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Religious Beliefs in India Essay
When people list driving forces of society in different countries, the answers vary from government
to economics and to education, among a vast list of other possibilities. In the case of the South Asian
state of India, religion is one of the primary foundations for both their past social systems and current
institutions and it is recognized as a predominately religious region. Though the country is
constitutionally secular, religion plays one of the largest roles in society. The numerous theologies
represented in India dictate the content of legislature, the status of citizens within the caste system,
and even intellectual attainment. India is a religious hotbed. Several faiths are represented
throughout India's history and current...show more content...
The constitution's definition of secularism merely demands that all religions are recognized as
equal, instead of separating state and social affairs from spiritual influence (Mahmood, 2006). The
constitution also focuses significantly on the issue of religious discrimination. There are several
provisions included, such as making it illegal to treat someone as an unequal on grounds such as
religion, or be hindered in public, social, or professional environments. Religious buildings and
properties are also protected by the constitution, meaning no sacred institution can be under political
or social attack. Though India has an extensive constitution covering different aspects of law and
society, the country upholds a system in which people can adhere to the official secular bylaws of
the country or choose their religious community's codified personal laws. Laws can be passed that
are applicable to a specific devout community, such as the Christian Marriage Act in the late
nineteenth century, or the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act of the mid–twentieth century
(Mahmood, 2006). This allows for all belief systems to be supported and included in government.
The largest social influence religion has over Indian society comes in the form of Hindu's caste
system, which is a concept commonly associated with the country itself. The caste is a social system
composed of multiple castes and sub–castes
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The Pros And Cons Of Religion In India
India, predominantly a multicultural society from time immemorial, a mass of land, with no fixed
territorial barricades has always been a favorable destination for invaders across the centuries. With
its polytheistic religious orientation India was conducive for various religious experiments. The
supreme spirituality and self–actualisation, surpassing the communal frameworks was a part of the
Indian conscience right from the Vedic Age. In the words of the Dr.S Radhakrishnan,"Religion is not
a mere intellectual conformity or ceremonial piety; it is spiritual adventure" (Radhakrishnan,12). An
amalgamation of six major ethnic groups makes this country a poly–genetic population. The major
religion of the country, the Hinduism, itself is a mГ©lange of numerous major, minor and tribal
denominations. It has also accommodated other Indian religions like Buddhism, Sikhism etc. into
itself. However, a sense of unity that transcends the innumerable diversities is profound in this
religion. The advent of Islam and Christianity, though violently, added shades to this tapestry. Over
the time, there had been cultural exchange among each other. It is only in the latter pages of history
that is during the 1920s that this religion was politicised according to the ideology of Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar. Against the British definition of the term 'Hindu' as a geographical entity,
Savarkar redefined it as, 'a person born of Hindu parents and regarded India as his motherland as
well as holy
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I am here today to tell you which religion in India should be the main religion. I think that Buddhism
should be the main religion, because they think everyone is equal, everyone can believe what they
want, and they don't believe in life after death. Even though that Hinduism is the main religion in
India, Buddhism should be instead. Continue reading, to have your mind blown away, and to
switch your beliefs if you believe in Hinduism. To begin, in Buddhism everyone is equal. Unlike
in Hinduism where they have a Caste System and everyone is a different level. That is very
unfair, because everyone has to do a different job. The Untouchables are the slaves and have to do
all of the dirty work, and the Brahmins are right underneath the King. They still have to do work but
not as much as everyone else does. The Untouchables are so low down that they aren't even a part of
the Caste System. They are lowest that any human could go. After you get underneath the...show
more content...
Unlike the Egyptians that believe in life after death. The Buddhism's believe that once you die
you die, and your heart doesn't come back to life. In Hinduism, they believe in the reincarnation.
Which is when you die and you have bad karma you have to go through the reincarnation stage
over and over again. Which if you die by murder, or suicide, then you soul gets to roam around
wherever you died for years as a ghost. Buddhists are way different than every other religion.
Which is a good thing that they are different but also a bad thing, because then a lot of people
might not go to the religion. I think this because everyone knows how all the other religions
operate. But in Buddhism once you die you die and you just sit there. Your soul doesn't roam
around the yard, but it says in your soul. In my opinion it would be very creepy to walk past
somewhere, and someone's soul is roaming around you and touching your body or the things around
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Christianity In Ancient India
Not these divine beings are worshiped by all Hindus. A few Hindus revere just Vishnu. Others
venerate just Shiva. Others venerate just the goddesses and call these goddesses on the whole as
Shakti importance control. A considerable lot of these goddess admirers adore Parvati in her
pictures as Kali or Durga. Individuals who adore Shiva or Vishnu additionally love characters and
pictures associated with these divine beings. Vishnu admirers (Vaishnaites) additionally revere his
appearances. Shiva's admirers (Shaivites) likewise revere pictures of bull called Nandi, who was
Shiva's bearer and a one of a kind stone plan associated with Shiva.
There are likewise Hindus who love every one of the divine beings. There are a few divine beings
who are worshiped all finished India like Rama and Krishna and different divine beings who are
worshiped more in one locale than the other like Ganesh who is worshiped for the most part in
west India. Hindus likewise adore divine beings as indicated by their own needs. Individuals who
participate in wrestling, working out and other physical games venerate Hanuman, who in Hindu
legends was a gorilla with parcel of physical quality. Specialists love Lakshmi, goddess of riches.
...show more content...
Others trust that worshipful admiration is the wrong elucidation of
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The Importance of Religion in Indian Politics
India is the largest democratic country in the world, in the last fifty years it has travelled and been
influenced by multiple social and economic changes. Its independence from Britain in 1947, the
partition creating Pakistan and the Pakistan/ Indian debate over Kashmir have been fundamental
political movements within these years. As Y.B.Damle states, "
Politics is concerned with
goal–attainment and politics is the art of possibility", the political process cannot function without
structural features. As a country with multiple religions, a secular state, the political process has
been moulded around not only ethnicity and caste but religion has...show more content...
A partition based on religion as the congress would not allow Muslims to sit before 1947. Now,
governed by Hindu nationalists religious nationalism affects the secular state, a state that cannot
foreseeably be secular when it encompasses such a majority of Hindus.
Hindu's believe in Dharma, that in accordance to the sacred Hindu text, every person has their own
path to follow and it is better to do their own duty badly than another's well. (Hardgrave ch.1) Only
by fulfilling their own predestined duties can they expect a 'more favourable rebirth and ultimate
salvation'. Therefore for a Hindu a true democratic state should be against their religion, as it
involves meddling in others affairs. Along with this Hinduism divides and distances the
sub–continent. Each Hindu linguistic area have their own traditions, way about their different lives
and their own God's. with an existence without unification how can India politically aspire to social
change and reform? As Gunnar Myrdal states, "Religion has, then, become the emotional container
of this whole way of life and work and by its sanction has rendered it rigid and resistant to change."
(Hardgrave ch.1)
Post partition the general consensus was that India should be a democratic state, important political
groups believed individuals had the right to their
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Essay on Hinduism
The Hindu religion and culture is a very complex subject. The Hindu religion combines rich ethnical
and standard beliefs. We will take a closer look and try to understand the Hindu religion and culture.
