Hinduism Research Paper

1467 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Simple history of religion in india

The Hindu Community

Introduction:

The culture of Hinduism is one of the most followed religions throughout the world and has over 1 billion followers worldwide. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, which is the belief in or worship of more than one god or deity. Although it is predominantly situated in the eastern hemisphere around India it still has a vast number of followers around the world. The Hindu religion is not based off a single founder, book or point in time. Most historians date the Hindu religion beginnings back to around 1500 BCE. The people of the Hindu religion are one as a culture but individually they are very diverse.

Who are the members of the Hindu society?

According to Cristian Violatti, of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, “Hinduism is often labeled as a religion, but it is actually more than that: it is a vast …show more content…

A main text in the Hindu society is the Kama Sutra. The University of Wyoming says this about the Kama Sutra: “This includes: the producing and enjoyment of art, music, dance, drama, literature, poetry, and sex. (The "Kama Sutra," which may be one of the best-known Hindu texts in the West, is about the aesthetic pleasure of men and women; it discusses beauty, music, dance and sexual activity.) It is thus religiously praiseworthy to take part, to support, or just to appreciate any form of pleasure. This should always be done, of course, within the realm of dharma (i.e., in a virtuous manner).

The Hindu community as a whole strives to accomplish these goals to be able to live ethically, achieve success, and to appreciate pleasure.

Community Language: The religion of Hinduism itself has its own language apart from the people who are followers of the religion. The language of Hinduism is Sanskrit, a. Although many languages of Hinduism are derived from Sanskrit, the Sanskrit language itself is mostly the language of the Upanishads, Vedas and other sacred Hindu

Show More
Related

  • Free Song of Solomon Essays: Erotica

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use of erotica can be seen very clearly in the "Song of Solomon". First of all, one must keep in mind that it comes from the bible so one will not here vulgar things or even words that you know are directly talking about sex. However, if you read closely, you can here the implicit remarks that these young lovers seems to be making, not only about each others body, but also about what each would like to do with the other.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hinduism And Buddhism

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unlike most religions, Hinduism has no specific founder, scripture or set of teachings. Hinduism has over nine hundred million followers today. The history of Hinduism is that it was found in the Indus Valley and it is an oral religion. Hindu’s believe in the three gods named Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is believed to be the creator of the world and creatures.

    Read More

  • Exploring the Paradox of Violent Eroticism in Kama Sutra

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wendy Doniger and Sudir Kakar call the sexually violent Kama Sutra ‘bright and shiny,’ but when people hear the words ‘bright and shiny’ sexual violence is not usually paired together with those terms. This idea of ‘bright and shiny’ contrasts the idea of intercourse being ‘dark and heavy.’ Sexual violence can be relatively cheerful though it lacks emotional eroticism. Emotional eroticism is not so constrained and is more focused around the idea of love. The violence used during intercourse helps one to obtain continuity through physical eroticism. Bataille said, “Physical eroticism has in any case a heavy, sinister quality. It holds on to the separateness of the individual in a rather selfish and cynical

    Read More

  • Comparing Hinduism And Spiritual Practices

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions which would imply a division of identity. It is the belief that animals and human castes were created

    Read More

  • Hinduism and Christianity

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Other than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life through philosophy that is mostly concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The impracticality of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas. Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu religion that are considered to be a straight ...

    Read More

  • Hinduism Essay

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Cultural Differences In Popular Religions

    419 Words  | 1 Pages

    Though Hinduism is labeled as a religion, it’s actually much more than that. It’s a culture, a lifestyle, and a society that has influenced it’s people for more than four thousand years. The Indian culture is made up of several languages and dialects causing much racial diversity amongst the civilization. Although modern Hinduism often conflicts with that of the earlier forms of this religion, it’s most basic foundation is practically the same. Even though it’s teachings are not commonly agreed upon.

    Read More

  • How To Visit The Hindu Mandir?

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism is made of many different religions and does not have one origin or single founder. The religion of Hinduism is very old, “300-100 B.C.E.--- The first trace of temple worship. Hindu people worship at the shrine, where Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a statue of a god or goddess” (McMillan). In addition, other religions are based off Hinduism, “5000-10000 B.C.---Hinduism can be traced back to 5000-10000 B.C. Hinduism is a very old religion, many religions are based off of Hinduism, like Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism” (McMillan).

    Read More

  • Hindu Religious Traditions

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Stephen King Joyland

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Sex doesn't have to look like sex; other objects and activities can stand in for sexual organs and sex acts.” (Foster 144) Thomas Foster, the author of How To Read Literature Like a Professor, wrote that line in the chapter “it's all about sex…” with the meaning behind it that anything can have a sexual component. Things such as “Tall buildings, landscapes, a bowl, or even keys,” Foster wrote. This meant that any other can use anything they want to represent sex in a story, while sort of hiding it.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hinduism And Buddhism

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism is a very unique religion; it is the oldest living religion and does not have a single founder unlike Buddhism. Hinduism

    Read More

  • Hindu Religious Traditions

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, “There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’” (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance.

    Read More

  • Hinduism

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.

    Read More

  • Hindu Mythology

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hindu mythology has been around for ages; it is the world’s oldest surviving religion. Hinduism was formed through diverse traditions in the year 2,000 B.C.E. There is no single person that gets the credit of developing Hindu Mythology because one person did not create it. Hinduism was originated in India, where it is the most practiced now. Hinduism has over a billion followers and about two-thirds of those people are in India. There are many temples open to worship gods and goddesses. “The needs of the gods would be met by the worshipers who have to prepare themselves through purification rites to draw near to their god” (Organ,193) Hinduism is not only the oldest religion but one of the biggest, with Islam then Christianity being above it.

    Read More

  • Essay On Hindu Culture

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today, Hinduism stands as India’s primary religion. In fact, India houses 90% of the world’s Hindi population and 79.8% of India’s population follows the Hindu religion, according to the 2011 census. It is thought by some to be the oldest religion in the world and the “eternal law” (Fowler). This culture is truly one as defined by Edward Taylor: “A complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capability and habit acquired by man as a member of society.” In order to have somewhat of an understanding about what the Hindu religion entails, one must study the Hindu conception of God, its basic concepts and key beliefs, as well as symbolism.

    Read More

More about Hinduism Research Paper

Open Document