HINDUISM

A. A Brief Introduction to Hinduism

 Of the five major world religions, Hinduism is both the least known and the least
experienced by most Americans.
 Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity and Islam.
B. Hinduism: A Way of Life, Not a Creed
 Hinduism is not a belief system, it is a “way of life”.
 Hinduism is more about how one conducts one’s life than about what one holds
to be true.
 Hinduism is more about “orthopraxis”, right actions, than “orthodoxy,” right beliefs
 Hinduism is not a missionary religion and does not actively seek converts.
 Hindus recognize other religious traditions as valid spiritual paths; and on the
other, it is because many argue that only “Hindus by birth” are true Hindus.
C. Hinduism’s Origin

 Hinduism has no historical founder nor firm date of origin.

 Handed orally for millennia before finally written down. Thus, variances among
scholars as to certain texts.

D. Do Hindus Have Bible?

 No single authoritative text in Hinduism that functions like the Bible for Christians,
or the Qur’an for Muslims.
 Collection of text grouped under two main categories.
1. Shruti
 “What is heard”.
 This is analogous to what Christians understand as divinely revealed
scripture.
2. Smrti
 “What is remembered”
 For Christians, this is more like biblical and theological commentaries.
 Vedas – oldest Hindu sacred text and have the most wide- ranging authority
 The rest of the writings fall into the much larger and broader category of smrti.
This category includes the two great Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana.
 Mahabharata – oldest epic and longest epic in the world. Written by the
great sage Vyasa.
 Ramayana - is the other most important epic poem in Hinduism. In his
book Arrow of the Blue-skinned God
 Puranas - a series of texts that describe specific gods in great detail, specifically
Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma
E. Do Hindus Believed in God?
 Yes
 In Hinduism god is neither one nor many, but both; god is not male or female, but
both; god is not formless or embodied, but both.
 Hindus not only see no contradiction in believing that there is one god and
believing that there are many gods, but for some, the tension between the one
and the many actually generates deeper insight into the true nature of the divine
than either one could produce on its own.
F. How Do Hindus Mark Time? Samskaras And Festival
 Hindu families practice a variety of samskaras to celebrate the various rites of
passage in their life together.
 There are dozens upon dozens of Hindu festivals
G. What Do Hindus Think About Salvation
 In Hinduism there are what we might call penultimate spiritual goals as well
as an ultimate spiritual goal, and Hindus strive after both, driven by two
factors. Hindus, like Buddhists, believe in a cyclical, rather than linear pattern
of time and the universe. This means that they do not believe that the
universe began at one discrete point of time and will end at another discrete
point of time; instead, they believe that the universe cycles in and out of
existence, through a series of eras, each of which has a different name and
different characteristics.
  The cycle of reincarnation is driven by karma. Literally, karma simply means
“action,” but in Hinduism, it has come to describe the belief that one’s actions
in the present have an unavoidable consequent effect on the destiny of the
soul in the future.
 Dharma refers to the proper duties/actions that are appropriate for one’s
caste. This means everyone’s dharma is different, depending on gender,
birth, community, work, etc. Only in that way are people able to generate
good karma.
H. How Do Hindus Pray
 One major difference between Hindus and Christians is that there is no
weekly worship service, no set day or time in which a community is called
to gather publically.
 Although most Hindus do visit temples regularly, or at least occasionally,
praying and making offerings there, a “good” Hindu need never worship in
public.
 Puja - means respect, homage, or worship.
 Each morning, one member of the family, usually the father or the mother,
will perform a short puja at the altar.
 the temple, a particular ritual involving the images has occurred called a
murti-puja, which serves to invite the divinity down permanently into a
particular image

1. What are the concepts of Hinduism?

a) The way to produce good Karma is through Dharma. This refers to the
proper actions that are appropriate for one’s caste. Thus, Dharma of one
person is different to the other, it depends upon the gender, status, work,
etc.

b) Cycle of reincarnation driven by Karma. This refers to one’s actions in the

present will have an unavoidable consequent effect on the soul of the
person in the future. Thus, if you did good deeds today then you will be
prosperous in your next lifetime.
 c) Doctrine of reincarnation. They believe in a cyclical pattern of time. It
means that the universe does not began in one discrete point of time
instead it cycles in and out of existence, from birth to death to rebirth.

d) In Hinduism, God is neither one nor many, but both; God is not male or
female. But both; God is not formless or embodies, but both.

2. How does Hinduism differ from Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam)? Explain.

Though Christianity has varieties of traditions and expressions, all

Christians claim a universal core principle while Hinduism cannot claim any
corresponding universal as a core principle of identity. While there is no shortage
of historical scholars, sages, and teachers in Hinduism, there is no historical
founder of the religion as a whole, no figure comparable to Jesus, the Buddha,
Abraham, or Muhammad. As a consequence, no historical founder means that
there is no firm date of origin of Hinduism, either. Hinduism is made up of
different beliefs and practices that were handed down orally for millennia before
they were finally written down. Unlike Christianity, which is grounded in a linear
understanding of time, Hinduism has a cyclical understanding of time, in which
the universe continually cycles into and out of existence. Another major
difference is that there is no weekly worship service in Hinduism.

Hinduism Judaism Christianity Islam

Founder No founder Abraham Jesus Christ Muhammad
No. of Gods Many One One One
Holy Was passed Torah Bible Quran
Writings orally. Some
were written but
has variances
with the other
Beliefs Reincarnation Law of God and Love of God Five pillars or
and life is ruled words of and neighbor main duties:
by the laws of Prophets. profession of
Karma. Actions are faith, prayer,
more important charitable
than belief. giving, fasting
during
 Ramadan and
Pilgrimage to
Mecca at least
once

3. How does Hinduism differ from Buddhism? Explain.

(Nandan & Jangubhai, 2013) Both Hinduism and Buddhism originated in
the Indian subcontinent and share a very long, but rather peculiar and
uncomfortable relationship, which in many ways is comparable to that of Judaism
and Christianity. The Buddha was born in a Hindu family, just as Christ was born
in a Jewish family. Some people still argue that Buddhism was an offshoot of
Hinduism and the Buddha was a part of the Hindu pantheon, a view which is not
acceptable to many Buddhists. Consequently, Buddhism and Hinduism share
some similarities like believing in karma, existence of several hells and heaven,
reincarnation and compassion to all living beings. Aside from its similarities,
Hinduism differs from Buddhism by first, it has no founder but Buddhism has
which is the Buddha. While Hinduism believes in the efficacy and supremacy of
the vedas, Buddhist do not. Hinduism accepts the Buddha as an incarnation of
Mahavishnu while Buddhist does not accept any Hindu god either as equivalent
or superior to the Buddha. Buddhist organize themselves into a monastic order,
Hinduism on the other hand is basically a religion of the individual. Although both
religions believe in karma and rebirth, they differ in the manner in which they
operate and impact the existence of individual beings.

Reference(s):

Nanban, G. B. & Jangubhai, N. R (2013).The comparative study between hinduism and

Buddhism. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention Vol.2, 27-
31.