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It is doubtful if modern day Hinduism would buy the argument that these and these alone (and any other religious book for that matter) would ensure salvation to an individual, although it does emphasize that one should live and act in accordance with ones own dharma ( sacredness in all life) and the scriptures. Those who still trust their religious validity look for new meaning in them, while others look elsewhere for answers to their perplexing questions.
Each person alone has the solace and the comfortable feeling of assurance that his/her religion and his/her scriptures give liberty to pursue truth in his/her own way. The Importance of Hindu Scripture
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According to Hindu tradition, Brahman became personal in the form of Ishvara – Ishvara became known to humanity in three manifestations. Ishvara then became known further through the ten mythical incarnations of Vishnu, called avatars (animals: a fish, a boar, a tortoise… and humans: Krishna, Rama, Buddha…). The stories of these avatars are told in the Bhagavad Gita. Pantheistic view – the entire universe is one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it as well. Monotheistic view – Ishvara is the personified form of Brahman; that is, Saguna Brahman has particular traits. These traits are expressed through the Trimurti (three manifestations). Polytheistic View – the ten incarnations, or avatars, are the “original” gods of Hinduism; it is estimated that there are now some 300 million gods in the Hindu religion. Each god is said to provide focus on an aspect/attribute of Ishvara – a “path” to understanding. Closet to Jesus Christ like figure
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The Hindu Life Ultimately, Brahman is an impersonal oneness that is beyond all distinctions, a being who is entirely transcendent, yet is the essence of everything.
The soul, known as the Atman, is one with Brahman and is representative of the “true self.” Just as the air inside an open jar is the same as the air that surrounds it, so our essence is identical to that of Brahman – it is the job of every Hindu to “open the jar.”
Humanity’s primary problem, according to the Hindu, is our ignorance to our divine nature. We have forgotten that we are extended from Brahman and so we mistakenly attach ourselves to the desires of our “separate self” (ego) and thereby suffer the consequences. Because of our attachment to desire and individualistic existence, we are all subject to the law of Karma.
The Law of Karma is the moral equivalent to the natural law of cause and effect. In essence, we reap what we sow. Every action produces a just and definite reaction. Moreover, the effects of our actions, follow us not only in our present lifetime, but in lives to come…
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Reincarnation (Transmigration of the Soul), is the Hindu concept that the soul is transferred into another body after death. This is the ever-revolving wheel of life, death, and rebirth. A person’s karma determines the kind of body (any living being) into which he or she will inhabit in the next life. Through pure acts, thoughts, and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Likewise, bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level. The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, and suffering are thus seen as the natural result of Karma.
In acknowledging the truth of the above process, Hindus organize their lives around certain activities, known as purusharthas (the doctrine of the fourfold end of life).
dharma – righteousness in religious life; sacredness of all life
artha – success in economic life; material prosperity
kama – gratification of the senses; pleasurable existence
moksha – liberation from the cycle of rebirth Liberation (moksha), is attained through the realization that the concept of the individual self is an illusion and that only the undifferentiated oneness of Brahman is real. Detachment from self is the the path to liberation.
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Important Hindu Terms Puja – the act of showing reverence to a god or to aspects of the divine through prayers, songs, and rituals. The essential part of puja for the Hindu is making a spiritual connection with a deity.
Ahimsa – doctrine of nonviolence to all life, which is the basis for Hindu vegetarianism.
Guru – one who shows by example a spiritual path to follow.
Tilak (Kumkum) – Generally, no religious work should begin without a Tilak on the forehead. There are 13 places on the body where the Tilak can be placed, however, it is only on the forehead that it is noble. The head is the summit of the body with the brain being the axis of the entire body. The wearing of the Tilak is a symbol of worship and devotion.
Yoga (5 types) – Bhakti (means intense love for God), Karma (is often called the path of right action), Jnana (described as the way to God through intellectual ability), Hatha (meant as a controlling of physical self – the body), Raja (teaches the path to God through meditation).