Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma What

¶ … Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma

What the Western world knows as the united religion of Hinduism is actually a variety of Indian religions tied together by their main practices, common beliefs, and ancient historical background. The term Hinduism was actually crafted by the British during their rule over India in an era of imperialism. Created as a category for the British census, Hinduism loosely refers to a number of smaller religions which know prefer to be known as Sanatana Dharma, or the "eternal religion," (69). These religions do, however, have several major foundations in common which makes them seem so similar to foreign eyes. They have common spiritual teachings and beliefs in reincarnation, karma, distrust in the real nature of the physical world, and their common ancestry brought to India by foreign invaders in ancient India.

Several major traditions tend to characterize the traditional beliefs which are collectively known as Hinduism. Dharma can be further understood as "a holistic approach to social coherence and the good of all corresponding to order in the cosmos," (69). There are four major collections of sacred songs which make up the more general spiritual teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Samhitas are meant to worship the gods and goddesses, Birahamanas explain the details of sacrifices to the deities, Aranyakas are the ancient writings of those who spent most of their lives meditating in the forest, and finally the Upanishads which contain spiritual teachings from sacred religious figures. The idea of reincarnation is essential to the beliefs of Sanatana Dharma. Many believe that when one dies, that soul is reborn within another body; where one lives one's next life depends on the actions of one's previous lives. Karma is also an important belief held by the various sects of Sanatana Dharma. This idea states that "every act we make, and even every thought and every desire we have, shape our future experiences," (75). The practice of Yoga, and its focus on increasing the body's prana through awakening of chakras, or spiritual centers within the body, is also common in Hinduism. Many also share a common belief in an earth goddess who rules over our lives. Over fifty million Hindus are said to worship a variety of the goddess.

Several Hindu traditions explain the importance of rising above the physical world. The Purusha is the pure self, "which is eternally wise, pure, free, beyond change, beyond cause," (76). The ideal self is later tainted through its relationship to the Prakriti, or the physical world. Many believe that all of human suffering comes from man's confusion between the two. When one is too comfortable in the physical world, "we, too, are like gods who forget the heights from which we came, so intent are we on the joys and sorrows of earthly life," (76). Many traditions state that the physical world is an illusion, and that we must learn to see past the myth and align ourselves with the true essence of life.