Changes

Hinduism was, and is, one of the most powerful and resilient religions in the history of the world.  In the 20th century it withstood communism; throughout history it withstood evangelism by other religions; and in the last millennium it withstood Islam.  We shall see whether it continues to survive against Islam in this century.

Hinduism was, and is, one of the most powerful and resilient religions in the history of the world.  In the 20th century it withstood communism; throughout history it withstood evangelism by other religions; and in the last millennium it withstood Islam.  We shall see whether it continues to survive against Islam in this century.

Hinduism is an ancient polytheistic religion, consisting of multiple gods who were ultimately thought to be part of one god: Brahma, the supreme god of life.  The name "Hindu" comes from the word Hindustan, the Persian word for riverland; the birth of Hinduism was the merger of the Upanishadic and Vedic religious traditions in ancient India.  Muslim invaders of the A.D. 11th and 13th centuries began using the term "Hindu" to describe Indians from this region who were not Buddhists and who refused to convert to Islam.  In the A.D. 16th century European merchants and missionaries started using the term also.  But while Hinduism is not limited to one set of clear and specific beliefs, it does represent an overall belief system and today there are nearly one billion adherents to Hinduism in the world, nearly all of whom live in or emigrated from India.  (There are also significant Muslim and Christian populations in India today; Mother Theresa won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for her Christian charity work there.)   

Hinduism is an ancient monotheistic religion, consisting of multiple deities who were ultimately thought to be part of (as either helpers or aspects of) one God: Brahman, the supreme God of life.  The name "Hindu" comes from the word Hindustan, the Persian word for riverland; the birth of Hinduism was the merger of the Upanishadic and Vedic religious traditions in ancient India.  Muslim invaders of the A.D. 11th and 13th centuries began using the term "Hindu" to describe Indians from this region who were not Buddhists and who refused to convert to Islam.  In the A.D. 16th century European merchants and missionaries started using the term also.  But while Hinduism is not limited to one set of clear and specific beliefs, it does represent an overall belief system and today there are nearly one billion adherents to Hinduism in the world, nearly all of whom live in or emigrated from India.  (There are also significant Muslim and Christian populations in India today; Mother Theresa won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for her Christian charity work there.)   

Hinduism focuses on "The Eternal Way," which means that certain spiritual principles are true for eternity, transcending what is man-made.  This is like a science of consciousness.  The advancement of knowledge is emphasized by Hinduism, and today many Indians can be found obtaining PhDs or medical degrees.  Many Indians (note that the term "Indian" in this lecture refers to South Asia) are entering engineering and similar high-tech professions, and American companies are gradually hiring more and more Indians for these jobs because of the high quality of their work and their willingness to work for less wages by American standards.  Politically, Hindus in the United States are more Republican than other immigrant groups.

Hinduism focuses on "The Eternal Way," which means that certain spiritual principles are true for eternity, transcending what is man-made.  This is like a science of consciousness.  The advancement of knowledge is emphasized by Hinduism, and today many Indians can be found obtaining PhDs or medical degrees.  Many Indians (note that the term "Indian" in this lecture refers to South Asia) are entering engineering and similar high-tech professions, and American companies are gradually hiring more and more Indians for these jobs because of the high quality of their work and their willingness to work for less wages by American standards.  Politically, Hindus in the United States are more Republican than other immigrant groups.

Hinduism encourages meditation using yoga.  Historically, Hindus believed in reincarnation, a belief that spread even to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras in 560 B.C.  Visitors to India are impressed or surprised by seeing cows wandering about, disrupting traffic and commerce.  The expression "sacred cow" comes from the belief in reincarnation, and the view that a cow may be the reincarnation of one of your ancestors or deceased relatives.

Hinduism encourages meditation using yoga.  Historically, Hindus believed in reincarnation, a belief that spread even to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras in 560 B.C.   

 

Visitors to India are impressed or surprised by seeing cows wandering about, disrupting traffic and commerce.  The expression "sacred cow" comes from the belief in reincarnation, and the view that the cow is a life form that may have once taken birth as a human and as such must be given the same respect as a human.

The basic belief of Hinduism is in a cycle of life often represented by a dancing woman in a ring of fire, who is the god "Shiva" representing creation and destruction.  Other symbols are the god Brahma representing creation and the god Vishnu representing preservation or continuance of life.  In Hindu statutes a flat palm facing the onlooker represents peace, while a drum symbolizes creation.

The basic belief of Hinduism is in a cycle of life often represented by a dancing woman in a ring of fire, who is the god "Shiva" representing creation and destruction.  Other symbols are the god Brahma representing creation and the god Vishnu representing preservation or continuance of life.  In Hindu statutes a flat palm facing the onlooker represents peace, while a drum symbolizes creation.