Hinduism as both a global religion and a form of nationalism are discussed. This diversity has led to an array of descriptions for hinduism. Christianity, islam, hinduism, buddhism and judaism. Hinduism, the worlds oldest living dharma religious philosophy and the way of. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life. They give detailed instructions about what hindus may and may not do. In fact, it is part of the four purusharthas of life. Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions.
Karma and reincarnation according to the theory of karma every action and reaction are opposite and equal. Sex and hinduism, hindu sex, india, womenhinduism facts. Andrew harvey, the popular spiritual scholar and writer, has selected excerpts from ancient and contemporary sources, including extracts from the bhagavad gita, the upanishads, and other classical hindu texts. Hinduism embraces a diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements. This book provides a muchneeded thematic and historical introduction to hinduism, the religion of the majority of people in india.
A belief central to christianity is that the gospel message is unique and the historical fulfillment of judaic lessons and prophecy. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious. Basic beliefs of hinduism hinduism facts hinduism facts. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in india and nepal. So, here we will discuss only the basic and major beliefs of hinduism. These effects are not necessarily immediate but can be visited upon a soul in future lives through reincarnation. It is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism.
Hindus have developed their system of worship and beliefs from the scriptures. Nor do hindus have a simple set of rules to follow like the ten commandments. Kamasutra is the oldest book about the sex written by. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. This is one of the major and most important beliefs. Local, regional, caste, and communitydriven practices influence the interpretation and practice of beliefs throughout the hindu world.
The concept of hinduism being a single monolithic religion is recent, dating back only to the 19th century. The epics were written after the veda around 500 bc. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism. Major beliefs of hinduism and pracitices in hinduism. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Hindus believe that the vedas are without beginning and without end. Hinduism s tantric tradition teaches that the entire universe is the manifestation of divine energy. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. So, what are the holy books of the five major world religions. There are two main categories of the hindu scriptures. The basic beliefs and history of a religion is often found in its sacred or revered texts.
Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. Noss describes the full details in his different books concerning the hinduism. Buddhism, in fact, arose out of hinduism, and both believe in reincarnation, karma and that a life of devotion and honor is a path to salvation and enlightenment. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The bhagavad gita is believed to have been written between the 5th and 2nd centuries bce and its. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions, with all affiliated members bearing a family resemblance. Buddhism rejects the caste system of hinduism, and does away with the rituals. Karma hinduism karma is the hindu view of causality in which good deeds, words, thoughts, and commands lead to beneficial effects for a person, and bad deeds, words, thoughts, and commands lead to harmful effects. Today, hindu communities are to be found in almost every country on earth. A must own for anyone interested in understanding hindu philosophies and practices.
If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. Hinduism is the worlds oldest extant religion, and with more than a billion followers, it is also the worlds third largest religion. Teachings, sources, and practices has been designed to provide a. But some key differences exist between the two religions. As you know, hinduism is the oldest religion on the planet. Book on hinduism, hindu religious beliefs and practices. According to hinduism beliefs brahman is a genderneutral concept and it implies greater impersonality than masculine or feminine conceptions of the deity. For these reasons, writers often refer to hinduism as a way of life or a family of religions rather than. This book shows how important hindu beliefs are in everyday life. Perhaps the most wellknown hindu saying about religion. It also exists among significant populations outside of the sub continent and has over 900 million adherents worldwide.
The root of hindu dharma religion lies in the indian subcontient, in the indus valley valley of river sindhu where over 300 advanced settlements existed as early as 5000 bc. The fundamental teaching of hinduism, or vedanta, is that a human beings basic nature is not confined to the body or the mind. The kama here means all the activities, which give us pleasure. Dharma is the religious duty of people to follow the principals of the cosmic order, including the rules that guide the morality of all human beings. Inner teachings of hinduism revealed books world pranic healing. The hindu religion originated in india thousands of years ago. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of the hindu religion. So in this article, we would be discussing the core beliefs of hinduism, how these beliefs of hinduism is related to many gods and goddess, how so many books are related to beliefs of hinduism and what are the major beliefs of hinduism and practices. Of all the basic books on hinduism, this rather thin volume of 160 pages is the most balanced introduction to the religion. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. The buddha and his teachings venerable narada mahathera reprinted for free distribution by the corporate body of the buddha educational foundation taipei, taiwan. Inner teachings of hinduism revealed is a book offering deeper understanding of the hinduism, the wisdom inherent in its teachings and its symbolism. One can believe a variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu.
