Hinduism religion Essay

Hindiism is the devotion of the peachy majority of the parklandwealth of India. The word comes from the Sanskrit sindhu, river, and origin al whizzy referred to the Indus. Hinduism is actually a befoolion of homophiley native Indian religions, past and present. It is responsible for the social organise of India, especially for the caste system (a hereditary class system). Hinduism has some 684,000,000 adherents, most cognize of whom depart in India. The rest fuck in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and countries with Indian settlements. The oldest of the worlds great religions, Hinduism is the only one without a founder.It has never tried to win turns by force and has always tolerated different religions and existencetled ideas from them (Chaudhuri 291). Hinduism has closely(predicate) 20 sects, with beliefs that range from antiquated forms of animism to the highest reaches of mysticism and philosophical system. Many of the sects and cults seem to be freestanding religions. Y et all take a crap a family relationship since they spring from common traditions and thrive on the conditions peculiar to India. nigh ware a mystic flesh and all stress nonviolence. Hinduism began to develop more or less 1500 B. C.while the Vedas were being composed and collected. Vedic Hinduism, or Vedism, had human racey personality gods, who were appealed to and appeased by prayers and sacrifices. A second stage, called Brahminic Hinduism, appe atomic number 18d about 1000 B. C. In this stage religion had fallen under the control of the Brahmins, or priests, who used magic rites in efforts to enamour and control the gods (Wilkins 114). A third gunpoint opened about 800 B. C. with the wild doctrine of the Upanishads. Salvation was sought, not through sacrifices and rites, plainly through knowledge.Six schools of Hindu philosophy arose, the most important being those of Yoga and Vedanta. In the sixth deoxycytidine monophosphate B. C. Jainism and Buddhism arose as illu minate movements at heart Hinduism but both became separate religions. Moslem invaders conquered India after the 10th deoxycytidine monophosphate A. D. Hinduism withstood the rival religion Islam but cloaked a few features from it. The clash in the midst of the two religions led to the founding of Sikhism in the 19th century. In the 19th century de go badry boyian and western ideas presented a parvenuefangled challenge. Several Hindu reform movements borrowed from delivery boyianity and the West.When India became single-handed in 1947 the conflict between Hindus and Moslems coerce a division of the country, the Moslem component becoming Pakistan (Wilkins 121)). II. Discussions A. Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism. Nearly all the sects and cults notice the Vedas (revealed knowledge), the ancient collections of phantasmal writings. The Rig-Veda, whose origins credibly go back to before 1500 B. C. , consists of about 1,000 hymns and prayers addressed to various deities. La ter Vedas argon the Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda. The philosophical portions of the Vedas atomic number 18 the Upanishads (approaches).These atomic number 18 speculative treatise dealing with the nature of man and the universe. The primeval doctrine is that of the identity of the individual soul with the universal soul (Brahman), or perfection (Kinsley 205). Brahman exists through a ternary of gods. Brahman is the principle of creation, Vishnu of preservation, and Siva of destruction. In addition to this trinity, most villages have their suffer godlings, demons, spirits, and ghosts to which the people force sacrifices and prayers. Vishnu is intendd to have appe ard from metre to time in avatars, or perceive incarnations, in both animal and benevolent forms.The highest human forms are Rama and Krishna, who are adore as savior deities (Chaudhuri 297). Hinduism has many religious objects and presents. The cow is the most sacred of animals and requisite be pr otected. Most sacred of all places is the Ganges River, to which millions go each grade to bathe and to become purified. Hindus believe in rebirth, or reincarnation, and in what they call the impartiality of karma. Under this law the conditions of each new lifetime are determined by the actions of the preceding life. To the Hindu, salvation consists of liberating the soul from appendage to worldly desires in order to nominate union with Brahman.If a Hindu dies change state he must be innate(p) again into this world and again reside its suffering (Chaudhuri 299). The Vedas describe four master(prenominal) castes. 1. The Brahmins exercise spiritual power. (Brahmin is as nearly spelled Brahman). 2. The Kshatriyas are warriors who exercise secular power. 3. The Vaisyas are merchants and cultivators. 4. The Sudras are artisans and laborers. Indian society has thousands of castes and subcastes, each of which identifies itself with one of the four castes in Hindu literature. soci al station in a caste is ground on family association and occupation.Below the castes are the outcastes, or untouchables, who historically have been denied recognized social rights. The Indian constitution of 1950 criminalize discrimination against untouchables. The scriptures do not make the caste system an essential share of Hinduism, but it is perpetuated by tradition (Wilkins 139). Hindu worship for most part takes place in the home. A Hindu temple or shrine is considered an abode of god and is not used for communal worship. on that point are kinds of Hindu clergy. Temple priests collect offerings and care for the temples and shrines. Domestic priests perform rites involving births, marriages, and deaths.Gurus are spiritual teachers. Sadhus are monks most alert in monasteries, but many live as wandering mendicants (beggars) (Chaudhuri, 304). B. saviour Christ and Hinduism The original basic beliefs of Christianity are verbalise in the Apostles Creed. It affirms that J esus Christ is the discussion of God and that God sent him to soil to live as a man and to suffer and die for the redemption of mankind. It also states the belief that Jesus, after being crucified, arose from the unwarranted and ascended to heaven, from which he will return to reality to judge the living and the dead.Belief that Jesus was born of a virgin aim and that there is a life for man after death are essential parts of the creed (Kinsley 211-212). Mans need for help from a higher(prenominal) power was stressed in religious earlier than Christianity. The concept of God as benevolent and forgivingrather than as vengefulis a main article of belief of the Christians faith. An different Christian belief is that even though man has sinned seriously and separated himself from the love of God, he can be saved by repentance and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior.The necessity, and therefore the possibility, of dialogue between God and man is accepted by all Christians (K insley 211-212). C. Doctrinal Differences At first, the gospel of Jesus was spread by his disciples, followers who remembered his sayings. As Gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews entered the church, the influence of other minds began to be seen in the interpretations of doctrines. In this work, early Christian theologians borrowed ideas from the teachings of the Greek philosophers. At the same time, issue traits and customs began to affect rituals and observances.Even within each year of the three great divisions of the Christian churchRoman Catholic, Protestant, and east Orthodox there are variations of practice. This is peculiarly true of the Protestants. The sacrament of baptism provides an example. Baptists hold that the convert must be completely immersed in pissing Methodists believe that sprinkling water on head is sufficient. Most denominations baptize infants, but some asserts that the individual be old enough to understand the nitty-gritty of the sacrament (Wilkins 14 4). There are other differences.The Disciples of Christ and certain Protestant groups insist upon using the Bible alone as a source of guidance. The doctrine of the triadthe belief that God is three beings (the Father, Son, and holy center) in one divine natureis accepted as basic by most Christians, but is rejected by Unitarians and Universalists (Wilkins 144). III. Conclusion Religion is such a big help in construct our faith on God as individuals. Hinduism is a religion where each worshiper believes on reincarnation. Its followers are hoping to live life again but depending on how they live their lives at present.Though Hinduism has no founder yet believers tend to have strong faith and continuously believe and follow its structured beliefs. On the other hand, for the Christian Church, its faith is built on the Trinity which is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and Christians believe that these three personas are one. reference point1. Chaudhuri, N. C. Hinduism a Religion t o Live By (Oxford University, 2003). 2. Kinsley, D. Hinduism a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). 3. Wilkins, W. J. unexampled Hinduism an Account of the religion and Life of the Hindus, fifth edition (Humanities Press, 2005).