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Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant religious tradition of the Indiasubcontinent.
Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma (a Sanskrit phrase meaning
"the eternal law") by its adherents. We got the name as Hindu only after the European
interference with our nation and culture. They called Indians as Hindus because
they were pronuncing the name "Sindhu (a secret rever of India)" as "Hindu" and
people on the banks of that rever as Hindus. That means Hindu / Hindusium is not
a name of an culture, but, it is the name given by the Europeans who are living
in India or in the banks of the rever "Sindhu". So name of our culture is very much
as "Sanata Darhma". Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety
of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in Vaishnavism.
Hinduism also includes yogic traditions and a wide spectrum of "daily morality"
based on the notion of karma and societal norms such as Hindu marriage customs.
Among its roots is the historical Vedic religion of Iron Age India, and as such
Hinduism is often called the "oldest living religion" or the "oldest living major
tradition". Hinduism is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder.
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam, with
approximately one billion adherents, of whom approximately 905 million live in India.Other
countries with large Hindu populations can be found across southern Asia.
Hinduism's
vast body of scriptures are divided into Śruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered")
texts. These scriptures discuss theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide
information on the practice of dharma (religious living). Among these texts, the
Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity.
Other major scriptures include the Puranas and the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.
The Bhagavad Gita, a treatise from the Mahābhārata, spoken by Krishna
, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.
Hinduism
does not have a "unified system of belief encoded in declaration of faith or a creed",
but is rather an umbrella term comprising the plurality of religious phenomena originating
and based on the Vedic traditions.
The term Hindu in origin is a Persian word in
use from the time of the Delhi Sultanate, referring to any tradition that is native
to India as opposed to Islam. Hindu is used in the sense of "Indian pagan" in English
from the 17th century, but the notion of Hinduism as an identifiable religious tradition
qualifying as one of the world religions emerged only during the 19th century.
The
characteristic of comprehensive tolerance to differences in belief, and Hinduism's
dogmatic openness, makes it difficult to define as a religion according to traditional
Western conceptions. Although Hinduism is a clear practical concept to the majority
of its adherents, many express a problem arriving at a definition of the term, mainly
because of the wide range of traditions and ideas incorporated within it or covered
by it. While sometimes referred to as a religion, Hinduism is more often defined
as a religious tradition. It is therefore described as both the oldest of the world's
religions, and the most diverse. Most Hindu traditions revere a body of religious
or sacred literature, the Vedas, although there are exceptions. Some Hindu religious
traditions regard particular rituals as essential for salvation, but a variety of
views on this co-exist. Some Hindu philosophies postulate a theistic ontology of
creation, of sustenance, and of destruction of the universe, yet some Hindus are
atheists. Hinduism is sometimes characterized by the belief in reincarnation (samsara),
determined by the law of karma, and the idea that salvation is freedom from this
cycle of repeated birth and death. However, other religions of the region, such
as Buddhism and Jainism, also believe in karma, outside the scope of Hinduism. Hinduism
is therefore viewed as the most complex of all of the living, historical world religions.
Despite its complexity, Hinduism is not only one of the numerically largest faiths,
but is also the oldest living major tradition on earth, with roots reaching back
into prehistory.
A definition of Hinduism, given by the first Vice President of
India, who was also a prominent theologian, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, states that
Hinduism is not "just a faith", but in itself is related to the union of reason
and intuition. Radhakrishnan explicitly states that Hinduism cannot be defined,
but is only to be experienced. Similarly some academics suggest that Hinduism can
be seen as a category with "fuzzy edges", rather than as a well-defined and rigid
entity. Some forms of religious expression are central to Hinduism, while others
are not as central but still remain within the category. Based on this, Ferro-Luzzi
has developed a 'Prototype Theory approach' to the definition of Hinduism.
Problems
with the single definition of what is actually meant by the term 'Hinduism' are
often attributed to the fact that Hinduism does not have a single or common historical
founder. Hinduism, or as some say 'Hinduisms,' does not have a single system of
salvation and has different goals according to each sect or denomination. The forms
of Vedic religion are seen not as an alternative to Hinduism, but as its earliest form, and there is little justification for the divisions found in much western
scholarly writing between Vedism, Brahmanism, and Hinduism.
A definition of Hinduism
is further complicated by the frequent use of the term "faith" as a synonym for
"religion". Some academics and many practitioners refer to Hinduism using a native
definition, as Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law",
or the "eternal way".
Beliefs
Temple carving at Hoysaleswara temple representing
the Trimurti: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Hinduism refers to a religious mainstream
which evolved organically and spread over a large territory marked by significant
ethnic and cultural diversity. This mainstream evolved both by innovation from within,
and by assimilation of external traditions or cults into the Hindu fold. The result
is an enormous variety of religious traditions, ranging from innumerable small,
unsophisticated cults to major religious movements with millions of adherents spread
over the entire subcontinent. The identification of Hinduism as an independent religion
separate from Buddhism or Jainism consequently hinges on the affirmation of its
adherents that it is such.
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include (but are not
restricted to), Dharma (ethics/duties), Samsāra (The continuing cycle of birth,
life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation
from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).
(Source: Internet) |
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