The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity,
Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (Major World Religions, 2006). The Hindu religion began to
develop about 4.000 years ago in India, but it there was no single founder or system of belief
(Major World Religions, 2006). There are many diverse and various Gods in the Hindu religion.
One of the most important beliefs is the theory of karma, which holds that all beings, human or
animal have karma which determines which soul is for which body and...show more content...
Hindus have to be patient in their religion to achieve their peacefulness. Hindus are also known to
be very friendly. Having such characteristics would greatly empower our whole society no matter
what religion someone is from. My interviewee Tony Khanna, a fellow co–worker, took me to his
temple he goes to worship, on a Sunday evening. He took me to the Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam
located in Pearland, Texas. The first thing I noticed upon arrival at the temple is the beautiful
architectural building design outside. I was in amazement of how beautiful the temple was. I
had not seen something so beautiful in quite awhile. The temple is visible from a quite a distance
away and has two stunning white towers. When coming up to the temple from the parking lot
Tony indicated to me that the temple was established in 1977 and was a replica of a famous
temple in India. There was a huge white gate we had to walk through to get to the main temple.
Once inside I was greeted by many Hindu's that were quite pleasant and talkative towards this
outsider that I was. Before the visit one of my questions to Tony was if Hindu's welcomed
outsiders within their temples. He indicated that Hindu's are very open and that I would be
welcomed. I was quite surprised for this to be so true. With in the confines of the temple there were
many different kinds of symbols that I was not quite familiar with. A couple that I noted was a Diya,
Om, and Swastika. There were
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Types Of Indian Religions : Indian Religion
Types of Indian Religions Throughout the world the universally known Indian religion is Hinduism.
However, there are other religions, which no one has heard of such as, Sikhism, Jainism and
Buddhism. Most people assume that just because your Indian you have to be Hindu but that's not
necessarily true. Although, these religions come from the same Indian culture they have different
views and beliefs. For instance, Sikhism is the newest Indian religion. The religion was created
back in 1500 A.D. The founder's name was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhism religion follows the
doctrine of monotheism, which means they believe in one god. Sikhs don't believe in
worshiping statues or images like Hindus do. They speak the language known as Punjabi; it's a
combination of Persian and Gurumukhi. The majority of the Sikh communities live in a small
state in India known as Punjab. Their values are to always remember god, live an honest living,
and give to the less fortunate. The Sikhs belief is that there is only one god who created the
universe and humanity and that by doing daily prayers you can be connected with god. Also, they
believe in reincarnation and that after death you will be reborn again until you have received
redemption. The Sikh weddings take place in a temple where a trained priest discloses the wedding
vows. In Sikh weddings it's a custom to complete the wedding ceremony inside a temple. The couple
has to go around the holy book four times to complete the wedding. The vows they
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Religious Developments With the coming of the Mughals in India and the Turkish rule, there were
many developments and changes in the Indian culture and religion.The Sultans of Delhi and Mughal
tolerated different religions, especially Hinduism, though they were followers of Islam. This lead to
the beggining of indo–islamic culture.
Since dawn of history, India has been the cradle of religious developments. In the early medival
period, two parrelel movements in Hinduism and Islam representing the Bhakti and Sufi movements
emerged in India.
The Indo–Islamic strands have been woven into the texture of India by intertwining Bhakti and Sufi
traditions.
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main...show more content...
He married the daughter of a Saintly person. Later at the age of 24, he renounced the worldly life
and became a sanyasin. His followers regarded him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He helped
the old and the needy. He was opposed to the inequalities of the caste system. He emphasised the
need for tolerance, humanity and love. He spread the message of Bhakti in Bengal. He popularised
'Sankritan'or public singing of God's name. He was addressed `Mahaprabhu' by his followers.
Meera Bai : Meerabai was a Rajput princess. She married the Rana of Mewar. She was a pious
devotee of Lord Krishna. Her songs or hymns are even today sung all over India. Her palace was
kept open to people of all castes to join her Bhajans of Lord Krishna. She had lived for the most
part of her life in Mathura, the birth place of Krishna and Vrindaban. There is a temple dedicated to
Meerabai in Chittor, the capital of Mewar. Sufi movement
Sufism was a reform movement within Islam which applies greater stress on free thinking, liberal
ideas and toleration. The Sufis believed in the equality of all human beings and brotherhood
mankind. The Sufi movement started in Persia. Some of the Sufi saints also came to India. They
began to preach their liberal ideas and to remove the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims and
join them together.
The word Sufi has been taken from the Arabic word 'Suf' which means wool. The movement may
have been given the
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When comparing the impact of religion and philosophy in India with the impact of religion and
philosophy on these classical civilization's governments between 600 BCE and 600 CE, they were
similar in that they used religion and philosophy to support social and caste divisions, they stressed
the importance of following and obeying rules and the men who followed the teachings of the
religion or philosophy were on the top of the social hierarchy. This was because bothChina and India
religion and philosophy used religion to justify the social divisions like the caste system in India by
talking about reincarnation or the Confucian stress on the importance of obeying authority. Both
India and China also had a religion or philosophy that encouraged...show more content...
One social difference was that in India, religion didn't help the government unify their empire.
Hinduism was so diverse and had so many offshoots and sects like the Shaivites and the Vaishnavites
that it wasn't uniform enough to be shared across India and bring together the Indian subcontinent
and empire. This was distinct from China where Confucianism was fairly consistent in its teachings
and values. Because of this, all across China the idea of Confucianism linked various provinces and
areas like the vastly different North and South China together. A follower ofConfucius from a
remote southern province would probably follow the same ideals that another follower of Confucius
from the North. This let the government unify the Chinese empire and bring together otherwise very
different people under one government. This difference was probably due to the fact that Hinduism
had no one founder to dispense core values and it was a polytheistic religion so there were many
different gods to follow while Confucianism was based on the teachings of one man, Confucius and
followed his individual teachings and the interpretations of them. Of the two, China was much more
unified while India remained incredibly diverse. However, both these governments and empires were
more united than the Classical Greek civilization which was composed of fiercely independent
city–states. A social similarity was that these religions helped helped the government maintain
social differences in society. India had the highly inflexible caste system while China had a more
lenient social pyramid. The caste system was supported by the belief in reincarnation and karma
in India where if you lived a good life as a good person you would reincarnate into a good caste
because of your karma so you were ultimately responsible for your own caste. In China,
Confucianism promoted the idea that those in lower classes should stay there and respect their
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Impacts of Family Traditions and Religion in India
Family traditions and religion greatly impact the lives of many people in India. These elements of
culture are reasons that form the way that Indians lead their lives. Both factors make up what type of
person that individual will become. That is the reason why religion and family traditions are so
valued in Indian society.
Religion is probably the most definitive factor in the way that an Indian will lead his life,
particularly if they practice Hinduism. In Hinduism this person must follow a strict set of rules called
Dharma. These rules state how this person shall lead his life. They state that each person must
follow their Dharma at all costs. For example if their Dharma tells them to...show more content...
This caste system also allows patriarchal rule, which greatly limits the roles of women in, the Indian
society.
