Out of all the beliefs and practices we have studied, one that fascinates me the most is the Hindu belief of Samasara. Samsara is the cycle of death, life and rebirth. In order to understand this cycle, it is important to understand the concepts of atman and karma. Hindu’s believe that each individual has a non-material self which never changes. This “self” is called atman. It is not the mind or the body, but goes beyond anything temporary that we ascribe to ourselves. Its western equivalent is usually considered “the soul.” Still, this does not quite sum up atman, as atman goes beyond individuality and connects us to every other living thing as well, including (and perhaps, especially) God. Hindu’s believe that there is one God, but as he is infinitely powerful and has infinite attributes, he is manifest in many different ways and beings. Those beings include all animals and people. The illusion that each person is his or her own body, and failing to realize that we are all one eternal soul, is what leads to the troubles of this life. The illusion (or maya) is what causes people to act selfishly or do wrong deeds, and prevents them from achieving liberation. The state of atman in each lifetime depends on one’s kharma. Kharma is the …show more content…
It means “liberation” from the cycle of life and death, but also from suffering and pain. In this sense it is similar to the Buddhist principle of Nirvhana. However the biggest difference is because Hinduism is a theistic religion, Moksha is not only freedom from the cycle of life, but also unity with God. (http://study.com/academy/lesson/moksha-in-hinduism-definition-lesson-quiz.html) Especially in the Advaita school, there is a great emphasis on one’s “identity” being an illusion. The soul of each individual is equal to God in every way. Liberation is therefore not only being set free from Samsara, but also the realization of one’s own Godhood.
Hinduism, Buddhism and Shinto, while vast in differences there is much to learn about these three religions similarities as well. Some facts and history of Hinduism include, Hinduism (being the oldest of the three) is dated back in pre-history before 10000 BC even believed to predate the Indus River Valley Civilization! The Vedas (the holy text of Hinduism) is the foundation for Indian culture and also the basic belief system of Hinduism. The basic belief structure of Hinduism is as follows, the three doctrines; Samsara (1) which means “successive rebirths” indicating the belief in reincarnation started by ATMA or the spark of life given by the god Brahma. This cycle continues until the soul collects enough good Karma (2) to break from the
The Hindus call their supreme reality “Brahman,” a God of infinite being, infinite awareness, and infinite bliss. “Utter reality, utter consciousness, and utterly beyond all possibility of frustration is the basic Hindu view of God” (Smith 1991). Hinduism sees their God as an archetype of supremacy with the noblest crown, a parent, loving, merciful, almighty, eternal salvation, and an understanding companion. There is also a distinction between personal (ramanuja) and transpersonal (shankara) notions of God in Hinduism; “God so conceived is called Saguna Brahman, or God-with-attributes or God-without-attributes, Nirguna Brahman” (Smith, 1991). Also, it is important to realize that God’s relation in Hinduism varies on symbolism and what is embraced: the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer who resolves all finite forms of life. They view the world as “God-dependent.” A personalist in Hinduism “will see little religious availability in the idea od a God who is so far removed from our predicaments as to be unaware of our very existence” (Smith, 1991). Were as a transpersonalist sees God serving as a master in their life to guide them through their struggles and becomes possessed by this
Hinduism is faced with a revolving wheel of life, death and rebirth called Samsara better known as reincarnation. They believe this life cycle is a direct relation to a person’s karma of deeds done. Karma “determines the kind of body, whether human, animal, or insect, into which he or she will be reincarnated in the next
These two concepts are very similar to the beliefs of Hinduism. In Hinduism, they believe to continue life after death. To understand this concept you have to first grasp the idea of the soul. In Hinduism people believe in the existence of the soul. They believe the soul to be external, invisible and unchanging. Atman in Hinduism means soul in English. The believed the concept of soul (atman) to be very important in human life. Just like Animism the atman or soul is a crucial part of the human body and controls the power within. Animism is closely related to the concepts of Hinduism. In Hinduism most individuals believe that there is life after death, and that the soul(atman) doesn’t rest in peace if the spirit is displeased. As for Animism it has a similar concept.
