Hinduism

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Hinduísm if considered in common as oldest main world religion, and
is first among dharms. As we can deduce regarding name, hinduism
arose and was spread mostly in India. Today there are 500 millions
of believers of hinduism. Feature of hinduism is large diversity of
beliefs, practices and sacred texsts. Religions originates from ancient
vedic cluture, at least up to year 2000 b. c. Hinduism is currently
third most spread religion with aprox. 1.05 billion of belivers, among
which 96 % live on Indian subcontinent. Maybe the spirit of hinduism,
which was not inspired by specific personality, is contained in row of ancient
Rigveda, the oldest religious holly script in the world.

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Transcript: Ekam sat vipraaha bahudhaa vadanti

 »Truth is one, although wise man speak of many.«

— Rigveda (Book I, Anthem CLXIV, Kitica 46)
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In essence every spiritual acting, followed by trust, love and perservance  will lead to same bordered state of self-realization.
Because of that hindu thought differs with strong emphasis on tolerance for different religions, because current systems cannot own exclusive understanding of transcendental truth.

For hinduism that idea was estabilishing force at determining ‘eternal dharma’. This is same as is divine self of Advaita for existence, which stays forever non-changed and self-sufficient light, centered and pervasive, apart from the clutter and flow around it. But word hinduism as itself means only -ism of India. Word hindu was
first used in Persia for showing “that the river Ind.” The emergence of Hinduism is associated with an ancient culture, which flourished in the Indus Valley between 3500 and 1500 BC.

This culture ended roughly in time, when nomad tribe of Arians invaded India. Hinduism evolved from beliefs of both groups. All our knowing of Arians originates from collections of hymns, that are called Vedas.

What is known about religion of people from valley of Ind, originates from findings in cities of Harappa and Mohendzho-Daro. Hinduism is very diverse religion. It was evolving over time and haven’t had just one founder. This diversity is being explained by next story.

In Land of blind there appeared secret animal. King sent it’s people to research it. They waited that it slept, then they touched it carefully. “It is as wall”, said man, who touched elephant’s torso. “It is as spear”, said another one, who touched tusks. “It is as fan” (ear). “It is as tree” (leg). “It is as rope” (tail). Of course all blind
people were describing parts of same thing. As well it seems sometimes that different brands of hinduism differ from each other, as they were something different.

But for many hindu people under all these diversity there is one same non-changing reality. It is called brahman. It is perfect, non-changing and final reality, which according to hindu people exists above ordinary world. Some hindu people see god in brahma, while other non-personal power, that can’t be described.

Legend tells, how wise man tried to explain son, what is brahman. He said to take salt and throw it in water and then take it back. Of course salt melted and his son was unable to take it back. Then father taught him that presence of brahman in world is like salt in water – invisible, but ubiquitous.

Atman

Hinduism teaches, that everyone hav soul, called atman. Many hindu believe that atman (our inner essence) is part of brahman (Absolute). For some, atman is not part of brahman, atman and brahman are the same.

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Birth, death and re-birth

Hindus believe, that all living beings don’t have only one life, but are part of eternal cycle of life, death. This
circular flow of life is called samsara. Foreign word for re-birth is reincarnation. Hindus consider samsara as tiring and meaninglessness and they hope to free themselves from it.

Karma

Force that spins cycle of life is called karma. It refers to acts that individual has done in his life. Good works
enable man life with better circumstances, and bad works determine worse circumstances. Man can
reincarnate into animal. In such a case, he will much harder attain wisdom, required to escape samsara.

Numerous gods

Hinduism knows many thousands of gods. Hindu people believe that brahman is being expressed in everything and everyone. But for many hindu, worshipping of gods is more important than hardly understood thought about brahman. Key position is being taken by goddess, but not only as wifes of gods, but because
of their own applicability. Often they are considered for creative power and energy.

Creating and re-creating

Main hindu gods are Vishnu and Shiva; those are two of three goods, that are responsible for creating, retaining and destroying world. This circle of changes is repeating into infinity. Vishnu retains, Shiva destroys,
it is also known as freeer, because he enables re-creating. Brahma is creator and least important among those
three gods (not to be confused with brahman).