This patriarchal role of males in the Indian family allows for all the power to be placed on the
father of the household. This power can be abused which I would assume happens with the
children in these families. The oldest male child has the authority to boss around his other
siblings, and in the death of his father he then becomes the leader of the household. This could
lead to many harsh or unfair ruling by older siblings or by other members of society. This would
lead for the younger sibling to have to adjust greatly as they grow into adulthood. These rules that
govern Indian household are often strict and are always final. This is accepted by all.
Another deciding factor in what shapes the lives of Indians are the strict rules of their religions
such as not crossing water or eating beef. Also not cutting their hair is another religious rule that
must be followed for Sikhs. These rules can limit ones personal freedom or civil rights as in the case
for women.
The effects of Hinduism that effect society are very clear to Indians. One good example of this is
that many Hindus go hungry everyday but yet the let cows roam. This seems awkward to me
because I am and outsider but to Indians this is and unchangeable law that must never be broken.
There are other more subtle things that
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India, Religion, Culture, And Religions In India
Culture normally revolves around knowledge of a particular group of people while encompassing
language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. India houses said people from several
thousand ethnic groups, tribes, castes, and religions that provide a rich diversity of varying cultures.
India's history dates back several centuries and can even extend into millenniums. The vast
differences in cultural diversity reflect much about India as a country as well as the people who live
there. India retains a plethora amount of religious, geographical, cultural, social, and military history
that shapes its inhabitants as well as various travelers around the globe.
Religion has been an important part of the country's culture and formation as people who settled
there have discovered various practices that became renowned today. India established four major
religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. However, Islam remains prevalent
in India since it is currently the second largest religion in the world. The most dominant religion
of India is Hinduism, which to this day is the oldest religion in the world. Roughly, 84 per cent of
India's population (total population: ~1.267 billion people) is devoted to Hinduism. India has a
known history of religious violence against Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians due to a large
number of riots stemming from as far back as 1832. One of the largest riots that occurred caused
over 8000 deaths and an unknown
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The Issue And Religious Conflicts Of India Essay
India is one of the countries which have the most multifaceted religion condition. Hinduism, Islam,
Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity– almost all major religions of the world can be seen in India.
All these religion sects have many believers here, and they cannot but live together to share the same
developing process and move further together with their country, experiencing both prosperity and
instability. In India, there are not only a wide range of religions; the differences between these sects
are also massive. After the foundation of the Congress government, India established the principle of
secularism, but in the actual implementation of the principle there is a big lack from the theoretical
principle, and the government performs the secularism far from sufficiently. Sectarian forces have
gradually extend to economic and political field, sectarian doctrine get more and more close to
politics, and began to intervene political development. To study about the issue and religious
conflicts in India is advantageous for understanding all aspects of Indian: society, politics, economy,
culture, religion, etc. and, also would help to establish peace and stability throughout India.
Meaning of Sectarianism
Sectarianism is a word that describes something having to do with smaller groups or sects.
Sectarian violence, for example would describe violence that has erupted between conflicting
groups or sects. Sectarian, as noun, is a member of a group with a particular set of
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Hinduism is one of the oldest religion and there is no history of how it started. It is one of the
dominant religion and culture in India (Unit 3). Due to its history, Hinduism is a religion that
comprises of traditions and has evolved due to social and political events overtime. The early
Hindu civilization started after the Aryans gained territory of the Indus valley area and it is
believed they laid the basis of Hinduism (Unit 3). While the beliefs of Hinduism are not well known,
the culture and traditions of Hinduism is influenced by sacred architecture and objects.
The Indus valley civilization was marked by arts and crafts and monumental architectures.
Without these sacred objects, rituals cannot be carried out and there will not be anything to
represent the religion. According to archaeological evidence, figures of deities like gods and
goddesses were found relating to religious practices of the people in that area which is believed to
have been Hinduism. Buildings found were believed to be temples where sacrifices and rituals
were carried out. The Aryans who lived in this territory believed in many gods and goddesses.
These scared objects and edifices that were left behind covey some of the beliefs of Hinduism and
its teachings.
The sacred book is important as it sets the foundation of what attitude is expected in the society. It
contains the beliefs of the religion. There are four Vedasnamely: The Rig Veda which contains the
hymns, Yajur Veda which is a
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My Religion Is Hinduism
The religion I am choosing to write about is Hinduism. I choose Hinduism it is one of the hardest
and complex religion to understand. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, which means believing in
more than one God. In Hinduism, there are hundreds of Gods, and the good thing about Hinduism is
that the people can choose which god to believe in. If some people want they can believe in one god
or two gods at the same time. As it is one of the oldest religion, it has deep culture and sentimental
values, which people still strictly believe in, even till today. Currently, many Hindus are leaving
India and shifting abroad for better opportunities or for a better life, but they still practice their
religion by going to a temple or saying a prayer. They also carry their beliefs and values with them
as well. Hinduism is a diverse religion, in where you will find different kinds of devotees,
traditions, and belief towards God. To begin with, in Hinduism there are many kinds of devotees.
There are some devotees who will strictly follow the rules, according to their God and there are
other devotees who are laid back. They will try to follow the rules as best as they can. One thing
about Hinduism that stands out from other religions is that you can choose how to want to follow
the religion. It all depends on how the followers were being taught while growing up. For example,
my whole family is very religious, besides myself. My grandfather and grandmother who are
extremely religious, they
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Religion: Hinduism and Islam Essay
Hinduism and Islam are two largely practiced religions, specifically in India and the subcontinents.
Both Hinduism and Islam have unique practices and traditions, which can vary depending on the
town, region or people. They share a common belief in a supreme god, that being either Brahma or
Allah respectively. The traditions differ on the central texts used, as well as differences in the
process of reaching the afterlife and basic beliefs. Although, Hinduism might be regarded by some
as a polytheistic religion in its most basic form Hinduism is based around one deity. The Brahma is
the god that all of the other gods are derived from and each god is a manifestation of the one being.
There are four other main deities, aside from Brahma,...show more content...
Allah is the creator of everything and is held in the highest regard for Islamic people. Although
there is one god, there are a multitude of prophets who bring the word of God to the Muslim
people much like the multiple deities who come from Brahma. It is believed that God sent
multiple prophets to tell of the last and most significant prophet, Muhammad. These prophets also
preached the Oneness of God and would tell followers to avoid sin. Muhammad, who is believed
to be a prophet of God, is considered the last prophet sent by god to the Muslim people.
Muhammad is believed to have brought the word of God through the Qur'an. The Prophets' life
started in Mecca where he grew up orphaned. During his life, specifically in the month of Ramadan,
he would spend time in a cave outside Mecca where he originally received revelations about the
sacred text. Originally Muhammad found little success preaching God's word but eventually gained
a following of Muslim people, which would turn into the tradition it is today. Although their belief in
a supreme god aligns in both Islam and Hinduism, the traditions differ on the texts used centrally
in each practice. The Veda, written between 1750 BCE and 600 BCE are ancient scriptures, which
are the sacred texts of Hinduism. One of the forms the Veda is the Shruti, which is "that which was
heard" and the other form is the Vedir seers or Rishis which means "saw". The Veda is split into four
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Hinduism And Religion Essay
Hinduism is large and complex religious institute that reflects the religious belief of a rich
society, the Indian people. It origins, just as the religion are intermingled in the Aryans system of
belief and early Indian system of belief which merged to give what is now Hinduism. The Aryan
system of belief came to exist in India when the Aryans from eastern Europe invaded India around
1500 B.C. It is believed that many of the rituals and gods of now, Hindu are derivative of their
faiths. They came to India which what would later be adopted by hindus as the cast system, but
theirs was composed of hierarchically of three entity; the warriors whom were the most important,
the priest which direct any rituals and retain knowledge of the vedas and the servants which looked
at the cattles. The accentuation of nature is also a product of the Aryan faith system which is
reconstructed to or at least reused in the idea of oneness with nature and Brahman which is the hindu
supreme God. The Rig Veda which contains thousands of hymns in the sanskrit are also Aryans
(Phil.108, notes)....show more content...
