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Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion with about 820 million
adherents (13,5% of the world population) and dates back to 1500 BC.
Although most of these live in India and other Asian countries, there are
also significant Hindu-communities in just about every other country of
the world.
Hinduism
As a religion, Hinduism is very difficult to define and describe. The reason for this is that Hindu’s
believe that there are “many ways to God” and that each individual must find the way that suits
him or her best. Also, Hinduism does not worship one central God, does not have a clear set of
doctrines, nor a single creed or prescribed rituals.
Hinduism could therefore be described as a all-encompassing religious system where it is more
important how one lives than what you believe. Still, it is one of the most influential religions on
earth as it has been the base from which other major world religions such as Buddhism and
Jainism developed (see articles: "Buddhism" and "Jainism").
ABOVE: A Hindu-wedding in Southern India.
General beliefs
Because of its extreme diversity in thought and practice, it is not possible to give a clear description
of the doctrines and beliefs that all Hindu’s adhere to. However, there are some basic principles
that broadly defines Hinduism and to which most Hindu’s ascribe to some extend or another.
Brahman – Impersonal God
Hinduism has many different (and often contradictory) concepts of God. However, most Hindu’s
see Brahman (or - in Upanishad – “Atman”) as an eternal, unchangeable, asexual principle of
“reality”. Brahman is the ultimate source of all that is (the visible and invisible world), and is at the
same time part of everything and above everything.
Brahman is also described as the impersonal “Absolute”, the “World Soul” or the “force of
existance” which penetrates everything. The relationship between Brahman and the world is
monistic (“all is one”). Hindus therefore see the universe and everything in it as an continuation
and extension of Brahman.
According to some, Brahman in its highest form is nirguna, meaning “without atributes or
qualities”. However, in some later Hindu thought, the concept developed of God being more
personal. Nirguna Brahman developed into saguna Brahman (Brahman “with attributes”). This
personalised form of Brahman is known as Ishvara.
Manifestations and Incarnations of God
Hindu’s believe that humanity came to know Ishvara through what they call Trimurti – three
manifestations of Brahman. These manifestations are Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver)
and Shiva (the Destroyer). In addition, each of these deities has at least one devi – a divine spouse.
Hindus claim that Ishvara had at least ten (some claim more) mythical incarnations of Vishnu,
called avatars (“masters”). The forms of these manifestation vary and include animals (eg a tortoise,
fish or bear) and humans (eg Krishna, Rama and Budha). The stories of these mythical heroes are
told in Hindu epics such as the popular Bhagavad-Gita.
ABOVE: Krishna and his wife.
Because of Hinduism’s willingness to asimilate and adopt aspects of other religions including
gods and deities, it is estimated that Hinduism recognises at least 330 million gods! Sadly, some
even “adopt” Jesus Christ as merely another avatar, and portraits of Christ is often seen in Hindu
temples.
Humans and Brahman
Hindus believe that everything that exists, including humans, is eternally part for Brahman. In their
true selves, humans and all life extend from and is one with Brahman. In the same way as the air
inside a jar is identical to the air surrounding that jar, so our essence is identical the essence of
Brahman. All life are therefore carriers of atman. This principal is declared with the phrase Tat
tvam asi (“that thou art”). In line with this view, Brahman cannot be worshipped or served as
humans are already part of him.
However, some Hindus have a more personal view of Brahman and they do worship him
relationship him as an “upper god”. Worship and veneration is lso directed towards his
manifestations – Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, and even towards the avatars.
Law of Karma: cause and effect
Hindus believe that man’s greatest problem is that we are ignorent of our divine nature – of
being part of Brahman. Because we somehow lost this knowledge over time, we focus and
attach ourselves to the desires of our egos – that what we perceive as our individual lives. The
result is that we now also have to deal with the consequences of our “individual” actions.
Put in another way – Hindus believe that because of the ego’s attachment to its own desires
and individualistic existence, we have become subject to the law of karma. This law is the spiritual
and moral equivalent of the natural law of cause and effect. Our actions therefore have direct
consequences not only in our present life, but also in all other lives yet to come.
Positive deeds committed in our present life accumulates in positive karma while bad deeds
accumulate in negative karma. There is no forgiveness for negative karma and no escaping its
consequences.
Samsara: The cycle of Reincarnation
ABOVE: A painting depicting the concept of reincarnation.
Hindus believe in a ever-revolving wheel or cycle of life, death and rebirth, called Samsara or
reincarnation. During an individual’s present lifetime, he or she is subject to the consequences or
effects of deeds commited during previous lifes.
The karma accumulated during our previous life – be it positive or negative karma –
determines the kind of body (human, animal, or insect) as well as the place and conditions into
which he or she will be reincarnated in the next life.
Moksha: Liberation from reincarnation
The ultimate aim in Hinduism is to be liberated (moksha) from the cycle of reincarnation. The only
way to be liberated is to realise that the “individual self” is merely an illusion and that true reality is
being one with and inseperable from Brahman. In order to attain this realisation, one must reach
“enlightenment” – become completely free from the desires of the individual ego. This means that
the inividual looses its seperate identity in the universal Self (Brahman).
