What Do Hindus Believe?

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is the major religion of the people of India - almost 80% of the country consider themselves Hindu; and it is the 3rd largest religion in the world - 15% of the world's population is Hindu (after Christianity and Islam).

India was not a name the country gave themselves - it was called India because it was the country that arose around the Indus Valley Civilization. Nor was Hinduism a word coined by the Indians themselves: it is a relatively recent word that encompasses the belief system of the people (Hindus) living in the Indian subcontinent on the banks of the Indus river.

However, whether the people had a name for themselves or not, the Indus Valley Civilization was one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and Hinduism is the oldest living religion, still very much active and alive.

The Foundations of Hinduism

Because there was no one savior, no one scripture, no one set of commandments that dictate the rules for a religion, Hinduism came together organically, more as a way of life, than a religion: a Sanatana Dharma (translated as an Eternal Way, or a Perennial Philosophy). This has been the cornerstone of the success of Hinduism - a religion unafraid of change, unconcerned of conversions, undaunted by scrutiny, undisturbed by experimentation, unruffled by individual discernment, unintimidated by religious inquisitions. Infact, it encourages all these things that make most other religions apprehensive.

Hinduism gave the world the science of meditation (Dhyana), Ayurveda (natural healing), Yoga (the discipline of body and breath), Vaastu (architecture), Jyotish (astrology) and Vedanta (the knowledge of the self), just to name a few. As ancient as these practices are, they are still very relevant in today's world; and so Hinduism remained contemporary over every period of human history, despite it being the oldest religion.

Brahman - the Hindu Concept of God

The Hindu belief about God, or Brahman, is not of a form-based individual, but of an existence of an unchanging cosmic spirit. Brahman is described as the eternal truth, the universal knowledge, and the infinite existence. The Vedas describe Brahman as imperishable, absolute, unborn and undying, omniscient, omnipotent, the supreme Soul, pure consciousness. Brahman is a Sanskrit word, and the root word brh refers to something that expands, or grows. It is a gender-neutral existence that may be described cannot be defined. The concept of Brahman does not have a single equivalent word in the Western languages, but the concept can be explained as the essence of the universe, the smallest particle of the cosmos, as well as the infinite universe.

Atman - the Spark of Individual Divinity

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Atman may be generally translated as a soul, or the inner-self, the spark of divinity that Hindus believe exists within every human being. Hindus believe that Atman is the core of every person's self (not the mind or the ego, as Western philosophy proposed), and that all Atmas (or souls) emanate from Brahman (or Super-soul). This concludes that every soul's fundamental awareness is the same as that of Brahman's: eternal, essential, ageless; the only difference is that the soul's awareness is finite, limited. Therefore, the realization of "Aham Brahmasmi", or "I am Brahman", is the ultimate experiential knowledge that a Hindu seeks.

Trimurti - the Hindu Trinity

The three cosmic functions of Brahman: creation, preservation and destruction of the universe are personified as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who form the Hindu trinity. While there could be a perception that these are three different deities, the Hindu trinity actually refers to three facets or functions of the same divinity. Starting with the foundational assumption that every created thing in the universe has a beginning, an existence, and an ending, creation is symbolized by Brahma, preserving or maintenance of the universe by Vishnu, and the destruction aspect is associated with Shiva. Each of these facets is considered equally important, since there cannot be one without the other.

Avatars - the Phenomenon of Incarnation

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Central to Hindu philosophy is a belief that divinity can descend or incarnate in human form from time to time, the purpose of which is to raise the consciousness of humanity. The Sanskrit word Avatar is derived from the root words ava, meaning "down" and tr, meaning "to cross over." Avataric incarnations can be direct descent (Sakshat Avatar) of divinity, or indirect (Avesa Avatar) when a living form is empowered to represent divinity. The descent of Avatars, direct or indirect, is typically manifested for a very specific purpose, during a very specific period of time, for example, to bring back Dharma or divine order to humanity.

Reincarnation - Same soul, many lives

Another core belief of Hindus is that when an individual dies, even though the body is given up, the soul reincarnates, or takes on a new body and a new life. The concept of reincarnation is what the ancient Vedic sages ideated to explain circumstances that cannot be explained by genetics, culture or living conditions. Hindus believe that as long as a soul has intense unfulfilled desires, it will reincarnate in an attempt to fulfill them. The reincarnation process is believed to be repeated for hundreds of lifetimes to allow a soul to experience evolution, spiritual growth, and ultimately self-realization.

The Concept of Karma

Karma refers to the concept of cause and consequence, which the Hindus believe is a universal law that binds humans to the actions they perform and the resulting consequences of their actions. A soul's Karma is a unique blueprint of all the impressions it ever encountered, including desires, fears, beliefs, thoughts, intentions, influences, experiences, and energy vibrations. The three types of Karma: Agami, Sanchitta, and Prarabdha, are one's past, current and future actions and accumulation of consequences which define a person's life circumstances. Karma, in combination with the concept of reincarnation, is the Hindu explanation for the inequalities in people's circumstances.

The Four Aims of a Hindu Life of Fulfillment

The first of the four aims, Dharma, loosely translated as Duty, refers to the inner guidance of a person to express himself in the noblest way, and to fulfill his highest purpose.

Artha, or Wealth is commonly devalued in other religions, however in a Hindu society, Wealth is considered a form of divine energy necessary for the society to function well.

Kama (Desire) was understood as the energy of creation necessary for the planet to not only survive but thrive. Many religions advocate against it, but the ancient rishis were wise enough to acknowledge that desire (in line with one's Dharma) has a place in society.

Loosely meaning Liberation, Moksha is the final goal of a self-realized individual. Once man experiences Wealth and Desire, and performs his Duty to the society, he is then free to detach from the material world, and pursue Moksha, or liberation from human bondage.