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Hinduism is among the world's oldest religion that has no beginning it was there before recorded history. Unlike most other religions, it cannot be linked to a single founder as it is formed from diverse traditions. It is a predominant religion in the Indian subcontinent and is one of its indigenous religions (Sen, 2005) Due to the fact that it cannot be clearly defined and does not have rigid guidelines various forms of religious expressions coexist in Hinduism. It is actually a way of life since there are no set customs or rituals that make a person a Hindu if followed. It has four main denominations or sects which are Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.
Beliefs
Within Hinduism there is the belief of a supreme God whose qualities are represented by deities which emanate from him. The Supreme Being is all-pervasive that is both immanent and transcendent and is also the creator and un-manifest reality (Kumar, 2003.)
In Hinduism there is also the belief in karma the law of cause and effect. This belief is based on the fact that every individual has a way of creating their own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. It governs the fact that life exists in a cycle from birth, when they do their duties and hence escape the weight of bad karma. The second way of attaining salvation is through deep mediation. The third way is through devotion. This requires the longing for a more emotional and personal approach…
References
Shattuck, C.T. (1999). Hinduism. London: Routledge.
Sen, K.M. (2005). Hinduism. London: Penguin. (Chapter1 and 2)
Kumar, V., (2003). Hinduism Beliefs: Facts About Hinduism. Retrieved October 15, 2012 from http://www.godrealized.com/hinduism_beliefs.html
Pushatak M., (2006).The Philosophy of Hinduism: Four Objectives of Human Life; Dharma (Right Conduct), Artha (Right Wealth), Kama (Right Desire), Moksha (Right Exit (Liberation)
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