hinduism

ORIGIN

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and this religion neither has an identifiable founder nor an exact moment of origin. The stated religion is formally called as “Sanatana Dharma” which means Eternal Religion. Hinduism started from those Indo-European speaking people of South Asia, which is India at present. The term “Hinduism” was introduced by Persians which refers to those people who lived near or beyond the eastern side of the Indus River. The usage of the term “Hindu” was maintained by British colonial rulers which points to the residents in India who were neither Christian nor Muslim.

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MORALITY

Hindu morality is applying their understanding of their religion in their respective lives. The principles of Dharma and Karma basically guide Hindu ideas of moral and ethical thought and action.

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• DHARMA

Hinduism revolves in their belief of which, for them, is what holds the universe together. It also means “duty,” “correct practice,” and “truth.” Hindus considered as an opportunity to support its teachings and use it in their daily lives. It also puts things in order, builds and sustains balance.

 

• KARMA

• is the “cause and effect” belief of Hinduism. It is the consequence or response of your action in the future, either in today’s life or in the in the next. If you do good actions, it’ll produce positive karma; if you do bad actions, it’ll produce negative karma. Because of karma, you’ll be able to see the importance of action in your daily life. The principle of Karma is what determines one’s rebirth, for example, which family you are born, destiny, wealth, and possessions in the next life. Hinduism doesn’t tolerate or is against doing bad things like killing living things (practice of “ahimsa” or nonviolence of all beings) because it results to bad karma.

 

SACRED SIGN, WRITINGS AND SCRIPTURES

“AUM” is a sacred symbol of Hinduism.

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There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism, and the term “veda” in Sanskrit means “knowledge.” There are two (2) scriptures in Hindu tradition: (1) Shruti scripture (heard) and (2) Smriti scripture (remembered).

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                Shruti scripture contains the fundamental elements of Hindu philosophy and morality. This was believed to be divine and sacred in origin and not man made. Shruti has divisions and these are the following:

(a)Mantra, consists of hymns for the gods and goddesses. These hymns are used during rituals and invocations;

(b)Brahmana, consists of instructions and directions on the proper manner of ritual acts performed by the priests;

(c)Aranyakas, the philosophical interpretations of every ritual acts; and last,

(d)Upanishads, explanations of general philosophical knowledge.

While, Smriti scripture, also known as secondary scriptures contains stories, epic poems and advices from sages. Unlike the Shruti, these scriptures are products of human mind and understanding.

               

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DEITIES AND DIVINE PRINCIPLE

In Hinduism, they have different forms of gods and goddesses. Hindu pay respect to the deities by bowing to the one by one. The religion believes that three (3) of its deities fulfill different functions in the universe. They are called Trimurthi, for which Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva is the destroyer.

 

Despite of having a lot of gods and goddesses, Vedas states that all deities are just an indicator of one Divine Principle. This Divine Principle is referred to as Brahman or the Absolute, the Supreme. Brahman has no form and no limits. It is the Reality and Truth.

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PURPOSE AND DESTINY

In Hinduism, the purpose/meaning of life is to achieve these four (4) things: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

                The first meaning of life is Dharma. It is to act morally and ethically to one’s life. Also, in some other aspects of dharma, it believes that our life is a debt to the Gods and other human beings. There are different types of debts in Hinduism’s belief and by dharma, Hindus may be able to repay. The second meaning of life is Artha. It is the pursuit of wealth and prosperity of one’s life. By pursuing wealth and prosperity, the individual must still associate his/her belief with dharma. The third meaning of life is Kama. It is to obtain entertainment and enjoyment in one’s life. The final meaning of life according to Hinduism is Moksha. It is the liberation from reincarnation and to be with God.

 

                Hinduism believes in reincarnation. They believe that their destiny is to be reincarnated into something or someone in their next life. Reincarnation supports their law of karma. Your debt in your past life will be compensated in your next life. Reincarnation happens when a person dies and when the “atman” (soul) leaves the body and finds another material to reside in for another life cycle. The process of transferring is called transmigration of soul. This process repeats itself again and again and this repetition of cycle is called samsara, it is also called as the wheel of samsara (birth-death-rebirth). Moksha is the end of this cycle. Moksha is achieved if the atman will no longer look for a material receptacle to reside on and unites with the Brahman-atman or the Absolute Self.

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CASTE SYSTEM

All societies have these social class rankings based on their education, income, culture and origin. In Hinduism, they have four (4) social structure, which they called as caste system.