The mysterious mixture of god within god and the way to follow to attain the highest devine is quite
phenomenal. The several dimension of Brahman, the supreme god and its manifestation owe the
imagination. The complexity of the whole system intertwine gods and nature, rituals and belief to
explain what is many in one, the way to get to him and the steps to take to attain the goal. Through
the sacred philosophical texts of The Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita, the following paragraph
will develop the dimensions of the hindu spiritual
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Essay about Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is one of the oldest practicing religions, although, today Jainism appears in its present day
form in the areas of Northeastern India, just as it did thousands of years ago. It's a religion
composed in arrangement so that it's characteristic are associated with the religions like Buddhism
and Hinduism. In the beginning, however, the Jains prayed to the Hindu gods mainly for earthly
support like a male heir, long life, and prosperity. Jainism can be trace its beginnings to theIndus
river valley civilization of three thousands B.C. Due to the reaction and demands of the Indian
religion by the Hindu Brahmans and its Brahman priesthood, there arose two independent religions
with who rejected the materialistic goals and...show more content...
This may cause some wonder since it is looked down to not limit one?s possessions, although they
live in the world but not of the worldly things.
Jainism earliest descriptions were thought of being a self centered search for personal salvation
without having a personal God. Jains do not believe in one creator or God. Heinrich Zimmer, an
expert on Indian Philosophy, states, ?Jainism is Tran theistic– it does not deny existence of God but
that it goes beyond them.? (A 352) Others see it?s as a search for personal growth and a sense of
higher personal ethics. Jainism is founded on the goal of overcoming the temporary cycle of earthly
life in addition to be released from an endless cycle of existence. Human destiny was the center of
Jain teaching. They were to rely on themselves to seek that which will save them from the
domination of matter, this being moral elevation. Above all, Jainism is a religion of love and
compassion, with an eternal universe. They have made significant contributions in logic, art, and
architecture, grammar, mathematics, literature, philosophy, astronomy, and astrology.
Jainism was distinguished for their extreme practices, even to the severity of death by self starvation.
They focus on asceticism or the mortification of the flesh and individuals, striving toward moral
perfection by means of nonviolence. They especially avoid harming any living creature since every
manifestation of nature has
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Cultural Impact of Hinduism in India Essay
Cultural Impact of Hinduism in India
Huge population, pollution, peace, snakes, saris, dance, curry, and religion are probably the most
popular words that come up when we think about India. India is a well–known country. Although it
is a relatively poor country, it has a rich and diverse culture. India is populated by approximately 953
million people. It has been a home for many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism,
Jainism, Islam and Christianity. The first four mentioned above originated in India (Finegan 151).
Seventy percent of the populations are Hindus. In fact, Hinduism is the oldest and third largest
religion in the world. Hinduism has deeply influenced Indian society, for several reasons: it has a
long history in...show more content...
Hindus believe that one's kharma can determine how one's next life will be. Kharma literally means
labor. It means the sum of what one does in life, both the good deeds and bad deeds.
Hinduism has been in India forever. Nobody knows exactly how this religion started. P.N. Chopra
notes in his Religions and Communities of India that India is a hallowed and sacred land for
Hindus (17). It has been in India for thousands of years. It started somewhere between 4000 and
2200 BCE, in the civilization of the Indus Valley. In one of the places where the civilization of the
world started, the Mahenjo–Daro and Harappa, which was laid along the Indus valley gave so many
evidences about the existence of this religion. The archeologists have found the three–faced god on
the Indus seal is similar to the god Siva that is very foremost in Hinduism until today (Finegan 49).
They also found some metal sculptures from the pre–Harappa era that show their worship to gods
and goddess. Hinduism is an old religion and nobody is sure about when it exactly started, and it
does not hold one specific person to be its founder. The long history of Hinduism in India makes it
really rooted in India. Even Sharma states that if Hinduism is look like natural and very old, it is
because of the age that may be older than civilization (36). The long history of Hinduism in India has
been effecting its strength. Although there were
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Hindutva Essay
Hinduism Hindutva is a popular concept in India that represents Hindu ideology and promotes the
hegemony of Hinduism in government, even at the expense of others. Directly translated as
"Hinduness", Hindutva was established as an official term made up by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
in 1923 (Falak). Opponents of Hindutva suggest that it is greatly similar to fascism in the sense that
it oppresses the beliefs and liberties of minority groups. On the other hand, the Sanatan Sanstha was
founded by Jayant Balaji Athavale in 1990 and arranged the "Hindu Awakening" conferences about
unification for the sake of improving India (Falak). However, Sanatan Sanstha activists have been
caught in the process of trying to bomb Indian cities. Many Hindu political groups contradict their
own peaceful words with violent actions, which is simply deceptive....show more content...
The caste system, often highly regarded by the elite of Hinduism, consists of four main divisions
(Lee). There are Brahmins, the highest caste of priests and scholars; Kshatriyas, warriors and
kings; Vaishyas, merchants and landowners; and Shudras, servants and peasants. Technically, there
is a fifth category of social status, formerly known as the Untouchables, called Dalits. According to
academic scholars like Dr. Ram Puniyani, Hindutva mainly represents the response of higher caste
Hindus to the uprising of the lower castes; additionally, it is the primary cause of Saffron terrorism
in India and Nepal (Falak). Divisive politics are progressively isolating classes from empathy which
is counterproductive when attempting to create peace for all people since it condones violence
against the lower castes. These inequalities are also apparent beyond the realm of socioeconomic
struggles and cause discriminatory violence in the name of
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Religion in India Essay
Religion in India
What is religion? Religion has always played an important role in man's existence. It is hard to
define religion because every person has, his or her own way of defining religion. For some of us
it might be a way of life, which determines what they ear, who their friends are, and it also makes
up what culture they follow from day to day. For others, religion simply means going to church or
temple and seeing religious festivals. India is the land of culture. This country is very rich of culture
and religion, and this is the backbone of the social structure. India's fight for religion has been going
on for decades, from the mogul empire to the British and now to the present day with Pakistan. In
this day and age,...show more content...
In Brahma there is no sense of individuality, but only pure being, consciousness, and bliss.
Sacrifices are also a big part of Hinduism. And it is practiced religiously in India. The most
common type of sacrifices comes with plant life and the melting of butter. Although animals are
also sacrifices, but this is doe very rarely, because such as the cow and the monkey are closely
knit with the religion. Worship or also known as "puja" in India is done by prayer which includes
singing and dancing to the gods. Worship was termed as praying to several different gods, but
only two gods are looked at as dominant figures such as Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva. There are a
lot of places that show the cultural practices of Hinduism, but the most important place is the
Temples. Temples, which are built from solid rock, and are covered with hand carved artwork that
define the Indian religion. A lot of them tell a story of an event that took place during the time when
it was built. Most temples are covered with the images of the gods they were built for. Although
Hinduism has a vast array of gods and cultures, most of them practice Hinduism the same way.
