Hinduism, considered to be the oldest known religion, is perhaps one of the most emotionally accepting of all other religions, offers philosophical themes such as: atman, karma, samsara, moksha, Brahman, and yoga that coax its practitioners into a life of perfect spiritually.
Atman, known as the inner self, is believed to be eternal by Hindu’s. The atman is sometimes thought of as the consciousness of the body and can spread throughout causing uncomfortable symptoms to span into the soul. At times the body can become caught in a web of distress, or even happiness, that dictates sensations or reactions that the body feels. The goal of the atman is to not let the body be effected by these feelings that can interrupt the success of the soul, which is to achieve moksha, and rest eternally with Brahman the ultimate reality of the universe. If the atman cannot reach this perfection during the body’s lifetime then it will have to experience rebirth, or samsara as it is known in Hinduism. This rebirth can continue on
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Its teachings are that only Brahman is absolute truth and absolute reality and everything else is just an illusion. The only other things that exist is self or pure consciousness, that all else is an apparent separation or an illusion that causes suffering and not being able to realize this is just the self-clinging to ego, and this causes the endless cycle of samsara and the inability to obtain moksha.
Hindu’s place great importance on pilgrimages, in fact some say that going on pilgrimages is considered as good as karma. One of the major pilgrimage site in nested in the Himalayas of Kashmir, and reported at an altitude of 11,090 ft., is the Amarnath Cave. It is believed that pilgrims have been making their way to this holy cave for about 3,000 years. Devoted Hindu’s must travel over 14,800ft, footpath that takes them over a glacier that is so dangerous that 250 people were killed by landslides and freak storms in
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
In the chapter on Hinduism in Philip Novak’s book The World’s Wisdom the section titled “The Transmigration of the Soul” describes the Hindu concept of reincarnation, the wheel of life, and ultimately becoming one with god. The lines in this passage very concisely describe the Hindu concepts of Brahman, Atman, Samsara, Karma, Maya and Moksha (Molloy). I believe that these concepts are at the core of all of the expressions of the Hindu religion; which makes understanding this paragraph the key to having a basic understanding of the Hindu religion.
The act of pilgrimage is scared to the devoted followers of any faith as it requires a commitment to religious obligations and the utmost sacrifice to an unseen deity. As one takes part in a religious journey, he or she renounces worldly obligations in efforts to fulfill the greatest form of piety.
Shankara’s Concept of Atman is the Hindu notion of True Self or pure consciousness or the Brahman within. Atman has five sheaths unlike dualism whom has two parts. The five sheaths of Atman are: 1.) the bodily self consisting the essence of ...
Hinduism, also known by the name Sanatana-Dharma, is often referred to as the “oldest religion” in the world, is generally considered to be an ethnic religion and is fundamentally based on the religion of the original Aryan settlers. “Hinduism, from the Persian Hindi (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth” (“Facts on Hinduism”). It was founded around 3000 BCE, and is now considered to be the third largest religion in the world. Followers of Hinduism, which is estimated to be anywhere around 900 million, are especially concentrated in India, Nepal, and other countries throughout Asia. The broader world contact that has occurred since World War II allowed various forms of Hinduism to become more widely known and accepted. The multiple Hindu sects, including the Krishna Consciousness, have been particularly successful among young American and Europeans and claims to be adherent around the world. Hinduism is dissimilar compared to other religions, in the fact that it has no founders. This religion is considered to be permissive in creed or code as it is not necessarily coordinated in any way, even though various sects and cults are formulated. This religion is especially known for its tolerance because it is willing to accommodate those who are exceptionally religious; whether it be a Jew, Christian, or Muslim as a part of their religion. Hinduism is very transformable and accepts elements of different religion. Overtime it has even developed different aspects of both Christianity and Buddhism and incorporated them into the religion of Hinduism. Hinduism worships a multiplicity of gods; the most important in...
This Upanishad text defines the essence of Atman, it expounds on the structure of the Atman and why it exists. Atman exists, because the very essence of our being is a collaboration of the different components of our body. As said in the text, intelligence is the horse, the body is the chariot and Atman is the one riding the chariot. It is said that Atman is neither born nor killed, therefore we can say that Atman exists before the very existence of the person, for the rider can function without the chariot but the chariot cannot function without the rider. Atman is also present in groups of people, it was existing in the Philippine Revolutionary army led by General Luna during the Philippine- American war. The source of their anger, mainly General Luna’s, is the fact that their beloved
There are many religions that are practiced around the world, especially in Asia where there are eight different religions being practiced. In the country of India, Buddhism and Hinduism are the main religions that are practiced today. Buddhism and Hinduism were both founded in Asia, but they were founded by two different people and practiced in two different ways and languages. Buddhism is a living tradition that is passed down from teacher to student as a set of instruction and techniques for sanity and brilliance in the inner self and the world. Hinduism is more based on the thoughts and attitude about one’s everyday life, and reflects in his actions.
and time again. “Hindus believe that the soul is immortal that it never dies, but inhabits one body
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134).
They define a state which is beyond the ordinary which can only be characterized by achieving a particular spiritual state. It is notable that Moksha is a common belief in the Hindu religion and it describes a state where one’s soul connects with god’s soul. On the other hand, it can be noted that Nirvana can be obtained by individuals who detached themselves from sin. However, it is clear that both require an individual to remain steadfast in their pursuit for spiritual liberation while abandoning the earthly life and desires. Reincarnation is a consequence of life that moksha and nirvana believers wish to avoid in order to overcome the suffering in the death and rebirth cycle, samsara. Hence, the practices have more similarities that
In both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, they follow and focus on similar yet different concepts of liberating themselves from ‘Samsara’ and the suffering that comes with it. Samsara in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies is the endless cycle of death and rebirth. So, the end goal is to work towards the enlightenment from this cycle. Though the two concepts are similar in that the goal is the same, the two have distinctive and important differences on how they view this “release” from the rebirth-death cycle; they both follow different paths to reach that end goal which, in basic terms, is to live a happy life.
Hinduism is a very unique religion; it is the oldest living religion and does not have a single founder unlike Buddhism. Hinduism
Hinduism is easily the oldest major world religion that is still in use today. It has not only survived countless attacks but has also thrived and has changed little to none in the last 2500-3000 years. "The Aryans are said to have entered India through the fabled Khyber Pass, around 1500 BC. They intermingled with the local populace, and assimilated themselves into the social framework. The Aryans did not have a script, but they developed a rich tradition. They composed the hymns of the four vedas, the great philosophic poems that are at the heart of Hindu thought" (The Aryans and the Vedic Age, 2004, par. 2).
Hinduism’s view on human nature is complex and involves the concept of the self or soul. According to the Hindu concept of self, it is recorded that “the atman is beyond sound and form…it is eternal, unchangeable, and without beginning or end: indeed above reasoning” (Wall, 30). What this refers to, is that Hindus believe there to be a deeper self that lies within us. This self hides behind our experienced self and is referred to as atman. Atman is what survives our deaths and continues to be reborn again. This type of self is continually reborn into different bodies until it escapes the wheel of rebirth. Through prayer, meditation, and ascetic practices, this self can become known, especially because it is essentially the same in all human beings. The idea behind atman tends to be more complex because of its dealings with the levels of consciousness, samsara, etc.
When I first started to read about the Hinduism religion I was not sure what to expect. I have heard about the religion but did not know much about it. What I learned about it was fascinating and caused me to reflect on just how different the religions of the world are. We do not know when Hinduism was founded by whom. It has been said to have always existed. It has been traced to the olden Indus Valley civilization.