REDISCOVER
RELIGIONS
HINDUISM
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world today. It has a rich history and is practiced by many, particularly in the Eastern part of the world. It has a wide variety of practices, schools of thought, and types of worship.
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The beginning of Hinduism dates as far back as 1500 B.C.E. Their oldest written documents, the Vedas, was first copied onto paper in 1000 B.C. however, they had existed orally long before that time. Hinduism is thought to have originated from the Vedas teachings. It has changed greatly since it was first practiced.
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Currently, there are now different sects, also known as denominations, and new beliefs have developed. There are still many commonalities between the different sects of Hinduism. Their basic believes are what tie them together. Believers usually use Sanatana Dharma or the “Eternal Way” when referring to Hinduism.
Essential Belief, Values, and Practices
Hindus believed in the divine trinity or the Trimurthi. The trimurthi refers to three primary deities of Hinduism: Brahma (Creator), Shiva (destroyer) and Vishnu (Preserver).
The Vedas
The Trimurthi: (from left-to-right) Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer.
The religion of Hinduism teaches that each living body, including animals, is filled with an eternal soul or the Atman. The Atman is believed to be connected with the Brahman which is the divine principle that brings unity to the universe.
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Dharma, according to Hinduism belief, is what holds the universe together. It means “The truth” but it also means justice, right, moral and good. They consider it to be the central focus of their lives. Hindus believes in the law of Karma, which is the result of one's good and bad deeds done in a lifetime. The Hindus call the cycles of rebirth samsara or the “Wheel of Life." When the soul is finally cleansed, it returns to Brahma and this is then called moksha. When a soul finally returns to Brahma, it is there for an eternity of contentment. Hindus believe that this is the four-fold of life.
The Samsara or the "Wheel of life."
The traditional social structure of Hinduism is the Caste system it closely follows the principles of karma and samsara. Jati is the classification system or social rank of the Hindus. There are 5 ranks of Jatis (Highest – lowest):
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1. Brahmins (Priests)
2. Kshatriyas (political rulers and warriors)
3. Vaishyas (Landowner, and merchants)
4. Shudras (commoners and peasant)
5. Untouchables (out of caste)
Views on Gender
In the context of Hinduism, they have their gender biases. The Hindu world it is essentially a man’s world. Although a number of Hindus worship goddesses and female deities, they do not extend the same attitude towards women in everyday life. They also believe that the Sanatana Dharma is meant for men only, and that the duty of women is only to serve and to assist them in their life. However, with this current generation’s advocacies on women empowerment gaining publicity, these views are gradually lessening.