"Buddhism has been known to its followers as both a teaching and a way of deliverance." It is
questioned as to weather or not Buddhism is a religion. But instead people look at Buddhism as a
type of discipline. Gautama Buddha founded Buddhism, which was a
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Essay On Religion In India

  • 1. Religious Beliefs in India Essay When people list driving forces of society in different countries, the answers vary from government to economics and to education, among a vast list of other possibilities. In the case of the South Asian state of India, religion is one of the primary foundations for both their past social systems and current institutions and it is recognized as a predominately religious region. Though the country is constitutionally secular, religion plays one of the largest roles in society. The numerous theologies represented in India dictate the content of legislature, the status of citizens within the caste system, and even intellectual attainment. India is a religious hotbed. Several faiths are represented throughout India's history and current...show more content... The constitution's definition of secularism merely demands that all religions are recognized as equal, instead of separating state and social affairs from spiritual influence (Mahmood, 2006). The constitution also focuses significantly on the issue of religious discrimination. There are several provisions included, such as making it illegal to treat someone as an unequal on grounds such as religion, or be hindered in public, social, or professional environments. Religious buildings and properties are also protected by the constitution, meaning no sacred institution can be under political or social attack. Though India has an extensive constitution covering different aspects of law and society, the country upholds a system in which people can adhere to the official secular bylaws of the country or choose their religious community's codified personal laws. Laws can be passed that are applicable to a specific devout community, such as the Christian Marriage Act in the late nineteenth century, or the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act of the mid–twentieth century (Mahmood, 2006). This allows for all belief systems to be supported and included in government. The largest social influence religion has over Indian society comes in the form of Hindu's caste system, which is a concept commonly associated with the country itself. The caste is a social system composed of multiple castes and sub–castes Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. The Pros And Cons Of Religion In India India, predominantly a multicultural society from time immemorial, a mass of land, with no fixed territorial barricades has always been a favorable destination for invaders across the centuries. With its polytheistic religious orientation India was conducive for various religious experiments. The supreme spirituality and self–actualisation, surpassing the communal frameworks was a part of the Indian conscience right from the Vedic Age. In the words of the Dr.S Radhakrishnan,"Religion is not a mere intellectual conformity or ceremonial piety; it is spiritual adventure" (Radhakrishnan,12). An amalgamation of six major ethnic groups makes this country a poly–genetic population. The major religion of the country, the Hinduism, itself is a mГ©lange of numerous major, minor and tribal denominations. It has also accommodated other Indian religions like Buddhism, Sikhism etc. into itself. However, a sense of unity that transcends the innumerable diversities is profound in this religion. The advent of Islam and Christianity, though violently, added shades to this tapestry. Over the time, there had been cultural exchange among each other. It is only in the latter pages of history that is during the 1920s that this religion was politicised according to the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Against the British definition of the term 'Hindu' as a geographical entity, Savarkar redefined it as, 'a person born of Hindu parents and regarded India as his motherland as well as holy Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. I am here today to tell you which religion in India should be the main religion. I think that Buddhism should be the main religion, because they think everyone is equal, everyone can believe what they want, and they don't believe in life after death. Even though that Hinduism is the main religion in India, Buddhism should be instead. Continue reading, to have your mind blown away, and to switch your beliefs if you believe in Hinduism. To begin, in Buddhism everyone is equal. Unlike in Hinduism where they have a Caste System and everyone is a different level. That is very unfair, because everyone has to do a different job. The Untouchables are the slaves and have to do all of the dirty work, and the Brahmins are right underneath the King. They still have to do work but not as much as everyone else does. The Untouchables are so low down that they aren't even a part of the Caste System. They are lowest that any human could go. After you get underneath the...show more content... Unlike the Egyptians that believe in life after death. The Buddhism's believe that once you die you die, and your heart doesn't come back to life. In Hinduism, they believe in the reincarnation. Which is when you die and you have bad karma you have to go through the reincarnation stage over and over again. Which if you die by murder, or suicide, then you soul gets to roam around wherever you died for years as a ghost. Buddhists are way different than every other religion. Which is a good thing that they are different but also a bad thing, because then a lot of people might not go to the religion. I think this because everyone knows how all the other religions operate. But in Buddhism once you die you die and you just sit there. Your soul doesn't roam around the yard, but it says in your soul. In my opinion it would be very creepy to walk past somewhere, and someone's soul is roaming around you and touching your body or the things around Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. Christianity In Ancient India Not these divine beings are worshiped by all Hindus. A few Hindus revere just Vishnu. Others venerate just Shiva. Others venerate just the goddesses and call these goddesses on the whole as Shakti importance control. A considerable lot of these goddess admirers adore Parvati in her pictures as Kali or Durga. Individuals who adore Shiva or Vishnu additionally love characters and pictures associated with these divine beings. Vishnu admirers (Vaishnaites) additionally revere his appearances. Shiva's admirers (Shaivites) likewise revere pictures of bull called Nandi, who was Shiva's bearer and a one of a kind stone plan associated with Shiva. There are likewise Hindus who love every one of the divine beings. There are a few divine beings who are worshiped all finished India like Rama and Krishna and different divine beings who are worshiped more in one locale than the other like Ganesh who is worshiped for the most part in west India. Hindus likewise adore divine beings as indicated by their own needs. Individuals who participate in wrestling, working out and other physical games venerate Hanuman, who in Hindu legends was a gorilla with parcel of physical quality. Specialists love Lakshmi, goddess of riches. ...show more content... Others trust that worshipful admiration is the wrong elucidation of Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. The Importance of Religion in Indian Politics India is the largest democratic country in the world, in the last fifty years it has travelled and been influenced by multiple social and economic changes. Its independence from Britain in 1947, the partition creating Pakistan and the Pakistan/ Indian debate over Kashmir have been fundamental political movements within these years. As Y.B.Damle states, " Politics is concerned with goal–attainment and politics is the art of possibility", the political process cannot function without structural features. As a country with multiple religions, a secular state, the political process has been moulded around not only ethnicity and caste but religion has...show more content... A partition based on religion as the congress would not allow Muslims to sit before 1947. Now, governed by Hindu nationalists religious nationalism affects the secular state, a state that cannot foreseeably be secular when it encompasses such a majority of Hindus. Hindu's believe in Dharma, that in accordance to the sacred Hindu text, every person has their own path to follow and it is better to do their own duty badly than another's well. (Hardgrave ch.1) Only by fulfilling their own predestined duties can they expect a 'more favourable rebirth and ultimate salvation'. Therefore for a Hindu a true democratic state should be against their religion, as it involves meddling in others affairs. Along with this Hinduism divides and distances the sub–continent. Each Hindu linguistic area have their own traditions, way about their different lives and their own God's. with an existence without unification how can India politically aspire to social change and reform? As Gunnar Myrdal states, "Religion has, then, become the emotional container of this whole way of life and work and by its sanction has rendered it rigid and resistant to change." (Hardgrave ch.1) Post partition the general consensus was that India should be a democratic state, important political groups believed individuals had the right to their Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. Essay on Hinduism The Hindu religion and culture is a very complex subject. The Hindu religion combines rich ethnical and standard beliefs. We will take a closer look and try to understand the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (Major World Religions, 