Is Hinduism only religion in this world having originated from divinity,?
927692
Have you ever heard of Buddha?
1097753
The reason Hinduism is so accepting of all religions, from Christianity to Islam, is because Hindus see God in everything. Being part of a different religion simply means you are on a different path to the same God.
701801
Hinduism is not a religion.\nIt is a collection of thoughts and beliefs gathered over thousands of years.\nThey have hundreds of Gods and hundreds of different theories.\nEvery region in India has a differnt following for a particular God and follow different rituals.\nHinduism has evolved with time. Because people have made changes according to thier wishes.\nEven Jesus and Mohammad (PBUT) are considered Avatars or forms of thier God.
608213
As a Hindu, the teachings are that "God" which is often refered to as Brahman is consciousness. It is the all pervading consciousness that manifested the entire universe from its very existence. It is the nothing from which everything manifests forth and it is what everything returns to (the entire universe, everything in it). Since everything came from Brahman, then everything is equal to it. That is the saying of the Upanishads "tat tvam asi" or you are that. In our own innner Self is consciousness, the atman. The atman is not seperate from Brahman. The atman is Brahman. Brahman is both everything that is manifested and yet is also everything that is unmanifested. It cannot be known with our senses, only when we search our inward can we learn to discover the Atman, and thus with Atman-Realization (Self-Realization) you are then able to achieve Brahman-Realization. Brahman is the Ultimate Reality, Supreme Soul, Cosmic Consciousness (those are how it is translated into English anyways). Everything is still Brahman, everything always will be Brahman. Everything is divine, everything is interconnected. Brahman is both impersonal and personal. Brahman is all forms, and yet also is formless. Brahman is the universe, yet also pervades it. It is the source, the root. It is time, it is space, and yet it exists without it. Hindu myths of the creation of the universe (one of the many creations of the universe, because afterall this isn't the first universe to emmanate from Brahman) sounds very much like the Big Bang. So Brahman is the source from which everything came from. It is said that this is because Brahman is overflowing with creative energy and that is Its nature. Brahman wasn't created, it is all that exists right now and yet pervades it. In Hinduism they talk about consciousness not as the byproduct of the brain, but instead say that it is the mind that is the sense organ of consciousness. The brain senses the consciousness that pervades the universe...senses Brahman...and this is what gives us awareness. Prana is the life breath, what makes some of Brahman living beings and what makes other inanimate objects, but all is still Brahman. \n\nNot sure if that helps. Hindus don't think of God as the "highest being", they think of God as that which exists all around them and as pure consciousness. They use forms, like the statues or pictures, to help focus their mind on God, yet these statues and pictures are merely forms for us, merely symbols and tools. Brahman is everywhere. That is why in some Hindu villages where there is no temple it is not unusual for people to simply designate a tree or rock as the "temple" place, because Brahman exists in all things. When Hindus greet each other they say "Namaste" which means "The divine in me bows and respectfully honors the divine in you." In essence, God...Brahman...is being 'worshipped' even when greeting each other. There is a saying amongst Hindus "Treat your mother like the goddess she is. Treat your father like the god he is. Treat your siblings like the divine they are. Treat you guests as you would god. For truly Brahman is everywhere." The food prayer for Hindus is "Brahman is the ritual. Brahman is the offering. Brahman is the devotee who offers to the fire which is Brahman. If a devotee sees Brahman in all things, the devotee will find Brahman."\n\nThe word Brahman comes from Sanskrit. Brih and Manah. Brih means "great", "expanding", "growing" and Manah means "consciousness". So Brahman is "Great Consciousness", "Expanding Consciousness", "Growing Consciousness"
413938
There are an infinite number of Gods. Ultimately, They all come from the same source of Divinity, as do we.
882608
Yes. I have researched Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity (orthodox, mostly), Islam, Zoroastrian (tho there is not much info out there), and many other ancient religions. I've learned that we are alike in our general beliefs for how a person should live (such as not to lie, kill, cheat, etc.). I've also learned that most of our differences lie in how we worship of how we attain truth, faith, and God.\n\nHere is a quote from Kahlil Gibran translated, "...each religion is merely a drop in the ocean of what is True faith..." - the human mind cannot grasp all that is there....
