This is all about the God
fearing, Peace - loving people having their origins
in India ( Hindustan) and inhabiting several parts of the
globe.
Hindu Religion
is the world's oldest faith. It was followed by the ancient civilizations of
the Indus valley, Ganges valley, Deccan and Kaveri
delta, as well as other parts of the Indian peninsula and extended to
surrounding areas of Asia. It is practiced in myriad
ways yet adhearing the core philosophies and practices of
millenniums past.
As of 2003 there are
nearly one billion Hindus, most of them living in
India. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,
Cambodia and Indonesia are other countries with Hindu population
and cultural influence dating back several centuries. A considerable number
of Hindus have also settled in Europe, Africa
and USA.
Hinduism, is as much a
"way of life" as a religion that affects every stage of
Hindu life , from birth through death. It is followed by devout Hindus in day to day activities and not just at prayer
time.
Hinduism,
unlike most religions, has no founder and no single scripture. Hindus do
not have one "Holy Book" like in other religions. Several texts
including the four Vedas ( Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas) along with
the Upanishads called the
"Sruti", several Dharma Shasthras or Smrutis, Ithihasas and Puranas
including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, form the scriptural
foundation. The Bhagavad Gita, or "Song
celestial"", forming a part of Mahabharata, is considered as the
most sacred scripture by Hindus as it distills the essence of the Vedas and
the Upanishads.
Hindus
believe, that just as all streams and rivers lead to the same ocean, all
genuine religions (spiritual paths) lead to the same "GOD".
Hindus
consider that all religions are equal and there is no need
for anybody to change his/her religion. Hindus neither
believe in nor practice religious conversion. One needs to be born a
Hindu.
Hindus believe in
one God - who is beyond form, space or time and beyond human comprehension.
They believe that God is Transcendent and Immanent at the same time and will
appear from time to time, to protect the
pious, to destroy evil and to establish the Divine Rule of Law and Justice
in the world.
Thus Rama and Krishna are two of the popular Avatars ( incarnations) of the
supreme God. Their stories are told in the Ramayana and Mahabharata
respectively.
Most
Hindus needing a form on which to concentrate, worship the
same God
in different forms, worshiping one aspect of that
Supreme
Truth. Hindus see God in masculine as well as
feminine forms
and also as belonging to a
family. They see
divinity in Nature and in all living and non- living objects like stone. At the
same time, they are not unmindful of the True nature of the Supreme.
There are 3 ways or paths to realize
God. These are Gyana Marga (knowledge route) Yoga Marga (austerity and
contemplation) and the Bhakti Marga. There are no airtight divisions
between the three. However as the first two are not easily attainable by
ordinary mortals, Bhakti Marga (love and devotion to God and total surrender
to the will of God, singing his name and praising his deeds during
incarnations ) is the most popular form of worship.
In masculine forms,
Hindus visualize the same God as Brahma - the Creator, Vishnu - the
Preserver and Protector, and Shiva as Shiva-Nataraja - the Destroyer
and Recreator. In female forms, Hindus perceive that same
God as Shaktior Durga, - personifying power and energy, as Lakshmi,
- personifying wealth and prosperity and as Saraswathi,
personifying knowledge and intelligence.
Unlike
in other major world religions, Hindus perceive the Supreme as Mother.
She is worshipped as Shakti
who takes on several forms, depending upon her attributed main
abode. In Kanchipuram she is Kamakshi, in Madurai she is Meenakshi and in Kashi
she is Vishalakshi. In Bengal she is worshipped as Kaali.
Places of worship (Temples) are not treated as mere congregation halls
but as palaces of the Gods.
Hindu ritualistic form of worship takes into
consideration the capacity and inclinations of the individual
householder.
Typically it is offered in temples, three times a day, every day.
Elaborate ritual worship is offered at home on
special occasions. Oil lamps are lit, flowers, coconut, fruits and milk are
offered to the diety. Incense sticks and Camphor are burned.
Mantras in Sanskrit (or other mother tongues) are chanted, concluding in
prayers for happiness and prosperity for all living beings on earth. It is
not even necessary for a Hindu to go to a temple as one can offer worship at his/her home.
Worship through
service of one's fellow man (charity) and by one's activity, Worship
through studying of sacred texts and devotion to the Supreme, Worship
through meditation with physical and mental discipline and through
understanding first the inner self then the divine that is everywhere, are
the other forms of worship. Worship and prayers are the means by
which human beings obtain Divine
protection against bad Karma and Divine guidance to tread
the righteous path.
Hindus believe in Ahimsa,
or non-violence, which is the basis for the vegetarian diet of many Hindus.
Hindus believe non-injury or Ahimsa in all activities which includes
thought, word, and deed.
Hindus believe in Karma,
the law of Cause and Effect. Karma Yoga is doing one's duty with disinterest
in the results. Similar to Christian "As ye sow, so shall
ye reap" or "What goes around, comes around."
Hindus believe in
reincarnation or "life after life." (Results may occur in a
following life.) Attachment, greed and
lust lead to bad Karma resulting in grief and continued suffering.
These maladies are washed off by performing good deeds during rebirths and
every Soul returns to this world several times for this
purpose. Once purified, the Soul is liberated and there is no rebirth.
The
ultimate goal of
Hindus is to be freed from the cycle of birth and
death thus attaining Moksha in which state they would be in heaven
serving God, the Soul - Supreme or Paramatma.
Traditional Hindu society
comprises of 4 hierarchical sections or Castes, namely:
Brahmana:
Priestly class to work in temples, pray for the welfare of all living
beings, propagate and defend the Hindu religion and
get immersed in Intellectual pursuits.
Kshatriya: Warrior class to defend India the motherland (Janma
Bhoomi) and Faith.
Vysya: Business class to be engaged in trade and commerce and to
ensure proper distribution of commodities.
Sudra: To assist all other sections in their respective duties.
In recent times these distinctions
have lost their original connotation and import and have become instruments for
playing dirty politics. Nevertheless all Hindus
are cognizant of their heritage and are Caste - conscious. Marriage within
own caste is the rule rather than an exception.
The Gadasalli family are Brahmins.
For more information about the Great Brahmin Heritage
please visit www.brahminworld.com