2006). The Hindu religion began to develop about 4.000 years ago in India, but it there was no single founder or system of belief (Major World Religions, 2006). There are many diverse and various Gods in the Hindu religion. One of the most important beliefs is the theory of karma, which holds that all beings, human or animal have karma which determines which soul is for which body and...show more content... Hindus have to be patient in their religion to achieve their peacefulness. Hindus are also known to be very friendly. Having such characteristics would greatly empower our whole society no matter what religion someone is from. My interviewee Tony Khanna, a fellow co–worker, took me to his temple he goes to worship, on a Sunday evening. He took me to the Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam located in Pearland, Texas. The first thing I noticed upon arrival at the temple is the beautiful architectural building design outside. I was in amazement of how beautiful the temple was. I had not seen something so beautiful in quite awhile. The temple is visible from a quite a distance away and has two stunning white towers. When coming up to the temple from the parking lot Tony indicated to me that the temple was established in 1977 and was a replica of a famous temple in India. There was a huge white gate we had to walk through to get to the main temple. Once inside I was greeted by many Hindu's that were quite pleasant and talkative towards this outsider that I was. Before the visit one of my questions to Tony was if Hindu's welcomed outsiders within their temples. He indicated that Hindu's are very open and that I would be welcomed. I was quite surprised for this to be so true. With in the confines of the temple there were many different kinds of symbols that I was not quite familiar with. A couple that I noted was a Diya, Om, and Swastika. There were Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. Types Of Indian Religions : Indian Religion Types of Indian Religions Throughout the world the universally known Indian religion is Hinduism. However, there are other religions, which no one has heard of such as, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Most people assume that just because your Indian you have to be Hindu but that's not necessarily true. Although, these religions come from the same Indian culture they have different views and beliefs. For instance, Sikhism is the newest Indian religion. The religion was created back in 1500 A.D. The founder's name was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhism religion follows the doctrine of monotheism, which means they believe in one god. Sikhs don't believe in worshiping statues or images like Hindus do. They speak the language known as Punjabi; it's a combination of Persian and Gurumukhi. The majority of the Sikh communities live in a small state in India known as Punjab. Their values are to always remember god, live an honest living, and give to the less fortunate. The Sikhs belief is that there is only one god who created the universe and humanity and that by doing daily prayers you can be connected with god. Also, they believe in reincarnation and that after death you will be reborn again until you have received redemption. The Sikh weddings take place in a temple where a trained priest discloses the wedding vows. In Sikh weddings it's a custom to complete the wedding ceremony inside a temple. The couple has to go around the holy book four times to complete the wedding. The vows they Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 8. Religious Developments With the coming of the Mughals in India and the Turkish rule, there were many developments and changes in the Indian culture and religion.The Sultans of Delhi and Mughal tolerated different religions, especially Hinduism, though they were followers of Islam. This lead to the beggining of indo–islamic culture. Since dawn of history, India has been the cradle of religious developments. In the early medival period, two parrelel movements in Hinduism and Islam representing the Bhakti and Sufi movements emerged in India. The Indo–Islamic strands have been woven into the texture of India by intertwining Bhakti and Sufi traditions. Bhakti movement The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main...show more content... He married the daughter of a Saintly person. Later at the age of 24, he renounced the worldly life and became a sanyasin. His followers regarded him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He helped the old and the needy. He was opposed to the inequalities of the caste system. He emphasised the need for tolerance, humanity and love. He spread the message of Bhakti in Bengal. He popularised 'Sankritan'or public singing of God's name. He was addressed `Mahaprabhu' by his followers. Meera Bai : Meerabai was a Rajput princess. She married the Rana of Mewar. She was a pious devotee of Lord Krishna. Her songs or hymns are even today sung all over India. Her palace was kept open to people of all castes to join her Bhajans of Lord Krishna. She had lived for the most part of her life in Mathura, the birth place of Krishna and Vrindaban. There is a temple dedicated to Meerabai in Chittor, the capital of Mewar. Sufi movement Sufism was a reform movement within Islam which applies greater stress on free thinking, liberal ideas and toleration. The Sufis believed in the equality of all human beings and brotherhood mankind. The Sufi movement started in Persia. Some of the Sufi saints also came to India. They began to preach their liberal ideas and to remove the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims and join them together. The word Sufi has been taken from the Arabic word 'Suf' which means wool. The movement may have been given the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. When comparing the impact of religion and philosophy in India with the impact of religion and philosophy on these classical civilization's governments between 600 BCE and 600 CE, they were similar in that they used religion and philosophy to support social and caste divisions, they stressed the importance of following and obeying rules and the men who followed the teachings of the religion or philosophy were on the top of the social hierarchy. This was because bothChina and India religion and philosophy used religion to justify the social divisions like the caste system in India by talking about reincarnation or the Confucian stress on the importance of obeying authority. Both India and China also had a religion or philosophy that encouraged...show more content... One social difference was that in India, religion didn't help the government unify their empire. Hinduism was so diverse and had so many offshoots and sects like the Shaivites and the Vaishnavites that it wasn't uniform enough to be shared across India and bring together the Indian subcontinent and empire. This was distinct from China where Confucianism was fairly consistent in its teachings and values. Because of this, all across China the idea of Confucianism linked various provinces and areas like the vastly different North and South China together. A follower ofConfucius from a remote southern province would probably follow the same ideals that another follower of Confucius from the North. This let the government unify the Chinese empire and bring together otherwise very different people under one government. This difference was probably due to the fact that Hinduism had no one founder to dispense core values and it was a polytheistic religion so there were many different gods to follow while Confucianism was based on the teachings of one man, Confucius and followed his individual teachings and the interpretations of them. Of the two, China was much more unified while India remained incredibly diverse. However, both these governments and empires were more united than the Classical Greek civilization which was composed of fiercely independent city–states. A social similarity was that these religions helped helped the government maintain social differences in society. India had the highly inflexible caste system while China had a more lenient social pyramid. The caste system was supported by the belief in reincarnation and karma in India where if you lived a good life as a good person you would reincarnate into a good caste because of your karma so you were ultimately responsible for your own caste. In China, Confucianism promoted the idea that those in lower classes should stay there and respect their Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. Impacts of Family Traditions and Religion in India Family traditions and religion greatly impact the lives of many people in India. These elements of culture are reasons that form the way that Indians lead their lives. Both factors make up what type of person that individual will become. That is the reason why religion and family traditions are so valued in Indian society. Religion is probably the most definitive factor in the way that an Indian will lead his life, particularly if they practice Hinduism. In Hinduism this person must follow a strict set of rules called Dharma. These rules state how this person shall lead his life. They state that each person must follow their Dharma at all costs. For example if their Dharma tells them to...show more content... This caste system also allows patriarchal rule, which greatly limits the roles of women in, the Indian society. This patriarchal role of males in the Indian family allows for all the power to be placed on the father of the household. This power can be abused which I would assume happens with the children in these families. The oldest male child has the authority to boss around his other siblings, and in the death of his father he then becomes the leader of the household. This could lead to many harsh or unfair ruling by older siblings or by other members of society. This