Hinduism Religion

Hinduism Paper

Ignacia J. Heyer

Hum/130

3/16/2013

Pablo Cuadra

Religion plays and important role in our lives, in politics, ethnicity, war, peace and in the world as whole. There a variety of religions in this world and since joining a religion is such a personal choice, people usually don’t discuss it. In this paper, I will talk about the religion of Hinduism, beliefs, culture and social influences

Hinduism is the third oldest religion in the world. It was basically originated in India subcontinent. Among other religions, Hinduism is a unit religion because it has not a single founder and was formed by different traditions and beliefs. The name Hinduism was coined by visitors to the people who lived in India. The name was confirmed by the colonial British in the nineteen centuries. The Sanatana Dharma is a variation of multiples Indian religions put together. There are 330 gods in India with different faces. I believe what this mean is that God can descend in different number of ways. (Fisher, 2005)

The Hindu culture has been kept alive by writing the sacred then reveal it to the sages and then passing it from teacher to students. Modern civilization did not affect Hindu beliefs and religion and to this day it is still practice the same way. One of the most popular cultures in India is the sacred cow. Some animals are treated like human with kindness and respect. The reverence for animals is because they believe in reincarnation, and an animal can reincarnate as a god or human. Part of their tradition is that the divine will condemn or protect you per how you lived life before you died. (Fisher, 2005)

The Vedas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana are the most important Hinduism texts which are the foundation of The Sanatana Dharma. Brahman is the Supreme Being who is responsible to maintain the Hindu’s world, the creator that incorporate the worship of many different gods, each god is a representation of Brahman. The Hindu god Vishnu who is the protector, he is considered as the restore of the of the dharma morel order. Who appear in animal form and every time he is needed. The Hindu god Shiva was the destroyer of the world. After he destroy the world Brahman the creator creates it again.

The castle was a five-step system that was created by segregating people per their social status. The Brahmins first group was form by priest and philosophers. The second the Kshatriyas was formed by kings, warrior. The Vaishyas the third group was form by farmer and merchant, the fourth the Shudra was formed by regular workers and the last group formed by very low class people who duties was to do the leftover work, whatever the other group did not want to do. (Fisher, 2005)

Yoga is very popular and plays an important role the Hindus daily life.  The term yoga mean “yoke” or Union”. Yoga is a religion system that requires physical training and decision actions. There is different type’s yoga that provide freedom to human situation. The raja yoga united people with their mind, and it is used by people who wants concentration, with the purpose to gain spiritual knowledge. Jnana yoga takes the mind away from emotion and leads you to find you truth self. It is based on personal experiences and requires deep concentration. The karma yoga leads a person to do the right thing, to act selfless, to be in peace with the divine.

 Bhakti yoga is the spiritual devotion for god. It practices mostly by emotional people. It is base in the doctrine love is God and Gad is love. (Fisher, 2005)

The Hindus desire of liberation from the early existing is because they believe when a person die, only the body get destroyed and the soul reincarnate into another life and form, it could be as an animal or something else. The reincarnation goes on until it reaches the Hindu’s life purpose which is to seek for the ultimate experience absolute reality. When the soul has reached, the ultimate absolute reality will stop the reincarnation process.  This absolute reality is call moksha. The real objective of the ultimate reality is that to escape from karma which is the consequences of your action, to achieve moksha. (Fisher.2005)

In conclusion

Hinduism is vague concept which meaning depends in who is using it. Hindu religion teaches people to be kind, to serve and to love other. They belief that god can present itself in different form. They don’t see animal as we do, they treat them with respect.