Hinduism

From Srafopedia

Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma by its practitioners, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law".

Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion that is still practiced. Its earliest origins can be traced to the ancient Vedic civilization. A conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, Hinduism has no single founder. It is the world's third largest religion following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal.

Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as Śruti (revealed) and Smriti (remembered) and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living).

Hindu gods

Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism (one God) and polytheism (many gods). It is sometimes referred to as henotheistic (devotion to a single God while accepting the existence of other gods), but any such term is an oversimplification of the complexities and variations of belief.

Most Hindus believe that the spirit or soul —- the true "self" of every person, called the ātman -— is eternal. According to some theologies of Hinduism, this ātman is ultimately indistinct from Brahman, the supreme spirit. Other theologies understand Brahman as a Supreme Being who possesses personality, and worship Him or Her thus, as Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva or Shakti depending on the sect.

The Hindu scriptures refer to celestial entities, called Devas, literally "the shining ones", which may be translated into English as "gods" or "heavenly beings". The devas are an integral part of Hindu culture and are depicted in art, architecture and through icons, and mythological stories about them are related in the scriptures, particularly in Indian epic poetry. Hindu epics relate several episodes of the descent of God to Earth in physical form, in order to restore dharma in society and guide humans to moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Such an incarnation is called an avatar. The most prominent avatars are of Vishnu, and include Rama (protagonist in Ramayana) and Krishna (a central figure in the epic Mahabharata).

(Sources:Wikipedia)