Hinduism: core beliefs and practices

Religion is one of the most debated issues in the present, with some people considering that it is crucial for our well-being. In contrast, others believe it to be just something that people invented in their search for divinity. Hinduism is among the oldest religions is the world, and, unlike other religions, it does not follow the typical religious pattern as it doesn't have a founder, nor does it have a single holy book. The religion has most of its followers in India and the majority of Indians are devoted to it.

Hinduism dates back before our common era when the Indus Valley Civilization had received influences from Darvidians and Aryans. Instead of having just one book as most religions have, Hinduism has several books such as Bhagwad Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Puranas. Besides from having several holy books, Hinduism differentiates itself from other religions through the fact that it promotes other values. The religion is largely based on the fact that it teaches its followers how to live and how to advance through life with their minds pure.

Hinduism followers had initially been separated into castes which determined the exact position that people had in the Indian society. As people evolved and education intervened, the differentiation gradually disappeared and everyone became equal.

Hinduism does not just have followers in India, as there are Hindu people spread around the world, with a large community being present in the U.S. The worldwide number of people that are devoted to Hinduism is estimated at about one billion while the number of Hindu people living in the U.S. is believed to be close to a million. The U.S. Hindu community is strong and there are several temples where they can gather in order to bring homage to their gods.

2.Hindu people living in the U.S. face a greater probability of contracting a severe disease than those in India do. There are several reasons for the occurrence, but some of the most crucial are the stress of living in a foreign country and the fact that they prefer traditional medicine in favor of modern one.

In spite of being aware of the reasons for which they catch a disease, Hindu people mostly believe that the disease is owed to Karma. Communication is difficult between elderly Indians and U.S. doctors because the former can barely speak English. Hindu people generally are not likely to cooperate with doctors in finding a cure for their problems because they don't trust modern medicine. When they are close to dying, Hindu people believe that they should not try to recuperate because they would intervene in the ways of Karma, which presumably makes death inevitable. The whole family needs to support the dying person as he or she gives their last breath.

3.Family members gather around the dying person in order for he or she to spend their last moments around their loved ones. Tradition says that a dying person should be put on the floor in order for them to be closer to the earth. After the ailing person dies, the body is washed and prepared for funeral practices. Most Hindu people would rather have a Hindu priest pray and bless their recently departed relative.

4.In Hinduism, people that don't believe are not threatened to perish in hell as they are given another chance to recognize the religion as having great importance in one's life. From the Hindu point-of-view, hell is something experienced by people that have a bad Karma.

Hindu people believe that they've attained a level of happiness when they reach a perfect Karma and their mind and body are pure. Hinduism regards life as being complex process in which the soul undergoes several phases of reincarnation in order to reach a final phase where it is saved and reincarnation no longer occurs.

5.Hindu people praise several gods and their universal god has three forms: the creator of the universe-Brahma, the protector-Vishnu, and the destroyer-Shiva. Hindu people consider animals to be sacred and most religious people refrain from eating any kind of meat across their lives. The animal believed to be most sacred by the Hindu is the cow, and it is generally honored by the general Indian public.

An old Hindu practice concerns a widow, whose husband has recently died, having to accept sacrificing herself on her husband's pyre. Sometimes, if the widow refuses to sacrifice herself, the members from of the community force her onto the burning pyre. This practice is forbidden in the U.S. As it contradicts with human rights. Discrimination between Hindu people coming from different castes is also not permitted in the U.S.