Vishnu

Vishnu has ten incarnations or avatars. They are ten forms, in which he appears on Earth, especially when disaster in pending. Most important avatars are seventh and eighth, so called Rama and Krishna, who are gods, important because their applicability. Tenth and last avatar is Kalki, which hasn’t appeared yet. They say Vishnu will appear in this form at the
end of our era, to eliminate evil and restore order. Sometimes hindu people look at interpretators of other religions as
Vishnu embodiments, which were according to them Buddha, Jesus and Mohamed.

Rama

Rama and her wife Sita are example of man and woman behaviour. Favorite story tells, how demonic king Ravana kidnapped Sita and took her into his fortress on Sri Lanka. Rama saved her with help of god monkey, named Hanuman.

Krishna

Krishna is probably the most popular god. Numerous stories put emphasis on his mischievously nature in his youth,
especially when he was shepherd. Krishna’s favourite female shepherd was Radha. Story about their love is example
to believers, how they can surrender to their god. According to hindu religion, cows are sacred and should not be
killed for food. Maybe they have such relationship toward them because they are helpful, as they give milk, butter
and manure, which is used for fuel.

Shiva

Shiva, destroyer and one who frees, is frequently depicted in statues as god of dance (Nataradza). Shiva unites
man and woman’s characteristics.

Ganesha

Ganesha is important, but smaller god of hinduism. He is son of Shiva and his wife Parvati; he is frequently being turned to
when some big event happens happens; for example if they go to journey, because they believe Ganesha removes obstacles.

Parvati, Durga, Kali

Those three goddess are related to Shiva. Parvati is beautiful and gentle wife, who complements compassionate nature of Shiva. Durga and especially Kali are wild and mighty: they complement Shiva’s more destructing side of nature.
Inaccessible Durga kills demons with sword. Kali is known are eliminator of evil.

Obligation

Hindus try to live in accordance to dharama, moral law that leads human life. Her obligations are determined with position of individual in society and his life’s period.

Position in society

Hindu sacred books know four society groups, named safe. First group: priests, teachers, who are called barhmans. Second groups: rulers and soldiers, third groups: dealers, fourth group: workers. Every group has their own laws of behaviour.
In past there were some unclear things between religious comprehensions of varn and political comprehension of cast system. System of casts divides people to thousands of different groups, some of them were neglected. This is now in India
Illegal.

The four stages of life

Four stages of life, as described in sacred books, are:  education, familty, hermit and final period of the itinerant holy man, who was freed of family life and property and lives only from begging. Last stage is directed toward just one objective,
that is joining with brahman. These four stages are example for man’s life, despite it is not always achievable.

Yoga

In hinduism there are four types of yoga. Everyone can choose one, who is most appropriate to his age and character.
Karma yoga is yoga of work. It is performed by persons, that strive for fulfillment of dhamra. Bhakti yoga is yoga of
love. It means total devotion in love and prayer toward god. Dznana yoga is yoga of getting to know and it incorporates
learning. Radzha yoga is yoga of mind and is higher, so called royal yoga. It incorporates usage of techniques for soul’s self-control and meditation.

Temples

Although there are in India many temples, hindu visit them only on feasts or celebrations. Otherwise they join ceremonies only at their will. For hindu living in other western countries, temples have become more important, because this is the place, where they gather and pray together.

Prayer

Prayer happens usually at home and it unites entire family. Center of worshipping is oltair, as it is shown on bottom picture.
Every individual decides by himself, which god or godess is important for him, and that is dependant of family environment and place of growing up and also personal choice. Some hindus use avatars of gods to easier concentrate their thoughts from individual god to brahman. On oltair there are subjects, that comply to five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and sensing. With their help, believers should totally devote to prayer.

Ganges river

Ganges is sacred river as many other rivers in India. After cremation corpses, ash is often spread at river, which is  important place of pilgrimage .

Sacred books

All books that we will mention here, are written in sanskrt, the language of ancient India. Because a lot of time passed from,
nobody knows exactly when they were written. All were written BC. Writing some took many hundreds of years. Before
Vedas were written, they were spread over hundreds of years by mouth. Oldest and holliest Veda is Rigveda, which
contains more than thousand of canticles. Upanishads consists of philosophical teachings about braman and fight to
reach moksha. Adventures of Rama and Sita are described in Ramajana, that means in story of Ram’s life. Mahabharata
with more than 100 000 verses is probably the longest poem in the world. It tells story about two warring ruling families.
Most known and loved part of this poem is  Bhagavadgita.