I would especially love to hear from anyone who practices the religion/path themselves.
I have always had a particular interest in Hinduism but have never had time to research it. Now that I am trying, there is just so much information. I would like to know, in your opinion, what the basic foundations of the religion are. What are the things one does or believes that truly make them Hindu.
And of course, since I always ask this, I would like to know what you think about this religion and my own personal beliefs. Would I make a decent Hindu? I believe in the natural equality of all things. I believe in love and peace, I do not consume meat, fish, or anything that comes from animals. I believe in karma. In regards to deities and the afterlife I remain silent because I do not know, and though it is certainly possible that I will figure it out in my lifetime, I am in no rush. I do, however, believe that there is -not- one supreme, all power God who judges us or created us. I believe we can learn from all deities but have yet to form a personal relationship with one. I believe in living simply, and giving what you can to those who need it. If someone decided to divide up all the world's money evenly to all people I would be pleased, I am not materialistic. I believe we should respect nature above all else.
All opinions and answers appreciated. If you are going to copy and paste some ridiculous answer about Jesus you are wasting your time I assure you. If someone who is Hindu would possibly be willing to communicate with me via e-mail and share their beliefs that would be wonderful!
Hinduism is the product of an entire culture from the mists of prehistory, and consists of numerous cults and sub cults as well as a profusion of deities. Just about any generalization you can make about Hinduism, the opposite may also be true.
=> God is One Supreme Consciousness spread evenly in the Universe and Beyond
=> This supreme consciousness (Aum/Brham/Parmashiva/ Krishna) manifests as universe, and all living and non-living beings. This one GOD manifests as a trinity of Brhmaa (creator), Vishnu (Protector) and Shiva (Destroyer).... then there are some demo gods to help the trinity.
=> The purpose of Human Birth is to realize God in its true form
=> Human life is a chain of births, which continues as long as desires and karma are present.... when there is no desire/karma left human consciousness merges into Supreme Consciousness
=> Hells & Heavens are transitory places, where souls, purge to get new birth
=> Yoga and Meditation are the ways to get enlightenment
=> All, irrespective of caste, creed, gender, are entitled to God's Grace----hinduism does not condemn non-hindus to hells (even atheists)
=> The Truth can be searched through Vedas, Upanishadas, and Gita
=> There are no 33 crore gods - it is a mispublicity ( Shruti says 33 koti devas... koti means "crore" as well as "types"... these 33 types of devas ...are not GODS but demi-gods/angles (like Indra/agni/varun etc)...which are manifested to run the universe
=> Sanatan Dharma is mother of main 3 Eastern wonderful religions viz. Buddhism, Jainism and sikhism
=> The Main Moto of Sanatan Dharma is -
"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" ---whole world is my family
and
"Sarve bhavantu sukhinam".... may all be happy ...may all be enlightened
Sanatan has generally answered correctly. the definition he gave is a traditional outlook on the religion. I was once a Hindu but I have modified my beliefs into a more spiritualistic definition where I simply replaced the trinity of Hindu gods and all the demo gods with something of a "great spirit" motif where all beings must join with to escape the cycle of rebirth. I think the gods and demigods where just created to explain things in the natural world such as rain, fire, weather, etc. These gods in my opinion are traces of a time in human history where man had not yet learned enough to value the virtues of truth and reason.
Hindus believe in peace above all else and recite prayers that wish for peace upon all living beings everywhere in the universe. In fact, i used to recite these prayers every week they were my favorite.
Hindus do not believe that a person receives infinite punishments for wrong doings in one life, they are simply "purged" and are reborn again in order to continue the search for enlightenment.
meditation and yoga help to achieve Samara and help to increase overall happiness of the person.
Hindus also never try to spread their religion, they have no missionaries or anything like that.
My mother once told me that Hindus can really believe in any god i.e. Allah, Jesus, Yahweh... and that would be fine as long as they follow the base ideas of nonviolence, peace, helping the poor, etc... so in reality, any person who is "good" is really a Hindu although not denomination wise.
In the end, hinduism is not really about worshipping thousands of gods as many in america believe, it is about connecting with the entire universe, taking care of yourself and others, and promoting happiness and eventual release from the cycle of life.
Agreed Hinduism is the product of an entire culture from the mists of prehistory, and consists of numerous cults and sub cults as well as a profusion of deities. Just about any generalization you can make about Hinduism, the opposite may also be true.
What is Hinduism? What are the basic beliefs?
