Running head: HINDUISM PAPER 1

Hinduism Paper
Richard Fuquea
HUM/130
May 26, 2014
Kristofer Atkinson
HINDUISM PAPER 2


Hinduism Paper
The Hindu religion is one of the most fascinating and confusing religious concepts that I have ever
studied. It has many different traditions and sects throughout it. The practices and traditions of this
culture span a great deal of years and can be traced back to the beginnings of recorded history in the
Indian peninsula. There are so many different traditions that it is hard to separate out the ones that are
central to the religion. The biggest and most traditional one is the concept of karma and reincarnation.
This is a central tenet of the religion and means action, whether it be a good one or a bad one. Another
belief and tradition is the worship of a deity. But the main thing that is different from the other religions
is the fact that in Hinduism there could be said to be 330 deities in the country of India.(2014) This is
means that they find the divine in a multitude of things. One of the other things that fascinates me is the
practices of yoga and the trying to transcend the earthly plane and achieve enlightenment.

Karma is defined as action, good or bad, that determines where we go when we die. That is the other
thing that is intrinsically linked to karma. Reincarnation is the belief that after we die, we are reborn into
a new body, over and over again until we finally achieve enlightenment and are released from the cycle
and into the Absolute Reality. We are the same soul throughout all of our rebirths. This is also true of
the karma that we accumulate. The Vedas, a collection of hymns that are revered in the Hindu religion,
are the ones that teach this philosophy. (2011) The cultural impact of thi9s belief is that the belief that
after we have so much good karma and become at piece with ourselves, we transcend, fits in with the
caste system that is in place in the country which the religion originates. This convinces those of a lower
caste that if they perform good deeds they will be able to move up in the next life.

Many major religions have one central deity that they worship. The religion of the Indian people sees
divinity in many different small things and there are many different deities. The Vedas talk of devas, the
controlling forces of the cosmos. These are simple deities that have control over things such as fire and
drink. There are also different deities such as Vishnu, the deity of the Vaishnavism, one of the major
sects of Hinduism. It is also taught in this religion that each person is a deity incarnate, a god unto them
own selves. We can attain our god hood when we achieve our enlightenment.

The main aim of the religion in question is the discovery of self, the path to true enlightenment. This is
the path that that most religions strive to achieve but it is especially prominent in Hinduism. Hindus
strive to achieve true enlightenment and transcend this earthly plain. This is where the concepts that we
discussed earlier come together as one. The constant cycle of rebirth is a way to learn more and more
until you finally understand and shed the earthly plane. The pursuit of enlightenment is one that I chase
after myself and I can see where the practice of yoga and the meditation could help in learning more
about yourself. The people of India have traditionally had a hard life and have had to suffer to survive.
(2007) This would cause a great want to leave this life and find peace in another.
HINDUISM PAPER 3



In studying the religions of southeast Asia, Hinduism is one the ones that has piqued my interest the
most. The amount of rituals and beliefs that are associated with Hinduism can be daunting to be sure
and I have not been able to understand them all myself as well. But the main beliefs can be used in a lot
of different religions. The belief of karma, the action we take in our everyday life, makes us who we are
and gives us the means to transcend our earthly flesh and to transcend to the next stage. Seeing the
divinity in the many different thing of life is also one that is held by some other religions. But the belief
in the multitude and the personal deity are unique. The search for our true selves, the transcendence of
the soul to another plane is a central belief in other religions as well but it is the coming together of
body and mind that makes Hinduism unique. Personal godhood is a very worthy reward for many
lifetimes of study.















HINDUISM PAPER 4


Works Cited
Fisher, M.P. (2014). Living religions. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.

Shushan, G. (2011). Afterlife Conceptions in the Vedas. Religion Compass, 5(6), 202-213.
doi:10.1111/j.1749-8171.2011.00275.x

Lal, V. (2007). Manas: History and Politics of India. Manas: History and Politics of India.
Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Histor