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HINDUISM
The Basic Facts
Ratha Yatra Festival in Puri, India (painting by James Fergusson)
Hinduism:
Differences to other religions
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No known founder of religion
No single central authority or holy text
No specific theological system
No single concept of deity
No concept of prophets
Hinduism often referred to as ‘a way of
life’ or ‘a family of religions’ rather than a
single religion.
Hinduism:
Characteristics (1)
• Thousands of different religious groups,
having evolved in India since 1500 BC
• Freedom of belief and practice notable
features
• Most forms of Hinduism: single deity, other
gods and goddesses as manifestations or
aspects of that supreme god (henotheism)
Hinduism:
Characteristics (2)
• 900 million Hindus worldwide (ca. 80
percent of India’s population and 30 million
more Hindus outside of India)
• Hinduism third largest religion, after
Christianity and Islam
• Term ‘Hindu’ derived from the river Sindhu
(a Sanskrit word used by the inhabitants of
the region, the Aryans in the second
millennium BC), later applied to the people
Hinduism:
Characteristics (3)
• Central belief: the soul passes through a
cycle of successive lives and its next
incarnation is always dependent on how
the previous life was lived
• main Hindu texts: the Vedas and their
supplements (books based on the Vedas);
Veda (a Sanskrit word) meaning
‘knowledge’; contents: e.g. discussions of
dharma ‘code of conduct’, ‘law’, or ‘duty’
Hinduism:
Examples of Gods: Brahma (1a)
Brahma is the first god in
the Hindu triumvirate, or
trimurthi. The triumvirate
consists of three gods
who are responsible for
the creation, upkeep and
destruction of the world.
The other two gods
are Vishnu and Shiva.
Hinduism:
Examples of Gods: Brahma (1b)
Brahma’s task was the
creation of the world
and all creatures.
N.B.: Not to be confused with
Brahman, the supreme God
force present within all things.
Hinduism:
Examples of Gods: Vishnu (2)
Vishnu is the preserver
and protector of the
universe.
His role is to return to the
earth in troubled times and
restore the balance of good
and evil.
So far, incarnated 9 times,
but will be reincarnated one
last time near the end of this
world.
Hinduism:
Examples of Gods: Shiva (3a)
Shiva’s role is to destroy
the universe in order to
re-create it.
His powers of destruction
and recreation are used even
now to destroy the illusions
and imperfections of this
world, paving the way for
beneficial change.
Hinduism:
Examples of Gods: Shiva (3b)
• Believed to be the master
of Dance, an important art
form in India.
• The rhythm of dance is a
metaphor for the balance
in the universe which
Shiva is believed to hold.
• Most important dance:
“Tandav”, the cosmic
dance of death at the end
of an age, to destroy the
universe.
Hinduism:
Sources
• Banerjee, Mita, and Susanne Stadler. “Hindu deities”. India. München:
Langenscheidt, 2010. P. 33.
• “Introduction to Hinduism”. BBC: Religions: Hinduism. London: British
Broadcasting Corporation, 2009. 12 June 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml
• Robinson, B. A. “Hinduism: The world‘s third-largest religion”. Religious
Tolerance. Kingston: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2010. 12
June 2012. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm
• “Overview of Hinduism”. Religion Facts. 2005. 12 June 2012.
http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/overview.htm
Pictures:
• Brahma (musée d'art asiatique de Berlin), by Jean-Pierre Dalbera (2008), Creative
Commons license BY, http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2709191703
• Lord Vishnu, by ES (2007), Creative Commons license BY-SA-NC, http://malaysiaimages.blogspot.de/2007/02/lord-vishnu.html
• Ratha Yatra Festival in Puri, India, painting by James Fergusson, Public Domain
(Wikimedia Commons), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rathajatrawpuri.jpg
• Shiva dancing as Nataraja, by Jeremy Burgin (2008), Creative Commons license BY-SA,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jburgin/3004831429/sizes/o/in/photostream/