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FAITH & SPIRITUALITY
Introduction to Hinduism Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. It also exists among significant populations outside of the subcontinent and has over 900 million adherents worldwide. In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, or at least elements within it stretch back many thousands of years. Yet Hinduism resists easy definition partly because of the vast array of practices and beliefs found within it. It is also closely associated conceptually and historically with the other Indian religions Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous holy books. For these reasons, writers often refer to Hinduism as ‘a way of life’ or ‘a family of religions’ rather than a single religion.
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is the world’s oldest extant religion, with a billion followers, which makes it the world’s third largest religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and
practices that originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness, and the desire for liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
Defining Hinduism
The term ‘Hindu’ was derived from the river or river complex of the northwest, the Sindhu. Sindhu is a Sanskrit word used by the inhabitants of the region, the Aryans in the second millennium BCE. Later migrants and invaders, the Persians in the sixth century BCE, the Greeks from the 4th century BCE, and the Muslims from the 8th century CE, used the name of this river in their own languages for the land and its people. The term ‘Hindu’ itself probably does not go back before the 15th and 16th centuries when it
was used by people to differentiate themselves from followers of other traditions, especially the Muslims (Yavannas), in Kashmir and Bengal. At that time the term may have simply indicated groups united by certain cultural practices such as cremation of the dead and styles of cuisine. The ‘ism’ was added to ‘Hindu’ only in the 19th century in the context of British colonialism and missionary activity. The origins of the term ‘Hindu’ are thus cultural, political and geographical. Now the term is widely accepted although any definition is subject to much debate. In some ways it is true to say that Hinduism is a religion of recent origin yet its roots and formation go back thousands of years. Some claim that one is ‘born a Hindu’, but there are now many Hindus of non-Indian descent. Others claim that its core feature is belief in an impersonal Supreme, but important strands have long
A Kartik Story By Chakra Nadi, exclusive
It was the last day of Kartik (a sacred and ‘extra’ spiritual month for Vaishnava devotees) and I hadn’t offered a candle at the temple yet. I really wanted to be there for seven o’clock. I found myself held in a queue to get out of the busy station. There appeared to be a large glistening obstruction, which was causing everyone to get into single file like fishes trying to swim around a rock. As I came closer I found it was not a rock, but a huge glass dome with a working planetary system encased like a prized masterpiece in a gallery. A fraught station master in blue uniform and peaked cap held out his arms and shouted ‘you will all get there easier if you will just be more considerate…otherwise you will destroy the balance inside this glass case.’ ‘Who put it here?’ shouted a man in an official business suit and tie. The stationmaster took off his cap and wiped his brow with a white handkerchief ‘nobody knows who put it here, or who made it – but you must admit it is lovely and well made’.
The business man carried on, getting a bit flushed in the face ‘who cares if it looks great if it is stopping our progress today, we don’t want our busy schedules interrupted by having to consider this display of meaningless planets and universes and things’. A girl in a bright green dress, wearing a huge poppy in her blonde hair said: ‘I like it, it is a skilful model of the world and the universes, and the earth looks so happy and glowing there’. The station master, putting his cap back on, said ‘OK… just keep walking slowly please’. Eventually I got to the exit, and the station clock above the archway showed me it was ten to seven, so I ran down the street to the temple. The honey coloured candles in the temple glowed like lighthouse beacons, as if to welcome me home safely after my hectic journey. As I offered my candle to the Deities, and the beautiful form of baby Krishna, I felt contented at last. Upon leaving the temple room I saw two men stacking up boxes and bags in the foyer. One of the men was the stationmaster I had seen earlier, but he was wearing a tee shirt with a
described and worshipped a personal God. Outsiders often criticise Hindus as being polytheistic, but many adherents claim to be monotheists. Some Hindus define orthodoxy as compliance with the teachings of the Vedic texts (the four Vedas and their supplements). However, still others identify their tradition with ‘Sanatana Dharma’, the eternal order of conduct that transcends any specific body of sacred literature. Scholars sometimes draw attention to the caste system as a defining feature, but many Hindus view such practices as merely a social phenomenon or an aberration of their original teachings. Nor can we define Hinduism according to belief in concepts such as karma and samsara (reincarnation) because Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists (in a qualified form) accept this teaching too. Although it is not easy to define Hinduism, we can say that it is rooted in India, most Hindus revere a body of texts as sacred scripture known as the Veda, and most Hindus draw on a common system of values known as dharma. • Hinduism originated around the Indus Valley near the River Indus in modern day Pakistan. About 80% of the Indian population regard
themselves as Hindu. • Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God, whose qualities and forms are represented by the multitude of deities which emanate from him. • Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. • Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived. The main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their supplements (books based on the Vedas). Veda is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘knowledge’. These scriptures do not mention the word ‘Hindu’ but many scriptures discuss dharma, which can be rendered as ‘code of conduct’, ‘law’, or ‘duty’ Hindus celebrate many holy days, but the Festival of Lights, Diwali is the best known.
How is Hinduism unique from other religions?
Hinduism cannot be neatly slotted into any particular belief system. Unlike other religions, Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action. It has its own beliefs, traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. The religious tradition of Hinduism is solely responsible for the creation of such original concepts and practices as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vastu, Jyotish, Yajna, Puja, Tantra, Vedanta, Karma, etc.
Ask the spiritual healer picture of Krishna on it. The other man looked like a zany professor with grey hair and small round glasses. The professor said ‘thank you so much for allowing me to address the people in the station tonight’. The stationmaster replied ‘Your model of the universe is so beautifully made, and it was brilliant when you told the TV crew that nobody made it, when the they came over’. Yes, said the professor smiling, it makes people argue that such a coordinated working model has to be made by someone, therefore proving that the real universe has the most wonderful and intelligent creator - Lord Krishna. Chakra Nadi is a senior ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) devotee from the Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK temple. She has been practising and writing for Krishna’s service for more than 30 years.
Phone: 07970641691 • www.sprituallypsychic.com email: bobbie@spirituallypsychic.com Manpreet - Alperton
I feel unhappy all the time and very lonely. I have read your message in the Tribune and I know that you can help me.
Bobbie answers
I certainly can help you but you need to come and see me. Peace within yourself, healers and guides around you to help you and your family. GOD LOVES US ALL. IN RETURN HE WANTS US TO REMEMBER HIM. WE WORRY ABOUT ONLY OURSELVES BUT IF WE START WORRYING ABOUT GOD HE DOES ANSWER OUR PRAYERS IN HIS OWN WAY.
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