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Early History
of Hinduism
Hinduism is
derived from the Persian word for Indian. It differs from
Christianity and other Western religions in that it does not
have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single
system of morality, or religious organization. Its roots are
traceable to the Indus valley civilization circa 4000 to 2200
BCE. Its development was influenced by many invasions over
thousands of years. One of the major influences occurred when
Indo-Europeans invaded Northern India (circa 1500 to 500 BCE)
from the steppes of Russia and Central Asia. They brought with
them their religion of Vedism. These beliefs became mixed with
the indigenous Indian native beliefs.
During the
first few centuries CE, many sects were created, each dedicated
to a specific deity. Typical among these were the Goddesses
Shakti and Lakshmi, and the Gods Skanda and Surya.
Hinduism grew
to become the world's third largest religion, claiming about 13%
of the world's population. It is the dominant religion in India,
and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Hindus totaled 157,015 in
Canada's 1991 census.
Sacred
Texts
The
most important of all Hindu texts is the Bhagavad Gita which is
a poem describing a conversation between a warrior Arjuna and
his charioteer Krishna. Vedism survives in the Rigveda, a
collection of over a thousand hymns. Other texts include the
Brahmanas, the Sutras, and the Aranyakas.
Read the
Bhagavat Gita Online
Hindu Beliefs
and Practices
At the heart
of Hinduism is the panentheistic principle of Brahman, that all
reality is a unity. The entire universe is one divine entity who
is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it
as well. Deity is simultaneously visualized as a triad:
Brahma the
Creator who is continuing to create new realities
Vishnu,
(Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations.
Whenever dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law and
duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one
of ten incarnations.
Siva, the
Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive.
Most Hindus
follow one of two major divisions within Hinduism:
Vaishnavaism:
generally regard Vishnu as the ultimate deity
Shivaism:
generally regard Shiva as the ultimate deity.
Simultaneously,
many hundreds of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are worshipped as
various aspects of that unity. Depending upon ones view,
Hinduism can be looked upon as a monotheistic, or polytheistic
religion.
The Rigveda
defined five social castes. Ones caste determined the range of
jobs or professions from which one could choose. Marriages
normally took place within the same caste. One normally was of
the same caste as one's parents. In decreasing status, the five
castes are:
Brahmins (the
priests and academics)
Kshatriyas
(the military), Vaishyas (farmers and merchants) and Sudras
(peasants and servants). The exact ranking of these three castes
varied among villages.
Harijan (the
outcasts, commonly known as the untouchables)
Although the
caste system was abolished by law in 1949, it remains a
significant force throughout India, particularly in the south.
Humans are
perceived as being trapped in samsara, a cycle of birth,
life, death and rebirth. Karma is the accumulated sum of ones
good and bad deeds. Karma determines how you will live your next
life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be
reborn at a higher level. Eventually, one can escape samsara and
achieve enlightenment. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn
as a lower level, or even as an animal. The unequal distribution
of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural
consequences for ones previous acts, both in this life and in
previous lives.
Meditation is
often practiced, with Yoga being the most common. Other
activities include daily devotions, public rituals, and puja a
ceremonial dinner for a God.
Hinduism has a
deserved reputation of being highly tolerant of other religions.
Hindus have a saying: "Ekam Sataha Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti,"
which may be translated: "The truth is One, but different
Sages call it by Different Names"
Hindu
Sects and Denominations
About
80% of Hindus are Vaishnavites, who worship Lord Vishnu. Others
follow various reform movements or neo-Hindu sects.
Various
sects of Hinduism have evolved into separate religious
movements, including Hare Krishna, Sikhism and Theosophy.
Transcendental Meditation was derived from a Hindu technique of
meditation. The New Age movement has taken many of its concepts
from Hinduism.
Sanskrit
is the language of mantra, of spiritually empowered sounds. Its
usage is to bring our minds back to the consciousness and power
of mantra. Mantra is not just concerned with sound but with
meaning. According to the view of the Yoga of sound, there is
only one meaning in life, which is the Divine or our own Self.
