Hinduism
Hinduism is an ancient way of life, stemming from the Vedic culture in India thousands of years ago. Practitioners were probably named Hindus because they lived in the Indus River Valley when explorers first wrote about the culture they had "discovered". Hinduism cannot be traced back to one founder, teacher or leader. Hinduism is called the world's 3rd largest religion.
You might recognize...
Concepts and practices that people in the West recognize today, such as Ayurveda, Chakras, Dharma, Gurus, Karma, Maya, Prana, Samsara, Tantra, and Yoga come directly from Hinduism. It is important to know the background on these concepts and practices, NOT because they are so prevalent in today's New Age spirituality in the West, BUT because they have their own inherent value as part of a complex religious and cultural system.
Some familiar gods, goddesses and avatars you might recognize are Brahma, Ganesha, Kali, Krishna, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shakti, Shiva and Vishnu. There are many more. Hinduism is a polytheistic path, but there are monotheists within it as well. It is a very tolerant religion.
There are many texts on Hinduism, including Vedas, Sutras, Upanishads, Epics, Puranas and other texts. There are volumes of works that gurus have written to further explain and interpret the teachings in the canonical texts.
You may have heard of festivals celebrated by Hindus such as Diwali and Holi. At Diwali, people celebrate the triumph of light over darkness and many of the symbolic connotations of that balance. It is celebrated with sweets, fireworks, and a renewed joy in the simple pleasures of life. At Holi, Fertility and love are celebrated during this festival of colours. The social order is temporarily suspended and people of all diversities get together to splash each other with paints, dyes and powders.
Some familiar gods, goddesses and avatars you might recognize are Brahma, Ganesha, Kali, Krishna, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shakti, Shiva and Vishnu. There are many more. Hinduism is a polytheistic path, but there are monotheists within it as well. It is a very tolerant religion.
There are many texts on Hinduism, including Vedas, Sutras, Upanishads, Epics, Puranas and other texts. There are volumes of works that gurus have written to further explain and interpret the teachings in the canonical texts.
You may have heard of festivals celebrated by Hindus such as Diwali and Holi. At Diwali, people celebrate the triumph of light over darkness and many of the symbolic connotations of that balance. It is celebrated with sweets, fireworks, and a renewed joy in the simple pleasures of life. At Holi, Fertility and love are celebrated during this festival of colours. The social order is temporarily suspended and people of all diversities get together to splash each other with paints, dyes and powders.
More Information
Check out some of the following links for more information about Hinduism
The Bhagavad Gita in English: an Audiobook: http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/the-bhagavad-gita-in-audio-english/
Hinduism Explained: blog articles on various topics at http://www.indiadivine.org/category/hinduism-explained/
BBC on Hinduism: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
Patheos on Hinduism: http://www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism
The Internet Sacred Text Archive, Hindu texts: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm
The Bhagavad Gita in English: an Audiobook: http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/the-bhagavad-gita-in-audio-english/
Hinduism Explained: blog articles on various topics at http://www.indiadivine.org/category/hinduism-explained/
BBC on Hinduism: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
Patheos on Hinduism: http://www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism
The Internet Sacred Text Archive, Hindu texts: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm
Jacki Moss, Spiritual Consultant. Voice Mail: (705) 209-9848 or E-mail: [email protected]