Hinduism
The word Hindu originated not as a religion,but as a geographical boundary. Hinduism has no specific time or place that it emerged from,"The genesis of Hinduism is nearly as elusive as its contemporary definition. Unlike Islam, which began with Mohammed, or Judaism, which began with Moses, Hinduism has no founder, nor any traditional time or place of origin; it emerges from the jungle as a continually evolving religious system. Scholars debate the primary source of what would become the Hindu religion, though all agree that several cultures had an influence," says Apologetics Press. The Vedas are considered one of the earliest literary works of Indo-Aryan Civilization. It is the base structure of all Hindu religious texts. Sanskrit, or the language that religious books are written in, developed around 2000BCE. It must be learned by holy men so they can interpret it to others in their own words.The caste system was a division of people into classes (priests,warriors and nobility, merchants, and farmers). A fifth class developed over time called the Untouchables. Even this description changed at about 1940 when Gandhi called them Harijans, or children of God.
BrahmanBrahman is the Supreme and creator God of Hinduism. He is the God who "occupies the highest place, as the creator and enjoyer of all creation. He is the Light and Delight of the Universe, the Ruler and the Lord, without a beginning and without an end, indestructible, indescribable, blissfully immersed in Himself and all by Himself." This statement proves that the very concept of Brahman is indescribable yet simple.
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DharmaDharma means principles or morals, or simply rules. It is one of the four major pillars of Hinduism. Quora.com says in one of its articles, "In Hinduism, Dharma means set of practices that enables humans to sustain in the world. Dhar and darna means hold/support/harmony. Dharma includes the moral code and lays out the rules & guidelines on how humans can stay in harmony with the world around us. In Hindu tradition, we don't have any name for our religion. We just call it dharmic - one who follows a code."
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Karma is reinforced in Hinduism by this quote from the Bhagavad Gita, one of the books of Hinduism.
The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence and brought under his own control, attains tranquility. ~ Bhagavad Gita II.64 Karma is a reinforcement of the phrase "What comes around goes around" or the golden rule,Treat others as you would want to be treated. This means that karma was meant to be a way that you decide your fate with your actions. |
Samsara is the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation. Every time you die,karma decides your position in your next life. You go to a higher or lower social level depending on your actions in your past life.
"In Hinduism, it is avidya, or ignorance, of one's true self that leads to ego-consciousness of the body and the phenomenal world. This grounds one in kāma (desire) and the perpetual chain of karma and reincarnation. Through egotism and desire one creates the causes for future becoming. The state of illusion that gives rise to this is known as Maya." -en.wikipedia.com |