Religions of India. Hinduism. What is he like?
Hinduism is a religion professed by more than 80% of the population. Temples and sacred altars are mandatory attributes of any city in the country. The organization of space in Hindu temples is of particular importance. Believers must reach a higher state of consciousness in order to communicate with their gods. The location of each room, its proportions and colors, should express love for the absolute. Architecture is designed to capture the vital forces and direct them towards the statue of the holy spirit. In order to maintain this delicate balance and not disturb this mysterious harmony, often representatives of other religions (non-Hindus) are not allowed to enter temples. The role of the priest, mainly a Brahmin, is to serve in the temple. His responsibilities include preserving and transmitting sacred texts, culture and everything that is dear to people.
Hindu religion refers to the appearance on the territory of India of the first Aryan tribes, who came here about 4 thousand years ago. Hinduism is not only a religious cult, but also a philosophy of life's path. The Hindu religion is extremely rich in its symbolism.
Hindus worship more than ten thousand gods who are similar to people also get married and have children. Foremost god - Brahma, he is the creator of the world. Then follow Vishnu(custodian) and Shiva(destroyer). Brahma, one of the three highest gods of Hinduism, symbolizes the idea of creation of the world. He is often depicted sitting on a lotus flower, the stem of which grows from the belly of the god Vishnu. Shiva can be recognized by the weapon in his hands; he is often depicted with a sword or trident.
Two fundamental The principles of Hinduism are dharma and karma. Dharma is the universal law of reincarnation of life and death, which determines man’s place in the universe. Karma is the law of action, according to which all a person’s actions will respond in his afterlife. It is believed that a person's living conditions are determined by his past. To get out of this vicious circle, a person must strive for a virtuous life. This type of spirituality still has influence in India. This belief, which has deep roots, has remained unchanged throughout the centuries.
Emergence of Hinduism
The resulting religious tradition called Hinduism is the result of five thousand years of development. Moreover, the name itself arose only around 1200 AD. e., which was associated with the desire of the Muslim conquerors to draw a clear line between their own faith and the religion of the Hindus themselves. Hinduism– Persian equivalent of the word “Indian”. However, the people of India themselves call their religion an immortal teaching, or law (sanatana dharma), which should emphasize the unearthly origin of their beliefs, which appeared as a result of divine revelations.
Hinduism, in the form in which it has been formed over the course of thousands of years of development, provides its followers with the broadest opportunities for the manifestation of their religiosity, and any of them can be chosen, and none is considered better or worse than the rest. This variety of possibilities is a characteristic feature of Hinduism, which takes into account differences in spiritual development, inclinations of people and in local traditions.
Maitreya
There is no founder or prophet in Hinduism. There is also no specific church hierarchy, no established creeds. Much more important than the way of life is the mindset and way of thinking. It is no coincidence that the former President of India S. Radhakrishnan once remarked: “Hinduism is more a culture than a creed.”
Just over 400 million people in India consider themselves Hindus. And wherever the fate of the Indians took them, everywhere they preserved their culture, traditional values, ideals and religious rituals. Of course, not everyone who is born Hindu practices Hinduism. But it is believed that they are Hindus because they were born Hindus. The origin of the very name of the creed suggests that the common element of Hinduism is the Indian origin of its adherents.
The emergence of Hinduism was associated with the need to update the traditional Brahmanical religion. Its aristocracy and isolation from the broad masses of the people did not allow it to compete with Buddhism. Therefore, it was necessary to somehow adapt the teaching and cult in order to win new adherents. As a result, a democratic movement arose, which was so important in the emergence of the Hindu religion, marking the beginning of a new era - the era of Hinduism. A characteristic feature of this period was the democratization of the cult.
Hindu stupa
Despite the fact that the teachings of Hinduism were developed mainly by people from the upper castes, mythical ideas and forms of worship were of folk origin. It is true that the great gods of Hinduism sometimes have a name and sometimes even characteristics in common with the ancient gods of the Vedic era, but the actual form under which they were worshiped by the adherents of Hinduism they for the most part inherited from the spirits and minor deities of local and accidental cults.
In Hinduism one can accurately trace the process by which a local god gradually took his place in the pantheon. Subsequently, he was either elevated to the rank of an independent deity, or was considered as one of the forms of manifestation of already recognized gods. Thus, there is no doubt that most of the great gods of present Hinduism acquired their character due to this merger. For example, the god of the earth Bumia, whose cult was completely primitive, was later identified with Vishnu. Similar Woman, the spirit of the aboriginal tribes, in many places merged with the god Shiva. It is obvious that in the cults and myths, in the forms and distinctive features of many Hindu gods, one can recognize the remnants of earlier local beliefs.
During this period, temples appeared for the first time in India. Hinduism initially imitated Buddhism, whose adherents built their religious buildings - stupas. But later, Hindus also developed majestic and magnificent sanctuaries. Various festivals, processions and ceremonies were held at the temples, and grandiose statues of gods were erected inside, which was not the case in the religion of Brahmanism.
At first, the place of worship of Hindu gods remained outside the temple. Perhaps for some time the gods were considered as a kind of gatekeepers of the temple. Over time, one can see how little by little they received a chapel in the temple itself, where a priest from a lower caste, with which this or that deity was associated, usually served, and this continued until the original god or spirit turned into the incarnation of the great god , and then he had to enjoy all the attributes of the official cult.
Such metamorphoses could also occur with outstanding figures, sages or rulers. When one of them died, the grave soon began to attract attention to itself: a sanctuary was built at the burial site, the service in which gradually, thanks to donations from surrounding residents, became profitable. It was considered lucky to have such a holy place in the country, and the rulers tried to protect it whenever possible. A few years later, the memory of the famous person disappeared, his origin was surrounded by mystery, and his biography became overgrown with legends. This is how the formation of new Hindu gods took place. This is proven by the fact that in honor of the thinker Sankars and poet Vyasa temples were built.
It is with this that another circumstance characteristic of Hinduism is connected, when the images of epic poetry played an outstanding role in the history of religion. It is thanks to this Frame, the hero of the Indian epic "Ramayana", turned into the moral ideal of the people, becoming a national hero from a tribal hero. The veneration he received immediately transferred him from the human sphere to the divine and led to his identification with Vishnu, just as it happened with another epic hero of Western India, with Krishna. In both cases - Rama and Krishna - the hero of legends apparently merged with the folk deity.
Statue in Swayambhunath stupa
Chaitya stupa decorated with Buddha image
Such democratization of the cult and bringing the images of gods closer to the people contributed to the formation of the Hindu doctrine of avatars, or incarnations. According to him, each heavenly god could have his own avatar on earth.
