hinduism

HINDUISM

Brandi.L
SO The number of the followers world wide of Hinduism by country 1,083,874,088 and the map MAP OF THE WORLD POPULATION IS 6,671,226,000 AND THE DEITY IS Hindus declare that there is only one Supreme Being and He is the God of all religions. There is no "other God." Thus the Biblical Commandment "Thou shalt have no other God before me," really means, "(Thou shalt not deny the Ultimate Reality or worship any power other than the Ultimate Reality)." Hindus view cosmic activity of the Supreme Being as comprised of three tasks: creation, preservation, and dissolution and recreation. Hindus associate these three cosmic tasks with the three deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Lord Brahma brings forth the creation and represents the creative principle of the Supreme Being. Lord Vishnu maintains the universe and represents the eternal principle of preservation. Lord Shiva represents the principle of dissolution and recreation. These three deities together form the Hindu Trinity.The Founder of Hinduism Hinduism is the oldest religion of all world religions. For hundreds of years, it has been searched for some evidence about its founder, but no one could point a finger at a specific founder or its date of origin. Even the authors of its sacred texts are largely unknown. The system exists from time immemorial and there is no exact beginning of this religion. It has no particular fonder but has many Rishis, Saints, Gurus, and leaders who reformed and revived the existing culture and traditions. It has developed out of Brahmanism. Ancient Hindu works talk about things that happened between periods of time more than the period well known to history scholars of current time. Even scientific excavations show the existence of ceremonious worship, at the early periods.The religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciple's perspective and so on. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be expected to strictly abide by that holy book.

In Hinduism there is not exactly a text that is a must for the follower. Even without reading the sacred texts one can get to the Eternal Bliss and also just reading the holy scriptures alone will not lead to the great liberation, as per Hinduism !The religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciple's perspective and so on. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be expected to strictly abide by that holy book. In Hinduism there is not exactly a text that is a must for the follower. Even without reading the sacred texts one can get to the Eternal Bliss and also just reading the holy scriptures alone will not lead to the great liberation, as per Hinduism ! the symbol of faith

[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/HinduismSymbol.PNG caption="symbol of hinduism"]]
The Basic belief's are Hinduism is a diverse religion practiced primarily in India. There is variation in local practices and the worship of particular deities. However, there are central tenants that unify it as one religion. The core of Hinduism is the belief in Brahman, the underlying universal life force that encompasses and embodies existence. According to Hindu scriptures, one's ignorance of the true nature of the self (atman) as one with Brahman is what traps one in the cycle of endless death and reincarnation (samsara). Thus, the highest goal of Hinduism is liberation (moksha) from the karmic cycle of death and rebirth.Hindus are very conscious of the paradoxes that make up the universe. Siva is simultaneously the creator, maintainer, and destroyer of life. All phenomena is a constant interplay between hot and cold, male and female, light and dark. Vedic medicine teaches that keeping these opposing forces in balance is central to the maintenance of bodily, social, and cosmic well-being. this is a map of the hinduism map GRAPH:

the pie graph





CELEBRATIONS:
Hindu celebrations vary widely throughout the East; various countries and ethnic groups have their own traditions. Some are:

Maha Shivarathri is a festival dedicated to Shiva in mid-February Holi, a spring festival, is held in early March. It is a carnival-like celebration featuring bright colors, bonfires, and pilgrimages. It is dedicated to Krishna or Kama, the God of Pleasure. Ramnavami, the anniversary of the birth of Rama, is held in late March. Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu. Wesak, the birthday of the Buddha is celebrated in early April by Buddhists in the Mahayana tradition. Dusserah, a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil is in early November. It is derived from early Hindu stories of struggles between a Goddess and a demon. Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights is held in mid November. It is mainly dedicated to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. It is the Hindu new year.



Hinduism (person)

Hinduism people praying



A general introduction to Hinduism, it's history, the caste system, and texts **. ** __ [|Hinduism at about.com] __ This is a wide ranging site covering topics as diverse as the 2006 Hindu calendar, beliefs and practices, gurus and saints, and Hinduism for beginners.
 * LINKS**
 *  __ [|Religious Tolerance Org] __ **

__ [|EatVeg.com] __ Although this is mainly a site about being a vegetarian, it has interesting sections on the religious reasons for not eating meat. In particular it considers the karmic consequences, vegetarianism in Hinduism, scriptures against killing and meat eating and the views of Hindu religious leaders on not harming others. [|Saiva Sidhdhantha Home Page] Spirituality, Yoga & Hinduism are all covered on these pages. The screen text is rather small and the language a little complex at times, however there is a wealth of information here. [|Ganesh, God of India Symbol and presence] This site is dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant head God. There are many pages including audio files, images and well written articles covering everything you could ever wish to know about Ganesh. If you want to know the names of Ganesh, read about the myths and legends, or find a Ganesh temple, you will find it here. [|Mahatma Gandhi] A Place to learn about Gandhi, his life, work and philosophy. This comprehensive site is regularly updated and maintained by non-profit Gandhian Organizations in India and has a wealth of information and material for researchers, students, activists and anyone interested in Gandhi. [|Hindu Festivals for the year] A detailed Hindu festival list for current year. This is an online Hindu Vedic calendar including details of the festivals for the last few years, and links to Christian and Muslin festivals too. [|Bhagavad - Gita online] A vast amount of information about the Bhagavad - Gita and Lord Krishna. There is also a very useful page all about cows, why they are sacred, how you should treat them, and what happens if you disrespect one. [|The Hindu Universe] This site covers many topics and is full of useful information on topics usch as hindu marriage, lifestyle, recent news, events, dhasrma and links to other sites. The down side is that it features rather a lot of adverts on some pages, including one for screensavers with bikini clad girls.