598956
My religion is Hinduism. It does not condemn people to hell because they are not Hindu. It does not declare that it is RIGHT over any other religion. It says that all religions are also "truth", too. They are just approaching the divine differently. The reason they approach it differently is twofold: 1) because each of us grasps different aspects of the divine which is so vast and large...infinite...that no one person can fully grasp it all and 2) because each of us are different and have different lives and experiences and we translate our grasp of the divine within the context of our experiences and lives.\n\n"Truth is one, though humanity calls it by many names." Rig Veda. These are the words of one of the sacred texts of Hinduism that sums up this idea.\n\nThere is a story in Hinduism about three blind men. Each is from a different village and each is out walking in the forest one day. Each comes across an elephant that is passing by them. Each goes back to their village and tells the villagers, who've never seen an elephant, about their experience. One blind man only got to touch the ears of the elephant as it passed. Another only got to touch the tail. And the other felt only it's body as it passed by. Each had a different experience and goes back to relate it to others. So whose experience is right? Whose elephant is true and whose elephant is false? Which of the three blind men is right and which ones are wrong? Hindus say we are like those blind men and God is like that elephant. We all only touch briefly a small part of God and then go around relating our experiences to others. Sometimes we find others who happen to have similar experiences (who are touching the same part of God) and others who are hanging on to a completely different part. Yet, Hindus stress that it is important for us to realize that we are all touching the same elephant, the same God, but that we are all just experiencing God differently. For me to claim that I'm the only one who is right is completely ignorant of the reality that God is bigger than me and it invalidates the experiences of others. For me to claim I'm the only one whose right, well that's just the ego talking.
722515
As of 2005, there were approximately 970 million Hindus. Of these, 900 million live in India, the birthplace of modern Hinduism. The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is the world's only Hindu nation, with more than 80% of its population practicing Hinduism, which is closely intertwined with Budhism. Though the majority of the Indian population practices Hinduism, 82%, India is a secular republic. Large Hindu communities, mostly expatriates from India, live in South East Asia, North America, the West Indies, Western Europe, the Middle East, East Africa and South Africa. The Hindus of Bali, and in other parts of Indonesia are indigenous Indonesian Hindus.
412645
To put it simply, Hinduism has no defined beginning. The people who lived near the River Indus in N. India were the original Hindus, I suppose. When the Aryans invaded their home about 5000 years ago, they called the river the "Hindu River" and called the land "Hindustan." From there, the people that lived there were known as "Hindus" \n\nThere was no one founder.\n\nHinduism today is a life style based on the lives of these ancient "Hindus." Basically, it's a list of instructions to make you a perfect person. Discipline, kindness, certain rituals...anything that the ancient Hindus thought would make them batter people. \n\nHindus today practice things like yoga, and worship various gods and goddesses. Each Hindu, however, has a slightly different belief system. It's sort of like they take the things they find most important from some massive ancient list of "good things" and adopt them as a belief system. They believe that following this list of selected beliefs will bring them absolute peace and happiness (like nirvana).\n\nOh, and Hinduism became popular throughout Asia between 2500 and 1500 years ago, but it only became popular in the western world in the last 200 years. It was spread mostly by traders who traveled across Asia.
