...Week 3 Assignment: Hinduism Paper Week 3 Assignment: Hinduism Paper Hinduism is a religion that lacks a uniting belief system like many other religions possess. Cultural and societal influences have made Hinduism vital to India, the region in which it originated. India is one of the last places holding onto its ancient cultures. Hinduism is able to bring together different beliefs, customs, and traditions, which helps each maintain their historical traditions. The dharmic traditions that are found in India are all a mixture to some degree of each other. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism have all shared characteristics between one another. Hinduism is at its core monotheistic, although the Supreme God or Brahman may be worshipped in many different forms. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being who created the earth. India has a long history and many varieties of religion have developed over time. There are some unified religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The various other religions have been grouped together and labeled as “Hinduism” like they are a single religious practice. This grouping and categorization of Indian religions was began by the Colonial British during their rule in the nineteenth century (Fisher, 2014). There is much debate surrounding the classification and labeling of Indian religions by non-Indian people. The argument is made that these outside people use their own religious concepts and ideas as means to judge, understand...
Words: 883 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Elyse Adams Axia College of University of Phoenix Hinduism is the term that was applied by foreigners to the people that live in the region of the Indus River in the nineteenth century. Now it is known as a major religion practiced in the Indian subcontinent and contains in it a diverse family of devotional and ascetic cults and philosophical schools, all sharing a belief in reincarnation and involving the worship of one or more of a large pantheon gods and goddesses. The preferred label for Hinduism today is Santana Dharma. “Santana, “eternal” or “ageless,” reflects the belief that these ways have always existed. Dharma, often translated as “religion,” encompasses duty, natural law, social welfare, ethics, health, and transcendental realization.” (Fisher, 2005, p. 69) There are so many different variations of Santana Dharma and they all lack a uniting belief system. So what makes up the Hindu religion, since there is no uniting factor to this belief system? “Hinduism is not a religion in the normal sense, but it is a set of traditions and beliefs evolved over a long period of time. There are different sects of Hinduism, but they all admire the ancient scriptures called Vedas.” (Hinduism.ygoy.com. ¶1) Reincarnation is also a doctrine that is central to all forms of Santana Dharma. This is the belief that the soul leaves the body upon death and enters a new one. Birth happens again and again until the soul advances toward its ultimate goal of liberation from rebirth...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...ways have been categorized together as if they were a single tradition named “Hinduism (Fisher2005).” The Hindu religion does not have a uniting belief system. It is made up several spiritual expressions and some extreme variations. These traditions can range from extreme asceticism to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness behind the material world to worship of images representing a multiplicity of deities. Today, Sanatana Dharma is the preferred alternative label, which means that these traditions have always existed. When researching Hindu religion, its origins are can be traced by to the Vedic age, thousands of years ago where the Vedas were taught in various schools. Vedas are the religious texts that are often viewed as the foundations of Hinduism according to the Aryan Invasion Theory. The religion is made up of various traditions and philosophical systems the have certain features in common. The most well-known systems are Samkhya, Advaita Vedanta, and Yoga. The original idea of Hinduism is the belief in the ultimate reality called Brahman (universal soul) and its classification with the Aatman (individual soul). All creatures go through a cycle of birth and rebirth. The status of the being in each birth is determined by the principle of Karma. Post-Vedic Hinduism in all its forms accepts the doctrine of karma, according to which the individual...
Words: 341 - Pages: 2
...Hinduism Scott Haller HUM/130 February 16th, 2014 University of Phoenix Hinduism is not so much a religion, but more of a set of traditions and beliefs that have evolved over a long period of time. There are quite a few different sects of Hinduism, but they all follow the ancient scriptures called Vedas. Hinduism is one of the oldest living religions in the world and does not have a recorded beginning. It also has no single human founder. Instead, the founder is said to be a semi-mythical sage Kapila. They believe in a Supreme Being and follow certain concepts such as Trust, dharma, and karma. They also believe in the authority of Vedas, which are a revered collection of ancient sacred hymns. The Vedas transcend human time and are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. Hindus worship a variety of gods and goddesses. According to the Vedas, Truth is One, but the wise express it in a variety of ways. Brahman is the one true God who is formless, limitless, all-inclusive, and eternal. He is a true entity that encompasses everything in the universe. Vedas is the ultimate authority. Dharma is the right conduct, righteousness, moral law, and duty. To have dharma as your center means to strive for the right thing all the time. The Hindus believe in reincarnation, which is the thought of the soul leaving the dead body and entering into a new one. The soul...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...Color Symbolism in Hinduism For the Hindu, colors play a very important role in the religion and culture and have a very deep significance, transcending purely decorative values. Hindu artists use color on the deities and their dresses signifying their qualities. Proper use of colors creates an environment, which should keep a person cheerful. Some of the main colors used in religious ceremonies are red, yellow (turmeric), green from leaves, white from wheat flour. etc. Red indicates both sensuality and purity. In Hindu religion, red is of utmost significance and the color most frequently used for auspicious occasions like marriages, birth of a child, festivals, etc. A red mark is put on the forehead during ceremonies and important occasions. As a sign of marriage, women put red powder on the hair parting. They also wear a red sari during marriage. Red powder is usually thrown on statues of deities and phallic symbols during prayers. It is also the color of Shakti (prowess). A red colored dress is put on deities who are charitable, brave, protective, and who have the capacity to destroy evil. On the death of a woman, her body is wrapped in a red cloth for the cremation. Saffron The most sacred color for the Hindu saffron. Represents fire and as impurities are burnt by fire, this color symbolizes purity. It also represents religious abstinence. This color connotation has a sacred meaning for the Hindu. It is the color of holy men and ascetics who have renounced the world. Wearing...
