) * The word “Hindu” is an incorrect term given to a follower of the Vedas. The true name of the religion is “Sanatana Dharma”, meaning “the eternal religion”. * Ancient Arabians gave rise to the term as they were...
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...difficult to answer- who is the founder of the religion? According to the informative paper: "Founder of Hinduism--The Aryan invaders" which actually in the modern history people consider that there is no single founder. However, the religion is originally established by God Himself (dharman tu sakshad bhagavat pranitam) which claimed by the ancient scriptures of India; as well, "Islam's founder is Muhammad" who is known as rasul Allah, or God's Messenger to the Arabs, and to all of humanity. In my opinion, it is very difficult to specified the founder of religion into a particular person. The sacred text is difficult to conclude in some religion. For example, Buddhism's "sacred text is the Tripitaka" however, Buddhism's sacred text might include not only The Tripitaka, the Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. I need to think the reason why only list The Tripitaka as Buddhism's sacred text might be it is because The Tripitaka is the most important one. Another problem is how to classified the most influential sacred text, the information is not very precisely stated. For example, the sacred text of Hinduism can be classified into two categories: sruti ("heard") or smruti ("remembered"). I think this information is very important for learning accurately of Hinduism, knowing the title of the sacred text is important as well as knowing the way Hinduism delivery its sacred text. Because "Sruti scriptures are considered divinely inspired and fully authoritative...
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...Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are five of the major religions in the world. As there are several types of religions that exist in the world today, these are the five religions that have a huge impact to the understanding about life on earth and after death. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam fall under the Abrahamic religion, the religion that firmly believes that human spiritual growth was born through Abraham and his descendents. Hinduism and Buddhism descend under the Dharmic religion, a religion that believes in an ultimate spiritual reality beyond the physical world. After compiling the matrix of information on all of the different religions, each differs in certain beliefs but is similar in several ways. One of the most major factors that unites or connects each of these religions is that all believe and worship in one higher Supreme Being or authority. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism whether monotheist or polytheist each pledges to the conviction of a superior domination. Each believes that there is a mystical world, beyond the human world, that is our eternal home after life on Earth determined by our actions in the current life. Also there is a common core of practices that all of these religions do to open themselves to spiritual dimensions through prayer, meditation, fasting, etc. Moreover, each religion delivers the same message. All stress and argue the importance of contribution and service to others. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism...
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...who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and its inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion. The main deities of the Hindu religion are Brahma and his two deputies named Shiva and Vishnu. The god Vishnu is the creator, and Shiva is the destroyer. One is not looked upon as better than the other. These are not the only gods in Hindu culture. There are many others and all have special skills and talents. The gods themselves also give birth to the idea of avatars, or the form of god when he or she comes to earth. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation from God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier, and Lord Krishna who is the mortal reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. He appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice, general good sense and insight on many subjects. Perhaps the most important part of the philosophy of Hinduism lay in its path to enlightenment. The main ideas of enlightenment come through the four goals of Life. The first of these ends is Moksa. Moksa...
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...Instructions Part I Select at least 1 religious and 1 ethnic/racial group not your own from the list below. Religious groups (based on http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf) Christianity Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Historically Black Churches Roman Catholic Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) Jehovah’s Witnesses Orthodox (Greek, Eastern) Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform) Buddhism (Theravada or Mahayana) Islam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism) Hinduism Racial/ethnic groups (based on divisions in U.S. Census Bureau documents) Asian (Asian descent) Black (African descent) Hispanic and Latino (South or Central American descent) Pacific Islander (Polynesian descent) White (European descent) Part II Write a 750- to 1,400-word paper in which you consider the following regarding the religious group and racial/ethnic group you selected: Religious group: How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? What has been the experience of your selected religious group with others that do not share its beliefs or practices? In what ways has the religious group you selected contributed to American culture? Provide specific examples of prejudice or discrimination your selected religious group has experienced. What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? Does what you’ve learned about this religious group help you understand it? In what ways? Racial/ethnic group:...
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...Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity: First Draft Grand Canyon University: HLTH 310V Abstract As nurses it is important to understand that there is not just one faith, but there are numerous faiths. In order to provide quality of care to our patient, it is important we have insight and understanding to one’s belief. Three religions that are often encountered in health care are Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism with similarities and differences shared within the religions. This paper describes each religion with its spiritual perspectives on healing and its healing components. Also discussed is how the health care providers spiritual belief may differ from the patient beliefs. The comparison is also made with the religions and Christianity with its philosophy of faith and healing. Health Care Providers and Faith Diversity Today health care facilities are faced with patients of diverse backgrounds in religion and faith beliefs. Our job as health care providers is not only to provide promotional, preventative, curative and rehabilitation to our patient and families but to also provide them with emotional and spiritual healing as well. It is important to gain information about our patient and the religion they use to practice with, in order to help in their healing process. Three faiths that will be discussed are Islam, Buddism, and Hindusim. These three faiths will also be compared to Christianity. Islam is a religion in which they voluntary submission or...