would lead for the younger sibling to have to adjust greatly as they grow into adulthood. These rules that govern Indian household are often strict and are always final. This is accepted by all. Another deciding factor in what shapes the lives of Indians are the strict rules of their religions such as not crossing water or eating beef. Also not cutting their hair is another religious rule that must be followed for Sikhs. These rules can limit ones personal freedom or civil rights as in the case for women. The effects of Hinduism that effect society are very clear to Indians. One good example of this is that many Hindus go hungry everyday but yet the let cows roam. This seems awkward to me because I am and outsider but to Indians this is and unchangeable law that must never be broken. There are other more subtle things that Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 11. India, Religion, Culture, And Religions In India Culture normally revolves around knowledge of a particular group of people while encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. India houses said people from several thousand ethnic groups, tribes, castes, and religions that provide a rich diversity of varying cultures. India's history dates back several centuries and can even extend into millenniums. The vast differences in cultural diversity reflect much about India as a country as well as the people who live there. India retains a plethora amount of religious, geographical, cultural, social, and military history that shapes its inhabitants as well as various travelers around the globe. Religion has been an important part of the country's culture and formation as people who settled there have discovered various practices that became renowned today. India established four major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. However, Islam remains prevalent in India since it is currently the second largest religion in the world. The most dominant religion of India is Hinduism, which to this day is the oldest religion in the world. Roughly, 84 per cent of India's population (total population: ~1.267 billion people) is devoted to Hinduism. India has a known history of religious violence against Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians due to a large number of riots stemming from as far back as 1832. One of the largest riots that occurred caused over 8000 deaths and an unknown Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. The Issue And Religious Conflicts Of India Essay India is one of the countries which have the most multifaceted religion condition. Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity– almost all major religions of the world can be seen in India. All these religion sects have many believers here, and they cannot but live together to share the same developing process and move further together with their country, experiencing both prosperity and instability. In India, there are not only a wide range of religions; the differences between these sects are also massive. After the foundation of the Congress government, India established the principle of secularism, but in the actual implementation of the principle there is a big lack from the theoretical principle, and the government performs the secularism far from sufficiently. Sectarian forces have gradually extend to economic and political field, sectarian doctrine get more and more close to politics, and began to intervene political development. To study about the issue and religious conflicts in India is advantageous for understanding all aspects of Indian: society, politics, economy, culture, religion, etc. and, also would help to establish peace and stability throughout India. Meaning of Sectarianism Sectarianism is a word that describes something having to do with smaller groups or sects. Sectarian violence, for example would describe violence that has erupted between conflicting groups or sects. Sectarian, as noun, is a member of a group with a particular set of Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. Hinduism is one of the oldest religion and there is no history of how it started. It is one of the dominant religion and culture in India (Unit 3). Due to its history, Hinduism is a religion that comprises of traditions and has evolved due to social and political events overtime. The early Hindu civilization started after the Aryans gained territory of the Indus valley area and it is believed they laid the basis of Hinduism (Unit 3). While the beliefs of Hinduism are not well known, the culture and traditions of Hinduism is influenced by sacred architecture and objects. The Indus valley civilization was marked by arts and crafts and monumental architectures. Without these sacred objects, rituals cannot be carried out and there will not be anything to represent the religion. According to archaeological evidence, figures of deities like gods and goddesses were found relating to religious practices of the people in that area which is believed to have been Hinduism. Buildings found were believed to be temples where sacrifices and rituals were carried out. The Aryans who lived in this territory believed in many gods and goddesses. These scared objects and edifices that were left behind covey some of the beliefs of Hinduism and its teachings. The sacred book is important as it sets the foundation of what attitude is expected in the society. It contains the beliefs of the religion. There are four Vedasnamely: The Rig Veda which contains the hymns, Yajur Veda which is a Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. My Religion Is Hinduism The religion I am choosing to write about is Hinduism. I choose Hinduism it is one of the hardest and complex religion to understand. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, which means believing in more than one God. In Hinduism, there are hundreds of Gods, and the good thing about Hinduism is that the people can choose which god to believe in. If some people want they can believe in one god or two gods at the same time. As it is one of the oldest religion, it has deep culture and sentimental values, which people still strictly believe in, even till today. Currently, many Hindus are leaving India and shifting abroad for better opportunities or for a better life, but they still practice their religion by going to a temple or saying a prayer. They also carry their beliefs and values with them as well. Hinduism is a diverse religion, in where you will find different kinds of devotees, traditions, and belief towards God. To begin with, in Hinduism there are many kinds of devotees. There are some devotees who will strictly follow the rules, according to their God and there are other devotees who are laid back. They will try to follow the rules as best as they can. One thing about Hinduism that stands out from other religions is that you can choose how to want to follow the religion. It all depends on how the followers were being taught while growing up. For example, my whole family is very religious, besides myself. My grandfather and grandmother who are extremely religious, they Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. Religion: Hinduism and Islam Essay Hinduism and Islam are two largely practiced religions, specifically in India and the subcontinents. Both Hinduism and Islam have unique practices and traditions, which can vary depending on the town, region or people. They share a common belief in a supreme god, that being either Brahma or Allah respectively. The traditions differ on the central texts used, as well as differences in the process of reaching the afterlife and basic beliefs. Although, Hinduism might be regarded by some as a polytheistic religion in its most basic form Hinduism is based around one deity. The Brahma is the god that all of the other gods are derived from and each god is a manifestation of the one being. There are four other main deities, aside from Brahma,...show more content... Allah is the creator of everything and is held in the highest regard for Islamic people. Although there is one god, there are a multitude of prophets who bring the word of God to the Muslim people much like the multiple deities who come from Brahma. It is believed that God sent multiple prophets to tell of the last and most significant prophet, Muhammad. These prophets also preached the Oneness of God and would tell followers to avoid sin. Muhammad, who is believed to be a prophet of God, is considered the last prophet sent by god to the Muslim people. Muhammad is believed to have brought the word of God through the Qur'an. The Prophets' life started in Mecca where he grew up orphaned. During his life, specifically in the month of Ramadan, he would spend time in a cave outside Mecca where he originally received revelations about the sacred text. Originally Muhammad found little success preaching God's word but eventually gained a following of Muslim people, which would turn into the tradition it is today. Although their belief in a supreme god aligns in both Islam and Hinduism, the traditions differ on the texts used centrally in each practice. The Veda, written between 1750 BCE and 600 BCE are ancient scriptures, which are the sacred texts of Hinduism. One of the forms the Veda is the Shruti, which is "that which was heard" and the other form is the Vedir seers or Rishis which means "saw". The Veda is split into four Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. Hinduism And Religion Essay Hinduism is large and complex religious institute that reflects the religious belief of a rich society, the Indian people. It origins, just as the religion are intermingled in the Aryans system of belief and early Indian system of belief which merged to give what is now Hinduism. The Aryan system of belief came to exist in India when the Aryans from eastern Europe invaded India around 1500 B.C. It is believed that many of the rituals and gods of now, Hindu