...Hinduism Paper Rory Richards HUM/130 June 30, 2013 Dawn Tawwater Hinduism Paper Hinduism does not have a set orthodoxy, but there are several main beliefs that share a commonality among the different sects. The caste system is one of the oldest principles of Hinduism, an aspect as much religious as it is social. According to Hindu teaching, there are four basic social classes, or castes. Each social order has its own rules and obligation for living. The select few are the Brahman, or priest caste. Second are the warriors and rulers, the Kshatriyas. Third are the Vaisyas, or merchants and farmers. Finally, the fourth caste is the Shudras, or laborers. Existing outside of the caste system are the untouchables, the outcasts of society. One does not get choose to enter his or her caste, rather, that is decided according to what family the person is born into. Some other aspects of Hinduism that are shared among the different sects are the belief in the three-in-one god known as “Brahman,” which consists of: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer). There are three gods that make up Brahman – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Hindus also worship the “wives” of Shiva, such as Kali, or one of Vishnu’s ten incarnations (avatars). There are literally millions of Hindu gods and goddesses, by some counts, as many as 330 million! At the same time, Hinduism teaches that all living things are Brahman at their core. In other words, all living...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...Running 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...
Words: 1224 - Pages: 5
...Hinduism Paper HUM/130 March 17, 2013 Hinduism Paper Hinduism, otherwise known as Sanatana Dharma is one of the oldest religions in the world. Sometimes it is defined as the religion of India because of its origins in the Indus River region (Tri State Hindu Temple Newburgh, n.d.). Hinduism is a difficult religion to define because there is no founding father, no main religious book, and a multiplicity of deities. It arose out of a combination of religious, philosophical, and cultural practices so varied that there is no central tradition. It has evolved from the diverse Indian cultures for over four thousand years. This could explain why the matter of listing all things that Hindus believe in or even what all Hindus do is not a simple matter. Nevertheless there are some basic tenants of Hinduism and some key Hindu scriptures that help us to understand the concepts and beliefs which are held by many Hindus in a somewhat unifying principle. Central Themes in Hinduism The desire for liberation from earthly existence could be consider the ultimate goal of a Hindu. This desire to exit the cycle of birth, death and rebirth is directly related to the concept of reincarnation which is a major cornerstone of Hinduism. Reincarnation is the belief that when the soul leaves the dead body it enters a new one, living again and again in countless bodies whether human, animal, or plant. The key is that the self remains the same. The ultimate goal is to end the suffering of reincarnation...
Words: 1129 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 894 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Paper Crystal Haile HUM-130 March 6, 2012 Michael S. Bickford Hinduism Paper Hinduism which is also known as Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Truth has many uniting belief systems which include the conviction that truth is known and can be directly experienced. Hinduism has many different traditions and each different tradition has a different meaning and view. There is an underlying unity to the belief of the Hindu system it has a deep sense of morality and ethics. Hinduism is a widely different system that draws on the form of philosophy, theology, and religious places. Hinduism obtains true bliss and transcends temporary labels, gender, race, ethnicity, and religious labels like Islam and Christian. Hinduism follows the truth and even though it has had many attempts to be destroyed with aggressive methods of conversions and the holy wars it is still alive today. Hinduism is a living way of life for some people and has out lived many cultures and civilizations like the Greeks and Romans that is why it still exist long after the religions like Islam which had died out. The cultures and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region that it was originated is that Hinduism is a very large extensive religion with many sides, gods, and impacts. The cultural and societal influences that make Hindu a way of life and religion vital is the practices that come from outside. Other faiths such as Islam and Christianity have sought out to overcome Hinduism...
Words: 457 - Pages: 2
...Hinduism Paper Jessica M. Thomas HUM/130 July 20, 2014 Daniel Davis Hinduism is considered the World’s oldest organized religion, it is also the third largest in the World. “It consist of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE. Because of the wide variety of Hindu traditions, freedom of belief and practice are notable features of Hinduism”. (Hinduism: The World’s third largest religion, 2014) The way Hinduism expresses its spiritual traditions is not by one unified religion but by supreme variations of religious paths, this allows for no central tradition but a diverse worship of deities. There has been various definitions of what Hinduism actually is and what it involves so it is important to understand what connects these various beliefs and practices in order to form the religion Hinduism. What makes up the Hindu Religion is that it is not a standard type of religion, but it is a set of religious traditions and beliefs that has evolved over time. Although the Hinduism religion is various in many ways, all of the religious groups and traditions follow certain types of beliefs and practices but also acknowledge and follow the ancient scriptures called Vedas. These sacred writings contain hymns, incantations and rituals from ancient India. “According to orthodox Hindus, the Vedas are not the work of any humans. They are considered shruti texts—those which have been revealed, rather than written by mortals. They are the breath...