A specific feature of Hinduism was the presence of numerous sects. It is not possible to determine their exact number. Some of them have a very ancient history. At least regarding the so-called Ajivaks, the first sect known to us admits that they existed before the appearance of the Buddha. They formed a kind of monastic order (hence the name “ajivaka” - “for life”, i.e. renunciant) and through type(asceticism) sought to achieve bliss. The Ajivakas were distinguished from the Jains and Buddhists by the theistic or pantheistic nature of their religion. They worshiped God Narayan(Vishnu) and in general, unlike Brahmanism, they were closer to the popular faith.
The surviving monuments of the activities of various sects are their theological writings, the so-called Puranas, many of which are quite voluminous. "Purana" means "ancient" in Sanskrit. The texts of many Puranas reflect the ideas of various directions of Hinduism about the stages of the existence of the Universe, ranging from cosmology, world catastrophes and the origin of gods to descriptions of historical periods of the human race and dynasties of rulers. But in fact, the Puranas are collections of theological and philosophical reasoning, legends and traditions, ritual and ascetic instructions, etc., and usually one can notice a very tendentious exaltation of the god whom a given sect revered.
Each sect had to have its own Purana or adhere to one of them. There is no doubt that the earliest sects had their own Puranas. However, those Puranas that have reached our time were compiled during the Middle Ages. In any case, they are of later origin than the poem "Mahabharata" to which they are often attached as its theological continuations. As theological and philosophical works, they stand much lower than the Brahmanas and Upanishads, and in literary terms they cannot stand any comparison with epic works. Nevertheless, their importance as a source for the study of the religious history of the Hindu religion cannot be doubted.
Dilapidated stupas
Earth stupa. 500 AD e.
The dominant role in Hinduism belonged to guru– teachers, or mentors, spiritual leaders of sects. In Hinduism, a real cult of the guru has developed. The guru is considered an intermediary between man and God; moreover, he actually acts as the embodiment of a deity, which is embodied in him and demands worship in his person. He helps the one who trusts him to achieve bliss by performing all the religious duties that otherwise the believer himself would have to perform. For the lower classes, who have neither the money nor the education to actually take part in religious life, merely outward worship of a god or guru is sufficient. Every word of the guru is perceived by his followers as sacred law.
In addition to the instructions of the guru, adherents of Hinduism consider rivers to be a source of spiritual strength. Hindus have a special attitude towards the Ganges. According to their beliefs, the sacred river not only provides water for irrigating fields, but also symbolizes the eternity and infinity of life. Hundreds of thousands of believers flock to its shores every day to take a ritual bath and drink from the life-giving source. Every twelve years during a major holiday Kumbh Mela Almost ten million people gather in the city of Allahabad, the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna waters. The city of Benares (Varanasi), located on the banks of the Ganges, is especially revered, where every true Hindu is supposed to die. Later, after cremation, the ashes of the Hindus are scattered over the waters of the sacred river. This means the continuous cycle of life.
Rama and Krishna Temple
From the book Aryan Rus' [The Heritage of Ancestors. Forgotten gods of the Slavs] author Belov Alexander IvanovichHindu Bible However, the kshatriyas are still at the forefront of religious reforms. It was at this time that the Bhagavad Gita was created. In this work, the god Krishna, appearing in the guise of a charioteer of a war chariot, explains the essence of the universe to the fearless warrior Arjuna. IN
From the book To the beginning. History of the Russian Empire author Geller Mikhail YakovlevichThe appearance of Moscow God will bless you and place you above all the princes and spread this city more than all other cities. Metropolitan Peter Prophecy of Metropolitan Peter, made in the first decade of the 14th century. Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita, surprises with his providence
author Vasiliev Leonid SergeevichThe Emergence of Hinduism In the process of competition between Buddhism and Brahmanism, more precisely, as a result of this competition and as a result of overcoming it, Hinduism arose. Structurally, this doctrine was similar to Buddhism and was also not distinguished by active proselytism; but decisive
From the book History of Eastern Religions author Vasiliev Leonid SergeevichReligious and philosophical foundations of Hinduism The foundations of Hinduism go back to the Vedas and the legends and texts surrounding them, which largely determined the nature and parameters of Indian civilization in its historical, cultural, philosophical, religious, ritual, everyday, social, family and other
From the book History of Eastern Religions author Vasiliev Leonid SergeevichChapter 16 Hinduism and Islam. Modernization of Hinduism Hinduism, which has absorbed and reflected many features of the national culture and psychology of Indians with their way of life, character of thinking, value orientations, including the ultimate goal - liberation (moksha), has always
From the book History of Eastern Religions author Vasiliev Leonid SergeevichInteraction of Islam and Hinduism True, the privileges that the adoption of Islam gave in India were significantly weakened by the passivity of Hinduism, which still embodied the foundations of the Indian way of life and culture of the Indians. Overcome centuries-old traditions in India
From the book Secrets of the Origin of Humanity author Popov AlexanderThe Golden Egg of Hinduism Hindus differ in their versions of the origin of the world. But the most famous legend is this: Once upon a time, the Universe was shrouded in darkness without a glimmer of light. Water stretched everywhere, and the land was only the bottom of the ocean. Suddenly, in the middle of the ocean, a golden
From the book Ethnicity and Landscape: Historical Geography as Ethnic Studies author Gumilev Lev NikolaevichThe emergence of ethnic groups New peoples arise in two ways: 1. In a certain, fairly wide territory, where historical and persistent ethnic groups have lived for many centuries, suddenly a regrouping of individuals occurs very quickly and new closely knit groups arise.
