Hinduism is practised by nearly 80 per cent of indias population, and around 70 million people outside india. Common knowledge publisher series very short introductions. So if after reading it, you have not been satisfied, then please ask one of the meditation teachers or one of the monks. Summary of hinduism beliefs meaning of name hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river. God is the infinite, eternal essence of all that is. The yajur veda is a collection o f short prose form ulae used in ritual, o f. Introduction to hinduism magazine web edition aprilmay. A very short introduction is indeed very short, perhaps too short to do more than scratch to surface of a topic as complex and varied as the religion of hinduism. The ancient indians were not interested in history as such, which is simply the records of. Hinduism is also known by the names sanatanadharmaand vaidikadharma. Hinduism is a religion that originated in the indian subcontinent. Christianity offers its followers an explicit account of the creation of the world and of human beings. Introduction to hinduism hindus in the west are sometimes invited to give a talk explaining their religion at a local college, schoolroom, interfaith group or even a christian church. Comparing and contrasting hinduism with christianity.
Jul, 1996 this book provides a muchneeded thematic and historical introduction to hinduism, the religion of the majority of people in india. Free ebooks an introduction to hinduism introduction to. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. It is generally believed to have originated around 2000 bc to 1500 bc. History and gods ultimate guide to the hindu religion, gods, rituals and beliefs hinduism beliefs and practices book 1 an introduction to hinduism introduction to religion hinduism. The ancient indians were not interested in history as such, which is simply the records of kings and merchants written by the victors. Opinion a short note on the short history of hinduism while it may be that the religious streams now grouped together under the rubric of hinduism are ancient, the word hindu was not applied to. Forster states in his novel a passage to india, hinduism, so solid from a distance, is riven into sects and clans which redirect and join. Hinduism as both a global religion and a form of nationalism are discussed. Hinduism is an ancient belief, one developed in the caste systems of india, and one that believes in karma, predestination and reincarnation. This book fulfills its promise as a very short introduction to hinduism.
Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements. Today, hindu communities are to be found in almost every country on earth. Sep 30, 2015 hinduism and buddhism a very brief introduction mrs. A brief introduction to hinduism the blog for culture vultures satiate your inner culture vulture with regular news and posts about cultural awareness, doing business abroad, working in a multicultural environment, hr diversity and global mobility. It is also the most complex in its philosophy and practices and difficult to understand. The roots of hinduism that weave together aryan, dravidian and ancient tribal cultures native to india can be traced back to before 3000 bce. Hinduism middle school world history and world geography. It also exists among significant populations outside of.
Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in india and nepal. Hinduism is practised by eighty per cent of indias population, and by thirty million people outside india. Vedic hinduism is a contradiction in terminis since vedic religion is very different from what we generally call hindu religion, at least as much old hebrew religion is from medieval and modern christian religion. Pdf of the various religions that came up through ages in human civilisation. Hinduism and buddhism a very brief introduction mrs.
Key preoccupations of hinduism today include the centrality of the veda as religious texts. A very short introduction very short introductions. Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the persian word hindu. For these reasons alone, this introduction to hinduism was inevitable. When, later in history, under the achaemenids 3, greeks, bactrians 4 and sakas 5, the iranians and the indians were forced to meet as citizens of the same empire, they met as complete.
Hinduism is the oldest living religions of the world. They came, made small bits of changes, and were absorbed within all encompassing india. She discusses key preoccupations of hinduism such as the centrality of the veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the importance of epics. Hindus worldwide, making hinduism the third largest religion after christianity and islam. In this very onefathom long body, along with its perceptions and thoughts, do i proclaim the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, the path leading to the cessation of the world. Comparing and contrasting hinduism with christianity creation. A very short introduction kim knott oxford university.
Posted by admin on march 5, 2008 in hinduism 2 comments. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. She discusses key preoccupations of hinduism such as the centrality of. Introduction to hinduism presbyterian mission agency. The brahma sutras, composed in the fifth century ce, is a summary of the. Hinduism in the 20th century and beginning of 21st 2. On the banks of the ganges, varanasi, india, march 2012 thecity ofvaranasi formerly calledbenares isoneofthe holiest cities in. She discusses key preoccupations of hinduism such as the centrality of the veda as. Written and assembled from sources by stephen knapp. It is the oldest practised religion in the world and has the third largest following after christianity and islam.
One can believe a variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu. Most of them are very scholarly and recount the doctrines in a clinical manner, sometimes without any insight. This book by jayaram v presents a thorough and scholarly understanding of the basic and essential aspects of hinduism from both historical and theological perspectives. It is a key virtue in hinduism, buddhism and jainism. There were sections where i thought the introduction was too short, but a book of this length must of necessity disappoint readers, and then point them to other works of greater detail. In this very short introduction, kim knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of hinduism and its key beliefs. I think this would be a helpful first text in a comparative religions course. Hinduism today magazine founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami 19272001, well understood the challenges that all religions face in todays world, whether from outside or within. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Thou art the apple of my eye, the prema of my heart, the very life of my life, the very soul of my soul, the illuminator of my. Hindu is actually a persian word that stands for the inhabitants of the region beyond the indus valley. Introduction to hinduism 9 to enable people to pursue these four goals, hinduism recognizes four stages of a persons life.