Words: 932 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Paper HUM130 University of Phoenix, Axia College * Hinduism known today as Sanatana Dharma lacks a uniting belief system. It is still considered a religion due to a number of factors, because of this Hinduism is a challenging religion to define. The Hindu religion varies vastly, and is considered both monotheistic and polytheistic. Various cultural and societal influences have made Hinduism vital to India the origin of Hinduism. A Hindu’s karma is the deciding factor of reincarnation. Once a Hindu’s karma is worthy of liberation then their soul is no longer reincarnated and is release from earthly miseries. Hinduism like Christianity has several denominations or categories. Millions of deities are worshiped by Hindus because they feel the divine does not have to have just one face, but can have many faces. “Three main groupings of Hindus are the Saktas who worship a Mother Goddess, Saivites who worship the god Siva, and Vaishnavites who worship the god Vishnu. Every follower has a preferred deity while honoring other deities also.” The collective belief system of Hindus is what makes up the religion. It is described by the Indian supreme court as “Acceptance and reverence for the Vedas as the foundation of Hindu philosophy. A spirit of tolerance, and willingness to understand and appreciate others points of view, recognizing that truth has many sides. Acceptance of the belief that vast cosmic periods of creation, maintenance, and dissolution continuously...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism as a whole is a simple yet complex religion that has had a great impact on the region of its conception. The Hindu religion as a whole has one ultimate goal and that is to become liberated from the earthly existence we know and to be without worldly limitations of this earth. Even though Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system there are many aspects that make Hinduism a religion. There are also many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism a vital influence to many across the world but most notable in the region it was originated in. In the religion Hinduism or also referred to as Sanatana Dharma “eternal religion” followers acknowledge that there is good in all and a link that good to the cosmos. Sananta Dharma’s foundation is set in the Vedas which is the religious text of the key principles of Hinduism. All though the followers of Hinduism have over 330 million deities the Devas are the controlling forces in the cosmos. Even with all of the deities the sages perceived one unseen reality. This reality is beyond human understanding and creates and sustains life and everything that exists. Hinduism may lack a unified belief system but it is undoubtedly a religion by definition. A religion can be translated as a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by. One of the beliefs that are a crucial part to how Hindus follow their religion is concept of reincarnation. In reincarnation when a being dies the soul leaves the...
Words: 842 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism is one of the oldest known religions of the world; having no founder and no known starting year. Hinduism is the third largest practicing religion in the world, following Christianity and Islam. There are approximately 905 million practicing Hindus live in India and Nepal. The earliest origins of Hinduism can be traced to the Vedic civilization. The thing that makes up the Hindu religion is Sanarana Dharma. Sanarana Dharma is the proper name for Hinduism. Hinduism is the traditional religion of India with a whopping 80% of Indians still practicing Hinduism today (Pearson Education, Inc, 2007). Sanatan Dharma is one of the oldest religions known to mankind (Basham, 2013). One of the biggest spiritual expressions of Sanatana Dharma is personal devotion to a specific God or deity. Like, for instance the female goddess Shakti, who was the other half of Lord Shiva, has several of her own temples built in her honor (Subhamoy, 2013). Hinduism is still one of the major religions in the world, Hinduism it is more than a way of life, Hinduism is indeed a restrictive and organized religion. The Hindu religion has many different beliefs that have greatly evolved over time. The Hindu religion includes Dharma meaning religion, which encompasses duty, natural law, social welfare and many other things. Many of the religious paths of Dharma still continue to coexist in present day India. Other well-known beliefs in Hinduism include karma which...
Words: 780 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism NAME HUM/130 DATE Professor’s Name Hinduism In the nineteenth century the colonial British rulers gave the people living in the region of the Indus River in Indian subcontinent a specific name; Hinduism. This was done as a means to aid in census-taking. Although the belief structures of the people of this region are similar in many ways they are also different in many ways as well. Today the people commonly referred to as Hindus prefers to be called Sanatana Dharma, meaning eternal religion (Fisher, 2005). Hindus multifaceted belief structure and lack of a uniting belief system has not weakened the religions strong hold on the people of India, in fact the diversity is welcomed. Hinduism has a significant impact on the culture and society of this particular region of the world. Their desire for liberation from earthly existence is similar to many other religions around the world. Understanding these key components of the Hindu religion is an important first step to grasping a better understanding of what Hinduism is all about. Differing and uniting Hindu beliefs Hinduism is a unique religion because its followers do not share the same exact belief in the same “God” or deity. In fact, some believe in multiple Gods. Such as God of Thunder, God of Drink, and Goddess of Dawn. The Rig Veda is the oldest known Vedic scriptures. In this scripture the Hindus are taught about these multiple Gods or devas (Fisher, 2005). Other Hindus, such as the Upanishads, believe...