Words: 562 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Jyliene Pozzuolo HUM/130 Robert Rowland November 9, 2014 Hinduism, often considered the third most popular religion in the world, is technically not a religion at all. The only two larger religions are Christianity and Islam. It is considered the world’s oldest religion, considering it precedes recorded history. It is more of a set of beliefs and traditions. Hinduism is also, actually, a broad spectrum of many different religion originations in the Indian subcontinent. It covers Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Hinduism is not just about seeking awareness of a God, but also seeking awareness of one’s inner self. There was no human founder of the Hinduism beliefs. A devout Hindu must personally experience one’s truth within in order to reach the pinnacle of consciousness. The four main denominations of Hinduism are Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism. There are many different ideas and teachings of Hinduism. Hindus believe in an all-encompassing Supreme Being who is an Un-manifest Reality, as well as a creator. There is a belief in the divinity of the four Vedas. The Vedas are considered to be the oldest written scripture in the world. Belief that the universe is constantly undergoing a cycle of creation is a firm belief of Hindus, as well as preservation and dissolution. There is a strong belief in Karma in Hinduism. They believe that every person creates their destiny through their thoughts and actions. In Hinduism, whenever any being dies...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Paper 1 Hinduism Paper William Anderson Hum 130/Philip Engelman Hinduism Paper 2 Hinduism is not a religion but a set of beliefs and traditions. Hinduism is the third oldest existing religion today. Originated in India, Hindu religions have more then a billion followers with the majority living in India. Hinduism derives from the ancient Vedic tradition as well as other beliefs created over a period of 4,000 years. The practice of Dharma, which is the Hindu religions ethics and duties, offers equality in theology, spiritual insights and myths. Samsara, Karma and Moksha are other beliefs. Samsara means the continuing cycle of life, death and rebirth, Karma meaning an action with a cause and effect, and Moksha meaning liberation from the cycle of Samsara. Buddhism and Sikhism religions focus on self-improvement which helps attain a personal spiritual experience. Buddhism and Sikhism originated in India and share similarities but are very different religions. (Morales, (n.d). Hinduism is lacking in a uniting belief system. However, Hinduism is still practiced today and could stay intact for many years. Fighting off attacks from other religions that have tried to destroy Hinduism. Hinduism followers believe their souls are the true self of every person called the Ataman. The two lifelong goals of the Dharmas are the Grihastha Dharma...
Words: 802 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 899 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Nathan Schroeder University of Phoenix Axia College The actual term “Hinduism” was derived by foreigners to give a name to the people living near the Indus River and was used for census purposes. Hinduism is a collective people that have different religious practices but were categorized as Hinduism as a whole. In this paper I will explain what actually makes up the Hindu religion considering there are different practices of it. I will describe cultural and societal influences that make Hinduism vital to the region it originates from. Finally I will explain the desire for liberation from earthly existence or life. In conclusion, from what I have read about this religion and what I have studied so far leads me to believe that the desire to leave the earthly existence is close to my own religion which is Christianity. The Hindu’s want to be rid of the wars, famine, pain, and all the negative things in this world. The liberation from earthly existence in my opinion is the desire to move on to a life that is free from any earthly life similarities. In my religion it is called Heaven, the Hindus just have a different name for this but, and to me it is the same belief. Hindu’s strive to be perfect just as Christians do and want to be rid of the cursed like life on earth. REFERENCES Living Religions, Sixth Edition, by Mary Pat Fisher. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gk1415/hinduism.htm http://www.experiencefestival...
Words: 271 - Pages: 2
...| | |Hinduism | |Tami Vansandt | | | |Axia College of University of Phoenix | |04-14-2009 | | | The importance of absolute truth, according to Hindu philosophy God is the absolute reality. Hinduism is not a set religion; it is beliefs, teachings, guidance, that have grown over a period of time. While there are different sects of Hinduism all follow the ancient scripts called the Vedas. These are an ancient hymns comprised of four parts. There are the Samhita, which worship deities, and which directions on how to sacrifice to the deities are called the...
