A better understanding about Hinduism , Which many Dont know

• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:24

  Hinduism, the worldÂ’s oldest and third largest religion, believes in a supreme being of many forms who is the cause and foundation of all that exists, and in an immortal soul that undergoes many reincarnations before attaining the ultimate goal of Nirvana.
  
  Hindus pray at the Ganges, their holiest river. Hindus believe that dipping into the river cleanses away sins. There are some 1 billion Hindu devotees worldwide. Of the world religions, only Christianity and Islam have more adherents.
  
  In Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophy inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust.
  
  HINDUISM is the worldÂ’s oldest religion, generally accepted as having its origin in 14th century BC India (but some Hindu scholars say it may have begun earlier).
  
  Unlike Christianity, Hinduism does not have a founder or a specific theological system. It has no central authority or organization. Over the centuries, Hinduism has absorbed hundreds of divergent schools of thought and sects, and renewed itself to meet the changing needs of society without sacrificing its essentials. To a non-Hindu, HinduismÂ’s diversity and richness may be bewildering.
  
  Hindus believe that there are many paths to reach God and oneÂ’s spiritual goal. Consequently, they do not believe in proselytizing or conversion. Today, with just over a billion Hindus, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, after Christianity and Islam.
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:25

  Understanding Hinduism
  
  Scriptures
  
  The Vedas are the basic and authoritative texts of Hinduism. They are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus. Hindus believe that these truths were received by rishis (sages) directly from God and passed on orally to succeeding generations before they were written (on palm leaves) some 1500BC to 2000BC.
  
  The Vedas are SRUTIS which literally means What is heard(Directly from God) . They were NOT to be written down So a certain group of ppl was given the responsibility to memorize and understand different portions of the Vedas and pass it to the next generation
  
  Their cardinal teachings are:
  
  – Everything and every being is divine.
  
  – The goal of life is to manifest this hidden divinity.
  
  – The means are many but the goal is the same.
  
  – Accept and welcome the plurality of faiths because each faith is a way to the same end.
  
  HinduismÂ’s other sacred texts include the Smritis (code of conduct on the personal and social level), Agamas (ritualistic worship and observances), Puranas (stories and allegories promoting ethical values and spiritual truths).
  
  One God, many forms
  
  Hinduism recognizes only one God, Brahman – the Supreme Power who is the cause and foundation of all existence; he is everywhere; and his power is infinite.
  
  Brahman is believed to have many forms and natures and Hindus personify him in different gods or goddesses, each with a specific power – knowledge, prosperity, protection, success etc. While Hindus worship these images of Brahman, they also meditate on him as Pure Consciousness.
  
  From Brahman, three principal gods (known as the Hindu Trinity) emerge: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the absorber. These are not three separate gods but three different aspects of Brahman personifying respectively the creation, sustenance and liberation of each soul.
  
  
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:26

  Worship, rituals
  
  The use of symbols, images and temples helps remind devotees of the existence of God.
  
  At all Hindu temples, rituals and recitation from Hindu scriptures by specially trained priests are an important part of worship. The purpose of external ritualistic worship – prayers (repeating the names of their favourite gods and goddesses and chanting mantras) and offerings (of water, fruit, flowers ) is to keep the mind pure and focused on God.
  
  At most Hindu homes, there is a shrine where family members worship.
  
  Undertaking a pilgrimage is an important aspect of Hinduism. Popular pilgrimage places are rivers, temples, mountains and sacred sites in India where gods and goddesses are believed to have appeared. The river Ganges is the holiest river for Hindus and the city of Varanasi situated at the banks of the Ganges is one of the most important pilgrimage centres.
  
  Cycle of life
  
  When a Hindu dies, it is customary to wear white at the funeral. The body remains at the home until it is taken to the place of cremation. Cremation is considered obligatory for all Hindus except for their children, who are buried. After cremation, the ashes are immersed in a river or in the sea.
  
  Hindus believe that when the physical body dies, the immortal soul is reincarnated. What it is reincarnated into (destiny) is dependent on how the previous life was lived (karma, the accumulated sum of oneÂ’s good and bad deeds). The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth continues until the ultimate goal of life (Nirvana) is reached (after many reincarnations) when the soul loses individual consciousness and becomes one with Brahman.
  
