Hinduism is among the world's oldest religion that has no beginning it was there before recorded history. Unlike most other religions, it cannot be linked to a single founder as it is formed from diverse traditions. It is a predominant religion in the Indian subcontinent and is one of its indigenous religions (Sen, 2005) Due to the fact that it cannot be clearly defined and does not have rigid guidelines various forms of religious expressions coexist in Hinduism. It is actually a way of life since there are no set customs or rituals that make a person a Hindu if followed. It has four main denominations or sects which are Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.
Beliefs
Within Hinduism there is the belief of a supreme God whose qualities are represented by deities which emanate from him. The Supreme Being is all-pervasive that is both immanent and transcendent and is also the creator and un-manifest reality (Kumar, 2003.)
In Hinduism there is also the belief in karma the law of cause and effect. This belief is based on the fact that every individual has a way of creating their own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. It governs the fact that life exists in a cycle from birth, when they do their duties and hence escape the weight of bad karma. The second way of attaining salvation is through deep mediation. The third way is through devotion. This requires the longing for a more emotional and personal approach…
In response to the question of who social order is determined, Lord Krishna said, "Birth is not the cause, my friend; it is virtues which are the cause of auspiciousness. Even a candala observing the vow is considered a brahmana by the gods" (Caste pp). Stated in the Bhagavad Gita, "The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna (attributes) and Karma" (Caste pp). Hinduism
As seen in the concept of rectification of names, people can build orderly and harmonious societies when they clearly understand the duties associated with each other of the basic relationships and strive to fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. The father must rectify or live up to his title by providing for his son's educational and vocational training and teaching them virtue, etiquette and reverence in
Tradition says that a dying person should be put on the floor in order for them to be closer to the earth. After the ailing person dies, the body is washed and prepared for funeral practices. Most Hindu people would rather have a Hindu priest pray and bless their recently departed relative. 4.In Hinduism, people that don't believe are not threatened to perish in hell as they are given another
According to Bass, "Hinduism is the only major religion lacking an adequate explanation as to its origin," as no definitive Hindu text exist that that date before 1000 B.C. Indeed, because Hinduism is one of the religions that views time as cyclical rather than linear, what information is available about Hinduism does not give a very accurate picture of its history (Bass 5). What can be gleaned from this
Taoism is another ancient religion practiced within Eastern Asia. It shares beliefs and practices with Confucianism and is mainly practiced in various parts of China. It is a polytheistic religion that has a wide variety of gods within its spiritual arsenal. Like Hinduism, Taoism is a name that covers a wide variety of smaller religious sects that can be found in various parts of China and its neighboring countries, although
Religions and Development It is popularly believed that countries, where religion has major influence in governance, tend to develop slower than those where religious beliefs are not a main influence or consideration. This statement uses the cases of poor and traditionally colonized Christian countries in Southeast Asia, like the Philippines; Russia; and the African countries to support the claim. The four major monotheistic religions in the world all tend to bar changes
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