Feb 24, 2000 hinduism is practised by eighty per cent of indias population, and by thirty million people outside india. The flow of hinduism can be divided roughly into major periods of change and development. Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma, eternal religion or eternal truth. Very short introductions publisher series librarything. Of the various religions that came up through ages in human civilisation, hinduism is the oldest one. Oct 18, 2015 introduction to hinduism varun soni, dean of religious life at the university of southern california, discusses the goals and beliefs of hinduism, the third largest religion in the world. Pdf on jan 1, 2018, mathieu claveyrolas and others published introduction hindus and others.
Each reading comes with comprehension questions at the bottom of the page. Hinduism is veritably the fountainhead of all religions. It is rather hinduisms, because there isnt one religion called hinduism, but there is a multiplicity of religions within what we call hinduism, a parliament of religions. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. However, in common parlance, hinduism is a blanket term for an assortment of. Part two is concerned with the history and culture of tibet, and examines its early religious history, the presentday situation of tibetan buddhism, and some. Beliefs and symbols the central belief of hinduism is that god can be experienced as a reality in our life here and now. A very short introduction and millions of other books are available for instant access. Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of indias population, and by some seventy million people outside india. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non.
Introduction to sir john woodroffes translation of mahanirvana tantra. Read the slides to answer the questions on the sheet in front of you. This book provides a muchneeded thematic and historical introduction to hinduism, the religion of the majority of people in india. Hinduism flows from the misty past some 6000 to 7000 years ago. She discusses key preoccupations of hinduism such as the centrality of the veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the. Hinduism is not born of the teachings of particular prophets. Some have confided to me that they do not feel qualified to give such a presentation.
Hinduismintroduction wikibooks, open books for an open. Hinduism and buddhism a very brief introduction youtube. There was no concept of religion in india and hinduism was not a religion. The latter offers extracts from classical and modern sources paralleling and supporting the short introduction. Introduction to hinduism varun soni, dean of religious life at the university of southern california, discusses the goals and beliefs of hinduism, the third largest religion in the world. Ahimsa is also one of the ten yamas in hatha yoga according to verse 1. It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. A very short introduction av kim knott isbn 9780198745549 hos adlibris. The shift in the meaning of this word began much later, took place very gradually. In this very short introduction, kim knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twentyfirst century. Buddhism in a very small nutshell the life of the buddha the buddha was born an ordinary. A very short introduction very short introductions the vedas. A brief introduction to hinduism bydesign,ibeganwritingthischapterinaparticularlyauspiciousplace.
But you can just print whichever page you would like to use. Raj, independent sri lanka, and the shortlived tiger supremacy. Very basic introduction tovery basic introduction to hinduism. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. A very short introduction to the religion of hinduism. This is a short description of the basics of vedic culture and its philosophy. Flood traces the development of hindu traditions from ancient origins and the major deities to the modern world. A very short introduction offers an overview of this major religion, discussing key topics such as the centrality of the veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the ramayana.
Items added to this series should be moved to the series a very short introduction. Pdf hinduism a very short introduction download full. Th e dentals ta, tha, da, dha and na are pronounced w ith the tip. The term hinduism includes numerous traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. Hinduism embraces a diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements. I found the following worksheets about hinduism online at religious education online.
Its origin can be traced back to the prehistoric era with its ancient scriptures dating back more than four thousand years, but no specific point of origin can be cited. It has no founder, no uniform dogma, no hierarchical priesthood, no direct revelation, and no rigidly described moral code. Since time immemorial, this religion has been passing through different evolutionary phases. One can believe a wide variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu. May 25, 2009 a very short introduction to the religion of hinduism. Hinduism is the oldest of all religions practised in the todays world. The creation story also indicates a definite ending to this created order. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism.
The most popular among the aryan religions is hinduism. Hinduismintroduction wikibooks, open books for an open world. Hinduism is a religion and yet its a practice in diversity. She discusses key preoccupations of hinduism such as the centrality of the veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the importance of. It also contains a full bibliography of all literature. This book is a very good introduction for someone who knows little about the subject and would like to learn more, however for someone who does know a something about hinduism and would like to learn more it is a little unsatisfying. Items added to this series should be moved to the series a. Many people do not know quite what it is, and it is often described incorrectly by many who are not a part of it. The vedas are composed in a form of archaic sanskrit and are traditionally. Most hindus believe all humans and living creatures possess a soul, which is a reflection of god, and that the soul is reincarnated over many lifetimes. Jan 10, 2016 opinion a short note on the short history of hinduism while it may be that the religious streams now grouped together under the rubric of hinduism are ancient, the word hindu was not applied to. Hindus are a collection of liturgical and sacrificial verses called the vedas. Ahimsa ahinsa compassion is an ancient indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings.
Purists refer to it more as sanatana dharma the eternal pathlaw rather than a religion, as it is believed to be a virtuous way of life. A brief introduction to hinduism augsburg fortress. However, vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of hinduism. The first stage is that of the student, where one learns to lead a disciplined, pure life, devoted to the acquisition of knowledge, to. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism there are several important historical facts about hinduism that are relevant to the humanist context. Sanborn assistant professor of intelligence, american military university historian,freedoms foundation teachers guide. Pdf on jan 1, 2014, ashok vohra and others published hinduism. The hindu religion is filled with traditions and beliefs closely linked with other practices such as meditation and yoga. In this very short introduction, kim knott combines a succinct and authoritative overview of a major religion with an analysis of the challenges facing it in the twentieth century. A very short introduction combines an overview of a major religion with analysis of the challenges facing it in the twentieth century. A very short introduction very short introductions at. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is. Unreached people groups who call themselves hindu b.
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