are derivative of their faiths. They came to India which what would later be adopted by hindus as the cast system, but theirs was composed of hierarchically of three entity; the warriors whom were the most important, the priest which direct any rituals and retain knowledge of the vedas and the servants which looked at the cattles. The accentuation of nature is also a product of the Aryan faith system which is reconstructed to or at least reused in the idea of oneness with nature and Brahman which is the hindu supreme God. The Rig Veda which contains thousands of hymns in the sanskrit are also Aryans (Phil.108, notes)....show more content... The mysterious mixture of god within god and the way to follow to attain the highest devine is quite phenomenal. The several dimension of Brahman, the supreme god and its manifestation owe the imagination. The complexity of the whole system intertwine gods and nature, rituals and belief to explain what is many in one, the way to get to him and the steps to take to attain the goal. Through the sacred philosophical texts of The Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita, the following paragraph will develop the dimensions of the hindu spiritual Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. Essay about Jainism Jainism Jainism is one of the oldest practicing religions, although, today Jainism appears in its present day form in the areas of Northeastern India, just as it did thousands of years ago. It's a religion composed in arrangement so that it's characteristic are associated with the religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. In the beginning, however, the Jains prayed to the Hindu gods mainly for earthly support like a male heir, long life, and prosperity. Jainism can be trace its beginnings to theIndus river valley civilization of three thousands B.C. Due to the reaction and demands of the Indian religion by the Hindu Brahmans and its Brahman priesthood, there arose two independent religions with who rejected the materialistic goals and...show more content... This may cause some wonder since it is looked down to not limit one?s possessions, although they live in the world but not of the worldly things. Jainism earliest descriptions were thought of being a self centered search for personal salvation without having a personal God. Jains do not believe in one creator or God. Heinrich Zimmer, an expert on Indian Philosophy, states, ?Jainism is Tran theistic– it does not deny existence of God but that it goes beyond them.? (A 352) Others see it?s as a search for personal growth and a sense of higher personal ethics. Jainism is founded on the goal of overcoming the temporary cycle of earthly life in addition to be released from an endless cycle of existence. Human destiny was the center of Jain teaching. They were to rely on themselves to seek that which will save them from the domination of matter, this being moral elevation. Above all, Jainism is a religion of love and compassion, with an eternal universe. They have made significant contributions in logic, art, and architecture, grammar, mathematics, literature, philosophy, astronomy, and astrology. Jainism was distinguished for their extreme practices, even to the severity of death by self starvation. They focus on asceticism or the mortification of the flesh and individuals, striving toward moral perfection by means of nonviolence. They especially avoid harming any living creature since every manifestation of nature has Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. Cultural Impact of Hinduism in India Essay Cultural Impact of Hinduism in India Huge population, pollution, peace, snakes, saris, dance, curry, and religion are probably the most popular words that come up when we think about India. India is a well–known country. Although it is a relatively poor country, it has a rich and diverse culture. India is populated by approximately 953 million people. It has been a home for many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity. The first four mentioned above originated in India (Finegan 151). Seventy percent of the populations are Hindus. In fact, Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion in the world. Hinduism has deeply influenced Indian society, for several reasons: it has a long history in...show more content... Hindus believe that one's kharma can determine how one's next life will be. Kharma literally means labor. It means the sum of what one does in life, both the good deeds and bad deeds. Hinduism has been in India forever. Nobody knows exactly how this religion started. P.N. Chopra notes in his Religions and Communities of India that India is a hallowed and sacred land for Hindus (17). It has been in India for thousands of years. It started somewhere between 4000 and 2200 BCE, in the civilization of the Indus Valley. In one of the places where the civilization of the world started, the Mahenjo–Daro and Harappa, which was laid along the Indus valley gave so many evidences about the existence of this religion. The archeologists have found the three–faced god on the Indus seal is similar to the god Siva that is very foremost in Hinduism until today (Finegan 49). They also found some metal sculptures from the pre–Harappa era that show their worship to gods and goddess. Hinduism is an old religion and nobody is sure about when it exactly started, and it does not hold one specific person to be its founder. The long history of Hinduism in India makes it really rooted in India. Even Sharma states that if Hinduism is look like natural and very old, it is because of the age that may be older than civilization (36). The long history of Hinduism in India has been effecting its strength. Although there were Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Hindutva Essay Hinduism Hindutva is a popular concept in India that represents Hindu ideology and promotes the hegemony of Hinduism in government, even at the expense of others. Directly translated as "Hinduness", Hindutva was established as an official term made up by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923 (Falak). Opponents of Hindutva suggest that it is greatly similar to fascism in the sense that it oppresses the beliefs and liberties of minority groups. On the other hand, the Sanatan Sanstha was founded by Jayant Balaji Athavale in 1990 and arranged the "Hindu Awakening" conferences about unification for the sake of improving India (Falak). However, Sanatan Sanstha activists have been caught in the process of trying to bomb Indian cities. Many Hindu political groups contradict their own peaceful words with violent actions, which is simply deceptive....show more content... The caste system, often highly regarded by the elite of Hinduism, consists of four main divisions (Lee). There are Brahmins, the highest caste of priests and scholars; Kshatriyas, warriors and kings; Vaishyas, merchants and landowners; and Shudras, servants and peasants. Technically, there is a fifth category of social status, formerly known as the Untouchables, called Dalits. According to academic scholars like Dr. Ram Puniyani, Hindutva mainly represents the response of higher caste Hindus to the uprising of the lower castes; additionally, it is the primary cause of Saffron terrorism in India and Nepal (Falak). Divisive politics are progressively isolating classes from empathy which is counterproductive when attempting to create peace for all people since it condones violence against the lower castes. These inequalities are also apparent beyond the realm of socioeconomic struggles and cause discriminatory violence in the name of Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 20. Religion in India Essay Religion in India What is religion? Religion has always played an important role in man's existence. It is hard to define religion because every person has, his or her own way of defining religion. For some of us it might be a way of life, which determines what they ear, who their friends are, and it also makes up what culture they follow from day to day. For others, religion simply means going to church or temple and seeing religious festivals. India is the land of culture. This country is very rich of culture and religion, and this is the backbone of the social structure. India's fight for religion has been going on for decades, from the mogul empire to the British and now to the present day with Pakistan. In this day and age,...show more content... In Brahma there is no sense of individuality, but only pure being, consciousness, and bliss. Sacrifices are also a big part of Hinduism. And it is practiced religiously in India. The most common type of sacrifices comes with plant life and the melting of butter. Although animals are also sacrifices, but this is doe very rarely, because such as the cow and the monkey are closely knit with the religion. Worship or also known as "puja" in India is done by prayer which includes singing and dancing to the gods. Worship was termed as praying to several different gods, but only two gods are looked at as dominant figures such as Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva. There are a lot of places that show the cultural practices of Hinduism, but the most important place is the Temples. Temples, which are built from solid rock, and are covered with hand carved artwork that define the Indian religion. A lot of them tell a story of an event that took place during the time when it was built. Most temples are covered with the images of the gods they were built for. Although Hinduism has a vast array of gods and cultures, most of them practice Hinduism the same way. "Buddhism has been known to its followers as both a teaching and a way of deliverance." It is questioned as to weather or not Buddhism is a religion. But instead people look at Buddhism as a type of discipline. Gautama Buddha founded Buddhism, which was a Get more content on HelpWriting.net