Hinduism

Hinduism is a collective term applied to the many philosophical and religious traditions native to India. Hinduism has neither a specific moment of origin nor a specific founder. Rather, the tradition understands itself to be timeless, having always existed. Indeed, its collection of sacred texts is known, as a whole, as Sanatana Dharma, "The Eternal Teaching." It is thus a complex tradition that encompasses numerous interrelated religious doctrines and practices that have some common characteristics but which lack any unified system of beliefs and practices. Hinduism encompasses a number of major sects, as well as countless subsects with local or regional variations. On one level, it is possible to view these sects as distinct religious traditions, with often very specific theologies and ritual traditions; on another level, however, they often understand themselves to be different means to reach a common end. The Hindu worldview is grounded in the doctrines of samsara (the cycle of rebirth) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect), and fundamentally holds that one's actions (including one's thoughts) directly determine one's life, both one's current life and one's future lives. Many, but not all, Hindus hold that the cosmos is populated by numerous deities and spiritual beings - gods and goddesses, or devas - who actively influence the world and who interact with humans. The tradition is typically divided into four major sects: Shaiva (devotees of the god Shiva), Vaishnava (devotees of the god Vishnu), Shakta (devotees of the goddess), and Smarta (those who understand the ultimate form of the divine to be abstract and all encompassing, Brahman).

Contributors : Jacob N. Kinnard, Kathleen A. Mulhern

Hinduism is a perpetually evolving collection of an astounding array of philosophical, ritual, and devotional traditions. There is no founder, and there is no fixed moment of origin. Hindus often refer to their religion as "sanatana dharma" - the timeless, eternal truth.

What we call Hinduism has for thousands of years been in a constant process of change, absorbing and reacting to a tremendous array of influences.

Hinduism does not have a founder or date of origin. Rather, it has been traditionally viewed as a timeless tradition that has been and continues to be revealed to humans at the start of each world cycle.

Hinduism does not rely exclusively on any single scripture, but rather on a vast collection of sacred writings of which the Vedas are the foundation.

The context of colonialism has hovered over western representations of Hinduism. Many Indians have objected to western scholarly stereotypes and misrepresentations.

The religious tradition that we call "Hinduism" has constantly changed over its 3,500 year history, absorbing myriad of cultural influences.

The Hindu tradition encompasses four major sects - Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta, and Smarta - and dozens of minor subsects.

Hindus have not, generally, engaged in colonial conquest or empire building outside of India, although Hindu kingdoms were established in some parts of South and Southeast Asia.

Hinduism has historically been a non-missionizing religious tradition. It has, however, spread to many parts of South and Southeast Asia, and to the West, and in the process has adapted to the cultural of these regions.

Two major developments in the modern era have posed significant challenges to Hinduism and have led to substantial internal changes: the British colonization of India beginning in the 18th century, and rising tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India.

Unlike other religious traditions, Hinduism has no single, unifying sacred narrative. Rather, there is a vast array of narratives - theological, ethical, ritual, mythical, social - that different Hindus in different contexts hold sacred.

A major question to ask about Hinduism is whether it is a polytheistic or a monotheistic religion. The short answer is "yes" - it is both.

Hinduism is in many ways a profoundly structured religion that presents what sometimes appears to be a highly rigid understanding of human existence. Within that structure, however, human beings are always free.

Evil in Hinduism is most often understood to be the result of human actions, of free will. Sometimes, however, evil is understood to be a result of the mysterious "play" of the gods.

One of the fundamental principles of Hinduism is the concept of samsara, rebirth. Humans are reborn over and over and over again. They can, however, "escape" rebirth by ridding themselves of karma and attaining moksha.

Because Hinduism has not traditionally broken the world into a secular and a sacred sphere, there is no real sense of sacred time. All time is sacred, and the gods are eternally in the present. However, certain times are more auspicious for certain things than others.

Thousands of minor and hundreds of major sacred places and spaces are scattered throughout the Indian subcontinent. Indeed, in an important sense the entirety of India is understood to be a sacred space.

Although the Hindu tradition has over the centuries produced an incredible array of complex philosophical and theological doctrines, it has always been a religion of practice, of ritual acts, of rites, and of ceremonies.

There is virtually no act that is not in some sense religiously significant in the Hindu world, and thus there is a vast array of rituals and ceremonies that take place in the context of daily life.

The Hindu world is permeated by symbols. Religiously significant symbolic images adorn temples, statues of the gods and goddesses, sacred texts, and even individual people. Furthermore, most religious rituals are themselves highly symbolic, with each action and gesture resonating with symbolic significance.

Brahmins are members of the priestly caste of Hinduism. They have traditionally been the sole keepers of the Vedas and performers of the rituals of Hindus. There are, however, several different sorts of religious leaders in Hinduism.

Hindu communities are organized in part by caste (as well as class, which is more of an economic than a religious categorization) and in part by sectarian affiliation.

Dharma and karma are the underlying principles of nearly all conceptions of morality and ethics in Hinduism.

The Hindu understanding of the ideal society is that it must be coherently and cohesively organized and maintained to promote order, dharma.

As with so much else in the Hindu social and ethical world, gender and sexuality are governed by the overarching concept of dharma.