From the book 500 famous historical events author Karnatsevich Vladislav LeonidovichTHE APPEARANCE OF WINDOWS 95 It is impossible to imagine our time without a computer; just a description of the areas of application of this miracle of our century can take hundreds of pages. Computers and the Internet have changed the world, and with it, human thinking. The undoubted leader in the computer market
From the book Ancient East author Nemirovsky Alexander ArkadevichBrahma. Cosmology of Hinduism In Hinduism, Brahma is considered the creator god, while the cult of Brahma is not one of the main ones, although in earlier times he was highly revered in the Vedic religion. An important role is played by Brahma in the form of Trimurti (“Three-faced”) - a kind of
author Team of authors From the book Comparative Theology. Book 5 author Team of authors From the book Comparative Theology. Book 5 author Team of authors From the book India. History, culture, philosophy by Wolpert Stanley From the book History of Islam. Islamic civilization from birth to the present day author Hodgson Marshall Goodwin SimmsChapter II The Timurid Empire in India: The Coexistence of Islam and Hinduism, 1526–1707 Unlike the Safavids, the other two great empires arose primarily in non-Muslim regions, a fact that contributed to both their strength and potential weakness. However, between them
From the book General History of the World's Religions author Karamazov Voldemar DanilovichFundamentals of the Hindu worldview The basis of the Hindu worldview is the idea that the world is not a random combination, a chaos of things and phenomena, but a hierarchical ordered whole, or cosmos. The universal eternal order that preserves and holds the Universe as
HINDUISM,the main religion of India and one of the world religions. Hinduism originated in the Indian subcontinent, with over 90% of the approximately 500 million people professing this religion living in the Republic of India, which occupiesó most of the subcontinent. Hindu communities also exist in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.Hinduism embraces a wide variety of beliefs and practices. Hinduism's tolerance for diversity of religious forms is perhaps unique among world religions. Hinduism has no church hierarchy or supreme authority; it is a completely decentralized religion. Unlike Christianity or Islam, Hinduism did not have a founder whose teachings were spread by followers. B
ó Most of the fundamental principles of Hinduism were formulated at the time of Christ, but the roots of this religion are even more ancient; Some of the gods that Hindus worship today were worshiped by their ancestors almost 4,000 years ago. Hinduism developed constantly, absorbing and interpreting in its own way the beliefs and rituals of the different peoples with which it came into contact. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF HINDUISMDespite the contradictions between the various variants of Hinduism, they all are based on a few certain fundamental principles.
Beyond the ever-changing physical world there is one universal, unchanging, eternal spirit called Brahman. The soul (atman) of every creature in the Universe, including the gods, is a particle of this spirit. When the flesh dies, the soul does not die, but passes into another body, where it continues a new life.
The fate of the soul in each new life depends on its behavior in previous incarnations. The law of karma says: no sin remains without punishment, no virtue goes without reward; if a person has not received a well-deserved punishment or reward in this life, he will receive it in one of the next. A person’s behavior determines the higher or lower status of the subsequent incarnation; it depends on him whether he will be born in the future as a man, a god, or, say, an insignificant insect.
For most Hindus, an important element of religious beliefs is the host of gods. There are hundreds of deities in Hinduism, from small gods of local significance to great gods whose deeds are known in every Indian family. The most famous are Vishnu; Rama and Krishna, two forms or incarnations of Vishnu; Siva (Shiva); and the creator god Brahma.
Holy books play a large role in all varieties of Hinduism. Philosophical Hinduism emphasizes classical Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads. Folk Hinduism, honoring both the Vedas and the Upanishads, uses epic poems as sacred texts Ramayana And Mahabharata, often translated from Sanskrit into local languages. Part Mahabharata
, Bhagavad Gita is known to almost every Hindu. Bhagavad Gita closest to what could be called the general scripture of Hinduism. HINDU BELIEFS AND RITESThe Universe and the Ultimate Reality.
The Hindu sacred books contain several different descriptions of the origin and structure of the Universe. According to one theory, in the beginning the demiurge god Brahma formed the world from primary matter. According to another, the world appeared ready-made from a golden embryo. According to the third, everything in the world is created from the essence of the universal spirit, Brahman. Physically, the Universe is shaped like an egg and is divided into 14 regions, with the Earth being the seventh from the top. The universe exists in cyclical time. Every event has already happened, and it will happen again in the future. This theory concerns not only the series of reincarnations of an individual, but also the history of society, the life of the gods and the evolution of the entire cosmos. The smallest unit of the Hindu cosmic cycle is the yuga, or world age. There are four yugas, each shorter than the previous one, which corresponds to the decrease in the dharma of the moral order in the universe. Krita Yuga, the era of perfection, lasts 1,728,000 years; third of the south, in which dharma
A thousand mahayugas, i.e. 4,320,000,000 years constitute one kalpa one day in the life of the god Brahma. At the end of each such day, all the matter of the universe is absorbed by the universal spirit, and during the night of Brahma, which also lasts one kalpa, matter exists only in potency, as the possibility of its restoration. At the dawn of each day, Brahma appears from the lotus growing from the navel of the god Vishnu, and matter is formed again. We are living on the first day of the 51st year of Brahma. His year consists of 360 similar days and nights, while Brahma lives 100 years. After this, the universe completely disintegrates, completely loses existence and remains in this state throughout the next century of Brahma. Brahma is then reborn and a cycle of 311,040,000,000,000 years begins. In this ever-evolving, ever-repeating Hindu cosmos there is but one constant entity, Brahman, the universal spirit that fills space and time. All other entities, such as matter and mind, are emanations of Brahman and are therefore maya or illusion. Brahman is the absolute - indivisible, not subject to change, impersonal, without gender, rising above the concepts of good and evil. Due to the all-encompassing and all-pervading nature of Brahman, atman, the world soul, is considered as an inseparable particle of Brahman. Moreover, Brahman is atman, and only the veil of maya, the illusory world of sensory perceptions, prevents a person from understanding this identity. According to popular belief, strict adherence to dharma is the best way to improve one's position in future lives. IN Bhagavad Gita It is said: “It is better to do your own duty.” The path of actions (karma-marga) is the simplest, it is closest to the doctrine of dharma. Karma-marga leads to salvation through actions and deeds corresponding to the position that a person occupies in life. But all actions must be performed selflessly, without striving to satisfy personal desires. Such a life leads to renunciation of the self and to union with Brahman. The path of love (bhakti marga) leads to salvation through unlimited devotion to God. The object of this devotion is often the god Vishnu or Krishna, one of his incarnations. Boundless devotion brings the believer closer to Brahman (the manifestation of which is God), it allows a person to see the unity of all things in Brahman. The path of knowledge (jnana marga) is the most subtle and difficult path to salvation. It requires direct insight into the highest truth of the Universe - the unity of Brahman and atman. Insight can come after a long period of spiritual and physical abstinence, involving the renunciation of all earthly attachments and long ascetic and meditative exercises. Yoga occupies an important place among such exercises. The Sanskrit word yoga means connection, union or discipline. The goal of a yoga practitioner he is called a yogi to achieve the state of samadhi
Every Hindu belongs to a certain caste from birth and cannot change his caste. He must take a wife from his own caste; his occupation will also be traditional for this caste. All castes occupy a certain place in the caste hierarchy. The upper rung of this ladder is usually occupied by the castes of priests and brahmans; below are the castes of traders, farmers, artisans and servants.
