Hinduism
Origins
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Much like aboriginal spirituality, and unlike Christianity and Buddhism, Hinduism
does not have one specific founder.
Hinduism as a religion is one that is ever evolving, while still remaining the same at its
core.
The term Hindu does not originate in India, but instead from Persia, where it referred to
people from the other side of the Sindhu River.
Persia is modern day Iran and Pakistan.
The region that ultimately saw the rise of Hinduism is known as the Indus valley,
which is in modern day Pakistan.
This became known as the Indus civilization and flourished between 2700 BC and
1500 BC.
The people themselves were very advances for the time, and lived in cities instead of as
nomads.
Significant Archaeological Finds
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Archaeologists have found stones sculptures that seem to represent a mother goddess.
They also found amulets and charms designed to ward off evil, as well as seals that
depicted a man seated in a yoga-like position surrounded by animals that may have
been an early representation of the Hindu God Shiva.
These findings lead archaeologists to believe early Indus people had domesticated
animals and participates in animal sacrifices and fire rituals
Beliefs
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Hinduism is seen as being a complex web of diverse beliefs and practices that are held
together by considerable mutual tolerance and respect.
Hindus can
1. Worship any set of doctrines or rules
2. Do not believe in imposing their beliefs on others.
3. Expected to follow the cast set of rules that detail how to live daily life for their
station.
Hindu Concept of God
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Some people describe the religion as being "polytheistic"
o Meaning many Gods
Monotheistic
o Meaning only one God
Or Monistic
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Meaning God is an impersonal and unknowable entity.
The early texts of the religion praise spirits of fire, thunder, dawn, water, earth and the
sun. they are praised as separate entities, but coming from the same source or supreme
being.
Brahman
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It is the soul of the universe where everything comes from, and everything returns.
Brahman is invisible, diving, unlimited and indescribable.
Brahman is an entity without form or quality. Hindus are free to assign it any gender or
appearance that is pleasing to them.
Brahman is both a difficult and simple concept to understand
What results from this is that any one God of Hinduism is seen as an extension of Brahman
If Brahman is happy, he may appear as the "God" of happiness, if Brahman is angry, she
may appear as the "God" of anger.
Note how pronouns are interchangeable in regards to Brahman.
Hindu Holy Trinity
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When Brahman makes his presence apparent it is called a "manifestation".
The most prevalent manifestations of Brahman are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
They are often depicted together as one entity however, and are referred to as the
Hindu trinity.
Brahma
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Is the creator of the universe.
Considered the father of all men.
The Four Hands - Brahma's four arms represent the four cardinal directions: east,
south, west, and north
The Prayer beads - Symbolize the substances used in the process of creating.
The Book - The book symbolizes knowledge.
The Crown - Indicates his supreme authority.
The Lotus - The lotus symbolizes nature and the living essence of all things and beings
in the Universe.
The Beard - Brahma's black or white beard denotes wisdom and the eternal process of
creation.
Hinduism Practices & Beliefs
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Along with the caste system, Hindu followers are expected to follow the "four stages of
life"
o Stage 1 - Student
 Learn about Hinduism and the rules and rituals involved.
 Gain knowledge, both worldly & spiritually.
 Show respect towards elders.
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Discipline body and mind
Stage 2 - Householder
 Person is expected to marry and raise a family.
 They have to provide for this family, either by a job or taking care of them.
 Care for the elder members of the family.
 Practice the social and religious traditions of their caste.
 Give to charities
Stage 3 - Forest Dweller
 Retire and transfer family duties to son or wife.
 Read and study from religious texts.
 Participate in religious pilgrimages.
Stage 4 - Ascetic
 Give up worldly life to wander and meditate.
 Attempt to achieve Moksha/salvation
Why the Blue Skin?
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The first theory states that it is derived from Vishnu and his association with water.
Vishnu is seen as being the great protector of the world and therefore all his manifestations
are blue as well.
People with depth of character and the capacity to fight evil are depicted as blue skinned.
The second theory is that Brahman attributed the colour blue to all "pure" [parts of nature,
the ocean, rivers, lakes and the sky.
Forehead Markers
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Hindu men and women also mark themselves with a symbol on their forehead known
as a TILAK.
 This indicated which deity he or she prays to.
 The signs are worn on the forehead between the eyebrows.