Reincarnation also known as samsara, Is a major tenet of Hinduism. Reincarnation or samsara, Is the process in which one soul returns to Earth in a new body to learn and experience new things while working through your karma, this process repeats itself until your soul is pure and you can finally join the most high.
Humans are accountable for actions and our lives are a result of our past actions. Humans are no more important than animals. Many Hindu believe in reincarnation or the rebirth of the soul in a new body. They may see an animal as someone reincarnated from a different life. When comparing Hinduism and Christianity, they both believe in love for everyone. They both also control behavior through either the ten commandments or through the eightfold path. When contrasting the two, Hindu’s worship multiple deities and Christians worship one God. Christians live one life on earth and when they die they either go to heaven or to hell. Hindus believe that their soul is born as an animal and by living the right way, they climb the ladder to a higher class throughout many
Hinduism believes in the reincarnation or rebirth of souls. They believe that souls are eternal and divine and that death is only temporary.
Samsara is defined as the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound. The narrator of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha uses the metaphor, “the game was called Samsara, a game for children, a game which was perhaps enjoyable played once, twice, ten times -- but was it worth playing continually?”. Siddhartha, the main character of the book, tries to decide whether this “game” is worth it. Throughout the book he encounters many different walks of life and learns much about the world around him. Eventually he reaches enlightenment through the teachings of Vasudeva, an old ferryman. Siddhartha found enlightenment by learning the lesson of the river; just as the water of the river flows into the ocean and is returned by
Hinduism is a religion that is difficult to define. No one can say who the founder is, or connect it to a certain place or time. So in order to understand Hinduism, we follow a coherent set of assumptions upon which people base their lives; otherwise defined as the Indian Worldview.
Both of the religions Hinduism and Judaism are similar but different in their own ways. Hinduism worships many gods and goddesses, whereas Judaism is a confirmedly monotheistic religion. In the Hinduism religion the bedrock is the belief that the Vedas is sacred and the caste system decribed in it. “Hinduism is a guide to life, and the goal of which is to reach union with Brahman, the unchanging ultimate reality”(75). The dharma or moral law that need to be followed. There are many gods that were worshiped and each person may worship a different god. Images of the gods in homes or temples were presented where each person can show devotion to their personal gods by singing hymns or offering flowers before the images. The Hindus believe in many things such as that the universe undergoes and endless cycle of creation, believe in karma, that the soul reincarnates, the belief that all life is sacred.
Christian's view is " that everything that exists, including humans, is a result of God, the Creator God" (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011) . Hindu's believe that “everything has always been in existence and is a part of god” (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011). Basically, its God created everything versus everything has just been.
Hindus believe in an everlasting soul (atman) that is reincarnated almost intact from birth to birth, and through spiritual practice Hindus seek release (moksha, also known as liberation) so that the soul can join with the Divine God, known as Brahmin.
will tell you what you have done as bad things you do in your life
The Hindu religion and culture is a very complex subject. The Hindu religion combines rich ethnical and standard beliefs. We will take a closer look and try to understand the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (Major World Religions, 2006). The Hindu religion began to develop about 4.000 years ago in India, but it there was no single founder or system of belief (Major World Religions, 2006). There are many diverse and various Gods in the Hindu religion. One of the most important beliefs is the theory of karma, which holds that all beings, human or animal have karma which determines which soul is for which body and
The Upanishads is called the ultimate reality- Brahman. It means the ultimate reality that is behind the universe and all the gods. The Upanishads describe Brahman as the eternal, the conscious, and infinite. Some pantheist thinkers consider that devotion is nothing but an easier path towards reaching the same remote union with the impersonal Ultimate Reality, towards attaining the death of personhood, the main source of illusion which is called Maya. Maya being the biggest illusion of reality, it makes a person Avidya or in simple language ignorant. It is explained in the Upanishads that Moksha is the most important factor, because it is called the freedom, it brings a person to a point in life where they don’t need to reincarnate because they have reached the high aspire of life, and got Moksha (simple words- free from the world). Samasara (world) is the cycle of death and life and rebirth. To get Moksha from the Samasara you have to completely understand the Brahman and accept