  This union with Brahman can be achieved by four paths or spiritual disciplines. Each path is called a Yoga (the Sanskrit term for “union”) and Hindus are free to take up any of the four or combine all at once.
  
  – Bhakti Yoga leads to union with Brahman by loving him, chanting his name, meditating on his form and performing ritualistic worship.
  – Karma Yoga leads to union with Brahman through selfless action.
  – Gyana Yoga leads to union with Brahman through knowledge.
  – Raja Yoga leads to union with Brahman through meditation and renunciation.
  
  Birth, marriage
  
  Every important event of a HinduÂ’s life has to be sanctified through certain religious rites or sacraments. A rite at the birth of a baby is performed for its longevity, good health and good intellect. Marriage, considered cardinal among the sacraments, is sacred and a lifelong commitment which should never be broken through separation. Divorces are thus very rare among Hindus.
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:27

  Festivals
  
  Hindu festivals are days where Hindus are expected to devote more time for prayer and spiritual practice. In Singapore the major festivals celebrated include Deepavali, the Tamil New Year, Pongal, Thaipusam and Timithi (Fire Walking Festival). Deepavali (which falls usually in October or November) is known as the Festival of Lights as it celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. This is symbolized by the lighting of oil lamps in homes.
  
  
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:29

  Moral principles of Hinduism
  
  HINDUISM ACCEPTS THE concepts of sin and virtue, good and evil. Life in the world is seen as interconnected and interdependent. Hindus are instructed by scriptures to observe non-violence (Ahimsa) and respect for all life because God is believed to permeate all.
  
  In accordance with Ahimsa, most Hindus embrace vegetarianism. Those who do eat meat usually abstain from beef as the cow is considered a sacred animal in Hindu society. The universal virtues of honesty, charity, humility, kindness and compassion are upheld in Hinduism.
  
  Other Hindu principles:
  – Do not hurt or harm anyone whether in thought or action.
  – Follow truth in thought, deed and word.
  – Observe purity and cleanliness of body and mind.
  – Be contented; do not be greedy; and be cheerful.
  – Do not accept from others anything more than that which is absolutely necessary.
  – Regard all life as sacred, to be loved and revered.
  – Study the scriptures and say your prayers.
  – Surrender the fruits of action to God and the self to God.
  – Do not claim Hinduism is superior to other religions.Told by Hindu Religious Teachers
  – Respect all religions which believe in God. Told by Hindu Religious Teachers
  – One who criticizes the religion of others harms his own. Told by Hindu Religious Teachers
  
  Info about the Ganges riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:41

  Law of Karma
  
  The Law of Karma is one of the fundamental doctrines of not only Hinduism, but also of Buddhism and Jainism. As a man sows, so shall he reap. This is the law of Karma. Desire produces Karma. You work and exert to acquire the objects of your desire. Karma produces its fruits as pain and pleasure. You will have to take births after births to reap the fruits of your Karmas. This is the law of Karma. The doctrine of reincarnation or transmigration is a fundamental tenet of Hinduism. You will not cease to exist after death. Before this birth you have passed through countless lives. The word 'reincarnation' literally means coming again into a physical body. The individual soul takes again a mortal vehicle. The individual soul takes again a mortal vehicle. The word 'transmigration' means passing from one plane to another-passing into a new body. The doctrine of rebirth is a corollary to the law of Karma. The differences of disposition that are found between one individual and another must be due to one's respective past actions. Past action implies past birth. Further, all your Karmas cannot certainly bear fruit in this birth alone. Therefore, there must be another birth for enjoying the remaining actions. Each soul has a series of births and deaths. Births and deaths will continue till you attain knowledge of the Self. You do not come into the world in total forgetfulness and in utter darkness. You are born with certain memories and habits acquired in the previous births. Desires take their origin from previous experiences. We find that none is born without desire. Every being is born with some desires, which are associated with the things enjoyed by him in the past life. The desire proves the existence of his soul in the previous lives. Man contains within himself infinite possibilities. The magazine of power and wisdom is within him. He has to unfold the Divinity within. This is the object of living and dying.
• gUms

  23 Nov 07, 07:46

  Thank you , For reading .
  
  This topic is Locked .
  
  If you have any questions , pls pm me or just open a new topic.