Each thing ultimately means all things. Each object is a symbol
for the universe itself. Words represent this universal meaning
broken down, fragmented and compartmentalized. To cognize any
individual object we must first recognize its ground of being,
which is the Divine. Yet we fail to notice this as it is
immediate and before the activity of our thought and choice. If
we hold to this primacy of being as the meaning of all objects,
all things become doorways to the infinite.
Sloka
us a verse, phrase, proverb or hymn of praise, usually composed
in a specified meter. Especially a verse of two lines, each of
sixteen syllables. Sloka is the primary verse form of the
Sanskrit epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana
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"The
Nectar of Self Awareness"
I
honor the God and the Goddess
The
eternal parents of the universe.
The
lover, out of boundless love,
takes
the form of the Beloved.
What
Beauty!
Both
are made of the same nectar
and
share the same food.
Out
of supreme love
they
swallow each other up.
But
separate again
for
the joy of being two.
They
are not completely the same
but
neither are they different.
None
can tell exactly what they are.
How
intense is their longing
to
be with each other.
This
is their greatest bliss.
Never,
even in jest,
Do
they allow their unity
to
be disturbed.
They
are so averse to separation
That
even though they have become
this
entire world,
Never,
for a moment, do they let a difference
come
between them.
Even
though they see
all
that is animate and inanimate,
as
arising from within themselves,
Never
do they recognize a third
They
sit together
in
the same place,
both
wearing a garment of light.
From
the beginning of time
they
have been together,
Reveling
in their own Supreme love.
The
difference they created
to
enjoy this world
Had
one glimpse of their intimacy
And
could not help
but
merge back into the bliss
found
in their union.
Without
God ,
there
is no Goddess
Without
Goddess,
there
is no God.
How
sweet is their love!
The
entire universe
is
too small to contain them
Yet
they live happily
in
the tiniest particle...
Embracing
each other
they
merge into One,
As
darkness merges with the light,
At
the breaking of dawn.
When
we discover their Unity
All
words and all thoughts
dissolve
into silence
Just
a when the Universal deluge comes.
the
waters of the ocean, and of the Ganges,
will
merge into one...
A
reflected image disappears
When
the mirror is removed,
Ripples
merge back into the water
when
the wind becomes still.
When
sleep comes to an end
a
man returns to his own senses.
Now
my individuality has come to an end,
and
I have returned to Shiva and Shakti.
Salt
gives up it's salty taste
to
become one with the ocean;
I
gave up my individual self
and
became Shiva and Shakti
When
the covering is removed
the
air inside a plantain tree
merges
with the air outside.
and
this is how I honor Shiva and Shakti---
By
removing all separation and
Becoming
one with them.
-----Jnaneshwar
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Hindu
Art
The
cowherd boys and girls are playing the game of
hide-and-seek, on the outskirts of the village.Radha has hidden
herself in a clump of bushes.Krishna discovers her, and makes
use of the opportunity for love-making.
dou
chora milichani
khelu
na kheli aghata
durata
hiyain laptai kai
chhuvata
hiyain laptata
"Playing the game of hide-and-seek,
the two are not satisfied with its pleasures.
When one seeks the other,
they cling to each other in a warm embrace."
(Click here for more paintings and anecdotes
like the above)
Hindu Temple Art
Other Interesting Information related to India and Hinduism
Many Hindu Links
Hindu Calendar
Hindu Religious Information
Dharma
India Glossary
- Brahmin
The Bhagvat Gita
An Intro to
Hinduism
The Mystic Shoppe's
Hinduism Guide
Another Quiz: Test Your
Hinduism IQ
Hindu
Universe Interactive
Intro to Hindu Dharma
Sites on Hinduism
an
Introduction to Hinduism
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Online Hinduism
Today Hinduism
Encyclopedia American
Museum of Natural History Exhibit on Hinduism in the Home Hindu
Kids Hindu
women resources India
Divine Finding
Siva: One person's personal journey
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