Taking a Look at Hinduism

Chapter 4: Hindu Traditions Each culture and religion has its own set of traditions and customs. Actually, sociologists claim that civilizations cannot be considered as such if they have no unique traditions. Since Hinduism is known as the oldest religion in the whole world, it is pretty obvious that it has a lot of traditions and customs. Some of these traditions are extremely important that believers are willing to sacrifice lives for them. This chapter will discuss some of the most common customs and traditions observed by Hindus.

The Hindu then worships puja by giving flowers and fruits and finally the Hindu eats the blessed food. By following these steps Hindu believe they become closer to the deity. (asms.k12.ar.us) Hindu’s also have many festivals to celebrate their religion. Lohari is an example of one of the festivals. Lohari takes place in the winter at night in Northern India. The people build a bonfire and throw popcorn, peanuts and sesame candies into the fire. By throwing these objects into the fire it is symbolic by throwing one’s evil into the fire, and also asking for blessings for the following year. Holi is another celebration which is considered to be the celebration of the death of winter and the return on spring. (Fisher 105-106)

Hinduism is a religion that dates back about 6000 years and is one of the world's oldest religion. This religion is unlike any other and actually shaped many religions that are still followed today. An example of a widely followed religion influenced by Hinduism is Buddhism. Originating in the Indus River Valley Hinduism is now spread all over the world. Geography played and still plays a huge role in Hinduism. From the Aryans using a mountain pass to take over the original land of Hinduism to the spread of Hinduism today.

Hinduism is a major religious and cultural tradition of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a diverse family of devotional and ascetic cults and philosophical schools, all sharing a belief in reincarnation and involving the worship of a large pantheon of deities.

Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion, is the third largest religion in the world after Islam and Christianity with close to one billion followers. The followers of the religion are called Hindus and are mainly located in India, and their place of worship is a temple. The religion doesn’t have any one specific founder, however,

First, I would like to introduce the religion of Hinduism. The term Hinduism was derived a river of South Asia, the Indus. This term was used by the ancient Persians to classify the people of that region of the North-West territory of the subcontinent. Indian religion, Hinduism, was the term given by the British in the nineteenth century to the population of India that were neither Muslim or Christian.

Since the beginning of civilization many religions and cultures have come and gone. One of the few that has stood the test of time is Hinduism. Hinduisms base flourishes from the practical view of human life, belief in eternal truth and it’s ability to make small adaptations to it without compromising its core values. Hinduism is the oldest known religion in the world and also the third largest in the world. Most of its one billion followers live in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Even with its immense amount of followers and lengthy existence, many non followers are unaware of its history, beliefs, and practices.

Hinduism is a very broad term that encompasses a multitude of different backgrounds, traditions, beliefs, and practices. Hinduism, as we know it today, has gone through many changes. To fully understand how Hinduism became as it is currently, knowledge of its development over the course of history is essential. This paper will demonstrate the primary shifts of its central beliefs, practices, and goals between periods of Early Vedic, Late Vedic, and Classical Hinduism.

Before I read Stephen Prothero’s God Is Not One, I did not know much about Hinduism. For me, Hinduism conjured the images of bright colors, richly adorned statues, and jovial worship and dance. When we visited the Ganesh Temple in Flushing, that is exactly what I saw. Yet, now I know the reason for all these things. Although Hinduism is a largely varying tradition, it is namely about love and celebration. Given the evidence from Prothero’s book and my observations at the Ganesh Temple, Hinduism is a tradition that aims to gives purpose to human’s wandering souls through devote worship to deities and rituals.

Hinduism is the dominant religion, or way of life, in South Asia, most notably in India and Nepal. Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is a family of linked religious cultures bound by shared concepts, recognizable rituals,

Hinduism is one type of religion in India that exist in many forms and is not formally organized. The majority of the population in India practice Hinduism which is the most ancient religion in the country. Some practitioners of this religion call it Sanatan Dharam, a term popularized by Mahatma Gandhi. Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita are the holy books of the Hindus. The Hindus believe and practice the

Hinduism is a traditional belief that has no founder. Compared to the other religions like Christianity, Catholicism, and Buddhism who all have a set foundation in where they have a central authority. Hinduism was formed in the year 2000 B.C. in India. This belief system is considered to be polytheistic meaning, it believes in more than one god. The Hinduism belief has four Vedic Texts: The Rigveda, The Yajurveda, The Samaveda, and The Athvaveda. The word “Hinduism” is a Persian word which refers to Sindhu River. Although this religion is said to be formed in the year 2000 B.C., Historians still have a difficult time to say when exactly it began, as it was a belief system in which was always there. Hinduism is a result of religious beliefs coming together.

Hinduism is the name given to a family of religions and cultures that began and still flourish in India. The word “Hindu,” comes from the name of the river Indus, which flows from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the sea. It originally referred to the people living in that particular region of the world, regardless of their faith. Hinduism has no original founder and is one of the world’s largest religions following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents. Hinduism is henotheistic, which is the devotion to a single god while accepting the existence of other gods. Their god is present in everything, and they believe that their soul repeatedly goes through a cycle of being born into a body, dying, and then becoming reborn into another body, whether it is human, animal or spirit. Hindu’s also strongly believe in karma, which is a force that determines the quality of each life, depending on how well one behaved in a past life. Hindu’s do not separate religion from other aspects of their life. Hinduism in India dictates Hindu’s lives in that it involves a caste system which controls their position in society, assists them in earning a living, helps manage how they raise their a family and controls their diets. Hindu’s believe that freedom or liberation is the true goal in life. True freedom is the freedom from all external conditioning influences, whether of body or mind. This is the freedom of Self-realization,

Hinduism originated in India over four thousand years ago. The India-based religion lacks an individual founder. In the beginning, the term “Sanatana Dharma” erupted; but Sanatana Dharma soon transformed to “Hindu” after Islamic invasions occurred: “the Muslim invaders pronounced H for I” (Patheos), thus, the inhabitants along the Indus River were called “Hindus” as a result. The primary goal Hindus hope to achieve is to become reincarnated – thus reaching closer and closer to the state of nirvana every Hindu is called to with each transformation after death.

Hinduism is one of the oldest culture and spiritual traditions in the world. While many may conceptualize Hinduism as being a religion it is not in the sense that we Westerners may think of it as, comparing it to Christianity or Islam. It can be better compared to a set of codes that hundreds of millions of people all over the world practice. This code of life is better known as Dharma to these adherents. Practitioners hold themselves to these rules and rituals that in the end they believe will bring them to the three things that people want most: a sense of being, knowledge and joy. Worldly possessions and pleasures are not entirely rejected within this religion, just as long as they are acquired and enjoyed within the context of life, knowledge and joy. The sense of being that is discussed is a Hindu’s atman; this can be compared to the way in which one might associate one’s own soul. Three concepts of Hinduism will be discussed within this paper: karma, the yogic paths, and the caste system. These are three ideas of Hinduism that are separate practices yet can be used ideally together in order to achieve what a person truly wants. A person’s karma, or their actions are usually decided depending on the yogic pathway an adherent chooses to follow; these actions will transcend the practitioner to their chosen caste system, from here the process goes on. These three concepts would not work alone without the other, the main purpose of Hindu traditions is to diminish bad karma