 Mean to symbolize wisdom, the third eye.
Women and the red dot of love!
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A stereotype of Hindu women is that they have a dot on their forehead.
This dot has led to many insensitive, racial misconceptions.
The purpose of the red dot, called a BINDI, signifies that a woman is married and
should be treated with the respect she deserves as either wife or mother to a family.
Famous Buildings & Festivals
Akshardham
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The complex displays millennia of tradition Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and
architecture.
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Open in 2005 after over 40 years of conceptualization, planning and building.
It is constructed entirely from pink sandstone and Italian marble, has no support from
steel or concrete.
 It contains 148 scale sized elephants in total and weight a total of 3000 tons.
 Over 70% of all tourists that go to Delhi visit it.
Taj Mahal
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Located in Agra, India, which is in the Central North of the country.
It is a common misconception that the Taj Mahal is an important Hindu Temple.
It is actually a tomb/mausoleum created by a Muslim King to commemorate the death
of his 3rd wife.
Created during the mid 1600's.
There are many rumors and legends about its construction. Including that the workers
were either killed, or had fingers removed afterwards to guarantee they would not be
able to replicated the design.
Don't touch my COW!
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Most Hindus refuse and avoid eating cows because they are considered sacred.
In ancient India, oxen and bulls were sacrificed to the gods and their meat was eaten.
But even then the slaughter of mild-producing cows was prohibited.
There is no sin in eating mead… but abstention brings great rewards.
By the early centuries AD, the cow was designated as the appropriate gift to the
Brahmins (high-caste priests) and it was soon said that to kill a cow equal to killing a
Brahmin.
Cows are decorated with necklaces, oils and paint to commemorate their status.
Famous Festivals
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Diwali is the most popular celebration in the Hindu year and is held at the end of
October or early November.
It is called the festival of lights.
In India it takes place for up to 5 days, while in other countries such as Canada it is
celebrated on one day.
It is akin to Christmas for Christians as on this day, Hindus give gifts and decorate their
houses with lights.
The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the victory of good and knowledge over the
forces of darkness and ignorance.
The two deities revered on this day are Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good
fortune and Vishnu, the protector and preserver of the universe.
Belief System
Back to Brahman
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One of the ancient texts of Hinduism is the Upanishads.
In them they discuss that "whatever the senses perceive and the mind ponders, these are
not Brahman, for Brahman is beyond the reach of human perception and thought"
Think of the building blocks of matter. Molecules are made up of atoms, which are
made up neutrons and electrons, which are in turn made up of even smaller forms of
matter. These atomic particles are invisible to the eye individually, but collectively
their presence is seen.
So does Brahman reside beneath all surfaces, forming the essence of all things.
Brahman on the Outside, Atman on the inside
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Ultimate reality (Brahman) can be described and understood in another way as well.
The Upanishads teach that a Hindu can find the path to ultimate reality through inward
contemplation. The ultimate reality within is named ATMAN, the eternal self.
 … that being said, both are interchangeable, for Brahman and the understanding of the
universe and Atman the understanding through contemplation are still one and the
same.
Reincarnation - Universal Level
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It is important to understand that Hindu was of looking at the world is through a cycle.
Hinduism declared that the universe undergoes long periods of creation and destruction, a
rhythmic pattern that repeats itself endlessly.
There is a constant struggle between "constructive" and "destructive" forces, yet when the
end nears destructive forces will gain the upper hand and the universe will grind to a halt.
Then start up again and souls and the galaxies will be remade.
Even scientists may be inclined to at least agree this is a possibility.
The scientific expression for the beginning of the universe is the Big Bang theory.
The theory on the universes destruction, as it collapses in on itself is knows as the Big
Crunch.
Reincarnation - Personal Level
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Reincarnation plays a role in the constant death and rebirth of all life, not just people,
but all forms of life.
The term Hindus use samsara or wheel of rebirth. Which states that the soul is
reincarnated from one life form to another.
Most aspects of personality are lost and it is perceived that only that divine essence of a
person, their ATMAN, continues.
Reincarnation and the concept of samsara reoccur without end until the soul of a Hindu
reaches salvation.
The term for salvation in Hinduism is MOKSHA, which means "liberation" or
"release".
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When a Hindu reaches this state they are united forever with the divine, having
returned to the sacred source, Brahman.
