Hinduism

Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life, found most notably in India and Nepal, Mauritius and Bali (Indonesia). While many Hindus feel that this belief system is ageless and eternal, most scholars believe that it began in the Indus Valley somewhere between 2300 and 1500 BCE. It is regarded as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with very diverse roots and no founder. This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE, after the Vedic times. It has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist.

Darshanas

There are six orthodox (āstika) schools of thought called darśanas. Each darśana accepts the Vedas as authoritative and the premise that ātman (soul, eternal self) exists. The six darshanas are:

• Sāṃkhya, an atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of consciousness and matter.
• Yoga, a school emphasising meditation, contemplation and liberation.
• Vedānta, based on the metaphysical and spiritual knowledge found in the last segment of the Vedas, or jñānakāṇḍa.
• Nyāya or logic, which explores sources of knowledge.
• Vaiśeṣika, an empiricist school of atomism.
• Mīmāṃsā, an anti-ascetic and anti-mysticism school of orthopraxy (correct practices).

Of these six darśana, two schools, Vedanta and Yoga, are currently the most prominent.

Scriptures

The Vedas form the earliest record of the Hindu scriptures, and are regarded as eternal truths revealed to the ancient sages (rishis). The original language of the Vedas was Sanskrit, and they were originally transmitted orally, being written down during the period from about 1500 to 500 BCE (the “Vedic times”). There are four Vedas -- Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, containing verses and hymns, rituals, and commentaries. The Upanishads, found at the end of each Veda, are texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge. They are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought, and have profoundly influenced diverse traditions. There are 108 Muktikā Upanishads in Hinduism, of which between 10 and 13 are variously counted by scholars as Principal Upanishads. Unlike Western religions, the knowledge imparted to ancient saints and sages was not delivered via visions of a personal God, but were received during deep meditative states. The dates of such transmissions are uncertain, although it was earlier than 1500 BCE.

The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are important epics. The Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of the Mahabharata and one of the most popular sacred texts of Hinduism.

The Puranas, which started to be composed from c. 300 CE onward, contain extensive mythologies, and are central in the distribution of common themes of Hinduism through vivid narratives.

The Yoga Sutras is a classical text for the Hindu Yoga tradition, which gained a renewed popularity in the 20th century, to a large extent due to the emphasis they received in Theosophical writings.

Basic Tenets

What other religions might call God, Hinduism calls Brahman: a universal, Supreme Being “who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality” — in other words, who is both personal and impersonal at the same time.

The manifested universe might more properly be understood as having been emanated rather than created. The universe is cyclic; it comes into being slowly, evolves over eons into the various forms of life and intelligence, and then just as slowly dissolves back into Oneness. It is often described as “The Great Breath.” That is, when Brahman awakens and breathes out, a universe is formed; when He inhales, the universe is just as slowly dissolved — all beings and things return to the One for a period of rest. This also lasts eons, and then the cycle repeats itself. Brahman both contains everything and is within everything: He is “concealed as the Self in every creature,” and indeed in everything else as well, from stones to plants to the air we breathe.

The Hindu soul, called Atman, reincarnates through many, many lifetimes. The personality varies from life to life, the soul’s purpose on earth being to learn, to grow, to evolve. The law of Karma, or the law of cause and effect, is our primary source of learning. Each of us creates our own future destiny by our thoughts, words, and deeds in each life. We evolve through birth after birth, until we have resolved all karma and we attain moksha or liberation from rebirth.

While Brahman is the Supreme Being, he seems to be infinitely divisible. The Hindu pantheon is incredibly diverse and densely populated, a world of millions upon millions of divine beings, all considered to be part of Brahman. As in other traditions, there are three primary aspects of the Absolute Divinity: Brahma, the creator of everything; Shiva, the destroyer; and Vishnu, who preserves order in the universe. All of these immortal beings have other aspects as well. Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu who appeared to be a humble cowherd, is one of the most venerated deities, the subject of countless texts, sculptures and other art forms.. In the Western world, the Bhagavad Gita is probably the most well-known of these.