Hindus believe there are at least three ways or paths by which enligtenment can be reached.
Karma Marga: correct actions
The first way to enlightenment is by karma marga – through positive karma built up by the
correct rituals and actions. The concept of dharma - in which laws of correct behaviour and
laws of purification play a very strong role - is closely related to this path.
Jnana Marga: knowledge and meditation
The second way is by jnana marga – that is through knowledge attained through study and
especially through meditation. This way is especially strongly connected to Shiwa and is
followed by the meditating Yogi and the ascetic Sannyasi.
ABOVE: A Yogi wading in the Ganges River in India.
Bhakti Marga: devotion
The third and by far the most popular (and easiest) way for a Hindu to reach enlightenment, is
by bhakti marga – through devotion to the gods. Devotion can take many forms including
sacrifice and prayers.
ABOVE: A Hindu with fruit hanging from hooks in his skin as a ign of his devotion during a
festival in India.
Devotion to the gods
With more than 330 million gods, there are an innumerable number of ways and traditions in
which Hindus show devotion to their gods. Of course, all Hindus does not worship all these gods
(nor know nearly all of them). However, most Hindus are devoted to either Vishnu or Shiwa to at
least some extend.
Vaishnavism
Followers of Vishnu (the Preserver) are known as Vaishnavites and they see him as a
manifestation of Brahman’s love for all creatures. Vishnu sometimes dreams that the world needs
him and then he incarnates himself in human form in order to help his followers through their
pain, suffering and oppression. His most famous incarnations are in the persons of Rama and
Krishna, two of the best known and beloved figures in Hindu mythology.
Shaivism
Followers of Shiva (the Destroyer) are known as Shaivites. Shaivites believe that there can be no
creation without destruction. Shiva is a complex character and all opposites are believed to be
reconciled in him. Together with his wife, who can appear in various forms, Shiva is responsible
for the “cosmic dance” in which life and death, darkness and light, order and chaos are kept in
balance.
Shaktism
ABOVE: Shakti in the form of Durga.
Shaktism, also known as the Mother cult, is one of the strongest religious traditions in Hinduism.
Known as shaktas, followers of this sect believes that Shakti the “creative energy” of Shiva. Shakti
takes on various forms: Parvati is her beautiful, female and loving form, but she can also appear as
the formidable Durga and even as the terrible Kali, inhabitant of cemeteries, with a necklace of
skulls around her neck. Mother of “total reality”, she is seen as both midwife and undertaker of
humanity.
Sincretic nature of Hinduism
Hinduism is often refered to as the original New Age religion (see article “New Age”), not only
because New Agers have incorporated numerous Hindu teachings and concepts, but also due to
the fact that Hinduism has always assimilated other religions and religious traditions. They
describe the ultimate goal of human existence (to reach enlightenment, in their case) as a
mountain with many paths leading to the top. These paths represent different religions or ways to
reach the ultimate goal.
Unlike most other religions, it does not claim exclusive knowledge of salvation or the divine,
and it does not accept claims to exclusivity from other religions. For instance, Hindus gladly
accept, amongst others, Jesus Christ, Mohammed (see article “Islam”), Buddha and Zoroaster (see
article “Zoroasterism”) as deities or “avatars”, but rejects claims to any of them being more than
that.
For Hinduism as a religion this sincretic approach resulted in great diversity and even
contradictions in what it professes. However, because perceived reality is believed to be an illusion
(Brahman is the only reality), Hindus are able to accept and even embrace this diversity.
Hindu Holy Scriptures
ABOVE: Ancient illustration from the Upanishads.
The Vedas are the oldest and primary Hindu scriptures and date back to at least 1000 BC (Veda
means “knowledge” or “wisdom”). The Vedas are called schruti, meaning “that which is heard” or
revealed.
There are four Vedas, namely the Rig Ved, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva
Veda. Each of these are divided into four parts – the Mantras or Samhitas (verses or hyms sung
during rituals); the Brahmanas (explenations of the Mantras); the Aran-yakas (reflections on their
meanings); and the Upanishads (mystical interpretations of the Mantras).
The Upanishads (also called Vedanta, meaning “conclusion of the Vedas”) were written
between 800 and 300 BC and has been called the Hindu equavalent of the Christian New
Testament.
Apart from the Vedas, Hindus also has secondary scriptures called smriti (“remembered”).
Although not as authoritive as the Vedas, the smriti are very popular and have therefore had
more impact on the Indian culture. Among the smriti scriptures are epics such as the Ramayana
(“Rama’s Way”) and Mahabharata (“The Great Story” which includes the Bhagavad-Gita with
Krishna as main character). Also part of the smriti are the Vedangas (codes of law); Puranas
(genealogies of the gods); Darshanas (philosophical writings); the Tantras (writings on attaining
occultic power) and the Sutras (rules of ritual and social conduct).
Origins in India
Tribal origins
The origins of what is now known as Hinduim can be traced back to at least 1500 BC when it
started as a ritualistic polytheistic (belief in many gods) religion in the area which is now the
modern state of India. It developed from a myriad of different cultural and tribal traditions and
beliefs. Over the centuries, instead of developing and refining a spesific set of doctrines and rituals,
it assimilated more teachings, rituals and “gods” into itself.