In one of the later hymns Rigveda, the most revered of the sacred books of Hinduism, describes the emergence of four main social classes (varnas): at the creation of the world, the first man was sacrificed to the gods, while priests and spiritual teachers (brahmanas) appeared from the head of the dismembered body, and warriors (kshatriyas) from the hands of the dismembered body. ,
from the torso - merchants, farmers and artisans (vaishyas), and from the feet - people of the lower class (shudras). This four-tier system probably does not reflect the true structure of Hindu society at any point in its history. It is quite possible that the Brahmins invented the system many centuries ago to strengthen their position in the caste hierarchy. The sacred texts state that a person's varna is determined by his karma, similarly, most Hindus accordingly believe that a person's position in the caste hierarchy is directly dependent on his behavior in previous lives. If a person conscientiously performs the duty assigned to him by his caste (jati-dharma), then in the next life he can improve his position and become a member of a higher caste.The life of members of the higher castes, according to Hinduism, is divided into four stages. The first begins at puberty, when a boy begins to study sacred texts under the guidance of a guru. In the second stage, he marries, becomes the head of the family and produces sons. Around the time the grandchildren appear, the man enters the next phase - he goes into the forests, leads the life of a hermit, leaving society for the sake of contemplation and meditation. Finally, he becomes a sannyasin, a homeless wanderer living on alms, free from all the bonds of the world. In reality, few people follow these instructions, but it happens that wealthy people, having reached the middle of their lives, retire from business and spend their remaining years in meditation.
GODS AND THEIR CULTSAccording to Hindu beliefs, divinity is an extension of Brahman, the universal spirit. Like Brahman, it is limitless and is found in every particle of the universe, manifesting itself in many different forms. Thus, although there are many gods and Hindus, they are all one in Brahman and represent one divinity. God Krishna speaks in Bhagavad Gita: “Whatever form
[Deities] no matter how a person worships with faith, I strengthen his faith.” In Hindu families, they prefer to pray to either Vishnu and Shiva, or one of the Shakti, the consort or feminine principle of the god.Vishnumost often appears in the role of the Guardian, in contrast to the Creator Brahma and the destroyer Shiva. According to the beliefs of his admirers, Vaishnavas, Vishnu repeatedly took earthly incarnations, avatars, each time in order to save the Universe from disaster. Images of Vishnu are usually dark blue in color, he is four-armed and holds a symbol in each hand: a sea shell, a disc, a mace, a lotus. Sometimes Vishnu is depicted reclining on the coils of a huge multi-headed serpent, Ananta, along with his wife Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, sitting at his feet, and from Vishnu’s navel grows a lotus with Brahma. In other cases, Vishnu is depicted riding Garuda, a bird that serves as his means of transportation. Avatars of Vishnu are Fish, Turtle, Boar, Man-lion, Dwarf, Rama with an axe, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalkin (the latter has not yet appeared). The inclusion of Buddha among the avatars of Vishnu is typical of Hinduism, with its tendency to assimilate all religions: Hindus sometimes add avatars of Christ to the list.The most revered avatars of Vishnu, especially in northern India, are Rama and Krishna. King's son Rama, hero Ramayana, is the embodiment of the image of a perfect ruler, and his wife Sita is an ideal Hindu wife. Krishna, the object of love and veneration of the bhaktas, is worshiped as a playful child, endowed, however, with enormous strength, as a dark-skinned lover who plays the flute, enters into love games with cowherd girls, the most beloved of whom is called Radha, and also as a mature hero of the epic Mahabharata and the religious teacher from Bhagavad Gita
. Shiva.Shiva represents the unity of many aspects. His admirers, Shaivites, believe that destruction must necessarily precede creation, therefore, Shiva participates in the universe and changes. Shiva is depicted in different ways, sometimes in the form of an ascetic, whose body is rubbed with white ash, sitting on a tiger skin in the Himalayas in constant meditation. Attached to the knot of tousled hair on the top of the head is a crescent moon, from which flows the sacred river Ganges. Sometimes he is Nataraj (“Lord of Dance”) in a graceful whirl, supporting the Universe with his endless dance. Shiva is often depicted with his wife Parvati and the bull Nandi, who serves as his vehicle. Shiva is most often prayed to in the form of a lingam, a simple column, usually of stone. Lingam is a phallic emblem of Shiva, suggesting that he is descended from a fertility deity.ShaktiThey represent the feminine divine principle, in addition, this is the name of the spouse of the gods Vishnu and Shiva. For Shakti worshipers (called Shaktas), these goddesses represent the active power of their consorts. Especially often, Shiva-Shakti, the wife of Shiva, becomes the object of veneration. She has many forms: like Parvati, Uma or Annapurna she is a beautiful woman, but she can have a fierce and terrifying appearance when she appears in the form of Durga, Kali, Chandi or Chamundi. Durga, a warrior with a fierce face, riding on a lion, holds in her hundred hands all kinds of deadly weapons. Kali, a jet-black giantess with a blood-red tongue protruding, wears a garland of human skulls around her neck and holds a bloody sword in her hand. Kali is associated with illness, death and destruction, but at the same time protects those who believe in her. Kali's worship includes animal sacrifices and she is often worshiped as Matri, the Mother of the world. In some Shakta cults, the veneration of Kali takes on an “extremist” character. Sects called tantric ( Tantras their sacred texts), in their initiation rites they violate orthodox prohibitions, such as meat-eating and drinking alcohol or the prohibition of sexual immorality. Tantrics give preference to magical rituals and the repetition of mystical spells (mantras), considering them the best path to salvation.Other gods.There are a number of other gods in Hinduism who are worshiped on special occasions or for special purposes. The most popular of these is Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva, who must be propitiated before undertaking any practical undertaking. Another son of Shiva is Skanda or Kartikeya, who is especially popular in southern India. Many people worship the monkey-headed Hanuman, who is described in Ramayana as a loyal ally of Rama. The propitiation of Sitala, the goddess of smallpox, is widespread. Although Brahma occupies an important place as the demiurge in mythology, he is not commonly worshiped. But Saraswati, his wife, enjoys universal love as the goddess of music, fine arts and knowledge.In addition, there are a great many minor local gods. A Hindu peasant bestows gods on all the hills and rivers around his village. The village potter also worships the god of the potter's wheel, and the plowman worships the god of the plow.
RELIGIOUS LIFE AND RITESAlthough Hindus gather for temple prayers, Hinduism is not a communal religion. Religious rituals are performed at home, either alone or with the participation of a few friends or relatives.
