Comparing and contrasting hinduism with christianity. Christianity offers its followers an explicit account of the creation of the world and of human beings. Building background hinduism is the only major religion from the distant past that is still vibrant today. Priests gathered the hymns into four collections called vedas vayduhz. Hindus tend to treat these selectively, combining preferred elements of. Hinduism does not render the upholders of such views unfit to be recognised as pious and honourable members of the hindu religious society. Basic types of hindu practices basic types of hindu practices research papers look at a sample of an order placed for the practices of the religion of hinduism, with specific citation instructions. In hinduism, karma literally meaning actions or deeds is the understanding of how purposeful acts effect the fortune of any given person in this life and the next. Merging with siva, hinduisms contemporary metaphysics is a guide for one who is ready to diligently walk the spiritual path. Major beliefs of hinduism and pracitices in hinduism.
Pdf on jan 1, 2014, ashok vohra and others published hinduism. Ppt hinduism powerpoint presentation free to view id. Nor do hindus have a simple set of rules to follow like the ten commandments. Hinduism is not born of the teachings of particular prophets. Populated by an infinite amount of gods, the belief system is open to adopting any of the gods produced by younger religions. It is concerned with the beliefs and practices of religions in their social, cultural and historical setting.
Hindus believe that karma is a law of nature, not a system that the gods enforce, and it effects both a persons current and next life. Hinduism is prevalent in india and is based on the vedas, which are four sacred texts. Dharma, karma, artha, and moksha are the four major beliefs of hinduism. It was used to refer to a diversity of socioreligious beliefs and practices that have long been prevalent in the indian subcontinent,and whose origins date all the way.
This article discusses the rituals of death followed by the hindus in odisha, an eastern state in india. The sikh religion began with guru nanak who rejected idolatry and caste in favor of equality based on the belief that the creator is present in all of creation without regard to rank, gender, or color. The roles of major practices in passing on of beliefs in hinduism by. The principles and practices of hinduism are derived from the vedas and. Sikhism basic beliefs and practices faq learn religions. Key foundational beliefs that many protestant denominations hold, and that most nonprotestants agree with. Hinduism, native to india, developed from a variety of historical beliefs and traditions. Reincarnation and karma are the primary mechanisms of hinduism. Precise dating for the merging of sri and laksmi remains unclear. Julius lipners hindus is widely recognised as essential reading for everyone wishing to understand one of the worlds great religious traditions. The founding of hinduism cannot be tied to a specific person or event.
The sects will exist as long as they are relevant and in due course of time disappear, transform or merge into other sects. Goddesses in the hindu tradition publikationsserver ub marburg. Merging with siva, hinduism s contemporary metaphysics is a guide for one who is ready to diligently walk the spiritual path. Worship customs vary, but prayers, mantras and offerings are just some of the many methods practiced by all hindus. Dharma is the religious duty of people to follow the principals of the cosmic order, including the rules that guide the morality of all human beings. Hinduism embraces a diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements. Tolerance in hinduism practical philosophy and rational. Guide to understanding hinduism and the hindu religion, beliefs, customs, rituals, gods, mantras and converting to hinduism shalu sharma. Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma, eternal religion or eternal truth. Buddhism and hinduism have common origins in the ganges culture of northern india during the so called second urbanisation around 500 bce. Over the centuries this religious tradition has slowly evolved to be practiced and understood in many different ways, but it is intricately woven into the land and culture of india. He said that every single system and practice had its own place in. Hinduism people places practices philosophies c symbol of the hindu tradition is the sanskrit letter om, the sound of the sacred.
Hinduism consists of many different beliefs and practices and is called sanatana dharma by its adherents. It also depicts the rich color and diversity of the many dimensions of hinduism, and deals with the fundamental beliefs which this introduction to hinduism assumes no. Swami vivekananda was a late 19th century hindu guru and philosopher who truly revolutionized hinduism and brought it in front of the world stage. Hinduism from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition 3 of the indian subcontinent. The six divisions of philosophy are the instruments of demonstrating truth. An ancient religion with prehistoric roots, it represents several traditions. Comparing and contrasting hinduism with christianity creation. A good response will begin with a brief summary of relevant basic concepts andor definition of.
Authors come from a variety of backgrounds and approach the study of religious beliefs and practices from their different points of view. Hinduism has spread outside of india several times. Hinduism was an english invention that bracketed several distinct, mutually hostile religions into one umbrella. Ancient india hinduism and buddhism hinduism hindu practices grew from the mingled beliefs, written down as hymns, of many groups in india. Ancient india hinduism, buddhism, and the caste system. One can believe a variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu. The chief concern of those of hindu religious conviction is not the existence or nonexistence of. Indians call it sanatana dharma, the faith with no beginning and no end. Hinduism comprises the religion and culture of the great majority of the people of india, a country tipped to become a world superpower politically, economically and culturally in the course of the present century. One can believe a wide variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu. Beliefs and practices choice outstanding title, 1997. Hinduism religious literacy project harvard university. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world.
