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Hinduism Research Paper

Decent Essays

In Southeast Asia, Hinduism comprises what is the thirst largest religious group today. However, unlike other religions, Hinduism’s beliefs range from monotheism, polytheism, and even atheism. In this essay I will argue that although the religious diversity in India is so vast between religions like Sikhism and Jainism, there are still very many similarities between them. First, the knowledge of early Indian religion come from the Vedas. The Vedas were a collection of thousands of hymns of praise addressed to the gods. The language of the Vedas are called Sanskrits. Vedic religion was first centered around the fire sacrifices; which are also referred to as yajna or homa (Esposito, p. 306). Brahmins, who were very special priests chanted the Vedic hymns and conducted rituals to show gratitude to Aryan deities. Brahmins were viewed a superior beings and believed in a caste system. Within the Vedic religion, there was a heavy emphasis on death and the afterlife. One’s destiny would be determined by …show more content…

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that teaches devotion to god and to deny egoism. It was founded by one of the principal bhakti saints, Guru Nanak (Esposito, p. 328). Sikhism was the last religion to originate in India. Nanak sought to cut through the difference between Hinduism and Islam among castes and teaching inner intention and purity of devotion. Nanak respected both the traditions of Islam and Hinduism, but he wanted to reveal the full spiritual truth behind them by correcting mistaken practices (Esposito, 329). Nanak believed that the caste system was wrong and that women deserved respected and equality. One of his verses even state, “Of women we are born, of women conceived, To a woman engaged, to woman married, Woman we befriend, by women is civilization continued… it is by woman that order is maintained, Then why call her evil from whom great men are born?” (Esposito, p. 329). His views drew many to the Sikhism

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