853301
I dont see a question in there,,But thank you so much for the interesting quotes. Unfortunately the Vedas have been percieved in different ways thus resulting in todays confused hindu behaviour who have no clue what they do & why they do it! I strongly believe Hinduism being the oldest religion has paved way to the others & is the most comprehensive & profound religion in existence
965874
the oldest religion still going is Hindiuism I believe. \n\nI think hinduism originated in the Indus Valley civilisation about 5000 years, although boviously like all religions it has changed over time, the core beliefs are still there
683124
Because it is not an invented religion.\n\nHinduism has evolved through centuries. It is the Sanatan Dharma(eternal path).\n\nHinduism is among the oldest of the world's faiths. It is a total way of life. It is a dharma or way of life evolved by the great sages and seers of ancient India. Its traditions extend back before recorded history. The early phase of the Vedic tradition in India is dated between 10,000 - 7,000 BCE. Yet, in spite of the fact that it first evolved more than 5,000 years ago, Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) is also very much a living tradition. And as such, Hindus are arguably the most intensely religious people on the earth. \n        \nFor thousands of years India has been a veritable laboratory of religion: everything imaginable has been tried out, and nothing ever has completely been rejected. India remains a predominantly Hindu country. Its ethos has evolved down the ages through its the ancient Hindu traditions, customs, philosophy and culture.  In spite of many attacks on Hinduism by varied invaders, in spite of rumors of decay and disarray, Hinduism has outlived all announcements of its impending demise. \n\nThe first fundamental principle of Hindu Dharma is that "the Reality is one without a second." This reality is beyond description by human mind. Hence it is indicated by a single world, "Brahman". "Infinite, eternal, changeless existence is the All; from that All, All comes forth; to that All, all returns," that is what the Chandogya Upanishad (vi.2.1) tells us. \n\nWhen religion becomes organized, man ceases to be free. It is not God that is worshipped but the group or the authority that claims to speak in his name. It is not faith, but just social idolatry.
592283
A very good question.  \n\nMuch debate has gone up about the POLYTHEISTIC nature of Hindu.  The religion is known to have so many gods it is debated that there is no god at all to Hindu (among western academics), though it is so obviously a religion.\n\nGodhead is the name for the form of god in Hindu.  Godhead is in all things, all objects, all shapes, and all places.  In Hindu, god is worshipped in many shapes, the shapes of the many gods, and yet it is a general, universal god they celebrate, even though it is multitudes of gods.\n\nI understood it best when I heard a (poor) translation of a Hindu prayer, I will try to recall here: \n\n"God forgive me for these sins I commit, \nFor I am human.  \n\nYou are in all things, \nAnd I worship you in these things, \nYou are in all forms \nAnd I worship you in this form, \nYou are in all places, \nAnd I worship you in this place.  \n\nGod, forgive me for these sins I commit, \nFor I am human."
1139707
The Hindu scriptures state that we are spirit souls which are neither created nor destroyed - therefore the first thing to understand here is that God did not create us we have always been existing. However, the Hindu scriptures also explain that God is altogether more superior to the infintesimal souls. God created the material universe so that the souls could try to enjoy life separately from him.\n\nIt is also explained in the Hindu scriptures that the material creation is a poor reflection / mirror image of the spritiual world. Thus we can gather from this that this material world provides all the opposites found in the spiritual world, i.e. darkness, sin etc. This is why the spiritual world is described as self luminous not requiring any sun/moon/stars whereas the earth needed a sun and moon to brighten things up and regulate seasons etc.\n\nTo learn more about God, souls, karma, reincarnation, the material universe and more importantly the true purpose of our existence, check out:
556873
Hinduism. It still has all the ancient features- shamans, mother goddess, annimism, sun worship..... \n\nIt is not an organised religion but an eternal one --Sanatan. it has developed all through civilisation and still keeps modifing , without negating its older versions. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism all the paths are its branches.\n\nIt is monothesit religion which allows worship of god in the form of your choice. From formless Nirgun Brahm to local deities all are viewd as aspects of one devine gem.
524684
In one sentence, \n\n"The divinity of man"\n\nHinduism teaches that all religions are good and are valid paths to god...\n\njust like different ppl wear different clothes, eat different food, but are all the same "humans", so also different religions use different methods to reach the same\n"God"\n\nIt says that everything in the universe is god, you are god.\nI am god, \n\nall the suffering humanity goes through is because we forget our own divine nature, and think that we are nothin but bodies...\n\nThe goal of life is to realize our own divine nature,\n\nso hinduism shows 4 paths to that realization\n\nthey are\n\n1.bhakti yoga (through workship)\n\n2.karma yoga (through selfless work)\n\n3,raja yoga ( by psychic control, meditation and pranayama etc )\n\nand\n\n4.jyana yoga ( through philosophical discrimination of what is real and what is not real.)\n\nThe watch word of hinduism is\n\n"Truth alone triumphs"..........\n\nhinduism teaches us to be fearless...
59298
The oldest actively surviving religion is Hinduism...