(a)Brahmin, the priestly and intellectual class;

(b)Kshatriyas, the political rulers and warriors class;

(c)Vaishyas, the economic specialists and merchants class; and last

(d)Shudras, the manual laborers and agricultural class.

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FESTIVALS

Same with other religions, Hinduism also celebrates festivals to pay tribute to their deities, gods and goddesses. The most common way of paying worship for deities is called “puja.” Puja is the way of offering goods and possessions to the altar of the gods and goddesses. The goal of puja is when the devotee has an intimate encounter with the deity called “darshan,” which becomes “prasad,” the sanctified food as a gift from the god and/or goddesses.

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The Hindu calendar follows the lunar cycle, which means that the festivals do not have an exact date. Some festivals in Hinduism are:

• Divali- Festival of lights. The whole festival lasts for five (5) days and part of its preparations are that the Hindus will clean their respective homes and prepare new clothing. They lit lamps into their houses which symbolizes as admiration of the victory of light against darkness.

• Holi- Festival of spring and colors. During this festival, devotees soak themselves in water and spray colorful powder to rejoice the end of winter and to welcome spring. Some believe that Holi is an opportunity to forgive past mistakes and start rapport with family and friends.

• Makara Sankranti- Festival of harvests. This is the only festival in Hinduism that follows the solar calendar, which is celebrated every January 14. This festival is a thanksgiving to the Sun-god for giving life to the field and making harvests achievable.

• Lohari- A midwinter festival which celebrates the symbolic shunning of evil. In this festival, devotees will set on a bonfire and would throw anything (usually nuts, sesame seeds and etc) which symbolizes their rejection of evil.

• Maha Shivaratri- The great night of Shiva. Followers fast overnight in order to get the god’s favor, afterwards celebrates with high spirits and input of food.

• Ganesh Chaturthi- Celebration of the birth of Ganesh, a god who is portrayed as an elephant.

• Guru Purnima- Festival of one’s teacher. A devotee honors his/her Guru (teacher) by offering puja. Hindus also give pride to the birth of the wise Vysa, who authored the Mahabharata.

 

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MAIN SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

There are six (6) schools of philosophy recognized as expressions of the Sanatana Dharma:

• SAMKHYA- It is an atheistic philosophy, “atheistic” because it doesn’t mention any deity and doesn’t rely on their power in explaining the process of the universe. Samkhya school focuses on two (2) fundamental principles in the universe: the purusha (person) and the prakrti (nature). There are three (3) types of prakrti: sattva, which is oriented to the good; raja, directed toward passion; and lastly, tama, which is geared toward decay. Once both principles are distinguished in the psyche of an individual, the evolution of self becomes complete and liberation can be achieved.

• YOGA- this enables the individual to activate his/her sattvic qualities and and escape the influence of raja and tama. There are four (4) main yogas that suit different peole: (1)Raja Yoga, (2)Jnana Yoga, (3)Karma Yoga and (4)Bhakti Yoga.

• MIMAMSA- This school concerns about the appropriate interpretation of righteous action (dharma) as it is assumed a part of the Vedas themselves. The center point of this school is about the correct usage or giving sense of the ideas and principles seen in the Vedic texts.

• VAISHESHIKA- This school believes in an atomistic reality in which sees that the ingredients that make up the universe are the nine (9) elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Space, Time, Mind, and Self.

• NYAYA-This school claims that a human being is skilled of getting and arriving at conclusions based on evidences, proofs, and facts. The principle of pramanas is expressed in four (4) different ways: first is pratyaksha (perception), second is anumana (inference), third is upamana (analogy) and last is shabda (authorative testimony).

• VEDANTA- This means “conclusion” of the Vedas in the Sanskrit. This gives emphasis to the Upanishads, which is the last book to be considered part of the Shruti scriptures.

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VIEWS ON GENDER

Being a woman in early beliefs of Hinduism has complexity because of its diverse views of their position. In Hindu texts and scriptures, some claims that the role of a woman is said to be the most powerful and empowering force (Hindu Upanishads, Shastras and Puranas); some also emphasizes that, in terms of family, the women are not acceptable on the husband’s families if she cannot bear a son because in their idea, only sons can continue the family line. Yet, in other sections, it states that women must be adored and praised (Manusmriti). In Hinduism, women who gave birth to a son, with their husband’s still alive are the most favorable component in the society. However, if their husband dies, the wife will automatically lose their status the community. The views on gender based on Hindu scriptures and writings, especially in a woman’s position in the society are varied and assorted.