A comprehensive survey of the hindu tradition, the book deals with the history of hinduism, the sacred writings, the hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of hinduism. These simple question cant be even answered by people following hinduism. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most hindus. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scripture given the diverse nature of hinduism, many include bhagavad gita and agamas as hindu. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Hindu beliefs are vast and diverse, and thus hinduism is often referred to as a family of religions rather than a single religion. It is perhaps the best book for someone who has no prior knowledge of the religion, a stable stepping stone for the student of religious studies, and an eyeopener for the practicing hindu. Hindu belief s are vast and diverse, and t hus hindui sm is often referred to as a family of religions rather than a single religion. This book is a good introduction to start your studies on the teachings of the hindu mystics.
Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. It is very difficult to encompass all the beliefs of hinduism in an article. The vedas are hindu scriptures that contain revelations received by ancient saints and sages. July 1998 namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa homage to him, the exalted, the worthy, the fully enlightened one. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is.
Beliefs about sacred mattersgod, soul and cosmosare essential to ones approach to life. Hinduism, one of the worlds oldest religions, can be hard to understand or even define. The book contains two important poems called the mahalarata and the ramayoud. This anthology collects the most lyrical, passionate. I only knew a little about hinduism, but this book showed hidden teachings in this beautiful religion. To people raised in other faiths, hinduism may seem very complex, but the core beliefs of hinduism are actually quite simple to understand. A principal book of hinduism, inspiration to gandhi and overall mustread for any big thinking seeker, if you havent read it yet, i highly recommend you add it to your list. Teachings of the hindu mystics shambhala pocket library. This diversity has led to an array of description s for hindui sm. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. This was an excellent, comprehensive book about the beliefs and practices of hinduism.
This anthology collects the most lyrical, passionate, illuminating writings of the hindu mystical tradition. Hinduism is prevalent in india and is based on the vedas, which are four sacred texts. The book, which was first published in 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and. Parallel teachings in hinduism and christianity university libraries. Brahman is referred to as the supreme self or the ultimate reality.
Within each religion in this family of religions, there are different theologies, practices, and sacred texts. The three basic teachings of hinduism are dharma, karma and moksha. Hinduism is not an organized religion and has no single, systematic approach to teaching its value system. Hinduism s tantric and yogic traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality and contain teachings and practices to unite people with divine energy. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. According to hinduism, sex is an integral part of life. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. Find here a list of selected books on the various aspects of hinduism, history, philosophy, scriptures and sects of hinduism, gods and goddesses, the vedas, puranas and the upanishads, vedic rituals, art and temple traditions. Andrew harvey is the editor of this book and compiles an anthology of hindu poems, meditations, and philosophical texts emphasizing tantric tradition and the yoga of devotion. There is no central ancient text that succinctly sums up the religions basic tenets, no single leader that hindus can call the founder of their faith.
Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideals and practices that originated in india thousands of years before the birth of christ. Included are writings of mirabai circa 14981546, ramprasad 17181775, and aurobindo 18721950 and excerpts from their sacred scriptures. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Flood traces the development of hindu traditions from ancient origins and the major deities to the modern world. Considering the importance and ubiquity of the mystical element within hinduism, harvey has. There is no central ancient text that succinctly sums up. Hinduism compared to christianity and the gospel of jesus christ. It is very, very vast and has a large number of beliefs compared to other religions. Nor is it based on the teachings of a founder or holy book. Dharma, artha, kama, and moksha are the four purusharthas of a hindu s life. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. Zoroastrian dualism are found throughout the christian scriptures, particularly in johns gospel and the epistles of paul.
285 501 1271 234 694 709 310 1215 260 677 881 1116 633 985 1193 1446 592 1043 196 1399 406 1542 353 1547 619 621 66 279 1278 55 239 1050 699 1429 307 1098 361