Hinduism is usually called the world’s oldest religion. It is not a unified religion and there is a wide gap between popular worship and the philosophical thoughts of the scholars.
Hindu is actually a geographical term referring to the population around the river Indus, but eventually Hinduism has become a collective term for the religious beliefs that exist among the majority of the population of India.
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Cultural influences from different conquerors
To understand the diversity of Indian religion, one must go back in history. Hinduism has no founder like Jesus or Muhammad . It has grown out of a multitude of traditions, which lived side by side and which have their roots in prehistoric times.
Dravidians, Aryans, Persians , Greeks , Huns , Mongols and British are some of the peoples who have conquered the Indian Peninsula. Each of these peoples brought with them their own culture and religious beliefs.
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5,000 year old culture
Archaeological excavations in, among other places, Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Basin have shown that already in the 3000s BC there was a flourishing culture in the Indus area .
A developed architecture, artistic tools and beautiful sculptures have been found. Animals and plants seem to have been cult objects. The swastika or swastika (an old sun symbol) also appears among the finds. Unfortunately, the writings that have been found have not yet been deciphered.
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The Aryans are coming
Around 1500 BC, the Aryan conquest of the Indian Peninsula began. The Aryans or Indo-Europeans were a shepherd and warrior people who came from the north. They brought with them their religion and their poetry. The Aryans spoke Sanskrit, a language related to ours and in which the sacred writings of Hinduism are written.
The Aryan culture was much simpler than that in the Indus Valley. We know the Aryan culture through sacrificial hymns that are preserved in the oldest parts of the Vedic literature. Sky, sun, moon, fire and other natural phenomena are mentioned as objects of worship. These phenomena were gradually given human traits and characteristics and were considered to be responsible for certain functions.
The gods could be influenced by rites that had to be performed in a special way. To this end, a priesthood was developed, the Brahmins, who during the Vedic period (ca. 1500-1000 BC) gained a very strong position among the people. It was believed that the priests, through their sacrifices and other acts of worship, could master the forces of nature.
But the culture of the Aryans was exposed to the influences of the traditions it encountered during its continued spread. The gods Vishnu and Shiva, for example, became increasingly prominent.
Diversity is increasing
Two main ideas, the ritual sacrificial cult and the personal piety, are from this time side by side. They are processed and developed and eventually what we today call Hinduism arose.
During the 5th century BC, Buddhism and Jainism emerged and lived on as independent religions. Influence from Islam gave rise to Sikhism around 1500 AD .
The English domination in the 19th and 20th centuries meant that Christianity became known in India . For most Hindus, however, Christianity meant only another revelation of the divine. Jesus is considered by many to be one of Vishnu’s avatars (forms of revelation).
Hinduism is considered the oldest of the world religions and has its roots in India’s ancient history and literature.
A dynamic religion
Hinduism has no founder but is instead built on a flow of knowledge from many different religions that over time have been baked together into a versatile doctrine. Impulses from i.a. Greek mythology , Persian religion , Christianity and Islam have led to the content of the doctrine being built on and changed throughout history. The tolerance and dynamism of Hindu teaching towards other religions has meant that over time it has survived both conquests and other rival religious teachings.
A versatile religion that would rather incorporate than exclude is difficult to compete with. Instead, it has happened that other religions in India have emerged from Hinduism. During the 500s BC, e.g. Buddhism and Jainism as independent religions. A thousand years later, the influence of Islam gave rise to Sikhism.
Unlike Christians and Muslims, Hindus do not try to convert other people to their religion. The “new” Indian religions have therefore been allowed to develop in peace alongside Hinduism.
A diffuse religion with many sides
Hinduism is a diverse polytheistic religion with a variety of gods and varying customs. The doctrine lacks creed, dogma and church structure. There is therefore a great difference between the religion in the cities and in the countryside. In addition, there are large regional differences in the design of Hinduism. Hinduism is so versatile and indeterminate that many scholars believe that it is instead more closely related religions than one.
The word Hindu is originally a geographical term referring to the population around the river Indus. But nowadays the word Hinduism is used as a collective name for the religious views and beliefs that exist among a large part of India’s population. The concept of Hinduism can therefore be seen as a consequence of our need to simplify the abstract.
The gods of Hinduism – a motley diversity
Within Hinduism, there are countless gods. Many Hindus pray to the god or gods that are best suited for everyday purposes. Most people therefore worship many gods.
A basic idea in Hinduism is that there really is only one divine power – Brahman – that can be likened to a world soul that is in everything. But since it is difficult for us humans to worship an abstract world-soul, Brahman also appears in many different figures of God, each with his own abilities and functions (compare with the sacred worship of Catholicism ). This explains why Hinduism has so many gods.
