Hinduism


Hinduism, according to many scholars, is the world’s oldest religion with roots and customs that date back more than 4,000 years. Today, it’s the 3rd largest religion behind Christianity and Islam, and has around 900 million followers. About 95% of the world’s Hindus live in India. Hinduism is unique in the fact that it’s not a single religion and is instead a collection of many traditions, beliefs, and philosophies. 


Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, meaning they worship a single deity but still recognize other gods and goddesses. In most cases, “Brahman”, the Hindu god of creation, is considered the single, most superior deity. Some beliefs of the religion are the doctrines of samsara, the continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth, and karma, the universal law of cause and effect, aka “what goes around, comes around.” A key thought of Hinduism is “atman”, or belief in soul. One Hindu philosophy is that living creatures have souls and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal followers seek to achieve is “moksha”, or salvation/destiny of human life, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul. Hindus also strive to achieve dharma, the principal attitude that one believes exists in all their actions. Dharma is also pursued as the conduct of honesty, and loyal and moral laws. Understanding the actual meaning of dharma and the concept of it is an achievement and everyone chases to achieve it in their ways.


The primary symbols associated with Hinduism are the swastika and the om. The word swastika means “good fortune” or “being happy” and the symbol itself represents “good luck.” The diagonal version of this symbol became associated with Germany’s Nazi Party after they made it their symbol in 1920. The om symbol is made from 3 Sanskrit letters and represents 3 sounds, a, u, and m, which when combined are considered to be a sacred sound. This symbol is often found at family shrines and in Hindu temples. 


Puja, or Hindu worship, is typically held in mandirs, or Hindu temples. Puja can also take place in homes where many Hindus have a special shrine dedicated to certain gods and goddesses. A big part of the worship is giving offerings. It is common practice to present gifts to a deity and many Hindus take offerings to temples and other sacred sites in India. 


Hindus worship many gods and goddesses. Some of them are Vishnu —the god that preserves and protects the universe, Devi — the goddess that fights to restore dharma, and Saraswati — the goddess of learning. Some Hindu celebrations include Diwali — the festival of light, Navrati — a celebration of fertility and harvest, and Holi — the festival of colors. 





Sources: Hinduism - Origins, Facts & Beliefs - HISTORY, Core Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism – HindusInfo.com

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