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Hinduism

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions and is the oldest religion that is still practiced today. The religious tradition of Hinduism is primarily focused on connecting to the supreme god or ultimate reality, known as Brahman, and bettering oneself to escape the cycle of reincarnation. The tradition functions not only as a religion, but the definition of Hinduism also includes combining the beliefs, cultural practices, and philosophy of ancient and modern India. Hinduism is famous for having thousands of deities, both gods and goddesses, but most Hindus believe that all of the deities are manifestations of Brahman. In the 21st century, Hinduism is considered the third most-practiced religion in the world, following Christianity and Islam. It is especially common in India, the area where it originated, as 94% of the world's Hindu population resides there. It is also widely practiced in Nepal and Bangladesh.

What is the origin of Hinduism?

Unlike most world religions, there is no singular founder of Hinduism, so no one knows who started Hinduism. Since the tradition is so ancient, there are few facts known about its origins and early history. When did Hinduism begin? Some scholars believe that Hinduism originated where northern India is today in the Indus Valley region, as early as 10,000 BCE. The tradition may have started as an indigenous tradition native to the area. The term Hindu, meaning Indian, was given to the tradition by the Persians who inhabited the area much later. Around 1,500 BCE, however, Hinduism became a functioning religion with codified scriptures called the Vedas, which contain the basic principles of Hinduism. This period of history in early Hinduism, when the earliest texts and doctrines were established, is called the Vedic period.

Scriptures

Hinduism is not always practiced as a scriptural tradition, with people relying on texts for guidance. However, there are a variety of texts that are authoritative for the tradition. The tradition breaks religious texts into two categories: the shruti, meaning what is heard, and the smriti, meaning what is remembered. The latter category contains popular religious literature, including the epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The former category contains many sacred scriptures that monks and other religious leaders have preserved and studied over time, all of which are contained in the Vedas.

Shruti

The authoritative texts of Hinduism are called shastras, or scriptures, and contain a collection of the spiritual laws passed along by Hindu saints and sages. In the shastras, the Vedas, which simply means knowledge, are the oldest texts of Hinduism. According to the tradition, the Vedas does not contain ideas just thought of by humans but instead, contains knowledge that always existed in the world but was finally written down. Some believe that they began as oral traditions that the gods gave to scholars to write down. The texts are primarily focused on rituals and how to worship different deities.

The Vedas also contain other collections of Hindu scripture. The Brahmanas are a subset of the Vedas that provide Hindu commentary on the earlier Vedas. Perhaps the best-known section of the Vedas is the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the latest written texts in the Vedas and contain the philosophical discourse of the tradition. The name Upanishads literally means to sit down near, which is appropriate as the texts are formatted as Hindu teachers or gurus passing down knowledge to their students.

Smriti

The smriti contains the texts that most non-monastic Hindus read and study. Instead of lofty philosophical thought, details on ancient Hindu rituals, and instructions of how to worship the deities, the smriti contains two epics and other mythologies that tell two of the most important stories in Hinduism. The Puranas, which means old or ancient, contain mythologies and creation stories of the deities. The Ramayana is one of the Hindu epics that tell the story of Prince Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, killing the demon king Ravana to rescue his wife, Sita, whom Ravana had kidnapped. The story is significant because Rama follows his dharma, or duty, throughout the story, which becomes an example for all Hindus.

The Mahabharata is the second Hindu epic and is also the longest recorded poem in the world. This epic describes a war that takes place between families in India (Mahabharata literally means great India) who are part of a larger royal family: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The two families are at war for who will take the throne of India, but the Pandavan warrior-prince Arjuna is conflicted because Hinduism teaches non-violence. One of the most famous and influential parts of the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita, meaning song of the Lord, which contains Arjuna seeking help over what his role is in the war from Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu. Despite the emphasis on non-violence, Krishna explains that Arjuna's dharma, or duty, as a warrior and prince is the most important path for him to follow.

Major Beliefs of Hinduism

One of the unique aspects of Hinduism versus other world religions is that there is no set of unified beliefs, practices, or guidelines one must adhere to to be a Hindu. Most Hindus believe, however, that certain laws govern the universe and humanity. These include:

dharma

samsara

moksha

karma

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