Reflection Essay 4 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. First, let it be known that Hinduism is highly diverse. It has monotheistic aspects and polytheistic aspects, depending on the fundamentals and worshipper themselves. Monotheism is defined as the worship of God as a unity (M.H.D.). Polytheism is defined as the worship of God as a multiplicity (M.H.D.). Hinduism is said to be both things. Hindus believe that there is a Supreme God, which multiple other deities are derived from (BBC, 2009). This is a main link to most indigenous religions. Hinduism is accredited as the oldest religion in the world since their traditions, forms of worship, and sacrificial ceremonies date back centuries. Interestingly, Hinduism has no main founder for the religion. It was …show more content…
In the samsara or the world, things happen to us by means of natural laws. How the samsara affects the atman is known as karma, which is one’s destiny. Believing in this alone helps one find higher consciousness and give certain meaning to life (World Religions Today, p. 318).
Reincarnation is the belief in rebirth or the affects of death on the soul. Hindus believe that there is a cycle of birth, death, then rebirth, which is determined by karma (BBC, 2009). Reincarnation helps one understand that their previously lived life and karma determines the life they live in now, and this currently life and karma determine the next life after they
Hinduism is known as the world's oldest religion. According to ISKCON Educational Services (2004), it is hard to construct a timeline because Hinduism has no identifiable human founder or specific origin in history. It is so old that its past goes into pre-history. It is extremely diverse with the Hindu people being more interested in the meaning of events than in providing first hand records. There is also no clear-cut divide between history and myth.
First, I would like to introduce the religion of Hinduism. The term Hinduism was derived a river of South Asia, the Indus. This term was used by the ancient Persians to classify the people of that region of the North-West territory of the subcontinent. Indian religion, Hinduism, was the term given by the British in the nineteenth century to the population of India that were neither Muslim or Christian.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions still practiced in modern times. Hinduism originated in India, by several civilizations. The civilizations of the Indus Valley and Harappan present the first elements of
Since the beginning of civilization many religions and cultures have come and gone. One of the few that has stood the test of time is Hinduism. Hinduisms base flourishes from the practical view of human life, belief in eternal truth and it’s ability to make small adaptations to it without compromising its core values. Hinduism is the oldest known religion in the world and also the third largest in the world. Most of its one billion followers live in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Even with its immense amount of followers and lengthy existence, many non followers are unaware of its history, beliefs, and practices.
Hinduism is faced with a revolving wheel of life, death and rebirth called Samsara better known as reincarnation. They believe this life cycle is a direct relation to a person’s karma of deeds done. Karma “determines the kind of body, whether human, animal, or insect, into which he or she will be reincarnated in the next
Many of the core beliefs of Hinduism have evolved over time, with some becoming increasingly clearer, and others going from merely an idea into full-fledged beliefs. Karma, Dharma, and the theory of Samsara and moksha are the core beliefs that almost all who define themselves as a practicer of Hinduism would accept. The belief of karma started out in the Early Vedic period merely as “ritualistic action or labor”. It transformed into a “moral law” that incorporated the idea that all actions have fruits, whether good or bad. “Action, which springs from the mind, from speech, and from the body, produces either good or evil results”. This concept of a "law of karma" where good actions yield good results, and bad in bad, extends from the Vedic idea of consequential action from the confines of the ritual to everyday life.
Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion, is the third largest religion in the world after Islam and Christianity with close to one billion followers. The followers of the religion are called Hindus and are mainly located in India, and their place of worship is a temple. The religion doesn’t have any one specific founder, however,
It is not unknown when Hinduism began, but Veda scriptures state that they were written in the 1500 to 900BCE, but it is most likely that stories have been passed down for hundreds of years. (Fisher 76) Hinduism is one of the
One thing in life that I would like to achieve is a career in Forensic Science or Intelligence and National Security Studies. This has been dream of mine since middle school. My interest in the legal field has changed dramatically over the course of the years, however the legal aspect has yet to change. My experiences in middle school led me to apply to a legal studies academy where I could further seek out my interest and narrow my choices for my career. As I grew older, I then realized that I had a fascination for the human anatomy. I look forward to the many rigorous courses involving forensics in college. While in college I hope to receive the opportunity to have an internship that will allow me to see the daily lives of the people in my
Hinduism is a religion that can be difficult to understand in a Western world. In the Western world where the majority of people are monotheistic the Hindu beliefs can be difficult to grasp. Hindus worship a number of gods and spirits, but these numerous spirits are all parts of
Another key concept of Hinduism is that every individual is responsible for his or her own solution. This idea is mainly connected with the terms Karma and Dharma. Karma is this principle where actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Karma is what feeds samsara, or your rebirth. If you have karma, good or bad, that is unresolved when you die you will be reborn again. As said before, the main purpose of life on earth for Hindu’s is to break this cycle of time and receive moksha, so every individual is responsible for taking care of his or her own karma. Dharma works oppositely, as it only brings you closer moksha faster. Dharma is one’s duty or course of conduct. Following your dharma without any personal agenda will bring you closer to your purpose in life.
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,
In considering karma, there are three main elements; cetana, samudacara, and vasana and samskara. The first element, cetana, refers to the state of mind a person is in when he begins to perform an act. Did he or she have good or bad intentions? This will determine the repercussions that come for that person’s
Hinduism is the oldest religions. The most interesting thing about Hinduism is that they have no specific founder or date of origin. Based on their beliefs Hindu’s are divided in to two casts. In the current world, there is still a big conflict about whether Hinduism is a monotheistic religion or a polytheistic religion. Because according to Hindus believe it’s one God with many different faces. This concept regarding Gods is accepted by some scholars, but not all of them. Hinduism has four sacred text Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Epics. The two most common sacred texts are the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita. The authors of all sacred texts are still unknown.
According to the human truth foundation (2017) “religions are shared collection of transcendental beliefs that have been passed on from believers to converts, which are held by adherents to be actively meaningful and serious and either based on formally documented doctrine or established cultural practices.” There are many religions in the world some are old as the beginning of time and some are newer. Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religion in the world. Hinduism originated around 1500 BCE in India by the involvement of thousands of different small religions and their beliefs. Hinduism is a religion with very little boundaries, many different beliefs and practices, so offering a comparison of