About Hinduism

Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions. There are over 900,000 Hindus in the U.S.

Founder

There is no specific founder of Hinduism, however, the culture has been proven to be practiced prior to 2,000 B.C., associated with the Harappa culture — an ancient culture practiced by people who lived by the Indus River valley. Early scriptures, known as the Vedas, have been discovered in India, from 1,500 B.C. These scriptures contain ancient chants, gods, and even a record of the origin of the universe! Many of the gods and practices described in these books relate somewhat closely to modern-day Hinduist gods, even though the Vedas' exact origin and religion is unknown. It is believed that ancient people, the Aryans, are the ones who brought Hinduism to the modern-day Indian region around 2,000 B.C. by migration.

There are four separate text collections that make up the Vedas:

1. Rig Veda - hymn knowledge contains more than a thousand chants to the different Aryan gods, also includes a record of the origin of the universe
2. Yajur Veda - ceremonial knowledge matter for recitation during sacrifice
3. Sama Veda - chant knowledge instructional music elaborations of vedic chants
4. Atharva Veda - knowledge from (the teacher) Atharva everyday prayers and chants, ex. For protection

Hinduism includes a wide range of traditions — polytheistic (many gods), monotheistic (one god), and even non-theistic (no gods at all). Usually, a Hindu has loyalty to one specific god.

Major Deities

Three of the most important gods in Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They are often linked together and called "Trimurti" (triple form).

1. Brahma - Represents the creator of the universe. Although Brahma has had much less importance in recent years, he is still often represented in art and is still widely known
2. Vishnu - The universe’s preservation, and loving-kindness. He is a god commonly associated with the sun in the Vedas. Today, Vishnu is one of the most important gods in India, with an estimated three-fourths of India’s Hindus devoted to him, and the most popular incarnation of Vishnu is Krishna.
3. Shiva - A god of re-creation, but also a god of destruction. Shiva is mostly worshipped in Kashmir and southern India.

Some other gods:

• Devi: The Great Mother
• Durgi: Divine Feminine, overcomes forces of evil
• Kali: Divine Feminine, dark, protective of her children
• Ganesha: son of Shiva, helps devotees overcome obstacles
• Saraswati: consort of Brahma, contributor to the arts, music, and culture
• Lakshmi: shakti of Vishnu, supplies good luck and protection

Practices

Primary goal in Hinduism is moksha, or achieving complete freedom. It is up to the individual to find the best way of reaching God, as well as the individual being responsible for their own actions and consequences. However, there is no central authority or individual holy book, so the way one Hindu practices their religion may contrast drastically with the way another does, yet neither will be considered incorrect nor be criticized. It is not a missionary religion and tolerates religious diversity. For the Hindu, all paths lead to ultimate reality, and each path is appropriate to the individual who follows it. Click here for a world map of Hinduism.

Major Beliefs

Karma: the belief that what an individual does will eventually cycle back to them. Karma can be thought of as the cosmic balance between all of one's good and bad deeds from all past lives. Karma is actually considered negative; it is something of which people want to be free. It is karma that holds persons in the cycle of death and rebirth that drives reincarnation, another Hinduist belief. Breaking karma is achieved by way of a three-fold path: (1) The way of works, (2) the way of knowledge, and (3) the way of devotion.

Samsara: the hoop of life, which is the cycle of consistent rebirth. The Hindus believe that an individual is constantly being reborn, and this cycle just continues forever.

Moksha: Moksha is described in ancient Hindu texts, called the Upanishads, and it means “freedom”. This is often illustrated as the ultimate human goal.

Cremation: Most Hindus believe in cremation after death, often to convert the body back into the basic and earthly elements that releases the spirit and allows it to move forward in the cycle of life to be reborn again.

Sects and Denominations

There are no specific sects and denominations clearly defined in Hinduism, since it is up to an individual to decide the way he or she tries to reach god or achieve freedom. There is no specific book or holy text that outlines the religion, making it somewhat flexible. The way one Hindu practices their religion may be drastically different to another's, especially depending on which god they have chosen to worship, but neither will be criticized or corrected. It is not a missionary religion and tolerates religious diversity. For the Hindu, all paths lead to ultimate reality, and each path is appropriate to the individual who follows it.

The Hare Krishna movement is the most well-known to Americans. They are the only branch of Hinduism that advocates preaching.

Major Writings

• The Vedas - ancient scriptures of India
• Upanishads - an estimated hundred works that discuss reality
• The Bhagavad Gita - long epic that teaches about how the Pandavas conquered the Kuaravas with the help of Krishna (the god)

Did you know: The right-handed swastika is a Hindu symbol that means "it really is!" It is used in Hindu temples, homes, and ceremonies as an affirmation of good luck, health and prosperity. It is not a Nazi symbol and does not represent hate or destruction. Learn more...

Major Holidays and Celebrations

Religious celebrations occur quite often in India and are commonly associated with the seasons, such as the celebration of the arrival of spring, called Holi. Then again, many major celebrations, like Divali and Durga Puja, are done to recognize a major event or even the birth of a God.

• Divali remembers the return of Rama and Sita, in which common practices include cleaning, lights, and illumination in the streets.
• Durga Puja recognizes the goddess Durga and her ability to overcome evil, and is celebrated in December. The festival includes dancing and statues of Durga being dipped in water.

Places of Worship

• Pilgrimage to Mt. Kailas, which is known to be the home of Shiva
• Visiting Hardwar, where Hindus can bathe in the Ganges, which is known to be the hair of Shiva
• Hindu local temple, usually has an object or images depicting a worshipped god.

Pictured above is a highly decorated pagoda of a Hindu temple in Singapore.

Religious Leadership

Although a somewhat flexible religion, religious leadership certainly still exists today. One major tenant is Hindu social life is the caste system, where society and people are organized into social classes, according to their family bloodlines and their traditional profession.

Caste System

1. Priest (Brahmin) - performs highest Vedic rituals and acts as counselor
2. Warrior (Kshatriya) - protects the general people
3. Merchant (Vaishya) - includes landowners, loaners, and sometimes craftsmen
4. Peasant (Shudra) - Common laborer, expected to serve the higher castes
5. Untouchable (Dalit), but Ghandi also gave them the name of Harijan (God's children) - does the dirtiest work (slaughtering animals, etc.) , and, as the name implies, are untouchable, they are considered lowest in the caste system as well as unclean. However, in recent years the government has abolished this caste, and equal rights were given to these Indians, although they are still treated lowly and do many of the same jobs

Hinduism Acting with Other Religions

Because it is an ethnic religion, concentrated in India and Nepal, Hinduism has not had significant mingling with other religions. However, missionaries traveling to India (i.e., Christian missionaries) have noticed issues, like neglect of untouchables in the caste system. Also, Britain has rejected this rigid system since the 1800s. In this, government has eventually, in recent years, seen these valid problems and addressed them, even if the people have not completely resolved it among themselves.

Learn More

Molloy, Michael. "Chapter 3: Hinduism." Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. Fifth ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. 78-113. Print.

Richards, P. S., Keller, R. R. & Smith, T. B. Religious and Spiritual Diversity in Counseling and Psychotherapy. In Practicing Multiculturalism Affirming Diversity in Counseling and Psychology, Smith, T.B., ed. New York, 2004.

Rubenstein, James M. "Chapter 6: Religion." The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. Tenth ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. 168-205. Print.

Information provided by Zoe Terwilliger