In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion since some elements of it date back thousands of years; Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings despite many key figures and numerous holy books that might indicate otherwise. Hence why Hinduism is often referred to as a “way of life” and why it makes sense that the religion was informed by so many external conditions around its “birth” (BBC Religion Profile,
“If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God.”
In this paper, I will argue that the dharmic belief of Hinduism is mistaken by building on one of Socrates’ arguments from the Euthyphro. Through Hindu scriptures, dharma has been codified as compassion, living by the rules of proper conduct, the path of uprightness, etc. According to them it is the observation of cosmic norms that permit us humans to avoid misery and be happy. In the Hindu concept of reincarnation, dharma serves as the measure that judges a person. Dharma is the barometer, and karma, the spiritual value of causality where your plans and deeds effect the future, the mercury within. To have good karma, you must abide by the norms outlined in living a dharmic life – that is doing what is right for you, your family, and your caste
Hinduism and Islam are two of the world’s great religions however, they differ in many regards including their beliefs in god, their ethical beliefs and the afterlife in fact, it would be quite difficult to find to two religions more different then Islam and Hinduism. One major difference is in their belief in god, Muslims are steadfastly monotheistic where Hindus are very much polytheistic. Another key difference is their views on the afterlife Hindus believe in reincarnation, whereas Muslims believe in a heaven and a hell with the faithful going to heaven and the evil going to hell. The two religions also differ in the their ethical beliefs where Hindus follow the Law of Manu and Muslims turn to the Quran for their ethical guidance (Hopfe & Woodward, 2012). While both Islam and Hinduism advocate for a better overall person amongst it believers, they have vastly different approaches to achieve this result
One idea of Hinduism is the underlying idea of dharma, which was not emerged from the Vedic era, but developed after that period. Dharma in India is the appropriate behaviour and attitudes according to one’s social caste (class) and station in life. “In Hinduism, human life is believed to
Hinduism and Buddhism are among the oldest traditions in the world. Incidentally, both traditions have their roots in India. Since their beginning, both traditions have co-existed peacefully and even spread beyond India in similar patterns. Most people have scattered information about the traditions and make assumptions that they are similar. However, they also have clear distinguishing features. This paper intends to study the similarities and contrasts between the two traditions in various contexts. First, the traditions will be compared and contrasted based on how they began. The development processes of both religions will then be contrasted. The paper will then discuss the similarities and differences between the two religions based on the social and the political roles they played.
Pluralism is found in many ancient Indian traditions including Jainism, Buddhism, and the Advaitic interpretation of the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad Gītā. Each tradition’s core values internally ground non-violence. In all of these traditions there is a multiplicity of world views and individual needs, overcome by a common goal of breaking free from bondage to reach enlightenment. At face value, these traditions appear to have opposing metaphysics. While the conceptions of what is achieved by freedom from bondage differ in form, these traditions all recognize a pluralism of paths to a common goal. This not only promotes tolerance, but transcends this to reach a fuller form of respect. It should be clarified that this respect does not, however, mean that these views are entirely tolerant or relativistic. These conceptions of pluralism simply require that each view must considered as one of the many sights which potentially have some truth to
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 is one of the oldest and detailed religions in the world. It is highly concentrated in south and southeastern Asia, more specifically in India. India is the origin country of Hinduism and in this essay more information will be revealed as to how it is a more evolved indigenous religion. I will also be discussing how Hinduism helps one attain a higher form of consciousness through yoga, meditation, and more. Then lastly, I will review the conflict between India and Pakistan and how fundamental Hinduism plays a role.
Hinduism is known as the one of the world’s oldest religions. However, when unraveling the facts behind its historical development, it remains a bit cloudy not knowing its specific founder or date. One thing that is certain is that Hinduism was formed from a culture that was inhabited into India around the
Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.
Throughout history, the art of religious beliefs have evolved into what we now know today as our separate views of how our lives function. For instance, a couple of religions that have developed are Judaism and Hinduism. These two religions are a couple of completely complex and authentic set of undermining laws and regulations. Furthermore, in this essay, I will examine each religious belief and dig deeper in an act to pursue the mutual understandings of these beliefs.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world existing primarily in India and Nepal. The term Hindu originated as a geographical term for the inhabitants of the Indus Valley, located in Northwest region of India, around 2000 B.C.E. The Indo-Aryan civilization began when the Aryans migrated to the Indus Valley in 1500 B.C.E. This civilization is responsible for the original Hindu teachings. In the 14th century, Hindu became a reference used for a person who was not a follower of the Islamic faith (Flood, 1996). In the 18th and 19th centuries the British Raj attempted to define Hinduism as a particular sect, due to the complexity of the religion (King, 1999). This sect only focused on one branch of Hinduism, which the Advaita’s practiced. Advaita refers to “not two” meaning they believed that everything that comprises the universe is one expression of reality. Hence, there is no difference between a human being and god. Overtime, Hinduism developed into a religion characterized as a way of life or a path to seek enlightenment. Today, many Hindu’s practice polytheism, where they believe that all reality is one, known as Brahman, but also accept and worship many different gods and goddesses.
I argue that Hinduism is the most influential religion to come from the east, not only because of its many followers, but its influence on other religions and wide-reaching imprints on today’s world culture.