In Hinduism, therefore, the distance between God and man is not as great as in Judaism , Christianity, and Islam because the gods of Hinduism are more like us humans in contrast to the abstract God of the monotheistic religions.
In connection with prayer, food and flowers are sometimes sacrificed to the gods, who in turn bless the food and look after the needs of the worshiper in other ways. All gods are celebrated on their own special feasts.
The most important deities of Hinduism are Vishnu, Shiva, Kali and Lakshmi.
Which are the 3 important gods of Hinduism?
There are millions of gods in Hinduism. There are gods who are worshiped in only one village. Others are known throughout India. They usually talk about three main deities and these are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
In almost every Hindu home there is a small altar. There you pray and sacrifice every morning and evening. On the altar there are several images of gods and goddesses. During the devotional, incense is lit and sacrifices of flowers or fruit are presented before the god.
Complete list of Hindu God and Goddesses
Brahma
Brahma is the creator god. Through him the world was made. He is depicted with four faces facing the different directions. He holds a rosary, a holy book, a spire and a pot of water. He is usually depicted sitting on a lotus flower. His riding animal is a swan.
As the creator god, Brahma is superior to the other gods. Nowadays, Brahma is almost forgotten in India and few worship him. But the schoolchildren know him because there are colorful posters with him everywhere.
Like many other gods, Brahma has four hands, as a sign of the supernatural.
Vishnu
The god Vishnu is all the more loved and worshiped For many millions of Hindus, he is the foremost god. Vishnu is the one who sustains creation. He holds a lotus, a seashell, a discus and a club. His riding animal is the eagle Garuda. Vishnu rests on the great world serpent, whose disorder he has defeated.
Vishnu rules over the whole world. His task is to ensure that the holy and good order prevails. When evil threatens, Vishnu intervenes.
According to Hindu belief, Vishnu can manifest himself by being born human and living on earth to help human beings. Such a man of God is called an avatar .
The most famous and beloved man of God is Krishna , who is Vishnu in a human body. For many Hindus, Krishna is today the foremost and most beloved god. Another time, Vishnu appeared as the brave Rama . He fought demons and evil kings with cunning and superhuman strength.
Shiva
The god Shiva is depicted with four arms, often dancing. He usually holds a trident and has a snake around his neck. His hair is matted and sometimes he dances in a fire circle. Shiva’s riding animal is a bull.
Shiva is mainly worshiped in southern India. He is the example of the ascetics and the self-tormentors. In the temple, he is represented by a pillar called the linga. It actually represents a stiff penis and is a symbol of Shiva’s power.
As a god of death he can be terrible, but as the god of life he is gentle and loving. That one and the same god can be both the god of death and the god of life is explained by the fact that death for the Hindus means rebirth to a new life.
Potassium
Shiva’s wife is named Kali. She is sometimes worshiped as “the great mother”. She is then portrayed as motherly protective and loving.
But Kali is also a goddess of death. In this more terrifying figure, she is often depicted with a severed head in her hand and a wreath of skulls around her neck.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is Vishnu’s wife and the goddess of happiness and light. She is one of the most popular goddesses and is associated with qualities such as happiness, success, fertility and prosperity.
Lakshmi is found as the house goddess of many Hindus and is seen as a role model for many married Indian women.
Ganesha
Among school children, Shiva’s son Ganesha is especially popular. He is depicted with an elephant’s head, usually eating on a pancake.
Ganesha is a helpful god who brings happiness and prosperity. Since he is considered to remove obstacles, people turn to him for success, e.g. at new tasks in life.
Samsara – an eternal cycle of birth, death and resurrection
Within Hinduism, there is a cyclical conception of time. There is therefore no beginning or end. According to Hindu belief, the world, like all life, is created, destroyed and resurrected over and over again. All life is part of an eternal cycle ( samsara ) of birth, death and rebirth.
For a Hindu, the ultimate goal is to break free from samsara, the eternal cycle of rebirth. Only then will you be saved. But the road there is long and goes through many lives filled with good deeds, so-called karma.
The most important ideas in Hinduism are therefore the belief in soul migration and karma.
Belief in soul migration (reincarnation)
For a Hindu, God and the universe are one and the same. Brahman (the soul of the world) permeates everything. God therefore also exists within ourselves and in all other living things. The divine within ourselves is called the Atman and can be likened to our soul.
Belief in soul migration is a central thought in Hinduism. In this way of thinking, all living things are perceived as part of an eternal cyclical process that includes birth, death and rebirth.
The body is only the shell of the Atman (soul) which is exchanged for another when it dies. Atman therefore constantly migrates from generation to generation and can even be reborn in an animal.
