How Can An Individual Be Identified As A Hindu?

Around the world, people believe Hinduism isn’t a religion, but a way of life. Michael Molloy states, “Hinduism is not a single, unified religion; it is more like a family of beliefs (75).” It was constructed from the Aryans who brought it into India in 1500 BC. The religion is one of the dominant religion in India over centuries. “Hinduism is the religion followed by about 70 percent of the roughly seven hundred million people of India. Elsewhere, with the exception of the Indonesian island of Bali, Hindus represent only minority

Dualistic Hindus try and understand divine reality through their many different gods. With that there is a focus put onto the one god Brahman which Brood describes as, “supreme, unitary reality, the ground of all Being.” (Brood et al., 2016). The monistic viewpoint of Brahman can best be described as the belief that all reality is ultimately one. Brahman is, “treated as a basic cosmic principle.” (Hopkins, 1971). According to Hopkins in the, “Atharva Veda, brahman is said to have the lowest and highest forms and to be ‘the womb of both the existent and the nonexistent.’ In 10.2 it is said that ‘by brahman the earth was disposed, as brahman the sky was set above, as brahman this atmosphere, the wide expanse, was set aloft and crosswise.’” (Hopkins, 1971). Brahman can most easily relate to the Christian, Islam, and Judaism God.Both Brahman and the God of Christianity, Islam,

Hinduism is considered one of the oldest surviving religion on Earth. With over one billion people following its traditions, values, and customs, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world currently, the first two being Christianity and Islam. The roots of this religion lie mainly in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism seems narrow to most people, but in reality, it is very broad. It consists of many different languages and traditions, but most of the beliefs remain constant throughout the surface.

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.

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world; but it is generally thought to be the world?s oldest organized religion. The Hindu religion has a lot of different traditions so it has the reputation of featuring freedom of practice and beliefs. A good example of this would be that Hindus ?recognize a single deity, and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God;? but there are atheists in the Hindu religion. Some ex-Hindus explain that atheism is accepted but only to the point that you will not be socially shunned for professing non-belief in a god. It is important to know what Hinduism does not have. It does not have a single founder; a single holy text like the Bible or Koran; a single concept of deity (as mentioned above; a single system of morality; a central religious authority or a specific theological system; nor do they have any concept of a

One could not give a definite definition to Hinduism. Hinduism is not an organized religion but a set of belief systems and traditions that is in turn a way of life in Indian Society. Hinduism contains several sects, subsects, sub-subsects, various traditions and ascetic movements. I think this is important for defining Hinduism, but it also proves difficult to place an accurate pinpoint definition of Hinduism. Hinduism is different for each person and

Hinduism is a complex religion and it has some things in common with Buddhism which became a major world philosophy. Hinduism is a very old religion its been around for a really long time, it has first appeared around 1500 BCE. Many people label Hinduism as a religion but its really the way of how a person should live their life (ancient.eu). “ Hinduism is considered a complex religion for the prime reason that it consists of innumerable gods, has unlimited scriptures, untold rituals and from where to begin is difficult.” (Google.com). Hinduism is mostly about beliefs and practices. Hinduism doesn’t have a single founder, their culture changed over the past centuries. In Hinduism there’s many beliefs that people go by.

The Question of Origin is answered by the Hinduism Worldview as “everything has always been in existence and is a part of god” (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011). A part of the worldview is that the universe and god is one in the same thing. Hinduism believes that itself has always existed, that it did not have a creator. God is viewed "as an infinite, impersonal force" (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011).

Hinduism is a significantly smaller religion and is lesser known to a majority of the world. Out of the world population, 15% are practicing Hindus. Strictly

Imagine a religion so old that it is said to be timeless and has always been there, even before humans set foot on the Earth. It’s mindboggling to think that the knowledge of everything is floating in the space of the universe and the mind is just a way of reaching it. Hinduism is a very complex religion, yet it still sets one ultimate goal for the soul. To deeper understand Hinduism we must reveal its origin, doctrines, customs, and culture.

Dissimilar to Christianity, Hinduism is portrayed as a family of beliefs. “Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality” (Molloy, 75). Hinduism can be compared to that of the Ganga Ma, a significant river in the Indian culture. Comparing it with the river saying that it flows and gains momentum. The Hindus have four very important life goals; kama or pleasure, artha or economic security, dharma or social and religious duty, and moksha or complete freedom. While Hinduism consist of more than one god, individuals tend to focus on a particular god. Three gods are particularly central in the life of Hinduism. The three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, represent creation, preservation, and destruction. (Molloy, 75).

Hinduism is one of the world’s most ancient religions. It is the third largest religion. There are many subjects involved in the Hinduism, such as: Hindu religious structure, art, artifacts, and the different time periods. Hindus practice strict religious beliefs and customs. Hinduism consists of a 1,000 religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 B.C.

In contrast to majority of devout religions, Hinduism participates in the worship of many gods – thus making it a polytheistic religion consisting of a Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Brahma is the The Creator, and a member of the Hindu Trinity. Brahma intimately creates everything in the universe. In addition, Vishnu maintains the balance and harmony of the universe. Last but not least, Shiva perpetually destroys the universe: “it’s the necessary step to make renewal possible” (Hindu Gods and

Identity is “the process that informs the way in which people see themselves and the groups they belong to and also how other groups categorize a person.” Pountney and Maric (2015) pages 144-5. “Identity is relational, situational and multiple. It is better to understand identification as a process of continual negotiation and renegotiation.” This statement confirms our identities are forever changing due to our circumstances or surrounding environments and certain aspects of our identities are chosen and negotiated. The Sikh youths in the UK prove this theory through this statement; ‘There’s a time to be Indian and a time to be British’ K. Hall (2002).

Hinduism is most commonly found in the Eastern hemisphere, primarily in the country of India. However, a new addition to the Ames/Des Moines area in the state of Iowa has been added. A Hindu temple has recently gone up, and for visitors, it may be their very first glance at the Hindu religion. The religion itself is a complex system most commonly identified with different gods, goddesses, idols, comics, history, metaphors, and structures.