The most common type of religious ceremony is puja or worship. Almost every Hindu home contains sacred images or statues of beloved gods, before which prayers are read, hymns are sung and offerings are made. In poor dwellings, the puja is performed modestly. At dawn, the mother of the family reads prayers and rings a bell in front of the market colored pictures of gods hung in the corner of her room. In the homes of rich people, puja is performed with offerings of delicious dishes and flowers, lighting of incense sticks in a special room, which serves as a family temple, where the sacred fire never goes out. In such houses, on special occasions, the family priest, purohita, is invited to puja. Religious services of this kind are most common among followers of the cult of bhakti. Followers of various Hindu cults often demonstrate their affiliation with them through colored marks on the forehead and sometimes on the body. For example, Shaivites draw three white horizontal stripes on their foreheads, Vaishnavas white Latin
V, dissected by a vertical red line.Many family rituals are associated with major events in the life of the family. The ritual is performed by the family priest, in high-caste families this is usually a brahman, who recites sacred texts and places offerings in front of the statues of the gods. The ceremony in honor of the birth of a child is performed before the umbilical cord is cut, followed approximately ten days later by the ceremony of giving the newborn a name. In the upper castes, when a boy reaches puberty, an important rite of upanayana is performed - a sacred thread is put on the boy, which he will wear all his life. During the long and complex wedding ceremony, the newlyweds, having tied the edges of their clothes, must walk around the sacred fire. The newlyweds take a vow of eternal union. As a rule, a Hindu widow does not have the right to remarry, and in the old days, a widow from a high caste often ascended to her husband’s funeral pyre. Hindus cremate corpses immediately after death, and the ashes are thrown into the Ganges or other sacred river. For 12 days thereafter, the family of the deceased makes daily offerings of balls of cooked rice and milk to appease the spirit of the dead person. Orthodox high-caste Hindus periodically repeat the shraddha ritual from generation to generation in memory of their ancestors.
Domestic religious practice, especially in rural areas, involves performing rituals at sacred places (some trees, rivers or stones). Two trees, the banyan tree and the peepal tree, a type of fig tree, are considered sacred everywhere. Hindus also revere a number of animals, such as monkeys, which are associated with the cult of Rama, and snakes, primarily cobras, associated with the cult of Shiva. However, Hindus have the highest respect for bulls, also associated with the cult of Shiva, and cows, symbolizing the earth. Cattle are not slaughtered and only very few Hindus eat beef. In villages, cow dung is widely used in purification rituals and also for making sacred images. On special occasions, cows and bulls are decorated with colorful ribbons and bells are hung around their necks.
Community and temple ceremonies are more solemn than domestic worship. Believers gather to sing hymns together and read excerpts from Ramayana and other traditional literature. Pilgrims flock to temple festivals, often from distant places. Processions are organized in the temple, sometimes servants with flutes, drums and torches solemnly accompany the god to the sanctuary of the goddess, where they spend the night together. Temple festivals usually include singing, dancing and dramatized scenes from epics. Major temple festivals, such as the Jagannath festival in Puri (Orissa), attract pilgrims from all over India. A huge statue of Jagannath is placed on a wooden chariot, harnessed by believers and driven through the city streets.
Pilgrimage forms an important part of the religious life of a Hindu. There are hundreds of sacred places in India to which pilgrims flock to take part in temple festivals and mass religious celebrations, as well as to bathe in the sacred river. The main places of pilgrimage are Benares (Varanasi), Hardwar, Mathura and Allahabad in northern India; Madurai, Kanchipuram and Ujjain in central and southern India. Holidays in different parts of India have different calendars. The most popular holiday, Diwali, is celebrated at the end of October or beginning of November. Diwali is a New Year's festival, but it has different meanings in different regions of India. On Diwali, ritual lamps are lit, gifts are exchanged, and prayers are addressed primarily to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The spring holiday of Hodi is celebrated with street dances and processions, bonfires and all sorts of liberties: people shower each other with coloring powders or douse each other with colored water. Other popular festivals include Dashara, celebrated by the Vaishnavas of northern India, Ganapati festival in Maharashtra, Dolayatra or swing festival in Orissa and Pongal, the rice cooking festival in southern India.
SACRED TEXTSHindu sacred texts are divided into two main categories:
shrutis, or texts of divine revelation, and smritis, traditional books by famous authors. All Shruti literature is written in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, Smriti literature uses both Sanskrit and regional languages.The most important shruti texts are the Vedas (“knowledge”), which developed between 1500 and 900 BC. IN Rig Veda, the first of four books, contains hymns addressed to the gods worshiped at that time in India. Other Vedas contain various ritual formulas, spells, spells and chants. Between 800 and 600 BC a series of prose interpretations of the four Vedas, known as the Brahmanas, was created. They examine in detail all the details of the complex rituals of sacrifice on which the cult of the Vedic gods was built. Around 600 BC. New commentaries, called Aranyakas, appeared, in which the symbolic meaning of Brahmanic rituals was explored, and the emphasis became more on understanding the essence of the ritual, rather than on its exact execution. Over a long period of time, covering the period before the creation of the later Brahmanas and well after the creation of the last Aranyakas, a series of works called the Upanishads were written. They highlight concepts that are still dominant in Hinduism today: the omnipresence of Brahman, the unity of Brahman and atman, karma and transmigration of souls and liberation from the series of births. This entire corpus - the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads - is considered sacred. In many regions of India, sacred texts are considered the exclusive privilege of the brahmins, while representatives of the lower castes do not even have the right to look at these books.
Unlike shruti literature, Smriti texts can be read by anyone. Most of them are either sutras - laconic aphorisms intended for memorization, or shastras - treatises on various topics. Hindu life concepts: artha, kama and dharma presented Arthashastra Kautilya, a treatise on the duty of a ruler and the exercise of power, Kamasutra Vatsayana, a treatise on erotology, and numerous Dharmasastrami codes of laws and rules of morality attributed to Manu, Baudhayana, Yajnavalkya and other characters.
The most popular works of Smriti literature are epic poems Mahabharata And Ramayana. Both developed over a long period of time and are a combination of folklore legends and philosophical reasoning. IN Mahabharata tells the story of the dynastic struggle and the great war. IN Mahabharata included Bhagavad Gita
( Song of God), or Gita, as it is often called, one of the most important works of Hinduism, expounded as a sermon by Krishna, which expounds the main principles of the three paths to salvation: jnana, karma and bhakti. Ramayana tells about the adventures of Rama and his wife Sita. This epic poem is extremely dynamic, including the abduction of Sita by a demon, and the full dramatic description of her rescue by Rama and Hanuman, the monkey-headed god. This work contains great moral meaning and is widely popular in Indian villages. Episodes from Ramayana very popular plots of theater and dance productions.In addition, Hindu literature includes puranas (“stories of the past”), collections of legends with many religious instructions, and books about the divine. Two famous Vaishnava books can be included in this category: Bhagavata Purana, which talks about the life and teachings of Krishna, and the Bengali Gitagovindu, which tells the story of Krishna's love for Radha. see also BHAGAVADGITA; INDIAN LITERATURE.