Karma – the law of action and consequence
Karma’s law is a law of cause and effect that determines how the individual is to be reborn in the next life – higher up or further down in the social hierarchy. It is therefore important to accumulate as much positive karma as possible in life by following the predetermined rules of life in society.
If you do not follow norms, rules and laws, you instead get negative karma and are reborn further down the social hierarchy. The Hindu caste system (see below) has always been legitimized by these ideas.
Roads to liberation
Hinduism strives to emerge from samsara with its cycle of rebirth. Only then is moksha – liberation or salvation achieved.
Being reborn is negative. To avoid being reborn, all karma must be obliterated. Samsara can be likened to a fire where karma makes up the wood. Most Hindus experience this as far too abstract and instead try to gather good karma to reach a better position and starting position in the next life.
To reach salvation, one must realize that everything is one and that one’s “own self”, the Atman (soul), has become one with Brahman (the world soul). The true reality is within ourselves.
Yoga means unite or unity in Sanskrit and is often used as the name of the teachings that show paths to liberation and salvation, ie to make Atman unite with Brahman. Below are briefly presented the most common paths to salvation:
The path of love (Bhakti Yoga) is a path where all actions are performed in love of God in the form of Krishna (a so-called avatar). The doctrine appeals to the feeling and puts the love of Krishna higher than anything else (eg the Krishna movement ). This is today the most common path to salvation in Hinduism because the other paths are in most cases considered difficult.
The path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) is a distinct intellectual path for those who have come a long way through good karma and study of scriptures. It is important to realize the connection between Atman and Brahman.
The path of deeds (Karma Yoga) is the path of right actions. The most important thing is to follow the duty in the caste (see the caste system). The deeds must be selfless and performed in the glory of God.
The path of spiritual exercises (Raja Yoga) is a difficult path to walk and requires a lot of practice. The doctrine is to disconnect the body to concentrate on its interior. The spiritual exercises are often used as a complement and help to the other paths of salvation.
All life is sacred
For a Hindu, all life is sacred. All forms of life, like man, have their value as part of Brahman. Many Hindus are therefore vegetarians.
Cows are especially sacred because they are of great benefit to society. The cows give e.g. milk and other dairy products. In addition, their droppings can be used for fuel.
Holy scripts
Within Hinduism, there are a large number of sacred writings of varying ages, the oldest of which date from around 1500 BC. Of these, the Upanishads and Mahabharata are considered the most important.
The Upanishads originated sometime between 1000 BC and 500 BC and consist of conversations between gurus (teachers) and students. The Upanishads present the ideas of Brahman (the world soul) and Atman (the human soul). Here is also the doctrine of soul migration and the law of karma.
Mahabharata is a huge work of poetry that was written over a long period of time and was completed a few centuries after the beginning of our era. The Mahabharata includes the popular book Bhagavadgita , the song of the high, which is about the love of God in the form of Krishna. It also introduces the idea of bhakti, the inner piety. Bhavadgita is probably Hinduism’s most popular and widely read scripture.
The caste system
For thousands of years, India’s population has been divided into different social groups called castes. The social division into castes determines which people are allowed to socialize, who is allowed to get married and which jobs are available to choose from.
The doctrine of karma and reincarnation has provided support and religious motivation to India’s caste system. All castes have their own duties and rituals .
According to older Hindu traditions, it is important to follow one’s caste with its obligations and thus gather good karma through life as it determines which position in the social hierarchy she or he will be reborn next time.
In today’s India, discrimination on the grounds of caste is prohibited. The throwing system is therefore about to be relaxed. However, the caste system still lives on, especially in rural areas where there is more social control than in cities.
The woman in Hinduism
In the home, the woman is subordinate to the man, but in society women have great influence. The goal in today’s democratic India is that there should be full equality between the sexes.
For a Hindu, marriage is the most important rite of life. According to Hindu tradition, it is important for a woman to get married. The marriage is usually arranged by the parents. An ancient custom is that the bride’s family should pay an expensive dowry to the groom. This unjust custom is today banned in India. The Indian authorities thus also hope to be able to even out the current female deficit in the country.
Questions to the text:
- How did Hinduism originate?
- Why has Hinduism not been outcompeted by other religions in India?
- Explain why Hinduism is not as easy to grasp as the monotheistic religions.
- What is Brahman? Why does Brahman appear in various figures of God?
- Explain the following concepts and the connection between them: samsara , karma and reincarnation .
- Explain the connection between karma and the Hindu caste system.
- What happens when one reaches “salvation” within Hinduism?
- Play with the thought, what path would you invest in to get out of samsara and reach salvation? Explain why you chose that particular path.
- Why are cows considered sacred in Hinduism?
- Why are the Upanishads perhaps the most important scripture in Hinduism?
- Why do you think the caste system has become so controversial in India?
- Try to explain why there are slightly more men than women in India.