Words: 851 - Pages: 4
...Assignment: Hinduism Paper Write a 700- to 1000-word paper answering the following questions: o Considering that Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, what makes up the Hindu religion? o What are the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated? o Explain the desire for liberation from earthly existence. Format your paper according to APA standards. Hinduism Hinduism Sanatana Dharma makes up the Hindu religion, which is also known as Hinduism. “The spiritual expressions of Sanatana Dharma range from extreme asceticism to the extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy and the oneness behind the worship of a multiple of deities.” (Fisher, 2005, pg 69). Hindu’s do not view Hinduism as a religion but as a way of life. A person is a Hindu either by birth or chooses this form of worship. Hinduism is made up of beliefs that have changed through the centuries and the new additions to the belief system can be one of many reasons for its lacking a uniting belief system. According to Fisher (2005), there are “extreme variations within the Hinduism system of Santana Dharma which has been shown throughout time. Some scholars argue that there are no central traditions that can be called Hinduism proper” (pg 69). Forms of worship can be diverse depending on the village visited in India...
Words: 1219 - Pages: 5
...Religion is one of the most common factors in societies all across the globe, whether it be Christianity, Judaism, or even Hinduism, everyone has their faith. I view religion as a way for societies to bond over a common belief of life and the way life should be. When it comes to extremely spiritual and religious countries such as India, I view religion as a way to become a part of something much bigger than human existence. In India religion is a way of life. Although Hinduism is extremely complex, the three elements that intrigue me the most are the 330 million deities, the idea of reincarnation, and lastly the ways karma can affect the lives of people. Technically in Hinduism there is only one god named Brahman, however, Hinduism has a large number of 330 million gods all representing different aspects of Brahman. The reason for having such a large amount of gods is to embody every key element Brahman has. The three main gods of Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the one who created the world, Vishnu protects and preserves the universe, and Shiva destroys the old and creates new things (Robson 29). The idea of 330 million gods doesn't necessarily relate to experiences from my life, I grew up in a Christian household and we only worshiped one god, but the idea of having so many different options to...
Words: 482 - Pages: 2
...The religion that I would choose to join for the rest of my life would be Hinduism. The reason I chose the religion is because after researching about Hinduism, I found that I share a lot of the same beliefs as Hindus. Hinduism is believed to be the world’s oldest religion, stretching back many thousands of years ago. In result, there is no known founder, scripture or any commonly agreed set of teachings. The religion is mostly being practiced in South Asia, majority of people are in India and Nepal. The Moksha is the ultimate spiritual goal of Hinduism, the goal is to reach a point where you detach yourself from the feeling and perceptions that tie you to the world, leading to the unity of things. The Hindus follow nine basic beliefs that determine their thought and attitudes about life. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive supreme and they believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, which is the world’s most ancient scripture. Hindus believe that universe underdoes endless cycle of creation and preservation. They believe in karma and that the soul reincarnates evolving through many births until all karma has been resolved. Hindus believe that worship, and rituals create a communion with the Gods. Lastly Hindus believe that all life is sacred and that no religion teaches the only wat to salvation above all...
Words: 441 - Pages: 2
...Two great world religions that dominate many parts of Asia are Buddhism and Hinduism. Both of the faiths have many similarities. Buddhism was inspired by Hinduism due to the its founder being a Hindu prince before he became known as the Buddha. For example, Karma is a central idea to both teachings. The term “Karma” essentially means every action comes a reaction. If one was to commit a murder, then something bad will happen to that person. And if one was to give to the poor, something good will happen. Another belief Buddhism and Hinduism share is reincarnation. It is the belief that a being/lifeform that is living now will begin anew in a different physical body once he/she/it dies. Both religions also believe that there are several hells and heavens. Buddhist even consider the world we live in a type of hell. Heaven and hell are not eternal for all people in both religions. A life can...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism is the primary religion found in the Indian subcontinent. This religion is indigenous to the area. The common beliefs and rituals make Hinduism differ from other commonly found religions. The belief system of followers of Hinduism is based on the belief that the soul is eternal, and is based on the follower’s ways of lives. In contrast to other types of organized religion, such as Christianity, in which those followers are required to heed to abstract rules and regulations, pre-determined for generations to come, Hinduism is based around an individual’s way of life and that follower’s individual soul. This is reflected in the culture and societal area of India. In terms of other religions, Hinduism in currently the third largest religion in practice. Another important aspect of this religion is Sanatana Dharma. This belief is that of that eternal existence of customs. Dharma has the following in its basis: natural law, duty, social welfare, health, ethics, and transcendental realization. The search for liberation is a major factor in the Hindu religion. This is based on the belief that your soul is free from the confines of your physical body. Their body is not a large contributing factor to whom they are, it is simply a vessel to get one throughout daily life. The soul, however, in the ultimate liberator because it loves on, even after their physical body deteriorates. Karma is another large basic aspect of Hinduism. This is belief of “what goes around comes...
Words: 715 - Pages: 3