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... Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world. The religion has thousands of diverse religious groupings that evolved in the Indian subcontinent from as far as 1500 BC. The Hindu religion has a variety of traditions, and, therefore, freedom of practices and beliefs are some of the notable feature of this religion. Hinduism includes the following traditionsVaishnavism, Srauta, and Shaivism, among others (Georgis 62). The religion has groupings such as Kapalikas. Hinduism has a variety of philosophies which include a spectrum of prescriptions as well as laws based on dharma and karma among other societal norms. By 21st century, it is reported that the Hindu religion had about a billion followers around the globe, and about eighty percent of Indians practices Hinduism. Hinduism differentiates itself from Christianity and other religions in that; the religion does not have a single founder, a single concept of deity, a central religious authority, a single system of morality, a concept of prophet, or a specific theoretical system. These are some of things that are found in other religions. Early history of Hinduism is a subject to numerous debates, and this is because of various reasons. First, the term Hinduism is a modern term but the sources of Hindu traditions are exceedingly ancient. Secondly, the religion embraces many traditions. Thirdly, there is no definite start point for Hinduism, and the traditions associated with Hinduism go back...
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...destiny of a human person at the end of their mortal life. Different responses: The Semitic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe that the supernatural dimension is a single divine being or power. This doctrine or belief is known as monotheism. The two Easter religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, derive from an understanding of a number of divine beings or powers, a belief known as polytheism. Despite these differences, the belief in the existence of beings or powers beyond the realm of the natural world is an important defining element of a religious worldview, [Define the characteristics of religion] 1. Beliefs and believers – the key tenets, doctrine, or values, which underpin the religious practice od a particular religion for the believers a. Central belief for all religions = supernatural dimension b. Paradigm = the core belief to belong to the religion i. Christianity – the belief Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead in order to save humankind from sin and death ii. Buddhism – belief in the Three Refuges iii. Islam – Submission to Allah iv. Judaism – the belief that God has entered history and formed a covenant relationship with his people v. Hinduism – the belief that the ultimate union with Brahman is the only real purpose for humans 2. Sacred texts and writings – The most important belief of a religion are contained in its sacred texts. Usually were in oral...
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...Introduction Hinduism is a major world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent and consists of several schools of varied rituals, philosophies and beliefs. The name, Hinduism, is actually coined by British journalists and writers in the early 19th century to refer to the tradition of texts and practices. It is believed that Hinduism is now the worlds oldest and widely practiced religions known today having dated back to around the 3rd or 2nd millennium bce. When the term “Hinduism” was first published to describe the religion, it has since been met with mixed reactions with some rejecting it in favor of indigenous formulations. Some have taking to the term “Vedic Religion” as a way to refer to the ancient texts known as the “Vedas”. The majority of those who practice the religion do accept the term “Hinduism”. Hinduism and Buddhism Despite the labeling and acceptance thereof, Hinduism has managed to stay as a thriving religion with various influences in many cultures. Its believed that Hinduism and Buddhism share a common bond. The Buddha was born to a Hindu family and some still argue that because of this, Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism and that the Buddha was a part of the Hindu pantheon, a view which is not accepted by many Buddhists. Long ago, Hindu tradition accepted the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu. There were many that didn’t believe that Buddha’s teachings and enlightenment were of any relation to the Hindu beliefs though. Despite the fundamental...
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...Religion and Culture Final Exam Hinduism, Islam (mainstream and Sufism) and Sikhism are complex and fascinating with its diverse culture and rich history. Although all have individual beliefs and practices, the way they all engage with their community hold some similarities. These faiths all have some type of worship and have some form of hospitality that they carry through their community and is dictated by their beliefs. From an outsider’s point of view, Hindus are seen as those in India who worship many gods in the form of idols and wear colorful clothing. After visiting a Hindu temple, I view them as an open and welcoming community who value the Hindu traditions and practices, and the act of charity and hospitality. To Hindus, their temples are open to anyone who wants to visit. They hold many things, acts, and behaviors sacred as they perform devotional rituals in the temple. Hindus often participate in worship and charity-giving to engage those within and outside the Hindu community. The most common worship ritual is puja. In puja, the devotees and the priest gather to give their offerings to the deities. Within puja, there is a series of devotional practices and behaviors when one engages in it. Darsan is the act of seeing and being seen by the deities. This is done with the use of murti, a material in which a deity is embodied in (Rodrigues, 227). To see and be seen by the sacred is to be in their presence of the divine and receive their blessings. This practice also...
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...Philosophies Abstract Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are compared for historical, ideology, and epistemology, searching for Eastern Philosophy compatible to Western Philosophy. A research for possible influences on Education of Philosophy discovered that it was impossible to bring comparisons and even difficult to separate them into the key issues. Colonialism and Nationalism brings the two philosophies together. Even though the Western mindset can appreciate the fascination concepts it may be impossible to blend East and West. However, it is possible to juxtapose the very different philosophies as it may be represented in the arts. Even Western Philosopher who have been influenced by Eastern Philosophy, it is reasonable to believe it is the philosophers attempt to interpret Eastern Philosophy. However, it is impossible to replicate it. Instead the product is a hybrid and independent of either East or West. Eastern Educational Philosophies Eastern philosophy has a long and varied history. Asian ideas are among the oldest in the world. Great thinkers of the East have developed sophisticated cultural and political systems that have influenced other religions as well as western philosophy. This paper will examine ideological, epistemological, and historical differences in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Ways in which these philosophies have shaped higher education theory and practice are of major importance to educators. Hinduism Historical ...
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