HISTORY OF HINDUISMHinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The peoples of the Indus Valley civilization professed diverse cults of the mother goddess, worshiping sacred trees and phallic-shaped columns. A number of stone tablets discovered during excavations depict a god in a yogic pose, who is a prototype of Shiva. ( see also INDIA; ANCIENT CIVILIZATION.)
In the middle of II thousand BC this civilization was destroyed by conquerors who invaded the Indus Valley from the northwest. The conquerors, called Aryans, spoke an Indo-European language close to ancient Iranian. These were patriarchal tribes who worshiped mainly gods who personified the forces of nature. Among the gods was Indra - the god of storm and war, Vayu - the god of the wind, the mountain god Rudra, the god of fire - Agni, the god of the sun - Surya. The Aryan priests, the Brahmins, performed sacrifices and composed hymns that form the basis of the Vedas.By the 98th centuries. BC. Brahmins occupied dominant positions in Indian society, and sacrificial rituals became very complicated. Already in the 7th century. BC e. a reaction began to excessive ritualism and the ever-increasing power of the brahmanas. Texts such as the Aranyakas began to explore the meaning of sacrifice, while the Upanishads questioned the fundamental cosmological beliefs of the ancient Aryans. The earliest Aryan hymns say that after death the soul goes to the underworld. New thinkers put forward the concept of transmigration of souls, which over time was reinforced by the law of karma.
By the 6th century BC. e. There was the formation of a number of religions that completely rejected Vedic sacrifices. We are talking about followers not only of the Upanishads, but also of many new sects, including Jains and Buddhists. They all prioritized liberation from endless births and agreed that liberation is achieved not through sacrifice, but through meditation. The rivalry between various sects lasted for almost a millennium. By 500 AD Hinduism won, incorporating many of the tenets of Buddhism and Jainism, including the doctrine of non-violence, vegetarianism and abstinence from alcohol, as well as a number of new elements of worship. Buddha was introduced into the Hindu pantheon.The rise of Hinduism and its victory over Buddhism and Jainism coincided with a period of intense philosophical quest. Between 6th century BC. and 5th century AD, at least a dozen competing doctrines emerged. They all agreed that moksha is the main goal of man, but they differed on many theological and metaphysical subtleties. Six philosophical schools (the “six darshans”) came into particular prominence: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Each of them was believed to offer an effective way of liberation, but only Vedanta gained the greatest popularity.
Vedanta philosophy is based on Brahma Sutras, attributed to the sage Badarayana (2nd or 3rd century). Unlike other schools, which put forward complex theories about the constituent parts of matter and the nature of the soul, Vedanta held rather simple views on Brahman and atman.
Later Vedanta split into several theological schools, the main difference between which was the degree to which they recognized the identity of Brahman and atman. The dominant approach was the monistic Advaita school, formulated by Shankara in the 7th-8th centuries. Shankara taught that the only reality in the Universe is Brahman and that the relationship of Brahman and the world of senses, Maya, cannot be expressed. The individual soul, atman, is but a manifestation of Brahman, and, as the Upanishads say, the liberation of the soul is possible only through the complete realization of the unity of atman and Brahman. Although "philosophical Hinduism" came almost entirely under the influence of Advaita, the greater influence on popular Hinduism was the Visheshadvaita, or limited monism of Ramanuja, the 11th-12th century philosopher. Ramanuja argued that the ultimate reality is not the impersonal spirit, but the personal god, Vishnu. Atman is a part of God and ultimately unites with him, but at the same time it never completely loses its personal properties. Vishishtadvaita states that union with God is achieved through bhakti-marga, the path of sincere devotion, rather than through contemplative practice according to the method of jnana-marga. The third school of Vedanta, the Dvaita or dualistic school, founded by Madhva in the 13th century, stands for the complete separation of soul and Brahman.
High activity of “philosophical Hinduism” in the 7th–8th centuries. and later coincided with the development of the broadest movement of folk Hinduism - a religion of direct worship of God, mainly the veneration of such gods as Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti. Originating in the south, where the Nayanar sects, worshipers of Shiva, and the Alvars, worshipers of Vishnu, arose, the bhakti movement rapidly spread throughout India. A huge corpus of popular literature appeared not in Sanskrit, but in regional languages. One of the most important works of this literature is written in Hindi Ramayana Tulsi Das, 16th century poet.
The spread of Islam in India, which began in the 12th century, and then the spread of Christianity in the 18th century, caused a number of crises in Hinduism. Both religions of non-Indian origin required adherents to unconditionally and exclusively accept their doctrines, which was difficult for Hindus, who were accustomed to believing in the existence of multiple paths to salvation. Moreover, for Hinduism, with its idea of vast but eternally repeating cycles of time, the life of Muhammad or the coming of Christ meant little: such things had happened before in the history of the Universe, as they will continue to happen in the future.
In the 15th century Several cults arose, representing an attempt to synthesize the doctrines of Islam and Hinduism. One of the religious teachers of that time, Kabir, an illiterate weaver from Benares, composed beautiful hymns about brotherly love, which are still sung in Indian villages. Kabir, like Muslims, opposed idolatry, but emphasized the importance of bhakti as the path to salvation. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, emphasized the similarities between Islam and Hinduism in his teachings.
In the 19th century a generation of reformers emerged who opposed animal sacrifice, child marriage, widow self-immolation, and the most prominent injustices associated with the caste system. The first of the reformers, Raja Rammohan Roy, founded the Hindu society "Brahmo Samaj", which took into account many provisions of Christianity. Another reformer, Dayananda Saraswati, founded the Arya Samaj, a religious brotherhood dedicated to the cause of social equality. The Arya Samaj preached monotheism attributed to the Vedas. At the end of the 19th century. Bengali philosopher Vivekananda, inspired by his teacher Sri Ramakrishna, a Bengali mystic who was revered as a saint, organized the “Ramakrishna Mission”. The “Mission” preaches the brotherhood of all people from the perspective of Vedanta and the equivalence of various paths to salvation.
In the 20th century Mahatma Gandhi tried to combine traditional Hindu virtues such as non-violence and austerity with the desire for national independence and socialist ideas in the economy. Gandhi attached great importance to the moral side of teaching Bhagavad Gita, especially the concept of selfless action. The powerful influence of the West on India over the past 200 years has not brought about fundamental changes in Hindu religious thought, but at the same time has helped to revitalize Hindu religious practice. see also INDIAN LITERATURE; INDIA ; SIKHISM. LITERATURE
Hinduism. Jainism. Sikhism: Dictionary. M., 1996
often identified as one of the world's oldest religions, but is not officially a world religion. Despite the fact that in terms of the number of believers, it ranks third after Christianity and Islam, and is also the largest national religion. Hinduism is inextricably linked with India, where it originally originated.
