Hinduism & Buddhism - Historical Context of Hinduism

Historical Context of Hinduism

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance list a number of areas in which Hinduism differs from other more monotheistic religions in that Hinduism does not have the following:

* A single founder

* A central religious authority

* A singles concept of deity

* A specific theological system

* A single system of morality

* The concept of a prophet

They further explain that Hinduism should not be considered a religion in the same way that Christianity is, that Hinduism is more correctly considered to be an all encompassing way of life, in much the same way as Native American spirituality (Hinduism, 2011).

Hinduism is generally considered to be the world's oldest organized religion, consisting of numerous different religious groups that evolved in India since around 1500 BCE. Hinduism ranks as the world's third largest religion, following Christianity and Islam. Hinduism followers make up approximately 14 percent of the world's population, or about 950 million as of 2004. It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and parts of Sri Lanka (Hinduism, 2011).

The early history of Hinduism is open to debate for several reasons. For one, Hinduism is not one single religion, but rather embraces many traditions. The sources of these traditions are very ancient, but in a strict sense, Hinduism did not exist before modern times. And while the traditions that make up Hinduism go back several thousand years; some practitioners understand the Hindu revelation to be eternal. The main historical periods of Hinduism consist of the following:

* Before 200 BCE: the Indus Valley civilization

* 1500 - 500 BCE: the Vedic period

* 500 BCE - 500 CE: the Epic, Curanic, and Classical Age

* 500 CE - 1500 CE: Medieval period

* 1500 - 1757 CE: Pre-modern period

* 1757 - 1947 CE: British period

* 1947 CE - the present: Independent India (Hinduism, 2011).

Major Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism

Categorizing Hindu beliefs and practices is somewhat challenging. While Westerners have commonly viewed Hinduism as polytheistic, that is, a religion which worships multiple deities, that view is not accurate. Others view Hinduism as monotheistic, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman that all reality is a unity. Still others view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously viewed as a triad, that is, one God with three persons, Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. In a stricter sense, most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic; they recognize a single deity, with other gods and goddesses seen as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of that supreme God (Hinduism, 2011).

There are two major divisions which most urban Hindus follow: Vaishnavaism, which recognizes Vishnu as the ultimate deity, and Shivaism, which recognizes Shiva as the ultimate deity. Hindus also believe in the repetitious transmigration of the soul, which involves the transfer of one's soul after death into another body. This transfer, called samsara, produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth through many lifetimes. Another basic Hindu belief is karma, the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds, which determines how one will live one's next life. As a consequence of pure acts, thoughts, and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level, and eventually one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. On the other hand, bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level, or even as an animal. Hinduism regards the unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering etc. as the natural consequences for one's previous acts that occurred both in this life and in previous lives (Hinduism, 2011).

Hindus organize their lives around certain beliefs. The pravritti, those who are in the world, have three goals:

* Dharma, or righteousness in one's religious life; this is the most important of the three

* Artha, or success in one's economic life; material prosperity

* Kama, or gratification of the senses, that is, pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment

The nivritti, those who renounce the world, seek liberation from samsara, considered to be the supreme goal of mankind (Hinduism, 2011).

Hindus frequently practice meditation, with yoga being the most common form. Other activities can include daily devotions, public rituals, and puja, a ceremonial dinner for a God (Hinduism, 2011).

Personal Appraisal of Hinduism

There are two aspects of Hinduism which I find compelling. The first is that Hinduism is widely considered to be highly tolerant of other religions. In a world that is full of strident and intolerant denunciations by religions of other religions, it is gratifying to encounter instances of tolerance. Hindus reflect this tolerance in a saying that is translated as follows: "The truth is One, but different Sages call it by Different Names" (Hinduism, 2011).

The other appealing aspect of Hinduism is the principle of transmigration of the soul. While I do not personally believe in the Hindu interpretation of karma, I find the progression through the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth to be a very organized and systematic explanation for the