The result was a complex religious system with extreme diversity in thought, doctrine and ritual
which in the nineteenth century became known as Hinduism.
The term Hinduism
The name Hindu, which means “Indian”, was originally given to the inhabitants of the Indus valley
(in what is now the modern state of India) by the Persians. Later, the name was used to refer to
the total population of India, which included a wide diversity of religions, cultures and languages.
In the late nineteenth century the British started to use the term Hinduism to refer to the Aryan
population group of India. Following this, the term Hinduism gained a religious meaning and was
used to refer to the complex indiginous religious systems of India (in contrast to Islam and
Christianity).
ABOVE: Hindu priest.
Caste System
Traditionally, Indian society is divided into four main castes and thousands of sub castes. The caste
determines an individual’s standing in the social hierarchy, including political and socioeconomical oppurtunities and expectations.
The caste-system is closely related to Hinduism as Hindus believe that a person’s karma (positive
or negative, according to accumulated good or bad deeds in a previous life) determines the caste
in which he or she would be born. Good karma would result in a person being born into a
higher caste, while bad or negative karma would result being born into a lower caste.
The Four Main Castes are:
The "Brahmins": The priestly class, believed to be born from the mouth of Brahman, with
"varna" color white. ("varna" is the "occupational class").
The "Kshatriyas": Warriors and rulers, senators, presidents, majors, believed to be born from the
chest of Brahman. Varna color red.
The "Vaisyas": Farmers, merchants, lawyers, doctors. Believed to be born from the thighs of
Brahman. Varna yellow.
The "Sudras": Unskilled workers. Believed to be born from the feet of Brahman. Varna color
black.
The Untouchables
These four main castes are divided into another 3 000 "sub-castes" with the "untouchables" or
"outcasts" at the bottom. The untouchables are even lower than the Sudras and they have no
"Varna color". Although Mahatmas Gandhi persuaded the Indian Parliament in 1949 to outlaw
Untouchability in the Constitution, the system is still very much alive, especially in rural India.
According to the Hindu law of karma, to do good or show any signs of love to an
untouchable or a member of a lower caste would interfere with the divine cosmic law of karmic
punishment. Untouchables are despised worse than animals and discriminated against by every
other member of society. A member of any other caste would literally not even touch an
untouchable!
The only way in which a person’s caste position could be changed, is to fulfill your caste
dharma (laws or obligations according to which a member of a spesific caste must live) in your
current life, which would result in being born into a better position in your next life. Moksha
(liberation) is possible only for the top three castes, who are called the "twice born."
Glossary
Aryans: The Indo-Aryan nations that settled in the Indus valley (modern India) around 1500 BC.
Atman: Both the individual self as well as the Self of Reality (Brahman). Hindus believe that all life
possesses atman, therefore forming part of the eternal Self of Brahman.
Brahman - The ultimate source of all that is (the visible and invisible world), and is at the same
time part of everything and above everything. Also described as the impersonal “Absolute”, the
“World Soul” or the “force of existance” which penetrates everything. The term is also used for the
highest of the Four Castes in ancient India at the time of Shakyamuni. They served Brahma, with
offerings; the keepers of the Vedas, i.e. priestly caste.
Caste: There are four main castes and thousands of sub castes in Hinduism. These castes (orders
in the social hierarchy) traditionally had strong social economical and even political implications.
The only way in which your caste position could be changed, is if you fulfilled your caste dharma
in your current life in order to attain a better position in your next life.
Dharma: The concept dharma refers primarily to the Cosmic Laws that sustain everything, but on
individual level it includes the laws according to which every person must live. These laws or
obligations are closely related to the caste in which a person is born.
Dualism / Dualistic: Belief in two equal powers which can be opposing each other (competing
dualism) or in balance with each other (balancing dualism).
Karma: The word karma means action. Within the context of samsara, it gains the meaning of the
result of your action. Karma is therefore the belief that you deserved your current circumstances
through previous actions.
Maya: Maya, which means illusion, is the visible world of the senses. Most Hindus believe that the
visible reality of opposites (man/woman; darkness/light; life/death) is not the true reality. By means
of meditation it is possible to penetrate the outside and to see the deeper reality. Meditation is
therefore a very popular practice in India.
Moksha: Liberation from samsara. It was the search for moksha that led to Gautama's new
doctrine, Buddhism.
Monism: A believe that “all is one” – an impersonal God that is part of everything and everything
is part of God.
Occult: A study and alledged 'science' of the hidden, secret, esoteric, demonic, paranormal and
supernatural - not related to the true God of the Bible.
Polytheistic: The belief in many gods or supreme/higher beings.
Sannyasi: Hindu holy people who leave the earthly world in search of the true spiritual reality.
Samsara: The eternal cycle of births and rebirths, which can happen in any life form.
Upanishads: The last of the Vedic texts, in which a strong philosophical tendency appears
Article by Manie Bosman (E-Mail [email protected])