Oldest and Most Widely Practiced Religions in

¶ … oldest and most widely practiced religions in the world, Hinduism is an attractive and flexible tradition. With its colorful pantheon of deities, Hinduism has evolved over millennia, and has survived vast transformations in Indian culture. The fundamental teachings of the religion are contained within its sacred texts, namely the Vedas and the Upanishads. Hindu deities like Krishna, Ganesha, and Shiva have become well-known around the world, and Hindu practices like yoga are also renowned. The Vedas are considered to be divine teachings containing immutable knowledge.

However, their scope is wide and diverse. A supreme being is espoused, one who is personal and impersonal, immanent and transcendent. The Supreme Being is viewed as creator of the universe of both seen and unseen realities. The existence of other realms of existence, including deities, is central to Hindu cosmology. Communion with the gods is made possible by spiritual practice, devotion, ritual, sacrifice, and temple ceremonies. A spiritual teacher or master, known as a guru, is essential for the personal quest for enlightenment.

Discipline and meditative practices are also taught to assist the practitioner. A key concept in Hindu morality is ahimsa, or non-harming of sentient beings. Some sects of Hinduism like Jainism take ahimsa to an extreme, refraining even from wearing shoes for fear of harming insects on the ground. For similar reasons, vegetarianism is widely practiced among Hindus. Animals, especially the cow, are considered sacred. Karma is one of the more well-known precepts of Hinduism. Basically a law of cause and effect, karma dictates morality without express rules.

Right and just actions will bring rewards while harmful or unjust action will bring punishment. The concept of karma carries over into future lives; after death the personal soul survives and is reborn into another life. The cycle of death and rebirth continues until the person learns all necessary life lessons and has attained enlightenment. Enlightenment is summarized by freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth -- known as the wheel of samsara. The trappings of the material world are viewed as hindrances to enlightenment.

Therefore, various restraints and observances (yamas and niyamas) are recommended. These include such practices as meditation and yoga. Purification, either mental or physical, is a strong tradition of Hinduism. The Hindu lunar calendar contains a plethora of holidays and festivals on which to worship various gods. Emotional devotion to the gods, or bhakti, is a main path toward spiritual liberation. Therefore, Hinduism contains both community-based and individual spiritual practices. Hinduism contains a rich tradition of epic stories such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad-Gita.

These texts contain stories and teachings of the Hindu pantheon and introduce the reader to Hindu cosmology and ethics. Wars and battles are not uncommon in these stories, in spite of the doctrine of ahimsa. Because of India's rich historical and cultural landscape, Hinduism has traditionally remained a flexible, tolerant, adaptable religion. The invasion or peaceful introduction of other cultures and faiths to Hinduism did not dilute Hindu.