How does Hinduism affect your life?

Hinduism and dharma tie in with karma, how a person lives his or her life will affect their next life. Hindus believe that souls are reborn into new bodies, called reincarnation. By living well, a person can reincarnate into a higher class. Living poorly may do the opposite.

What have you realized about Hinduism?

Hindus believe that the soul, atman, is eternal. When the physical body dies the soul is reborn in another body. This continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth is called samsara. Rebirth is governed by karma: the principle that every action (be it physical or mental) has a result, like cause and effect.

How did Hinduism strengthen the caste system do you think the?

Hinduism reinforced a strict social hierarchy called a caste system that made it nearly impossible for people to move outside of their social station. Emperors during the Gupta empire used Hinduism as a unifying religion and focused on Hinduism as a means for personal salvation.

What it means to be Hindu?

A Hindu is a person who believes in the religion called Hinduism. If you’re a Hindu, you belong to the third largest religion in the world, and one with many different gods and goddesses. The word Hindu used to refer to anyone from India, from the Persian word for “India,” Hind.

How is Hinduism a way of life lifestyle rather than just simply being a faith?

Hinduism has no founder, no single scripture, no dogma, no central authority that governs us. It is the oldest religion in the world, but it is not an organized religion. Many Hindus describe Hinduism as “a way of life” rather than a religion. Hindus do not worship many gods; we do not even worship one God.

What do Hindus believe?

When you think of ‘Hinduism’, you think of words like karma, reincarnation, and dharma. When a Hindu thinks of ‘Hinduism’, they think of phrases like pujas for my grandmother, arranged marriages, and no beef. Any practical discussion on Hinduism should only discuss beliefs as much as they affect behaviors and the community.

What is the meaning of Hinduism?

It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. This is reflected in a term Indians use to describe the Hindu religion: Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal faith, or the eternal way things are (truth). The word Hinduism derives from a Persian term denoting the inhabitants of the land beyond the Indus, a river in present-day Pakistan.

What are the sources of Hinduism?

Hinduism developed over many centuries from a variety of sources: cultural practices, sacred texts, and philosophical movements, as well as local popular beliefs. The combination of these factors is what accounts for the varied and diverse nature of Hindu practices and beliefs.

How did Hinduism survive for so long?

Popular Hinduism is best seen in groups like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living campus and others that promote general peace and well-being, loosely tied with different kinds of divinity. This diversity and synthesis has both allowed Hinduism to survive for so long, and also made it a complete puzzle to outsiders.