India's population is more than 1 billion people and about 80% of them practice Hinduism. Only because of the fact that the overwhelming number of followers of this religion live in one country, it was not recognized as a world religion.
There is no known specific year or even century for the beginning of Hinduism. It is an accumulated collection of communities, beliefs, beliefs and practices that have come together over the centuries. Their ancient roots are traditionally seen in the culture of the Indus Valley, riverine civilization and Indo-European people. Refined philosophies, village deities, and ethical obligations coexisted in pluralistic Hindu societies.
The Indus Valley was inhabited 2500 BC. Little is known about the beginnings of "Hinduism" of its then inhabitants, but it is certainly clear that their religious impulses were directed towards the forces of nature: the sun, moon, earth, water, trees, mountains... Around 1500 BC, when the Indo-Aryans moved to this area from the northwest, the religion known as Hinduism first appeared. Local traditions complemented Hinduism, through "syncritization" and "Brahmanization", and flourished in southeast Asia for several thousand years. And now in every part of the world.
Hinduism is more than a religion. It is also a philosophy and a way of life. Unlike other great religions, Hinduism is not based on one holy book - there are many, all of equal importance - or on the words of one or many prophets. Hinduism is a culture in the broad sense of the word, and as a culture, it grows like a living organism, being influenced by all existing factors and circumstances. Modern Hinduism is fueled by many sources, growing into a wide variety of teachings, each of which is important in its own way.
The main schools of Hinduism are Smartism and Shaktism. They share many common concepts and principles, such as karma and reincarnation; belief in some Supreme Being who creates the universe, maintains it and subsequently destroys it to repeat the cycle again; belief in moksha, which means liberation of the soul from an endless series of rebirths; adherence to dharma, a set of rules and norms of behavior necessary to maintain order, ahimsa, the principle of non-violence.
Each branch of Hinduism has its own philosophy and provides different ways to achieve the same goal. Some aspects are viewed from different angles or interpreted differently. Followers of Hinduism believe that there are many paths leading to the One God, therefore there is no enmity or rivalry between them. They freely exchange ideas, debate, and hone the philosophies of their schools.
Hinduism does not have a governing body that exercises control on a national or regional scale. Followers rely on the same holy books, which ensures the unity of their faith, although the interpretation of certain positions among the brahmins (spiritual leaders) of different temples differs.
The sacred books of Hinduism exist in large numbers, divided into two groups: shruti and smriti. It is believed that shruti are scriptures associated with the gods, which appeared with them. They contain eternal knowledge of our world. Subsequently, this knowledge was “heard” by the sages and passed on orally until it was written down by the sage Vyasa in order to preserve it for humanity.
Shruti includes the Vedas, consisting of four volumes and containing the texts of religious rituals, songs and spells; Brahmanas, which are commentaries on the Vedas; The Upanishads, which set out the main essence of the Vedas, and the Aranyakas, with rules of conduct for hermits. Smriti includes books that complement shruti. These are dharma-shastras containing laws and rules of conduct; itihasas, which include various legends and stories; puranas or ancient epics; vedanga - manuals on the six branches of knowledge (Hinduism), and agamas or doctrines.
Hinduism has a place for a huge number of gods. In this religion, gods are the supreme beings who rule the world. Each of them plays its own special role. All of these deities require worship from their followers, which can be performed in temples or at family altars.
The main gods of Hinduism are considered to be (the preserver of the universe), Shiva (the destroyer of the universe) and Brahma (the creator of the universe). Also important are their wives Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati. Another three revered gods are Kama (god of love), Ganesha (god of luck and trade) and Brahman (god of the Absolute, “soul of the world”).
A huge number of people who have dedicated their lives to Hinduism receive from this religion the strength to follow their life path towards a good goal, regardless of obstacles and difficulties. While apart, they are united in their aspirations, following the sacred scriptures and worshiping the gods, preserving the great cultural heritage that came from ancient times.
Video:
Mantra (music):
Books:
Quotes:
))) All employees of our nuclear power plant adopted Hinduism. This helps them at least somehow reconcile with the four-armed director.
“A person must be loved by everyone, even by animals.”
Atharva Veda, 17.1.4.
“Do not use the body given to you by God to kill God’s creatures - neither people, nor animals, nor any other creatures.”
Yajurveda, 12.32.
Question to visiting yogi(s):
Is Hinduism close to you? What exactly appeals to you in the religious direction described?
| What is Hinduism?What is Hinduism?
Why are we talking about Hinduism?
Many people today practice yoga and other disciplines of Indian origin that come under the auspices of Hinduism. The only color of yoga is the color of true spirituality. Also, many other Hindu practices have a spiritual and scientific basis. But they are based not on rough, but on more subtle sciences.Because the Hinduism- this is a set of ancient spiritual practices that came from prehistoric times, it is important for us to understand those great people who discovered and laid the foundation of these spiritual practices. It is equally important to understand the environment as well as the discipline rules, background, social values, practices and culture of the Vedic society. It all comes together Hinduism.
If a modern person wants to succeed in the spiritual practices that we inherited from the ancient sages, then he must study all these circumstances and penetrate deeper into the ancient spiritual practices that lead to great spiritual development.
This makes the study of Hinduism important.
Hinduism has a huge number of spiritual practices and philosophies that have evolved over the centuries, resulting in a well-formed foundation that makes it easier for the spiritual seeker to achieve an answer to a spiritual query without wasting time, effort and money on untested techniques. Most of the spiritual practices of Hinduism have stood the test of time and are therefore trustworthy.
2. What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is a general name for a whole range of spiritual practices and philosophical systems. The widely used term "Hinduism" covers the entire Vedic culture - its philosophy and practice.
It brings together philosophical systems such as Yoga Sutras, Sankhya, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Kashmir Shaivism, Shakta, as well as various forms of yoga including Bhakti, Gyana, Kundalini, Laya, Dhyana, Raja, Mantra and Ashtanga.
In addition, it includes all tantric practices such as worship of the Goddess (Devi), practices dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vaishnava practices dedicated to Lord Rama, Dattatreya, Hanuman and others; and also, worship of Brahman, Advaita Vedanta and so on.
One who travels through India sees various traditions, temples, Gods and Goddesses, customs, practices and subcultures. This diversity has arisen due to the long period of development of Hinduism from ancient times to the present day. Differences exist due to methods, forms of worship, spiritual practices, deities, traditions and geographical location.
Hinduism is a vast system that has numerous traditions, which may even conflict with each other at times, but the Hindu is tolerant of them because he respects others and their traditions, believing that philosophical and spiritual systems are complementary and not competitive.
