Introduction
One of the most widespread religions in the world is Hinduism. Hinduism refers to a system of religious and philosophical beliefs, as well as cultural practices of native Indians that are based on a caste system (Fuller 161). The religion is characterized by beliefs in reincarnation, a supreme being of many forms and natures, as well as the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth. Believers of this religion also have a strong desire for liberation from earthly evils.
Hinduism is common among people in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal (“A Brief Introduction to Hinduism” par. 2). Studies have established that the global population that adheres to the teachings of Hinduism is close to one billion. Religious experts argue that Hinduism is quite different compared to other faiths in terms of the founder, scripture, and teachings (Berry 60).
This religion does not have any known founder, a specific scripture, or a universally agreed system of teachings for its adherents. On record, it is the oldest religion in the world because it existed before the culture of immortalizing things for future reference started (Fuller 164).
History of Hinduism
Hinduism is described as a timeless religion owing to the fact that it does not have a specific originator (Hopkins 16). Many historians have tried to establish the real originators of Hinduism without much success. Some believed that it originated with Persian settlers who were under the influence of the Aryan invaders, while others avoided creating a contradiction by concluding that there was no specific originator. However, reports indicate that it originated from the Indus valley about 1500 BC (“A Brief Introduction to Hinduism” par. 5).
Beliefs and teachings of Hinduism are developed from a philosophical viewpoint that is highly flexible and capable of changing in order to meet circumstances at specific times. One of the main elements of Hinduism is the Veda. Veda refers to one of the most ancient sacred writings of Hinduism written in early Sanskrit.
Traditionally, it was believed to comprise the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads (Fuller 166). The most popular Veda was Bhagavad Gita while the earliest one was recorded before 1000 B.C. Hinduism is a religion characterized by adherents who worship several gods and goddesses. There are four major denominations of Hinduism, namely Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism (Fuller 170).
Teachings of Hinduism
According to the teachings of Hinduism, live involves a cycle of confinement, failure, and rejuvenation. The religion also teaches about the concept of karma, which is the universal law of cause and effect (Berry 69). According to this law, the effects of an individual’s actions often influence their fate in life and the next manifestation. Other concepts taught by the religion are Dharma, Guru, Atman, Varna, and Samsara (Hopkins 21).
In Hinduism’s social order, all adherents are required to make annual pilgrimage to any holy center as a way of being cleansed from bad thoughts and sins. Hinduism has a number of rituals that its followers have to go through as a show of their commitment and adherence. These rituals often start before the birth of a child. This only happens if both parents had a Hindu marriage and a desire to raise the child with the same teachings (Berry 78).
During the third month of pregnancy, a ritual is often conducted to protect a fetus against any evil thoughts or occurrences that can prevent it from maturing and being delivered. During the seventh month of pregnancy a baby shower is often conducted in anticipation of the child’s birth (“A Brief Introduction to Hinduism” par. 9).
Numerous rituals also apply after the birth of a child until they become adults. Rituals are also conducted with newly married couples as a way of blessing their union and enabling them to fulfill their parental obligations of raising their children well (Hopkins 39).
Ethics in Hinduism
Hinduism provides a lot of teaching in regard to the principles of right and wrong as accepted in the society. There are seven major ethical concepts taught by this religion. The first one is on abortion, where women are prohibited from terminating their pregnancies (Michaels 101). Anyone who engages in abortion often suffers a lot of consequences. The second ethical concept taught in the religion is capital punishment. Hinduism is highly against killings, violence, and revenge (Michaels 109).
However, this concept has always attracted a lot of controversy due to the fact that India has a death penalty for certain types of crimes. The third concept taught is that on euthanasia and suicide (Berry 100). Hinduism believes that the human body should not be subjected to any kind of harm whether willingly or not.
The religion says that such an action leads to karma for all the involved parties. This teaching has led to some individuals twisting it in support of euthanasia (Michaels 113). They argue that helping one to cut short a hurting life is one of the moral obligations, which is doing something good for another person.
On the concept of animal ethics, Hinduism teaches that animals should be treated well and its adherents should avoid eating meat or doing jobs that involve killing animals (Michaels 115). Animals such as cows are sacred in Hinduism because some of the gods they worship have animal characters. The other ethical concepts taught in Hinduism focus on war, organ donation, and contraception (Hopkins 54).
Beliefs and main gods worshipped in Hinduism
There are certain beliefs that most adherents of Hinduism concur with. Hindus believe that there is only one Supreme Being who is both subjective and inspirational. They also believe in the spirituality of the four Vedas (Michaels 134). Adherents of Hinduism believe that the world experiences continuous rounds of conception, perpetuation, and termination.
Others include a believe in the law of cause and effect, that the human soul renews its self several times because of dealing with numerous karmas, and the existence of divine spirits (Michaels 140). Some of the commonly worshipped deities in Hinduism are Bharma, Shiva, Lakshmi, and Vishnu (Fuller 175).
Conclusion
According to experts, thoughts and beliefs of human beings often influence their attitude towards life. The attitude that one develops in life determines their actions. Religion is one of the crucial elements in life that influence the thought process of every human being. Over the years, Hinduism has proved to be one of the mainstream religions in the world that contributes a lot towards the achievement of global order and peaceful coexistence.
As one of the many religions practiced in Asia and other parts of the world, Hinduism will continue to play a crucial role in the development of humanity. The religion has managed to spread widely across the world to close to one billion people. One of the best elements about Hinduism is the ability to instill good moral on its adherents through the numerous ethical principles in its teachings.
Works Cited
A Brief Introduction to Hinduism 2004. Web.
Berry, Thomas. Religions of India: Hinduism, Yoga, Buddhism. New Delhi: Columbia University Press, 2006. Print.
Fuller, Jason. Modern Hinduism and the Middle Class: Beyond Revival in the Historiography of Colonial India. Journal of Hindu Studies 2.2 (2009): 160-178. Print.
Hopkins, Edward. The Religions of India. New York: Echo Library, 2007. Print.
Michaels, Axel. Hinduism: Past and Present. New York: Princeton University Press, 2004. Print.