Words: 655 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Karl Sherman Rel 133 April 3, 2012 Jefferey Hineline Hinduism Concerted as the world third largest religions, and regarded as the world’s oldest organized religions and it’s made up of many different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500BCE. Hinduism differs from other monotheistic religions and Christianity because it does not have a single founder, a single theological system, a single holy text, a single system of morality, a single concept of deity, a central religious authority, and the concept of a prophet, and because of the large differences of Hindu traditions, freedom of belief and practices are worthy features of Hinduism. Hinduism basics and beliefs known as Sanatana Dharma, “the eternal law” in Sanskrit, a religious and classical language of India, is a cluster of different beliefs and as result it is not easy to arrange systematically. An example, some Hindus worship heavenly beings, Devas or deities. (www.peerpapers.com )And there are believed to be thousands of deities that are worshiped in India, but most that practice Hinduism will praise and worship one main deity and acknowledge others as significant. There are three major groupings of deities: Saivites who worship the God Siva, Saktas who worships a Mother Goddess, Vaishnavites who worships the God Vishnu. Hindus also practice spiritual discipline designed to clear the mind and support a state of serene, detached awareness. The practice for increasing...
Words: 979 - Pages: 4
...is University of Phoenix | Hinduism | Religion | 7/20/2010 | Basically, anyone can be of Hindu religion. When we are born we are giving a choice of what religion we want to peruse. A person is not forced to worship or be of one type of religion, but what religion that is chosen predicts was the person will be in the next life. People of Hindu religion are considered to have pure hearts so if you feel that your heart is pure you can consider yourself Hindu. Although flexibility is good is does bring up an argument about the real meaning of Hinduism. Whether or not a person is Hindu or not. The one thing about Hinduism that I believe to be true is that the religion is very flexible. It doesn’t have strict rules on how to worship or what to worship and still can be considered as practicing Hinduism. Hinduism is a different but interesting religion because of its beliefs and how open and flexible it is. “According to historians, the origin of Hinduism dates back to 5,000 or more years. The word “Hindu” is derived from the name of River Indus, which flows through the northwestern India. In the ancient times the river was called the “Sindhu”, but the Persians who migrated to India called the river Hindu (Melissa Lorentz, 2008).” Hinduism is the belief of what you feel such as peace and freedom. People of Hindu religion believe and accept that there is a higher power that is makes the world go round. God is known to have a higher power, and if you believe...
Words: 838 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity and Islam. Sanatana means ageless and believes in the ways that have always existed. Hinduism has no single founder of the religion. Hinduism does not have a bible and does not require practicing one main idea. Hinduism is considered more of a culture than a religion. And, unlike Islam or Christianity, it does not have a single belief system, a central religious organization, did not have a single Prophet/Messianic founder, or a single system of law/morality. Despite this, about 14% of the world’s population consider themselves Hindu, most located on or near the Indian subcontinent. (Religious Tolerance.org, n.d.). It is often quite difficult for westerners to understand Hinduism, not just because of the number of sects that exist within its areas of predominance, but because it does not need the formulization and intellectual overlord that many western religions seem to require. This is why, according to some, Hinduism is seen as a philosophical belief system rather than a religion – but this is likely picking nits since it adheres to most of the formal definitions of “religion.” Because there is no central text, it is sometimes difficult to construct an overview of the context of Hinduism. There is controversy, for instance, as to whether Hinduism is monotheistic or polytheistic – Hindus recognize only one supreme God (Brahman) and that all things constitute an overall unified reality...
Words: 744 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism, which is generally regarded as the worlds oldest organized religion (B.A Robinson), has beliefs and strengths like many religions, however is a very different and diverse practice. Hinduism lacks what is commonly a uniting belief system, in religion. As opposed to being held together by that uniting system, Hinduism is bound by traditions and beliefs which have developed over centuries. Amongst these traditions and beliefs in Hinduism there are different sects, however each one venerates the Vedas. (What Makes Up The Hindu Religion) The Vedas are the main text of Hinduism, such as the Bible to Christianity. Aside from their importance related to Hinduism, the Vedas also donate insight on life in India four thousand years ago. India, is the region of Hindu origination, there is no one person, however that it can be traced to as Hinduism is too old. Through Indo- European tribes invading Northern India, the religion took on influence. (Hinduism, A General Introduction) This influence through invasion took place over thousands of years. When Russia and Central Asia brought their religion of Vedism, which eventually mingled with Hinduism, (Hinduism, A General Introduction) This is the type of societal influences Hinduism faced and conformed well with. As far as cultural influence is concerned, Hinduism is practiced by eighty percent of India's population. Also, according to hindustanlink.com: India is one of the few countries on earth in which the social and religious...
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