If one tries to define what Hinduism is, it will be very difficult for him to do so, because India is a vast laboratory of spirituality in which a variety of beliefs, even those of non-Indian origin, coexist. Often faiths, spiritual groups, societies or sampradayas freely adopt things from each other. Perhaps Hinduism is best defined as the search for spirituality.
3. Is Hinduism a religion?
Hinduism is called Dharma. This is not the same as religion. Hindus call it .The term "Dharma" is not actually equivalent to the word religion in Sanskrit, Hindi and other Indian languages. The term used by Hindus is Dharma, Sanatana Dharma.
Sanatana means "without beginning or end." The word Dharma means natural inherent quality. For example, the dharma of fire is to burn. If the fire does not burn, then it is not fire. If the ice is not cold, then it is not ice. There are no matches for the word Dharma in English, Russian and other languages. It is best defined as a natural quality/tendency/duty. Dharma can also be understood as living a righteous life.
Nature is governed by laws. They are called Rita. For example, what is born will one day die. The river will flow down, the thrown will fall to the ground. Vedic philosophy follows Rita. Then Rita became part and foundation of Dharma.
4. How and where did the terms Hindu and India come from?
Origin of the terms Hindu and India: The word Hindu was first mentioned in Arabic chronicles in 1323 AD to distinguish it from Islam. They called India Al-Hind. The word comes from the name of the Indus River. Later the British began to use the term Hindu, the name India also became popular thanks to the British.
5. What is the real name of India?
In fact, India is called Bharat. "Bha" means knowledge, Rati is the wife of Kamadeva, the God of love. Therefore "rati" means lover. Thus "Bharat" means in love with Knowledge.
There are several stories associated with the name Bharat. More than 5 thousand years ago there lived a king named Bharata. He was powerful, kind and fair.
He ruled most of modern India. Most of the kings were his vassals. He had seven sons, but nevertheless he chose as his successor Bhumanu, the son of his subject Bhardwaj (It is not clear whether Bhumanu was the son of the sage Bhardwaj, but the significant fact is that he was from the same family). This action set him apart from his predecessors, as he gave preference to ability and skill rather than blood. In ancient Indian society, laws were better and citizens had more rights than today.
6. Who founded Hinduism?
U Hinduism there is no founder, since there is no single philosophy and no single religious structure (such as the Church). It is the world's oldest religion and predates written history. The simplest definition of Hinduism is a spiritual path.
Hinduism is not so much a religion as a collection of diverse philosophical systems and methods of worship that does not have a central founder such as Christ in Christianity, Buddha in Buddhism or Mohammed in Islam.
Nevertheless, Hinduism has a certain number of beliefs common to all philosophical systems. Target Hinduism- gain experience of the divine, become divine. Various paths, numerous teachers and deities - they all lead to one ultimate underlying universal truth. The structure of Hinduism resembles a creature with many heads.
7. Who was the founder or source of Hinduism and Vedic culture?
The original sages who were the source of the Hindu spiritual system are called rishis. "Ri" means to leave, emit or throw out, like breath, "sh" means yellow, "i" means knowledge. The color yellow symbolizes vairagya, non-attachment and therefore also liberation. Thus “Rishis” means “those who teach knowledge that has the power to liberate (from the cycle of birth and death).
According to other opinions, the word "Rishi" is derived from the root "Drish" meaning "to see". Rishis were considered to be "drishta" or mantra seers because they saw mantras or "richa" during meditation. They did not create them, but perceived them as a revelation. Therefore, Vedic richis are revelations (Vedic mantras are called richis).
8. Who is the spiritual head of Hinduism?
IN Hinduism there is no single spiritual head like the Patriarch in Orthodoxy or the Shahi Imam in Islam. Hinduism has a large number of different spiritual leaders, the most prominent of which are Shankaracharya and Mahamandaleshvara. However, depending on the tradition, there are many other spiritual leaders, such as Nimbarkacharya in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, Ramanujacharya in the Ramanuja Sampradaya, and other acharyas who head their own sampradayas, spiritual schools or movements.
For a Hindu, God is the study of truth, called by different names in different philosophical systems. Purusha in Sankhya, Brahman in Advaita, Atman in Bhavgavad Gita and Advaita, Paramshiva in Kashmir Shaivism, Kaivalya in Yoga Sutras, Satchidananda in Upanishads, Shunya in Vijnana-Bhairava Tantra, Shakti in Shakta philosophy and so on.
And yet Hindus believe that there is one truth, but it is called differently. God in Hinduism is transcendental and immanent, unmanifest and manifest.
God in Hinduism is best understood as the spirit within each of us, which is actually one, but appears to be different. As Paramatman, the permanent, all-pervading spiritual Self, and as Jivatman, that is, the spiritual Self in every being.
There are almost 330 million deities in the Hindu system. Yet Hindus believe that there is only one God. (Over time, the practices associated with some forms, as well as the histories and meanings of these forms, were lost.
Other forms have partial texts and prayers that are available today, and yet most forms and associated traditions survive. Many forms and practices are restricted and not available to the general public).
These 330 million deities are nothing but different forms of the one divine energy. Each of them is a door to perfection. Depending on his personal characteristics, qualities, past impressions and mental tendencies, each individual chooses the most suitable form of the divine. In the end, all paths lead to one truth.
10. How does Hinduism relate to other faiths?
Hindus believe that different philosophical systems do not contradict, but complement each other. The goal of every Hindu is to experience the divine experience himself.
Hindus believe that no one person, belief or system is the only path to experiencing God, liberation or salvation. A Hindu believes that one system suits him and he trusts it, and another system may suit another and he is free to follow the methods and path of his choice.
Hinduism is an ancient philosophy of tolerance. Everyone is free to choose, experiment, understand and develop. But Hinduism has strict rules of practice.
11. What are the differences between Hinduism or what makes the Hindu system unique?
Firstly, Hinduism has been developing its philosophical trends for over 5 thousand years. India or Bharat is most easily defined as the spiritual laboratory of the world, where everyone was and remains free to experiment with different methods, to achieve or become divine. All these philosophical systems and paths constitute a huge spiritual wealth, a world heritage that is a gift to the whole world.
Secondly, Bharat or India is one of several regions, and perhaps the only region in the world, where various systems of worship, methods of transforming spiritual energy have been preserved in their pure form, in a continuous ancient tradition dating back more than five thousand years. Unlike other traditions, in which many of the threads were cut, and thus the traditions were interrupted.
12. What are the prerequisites for studying Hinduism?
The main condition is an open mind and a desire to change your personality. Also, a keen intellect, and a desire for God or higher consciousness. One should study from a spiritual master, or Guru. Devotion to the Guru, discipline, regular practice, study of the Scriptures, development of noble qualities, good society and the habit of self-observation are also necessary.
Based on materials from the website of Brahmachari Muktananda