Law & Order
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Two important principals, Dharma and Karma help to connect the divine with our
material world.
Hindus use these two tenants to help guide them in daily life in their quest of Moksha.
Karma
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Karma functions hand in hand with SAMSARA, Karma literally means "action" or "deed".
Karma is the principal that determines the nature of each reincarnation.
Every action produces a justified effect based on its moral worthiness.
Again, think of the scientific world and the laws of motion, "for ever action there is an
opposite and equal reaction."
Hindus believe that your Karmic "record" stays with you from reincarnation to
reincarnation.
You may be reincarnated as an animal, deity or other supernatural being or a human.
Only a human has the chance to change their Karma, so being a human is both a privilege
and huge responsibility.
Dharma
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Hindus believe that for every situation in life there is a proper way to act of behave.
Not only that, but for Karma to be interpreted, there must be a way for an individual to
judge the rightness or wrongness of their actions.
This is DHARMA
More than just a specific list of rights or wrongs, Dharma is the complete rule of life.
Hindus look to four separate sources when seeking guidance.
o Divine revelation, as expresses from sacred scripture.
o Sacred tradition, passed on from generation to generation.
o Practices and example of those who are considered the wisest members of
society.
o Their conscience.
Hindu Sacred Texts
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Whereas in Christianity, Islam and Judaism there is one sacred book from a
compilation of smaller texts, Hinduism has multiple sacred books, from multiple
sources.
VEDAS
o Are a large body of work, separated into four sections, that originates in ancient
India, just after the fall of the Indus civilization at roughly 1500-1000 BCE.
o Translated into English, Veda stands for "knowledge"
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They are written in a very old form of language called "Sanskrit".
Knowledge from these texts are referred to as either SHRUTI or SMIRTI
Shruti texts are the revealed words of Gods by Hindu priests and are describes as
being "discovered".
o Smirti texts are man-made and are described as being "remembered".
The Vedas are separated into four types of compositions.
o MANTRA: psalms of praise that make up the majority of the scripture.
o BRAHAMANAS: a manual for priests on prayers and rituals.
o ARANYAKAS: a book for men who have entered the 3rd stage of their life.
 The Forest Dweller stage
o UPANISHADS: philosophical commentary that appears at the end of each Veda.
 The Upanishads are of great importance to Hindus as they deal with the
concepts of Brahman, atman, Karma, samsara and moksha.
Bhagavad Gita
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Is found in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.
The story deals with a meeting between warrior prince and KRISHNA, an avatar of
Vishnu.
The prince is worried because he is about to go to battle against his family, teachers
and friends.
He appeals to Krishna for advice.
Krishna explains to the prince that his DHARMA requires him to do what he must for
his people, even if it means war.
The moral of the story is that one's dharma must be followed in order to obtain
Moksha.
The theme of selfless service has a major influence on the teaching of Gandhi.
Hindu Marriage
Purpose of Marriage
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A Hindu marriage joins two individuals for life, so that they can pursue dharma (duty),
artha (possessions), kama (physical desires), and moksha (spiritual salvation) together.
In ancient times, Hindus could engage in monogamy or polygamy.
Polygamy declines in Hinduism, and now is considered immoral, although it is thought
that some sections of Hindu society still practice polygyny, in the areas of Tibet, Nepal,
and China.
Arranged Marriages
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Since ancient times, marriages in Hinduism have been arranged.
These were predominately made up of family members looking out on behalf of their child.
Elders in the family and parents seek the prospective match through word of mouth within
the community.
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Arranged marriages forced potential suitors to look for boys and girls that were in the same
caste as themselves.
In 1955 the Hindu Marriage act was passed in India, which was designed to eliminate the
influence of castes on marriage prospects.
Ceremony
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At its core, the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony is essentially a Vedic Yajna (a
fire=sacrifice), in which the Aryan deities are invoked in the Indo-Aryan style.
During the ceremony the couple burns milk products, fruits, flowers, cloth and money.
Modern Era
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As India and Hinduism have rapidly entered the technological and modern era, more
Hindus have engaged in love Marriages.
A love marriage is one that happens between two Hindus who choose to marry one
another.
Since censuses have been taken, arranges marriages have ended in divorce only 1.1%
in India, and only 10% of the time in America.
48% of marriages in America currently end in divorce.