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Entity shares the facets of Hindiusm.

Have you ever daydreamed about the idea of reincarnation? The thought of being brought back as an entirely different woman based on your good or bad karma is intriguing. (Honestly, we’re crossing our fingers to be reincarnated as Blake Lively-esque dream woman, but we won’t hold out on that one.)

One religion that subscribes to the idea of reincarnation, Hinduism, is one of the most widely observed theologies in the world. If you want to learn more about Hinduism, or if you just want to know what all these four-armed gods are all about, read on!

1 Popularity

The most third most popular religion in the world, Hinduism has approximately 900 million followers worldwide. While many subscribers can be found in Nepal, over 80 percent of the population of India are considered Hindus. Hinduism is the oldest known religion in the world, despite the fact that its modern name hasn’t been present as long as its doctrines.

2 History

There is no single person responsible for founding Hinduism. And because there is no single scripture or interpretation of Hinduism, there is no universally agreed upon set of teachings.

3 The Soul

Atman: The atman is the “eternal self,” or the individual’s soul beyond ego and materialism. It is the spirit of our existence or our “soul.”

Karma: As you go through life, you are accruing karma for all your good and bad actions. All of your good and bad actions will garner an equal and opposite reaction. Karma rolls over into your next life. If you don’t experience the parallel to your action in your current life, you will experience it in your next one.

Reincarnation: “Samsara” is the idea of reincarnation. Your soul will live through a continuous cycle of reincarnation until it is finally liberated from the cycle of rebirth. The atman, or soul, is immortal.

4 The Caste System

Brahmin: They are the highest class. Usually intellectual and priestly people, they are responsible for carrying out religious rituals and providing guidance for governing bodies, amongst other things.

Kshatriyas: The kshatriya class is made up of nobles and warriors. They usually have some form of power in society and they’re responsible for defending the well-being of the country. They are well known for their courage.

Vaishyas: This class is made up of merchants and commoners. They are usually typical citizens who produce products, farm, trade and earn their own living. Today, they are usually traders, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Shudras: As the lowest caste, the shudras are responsible for manual labor regarding agriculture. Shudras are responsible for serving the higher classes. They are the only class that is not “second born,” meaning the higher classes go through an initiation ceremony of spiritual rebirth. Artists, musicians and clerks are also included in this caste.

5 Life Goals

Kama: The goal of kama is to experience pleasure in one’s life. Hinduism both accepts and supports the ideas that humans have desires and attractions. This can refer to sexual or even aesthetic pleasures, among others.

Artha: Artha is the goal to attain monetary and worldly success. This goal is somewhat limited to those in higher castes, since they were born into situations in which their karma obviously favored wealth.

Dharma: Dharma is one’s duty, which is an extremely individual set of standards for life. Depending on the circumstances of a person’s life, his or her dharma will be different. It is a force – parallel to “morality” – which maintains a society.

Moksha: Moksha is the end-all goal for Hindus. It is the final escape from the endless cycle of rebirth. The release from samsara will be synonymous with one’s complete freedom from ignorance and a full understanding of human nature.

6 Brahman and God

Brahman is what BBC describes as a “transcendent power beyond the universe” that is not necessarily God himself. God, on the other hand, is the being responsible for the creation, destruction and maintenance of reality. (Keep in mind that this destruction and reconstruction occurs many times over the history of time.) There is confusion among spectators of the religion whether it is polytheistic or monotheistic. Hindus believe that there is only one God, but his existence is unlimited. With his unbound existence, he shows himself in the form of many different deities.

7 Denominations

Saivism: Savitie Hindus worship Siva as their primary god. They focus on temple worship, yoga, self-discipline and philosophy.

Shaktism: Shaktas worship Shaki or Devi, who has both gentle and ferocious forms. They use chants, magic, holy diagrams, yoga and rituals to summon forces to help them hone their own power.

Vaishnavism: Vaishnavites worship Lord Vishnu, who was responsible for creating the universe. This denomination gives special attention to saints, temples and scriptures.

Smartism: Smartas do not give preference to one deity over another; they worship god in one of his six forms. Their prayer is centered around Ganesha, Siva, Sakti, Vishnu, Surya and Skanda, and is focused on a philosophical and meditative way of life.

8 Worship

Gurus: The teachers of Hinduism are known as gurus. Their main mode of teaching is through example. The guru’s job is to provide wisdom and guidance to his disciples.

