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Hinduism

Early civilizations of India and their geographic, political, economic, religious and social structures.

By Shepherd's Life Blend School

TrinityTutors.com

Sometime around 2000 B.C. the warlike Aryans came over the Caucasus Mountains and conquered the Dravidians of the Indus Valley. Both Aryans and the Dravidians had polytheistic religions, and some of the most popular Dravidian gods received new Aryan names but retained their old functions. The Aryans recorded their hymns, prayers, mythic stories and chants in what has come to be known as Vedic literature: the Vedas, Brahamanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. This laid the foundation for what later became Hinduism, which is not really one religion, but many religions that interact and blend with one another.

Hinduism has no known founder, agreed-upon authority, or creedal statements; as a matter of fact, it is acceptable for a Hindu to believe in one god, many gods, or no god at all. The religion moved from pure polytheism, devoted to ritual and sacrifice, toward pantheism (the belief that god is the world itself, along with everything in it). In Hinduism the highest goal is union with Brahma, or "the impersonal absolute."

In spite of all its variations, Hinduism does have two fundamental teachings in which almost all Hindus believe: reincarnation and karma. Reincarnation is the belief that a person’s uncreated and eternal soul (atman) recycles back into the world in different bodies to endure thousands or millions of lives full of suffering before reaching moksha, which is liberation from suffering and union with the infinite. Later sacred writings also established Verna, a rigid caste system, or social hierarchy, that comes into play with regard to one of the three paths that one can take to reach moska.

Again, according to Hinduism, there are three ways that one can reach moska. The first is called dharma. It is the path of works, and requires a person to fulfill specific social and religious obligations, including following one’s caste occupation, marrying within one’s caste, and eating or not eating certain foods, and raising a son who can make room a sacrifice to his ancestors and perform other sacrificial and ritual acts.

The second path to moska, called inana, is the path of knowledge. This option is more difficult than the first and includes self-renunciation and meditation on the supreme pantheistic reality of Hinduism. It usually includes the practice of yoga and is open only to men who must, in turn, be members of the highest castes.

The third path is the easiest, allows the worshiper to go through fewer rebirths and lives of suffering, and is open to the lower classes. It is called bhakti, and requires the believer to choose any of the 330 million gods, goddesses or demigods of Hinduism and passionately worship that particular god—though in practice, it is almost always either Vishnu or Shiva.