What is Hinduism? - Part 1
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The origin of Hinduism can be traced back to the Indus valley civilization around 4000 to 2200 B.C. Much of its history is uncertain. However, it is clear that around 4,000 years ago a developed group of people lived in Northwest India. The major influences of Hinduism occurred when nomadic, Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India (around 1500 B.C.) from Russia and Central Asia. They brought the religion of Vedism (an ancient religion that included chanting and sacrifices). Their beliefs mixed with the local Indian native beliefs. Religious principles mixed, including the Hindu beliefs of reincarnation, multiple gods (polytheism), and the spiritual unity of humanity (monism or "one ultimate reality").
Over time, this religious mix of ideas grew through written scriptures known as the Vedas. Originally passed down orally, these ideas were written down between 1400 and 400 B.C. The Hindu scriptures are massive, and consist of:
1) The Veda: The oldest of the Hindu scriptures is the Veda, which literally means "wisdom" or "knowledge." The Vedas contain hymns, prayers, and ritual texts. The four Vedas are the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajuraveda, and the Artharvaveda.
2) The Upanishads: The Upanishads are a collection of writings composed between 800-600 B.C. that marked a change to mystical ideas about humanity and the universe, particularly noticeable in the idea of the Brahman and the atman (the self or soul). The Upanishads came to have a great influence on Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
3) The Ramayana: The Ramayana is one of the two major epic tales of India, the other being the Mahabharata. A sage-poet named Valmiki wrote the Ramayana that consists of 24,000 couplets describing the life of Rama, a righteous king who was supposedly an incarnation of the God Vishnu.
4) The Mahabharata: The Mahabharata is the second epic. It is the story describing the deeds of the Aryan clans. It consists of some 100,000 verses composed over an 800-year period beginning about 400 B.C. Contained within this work is a great classic, the Bhagavad Gita, or the "Song of the Blessed Lord."
5) The Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred of all Hindu books and is also the best known and the most read of all Indian works in the entire world. This is despite the fact it was added late to the Mahabharata sometime in the first century A.D. The story in the Bhagavad Gita describes man's duty, which, if carried out, will bring nothing but sorrow. This story has had great impact on Hindu belief in its endorsement of bhakti, or devotion to a particular god, as a means of salvation.
We will take a further look into Hinduism in the next posting. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: www.compellingtruth.org
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