The Hindu World

e [Music] to us India seems a colorful and exotic land it is a land of beautiful impressive temples women clad in s and merchants selling their wees in the marketplace India is also a place where men and women follow social patterns and cultures laid down centuries ago the outlook on life here is quite different from that of the Western World in India we find a way of life which values spiritual attainment above all else the ideas these people have about God about life and death about their fellow men and what it is that makes a successful life have been largely shaped by the Hindu religion this religion had its origin in India today the Hindu faith has some 300 million followers in India and in neighboring Pakistan salon and Burma 15 million more in Benares the Hindu holy city Hindus practice Many religious rights from the river Landings known as Goths Hindus step down into the sacred Waters of the Ganges which they believe will wash away their sins to these Hindus the central idea of their religion is this the spirit of Brahman the all pervading force of the universe and otan the spiritual Essence in man are one the supreme goal of the Hindu faith is eternal Union of the individual spirit with The Universal spirit this faith can be traced back to 3,000 BC when Aryan tribes crossed the Hindu Kush mountains in the north and settled on the fertile Plains of the indust river and Gangi River the Aryans known today as Indo Aryans founded a new way of life a life which was based on a collection of religious writings called the vadas the vadas teach the worship of many gods Gods such as Indra God of Storms and War and ugy god of fire today Hindus worship an endless variety of Gods which Adorn their temples and they believe that within each of these Gods is some aspect of Brahman the all pervading Spirit Brahman cannot be defined but is everywhere seeing Brahman in everything the Hindus have a reverence for all natural things earth and water trees flowers animal and human beings almost everything Hindus do is related to the central idea of their religion to seek Eternal Union with Brahman the spirit of God a majority of Hindus find that they can achieve this eternal Union by worshiping one of the many gods in the Hindu Pantheon this approach to Eternal Union is known as bakti Yoga bakti Yoga includes the worship of gods of the Hindu Trinity such as Brahma the Creator Shiva the destroyer and Vishnu the preserver these Hindus are vnit and the mark of the vnit sect is seen on this worshippers forehead so Hindus of many different sects believe that the worship of gods is one way of achieving Eternal Union other Hindus believe that they can achieve Eternal Union with the spirit of God by practicing janana yoga or the way to knowledge they believe they can achieve this Union through pure logic by studying Hindu scriptures however studying theological writings is not as vital to most Hindus as the religious insights they gain from everyday experiences one common experience is the way of work called karma yoga it can also lead the Hindu towards Eternal Union Karma Yoga includes not only physical work such as farming but mental activity such as practicing law one of India's greatest followers of the way of work karma yoga was mandas K Gandhi a lawyer who became a spiritual and political leader of Modern India still another group of Hindus practices ASA yoga it consists of learning a series of physical and mental exercises in order to achieve control of the mind and body for devout Hindus religion influences every phase of Life particular relationships within the family unit a lifelong concern with religion May culminate in one of the highest forms of devotion becoming a sunasan or holy man the holy man detaches himself from people and material things in the Quest for Eternal Union with the spirit of God another important aspect of Hinduism is the cast system a cast is a social group or class in India cast is not based upon wealth but upon mental and Spiritual Development the highest cast are the highly cultured brahmins who are priests and teachers Aristocrats and warriors make up the second cast next are the merchants and farmers and there is a fourth cast the shudras who perform menial tasks today the cast system in India is weakening industrialization and City living are helping to break down cast differences especially among the younger generation nevertheless Hindus were able to accept the cast system for centuries because it is taught in the upanishads a collection of holy writings the upanishads also teach reincarnation and transmigration of souls reincarnation rebirth into another existence has helped Hindus accept their particular lot in life in the cast system they believe that by living a good life rebirth into higher human existence is possible One goal of most Hindus before death is to travel to the holy city of Benares where they bathe away their sins in the Ganges on the river Landings or GS religious rights are part of the preparation of bodies for cremation devout Hindus hope that by reincarnation they may be born into a better life in the next existence souls are not only incarnate in human form but also in those of animals so Hindu tradition does not allow the taking of human or animal life devout Hindu H who are vegetarians consider cows sacred they allow them to wander on city streets and feed them as a religious act before this Hindu temple a design is being traced in rice flour which has been spread out as food for ants even the lowliest creatures are held sacred to the Hindus who see God everywhere in nature this then is the central idea of the Hindu religion to attain Eternal Union with the all-pervading spirit of Brahman Union with Brahman may be sought through a variety of disciplines called yogas bcti yoga is the worship of the various gods in the Hindu Pantheon Karma Yoga is the way of work janana yoga is the way to knowledge ASA yoga is a physical discipline of the body and there are other mental and physical disciplines that may lead to Eternal Union the Hindus also believe in reincarnation and hope that their spiritual Destiny will be fulfilled if not in this life perhaps the next spiritual union with Brahman the all-pervading God is the religious goal of more than 300 million people living in the Hindu world