Hinduism Essay -- Religion India Expository Essays Hindu

Hinduism Introduction Hinduism - stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in India.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Around 1750 BC Aryan invaders from central Asia settled in North - West India and introduced their own religious ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slowly the Hindu came to accept the idea of the existence of an eternal supreme being. They called this being, Brahman. Hindus also worship different gods which individually represent one particular aspect of Brahman. The most popular one of the lesser gods are Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer) Hinduism has no founder. It is a religion that has slowly developed over a period of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hindu Beliefs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hindu Gods   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hindus have four gods Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. There main god is Brahman. He is the origin and the sustainer of all life, and the goal of all things. He is eternal and omnipotent and only he is real. They believe that Brahman is so great that he cannot be explained in human words because all humans are imperfect and Brahman is perfect. Shiva   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shiva is usually depicted with six arms each one representing a different function to preform. He is known as the destroyer and restorer of life, symbol of the reproductive force of nature, philosopher and sage. He has a third eye which signifies wisdom or higher consciousness. He has a blue throat which is a result of him swallowing a full cup of mans sins. Worship of Shiva includes fertility rites and veneration of the symbols of male and female sex organs. Most Hindus imagine Shiva as being in deep meditation high in the Himalayas. Shiva is the ultimate god who holds in divine tension the preservation and destruction of the cosmos, both its birth and death. At times he is portrayed as the great ascetic. He is often depicted as the reconciler of dualities such as good and evil, eroticism and asceticism, his creative energy is depicted in the Lingam and Yoni. Shiva is frequently shown in loving union with his consort Parvati (another form of the great goddess)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shiva devotees are called Shaivites, and devotion usually takes the form of Yogic practice. Shiva is often pictured, in one of the best known religious images from India, as the lord of the cos... ...in January-February and lasts thirty-six hours. The name of this festival means "night sacred to Shiva", because worship goes on throughout the night. Compared to other festivals it is a solemn occasion marked by fasting. Some devotees of Shiva do not sleep, eat or drink for the thirty-six hours. During the night Shiva is worshiped with singing and dancing in shrines dedicated to the god. In the shrine is a small stone pillar representing the god Shiva around which people assemble and perform puja. Offerings are made by pouring milk, honey and melted butter over the linga. When the fast ends at about four o'clock much feasting follows with sweet potatoes and cucumbers among the many foods eaten. The people remember a story which helps to explain why they fast and keep watch throughout the night. The story tells of a hunter who was once chased by a tiger, he climbed a tree to escape, and he had to perch the whole night as the tiger crouched below. To make sure he did not fall asleep he plucked the leaves one by one and dropped them on the ground. There was an image of Shiva under the tree, as the leaves fell Shiva felt he was being worshiped and blessed the hunter.