One result of this is that there are many forms of hinduism and many beliefs however, one of the main ideas behind hinduism is the idea of dharma or duty. They have shared parallel beliefs that have existed side by side, but also. For example, some hindus worship many devas, or heavenly beings, while others pay special attention to only a few. Hinduism also known as sanatana dharma, is the oldest living religion in the world.
It is considered to be the worlds oldest organized religion. He saw the widely varying beliefs and practices of hinduism as its greatest strength. The three basic teachings of hinduism are dharma, karma and moksha. It focuses on hindu religious beliefs and sociocultural practices regarding death. However, unlike many other religions, hinduism does not have one main founder, or leader. Reincarnation means the soul or atman takes a new body after death and it grows and matures and repeats this cycle until it attains moksha. An indian hindustani or person of indian heritage, who is neither a muslim, nor a sikh, buddhist, christian, jain, parsi or follower of any such religion. Hinduism beliefs and basics known as sanatana dharma, or the eternal law in sanskrit, hinduism is a conglomeration of different beliefs that have evolved in the indian subcontinent over millennia. Young girls are conditioned such a way that they themselves prefer staying away from taking. Hinduism beliefs and practices hinduism is a very ancient religious tradition that ordinarily do not fit into the known definitions of an organized religion such as christianity, or buddhism or islam. Buddhism and hinduism were both born on the indian subcontinent and share many spiritual practices and goals.
A hindu monasterytemple complex in hawaii of the tamil saivite tradition, home to two dozen monks, pilgrimage destination for sincere devotees, highly respected producer of contemporary, worldclass, hindu religious publications. Other major beliefs of hinduism are the concept of reincarnation and it is also the central belief in hinduism. Hinduism is not an organized religion and has no single, systematic approach to teaching its value system. There are certainly fundamental differences between the two religions, but since buddhism first emerged around 530 b. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Hindu gods represent different divine forces, and followers worship them at home or in temples. Hinduism, and the various systems of hindu thought. Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements.
Bhakti refers to devotion, participation in and the love of a personal god or a representational god by a devotee. Hinduism, the religion followed by 800 million people in india and 100 million in the rest of the world, encompasses a wide variety of beliefs and rituals. Once every 12 years over 10 million people take part in communal bathing where the waters of ganges and jumna combine. The importance of right conduct in hinduism induism has no one main founder like the buddha or jesus or the prophet muhammad or guru nanak. The third edition includes chapters on the origins of hinduism as well as its history of relations with buddhism, christianity, and islam. Religious interactions with the coronavirus pandemic. Practices of hinduism o rituals for the beginning of life o name giving ceremony o the thread ceremony o marriage ceremony o. Hinduism, one is indifferent to the others beliefs, faith and ways of wor ship. Although it originated in india, today hinduism is a world religion practiced in every part of the world. Each school has interpreted, assimilated and correlated the various parts of the vedas in its own way. Practices and beliefs of hinduism linkedin slideshare. It evolved over a period of time into a complex set of religious traditions constituting what we today know as hinduism. The principles and practices of hinduism are derived from the vedas and upanishads, which are called shrutis the revealed texts and smritis the remembered texts. The other paths, left to the choice of a hindu, are jnana marga path of knowledge, karma marga path of works, raja marga path of contemplation and meditation.
It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. Local, regional, caste, and communitydriven practices influence the interpretation and practice of beliefs throughout the hindu world. Hinduism is a way of life, a worldview, a philosophy and is a complex system of religions. The creation story also indicates a definite ending to this created order. Hinduism is defined and described in a variety of ways, as the following items indicate. I have seen girls barred from entering temples and holy places of worship during their menstrual cycles. Summary of hinduism beliefs meaning of name hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river. Hindus practice religion at home and in temples and through the many festivals.
Some focus mainly on questions of history, teachings, customs and ritual. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Based on the prehistoric vedic text, it is a faith in constant change. That means people of hindustan and their descendants who do not follow any of th. The aryans, who began moving into india around 1500. What are some bad practices in hinduism that still exist. It is about living religion what it is to be a hindu in todays world. Bhakti marga is considered in hinduism as one of many possible paths of spirituality and alternate means to moksha. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. Topics including abortion, afterlife, atonement, environment, evolution, homosexuality, salvation, sin, souls, virgin birth, etc.
Hinduism or sanatana dharma did not exist before the english, but was created by them in order to reward the brahmins for loyal services during anglobrahmin rule. Hindu philosophy has six divisionsshaddarsanathe six darshanas or ways of seeing things, usually called the six systems or schools of thought. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Sikhism is a faith having both spiritual and secular components. Hinduism is the worlds oldest organized religion existing for 4500 years. Hindus the library of religious beliefs and practices. The key principles, beliefs and concepts of hinduism.
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