HINDUSIM (Brief )

1.       HINDUSIM  (Brief )

Hinduism is perhaps the oldest religions of the world. According to Veda scripture , Hinduism is  more like a tree that has grown gradually than like a building that has been erected by some great architect at some definite point in time. It contains within itself the influences of many cultures and the body of Hindu thought thus offers as much variety as the indian nation itself.

Some of the important religious texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the upanisads , the puranas, the Dharma sutras and Dharma-sastras, the Ramayana , the Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita. In the case, not only it is that Hinduism has no one as its definite founder and on books as its one exclusive text but also that it has got no well-defined rigid and dogmatic principles of faith or practice. As a matter of fact, the way of worship or prayer or any other such way is not the only way of realizing god or attaining salvation. There are various ways, of which Hinduism more often speaks of three the way of knowledge, the way of action and the way of worship and prayer.

Hinduism is not only a religion but a social system and a tradition too. There have basic features of Hinduism as a religion it is as below.

1.      Hinduism is a complex religion admitting of vast differences of beliefs and practices amongst its followers.

2.      It is polytheistic, monotheistic , monistic and atheistic all a time same

3.      Belief in the authority of the vedas and belongingness to one of the four varnas are more or less essential marks of anyone being a hindu.

4.      Hinduism, whether it be theistic or atheistic, believe in an overall supremacy of the spiritual ove the profance and material.

5.      Quite in consonance with the above belief.

6.      In continuation of its belief in the immortality of soul

7.      This transmigration of soul from one body to  another is not however taken as something desirable in Hinduism.

8.      Action done with a sense of attachment.

9.      Hinduism firmly believes that release from this cycle of birth and rebirth is possible and this release is called moksha.

10.   Monksha is possible by adopting any of the paths that path of knowledge.

11.   Moksha is life eternal in which soul becomes free from all worldly suffering and attains its original pure spiritual nature.

Beside on those above rule of condition, the practitioner follows by Hinduism. The concept of God, Hindu belief in God ranges from polytheism through abstract monism to a concrete monotheism. Vedas are regarded as the most original source of hindu faith and they are clearly polytheistic in nature. They abound in various god and goddesses  of whom yaruna, mitra, agni and indra it is seem to be prominent.

There is no definite theory of creation in Hinduism about the world. There is at least one Hindu system of thought the samkhya system which believes that the world is a product of evolution. We have the biggest questions in Hinduism that who verily knows and who can here declare it , whence it was born and whence came this creation ? the gods are later then this world’production. Who knows then, whence it first came into being. God created the world , one the others hand, as to the nature and status of the world, the general hindu belief is that atthough the world is dependent upon god. In hindulism , there are several views about world among then samkarai view himself quite unambiguously says that although on the ultimate leveal the world is not  real and what is real is brahman and brahman alone on the pratical level the world is fully real and all its activities have a real significance.

Man has been given a very high status. He is not only the highest creature of the world but he is often given a status equal to God. However essential greatness, men as he stands here in the world, is a victim of ignorance and it in bondage. Hinduism allows freedowm to man is sometimes disputed. It is said that the law of karma is not a symbol of man’s freedom.

Hindu approach to suffering is more practical than theoretical and according to it for the most part suffering is attributed to one’s own past karmas rather than to any other agency. The main problem is to get rid of this suffering rather than to explain it. Again suffering is not any specific feature of life it is life or existence itself. The above many be taken as an explanation of individual suffering according with karma. Suffering is due to ignorance about the true nature of reality. Therefore mainly consists in holding that man himself and not God , is responsible for this suffering and evils he can remove it by his own efforts.

Life all other religions hinuism also believes that life of man does not end with his physical death. The immortal soul of man endures even after the death of his body but what happens to the soul after the death of the body. The idea of rebirth in hindu faith is  essentially bound up with the idea of karma. The vedas believe that life after death the spirit of man is sent to heaven or hell in consequence of good or bad actions done by him on earth. However in popular hindu belief ideas of heaven and hell are also present and it is not very clear how the hindus relate the ideas of heaven and hell with the idea of rebirth.

Destiny of man is the attainment of moksha according with Hinduism. Hmoksha means release or liberation which is opposed to bandhan or bondage. Liberation in Hinduism, of course means freedom from all sorts of worldly bonds specifically freedowm from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Naturally knowledge is regarded as the means to liberation. In any case knowledge seems necessary for moksha.  It is kama actions which is bind, and therefore they must be checked . ethics cannot have any place in Hinduism as a means to liberation. The way of hindu prayer mostly consists of the silent recitation of mantras which are repeated for long hours Sometimes simple repeating of the name of god such as Ram Ram.

Hinduism is also divided into certain sects. However the hindu sects have never been set completely apart from each other and there is a perfect understanding between them. Hinduism has many kind of sects such as vaishanvim  and saktism.  The principal sects in modern times certain social and religious reformers have been able to attract certain hindus around them to form new groups within Hinduism.

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