Shrines: Many Hindus have shrines of some sort in their home. Usually small in size, shrines represent constant ritual in the teachings of Hinduism. People may make personal offerings to these shrines or recite prayers in their presence.

Worship: Worship by Hindus is individual, not communal. Even if there are many people worshiping at temples, they all bring their own offerings, choosing the gods to whom they pray and reciting their own chosen prayers.

The Ganges: The River Ganges is an extremely holy location in Hinduism. Every 12 years, up to 10 million Hindu people travel to the river and take a bath in it to wash away their sins.

Varasni: A site of pilgrimage for Hindu people is Varasni, which is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva. The best death possible is considered to be by dying at Varasni and having one’s ashes scattered in the River Ganges.

Diwali: Though there are many holy days of celebration for Hindus, the most popular and well-known day of celebration is Diwali. Diwali is the five day long Festival of Lights, in which lanterns hang from doors and awnings to guide the goddess Lakshmi into homes and bless people with good fortune. The day is celebrated with lights, feasting, fireworks, candy and gambling (since people have just been blessed with good fortune).

9 Deities

Brahma: There were three gods responsible for the creation, destruction and maintenance of the world. Brahma was responsible for the creation of the world and all its living creatures. Despite his role in Hinduism, he is the least worshipped god. This is partially due to lore that puts him in a bad light, as well as the fact that his job of creation has already been completed, while other gods will continue to perform their duties for eternity. He is depicted with four heads, as well as a beard in most cases.

Shiva: Of the three roles stated above, Shiva is responsible for the destruction of the world. Though this sounds negative, this destruction is only done in order for the world to be recreated. Shiva is present in everyday life, destroying the imperfections of the world to make room for positive changes. Shiva is the lord of dance. In Hinduism, the rhythm of dance is a metaphor for the balance of the universe. He is represented with a blue body and accessories such as a third eye, cobra necklace and trident.

Lakshmi: She is the goddess of wealth and purity who is celebrated during Diwali. Lakshmi is usually represented as a gorgeous woman with four arms standing on top of a lotus. Her blessings go to those who work sincerely, without greed, with virtue and with dedication.

Vishnu: Of the three tasks of the universe, Vishnu is the god who maintains and protects the universe. He is responsible for preserving the balance of good and evil in the world. He has been incarnated nine times in different forms, but he is usually represented as a blue human holding a conch, chakra, lotus and a mace in his hands.

10 Standpoints

Abortion: Hinduism is a religion of nonviolence, so abortion is only accepted in whichever situation brings the least harm to those involved (the mother, father, fetus and society itself). This being said, they often don’t support abortion unless it directly threatens the life of the mother. There are contrasting views on abortion in Hinduism, as there are in every religion. Some say that eliminating a fetus harms the life cycle of the child, while others say that aborting the fetus doesn’t matter since it will just be reborn into an equal life elsewhere.

Capital Punishment: Though India does maintain the death penalty for serious crimes, they are a predominantly nonviolent religion. They do not support unnecessary death or cruelty.

Suicide: There are contrasting views on suicide and how it is dealt within the alliance of reincarnation. Some say that suicide will damage karma since it separates the soul and physical body at an unnatural time, while others say that it is justifiable to end one’s life in a time of extreme suffering. Others say that killing oneself is unnecessary, since one’s karma will be the same in the next life regardless.

War: Hindus believe that war is undertaken by those who have not advanced in their life cycles enough to seek a peaceful resolve. Since the warrior class does exist, some see war as necessary. The warrior caste isn’t seen as necessarily dangerous, since any harm that may come to you will only be of your physical body, not of your immortal soul.

Animal Rights: Hindus honor the cow, so the consumption of beef is prohibited. Most Hindus are vegetarians as well, and the job of butchery is secluded to those of lower classes. Despite this, there are no definite ideas about how animals should be treated, though one could say ahimsa (nonviolence) implies that they should not kill animals.

Contraception: Contraception is allowed in Hinduism, but many families know that having children is an ideal part of the “householder” stage of their life cycle.

Organ Donation: Since physical bodies are somewhat irrelevant in the long-term ideals of Hinduism, there are no doctrines against organ donation. The idea of giving organs is selfless, so it may even be beneficial for one’s karma.

Even if you don’t have enough space on your side table to set up a little shrine, you are still feel free to practice Hinduism to your own accord. It is not restricted to any specific cultural or locational boundaries, so grab a Sanskrit dictionary and get studying!

All information for this article taken from Kauai’s Hindu Monastery and the BBC.

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