Hinduism is the major religion of the people of Southeast Asia, but there are followers of Hinduism in every country of the world. Beginning in India about 30,000 years ago, it is based on ancient writings known as the “Vedas”. This religion embraces an entire way of life. It includes a set of rules that has traditionally organized the people into the caste system. Hindis (people who follow Hinduism) maintain there are many ways to believe in God and there is very little set doctrine that they must believe. There are many temples that are supervised by priests, but the followers can worship in any way they choose. Hinduism contains a belief in nature gods, village gods, spirits and sacred objects. Some Hindis have organized these gods into a trinity of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer combined in one single Supreme Being.

Some of the Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism

Views of God

• Impersonal God – Some Hindis regard God as an impersonal spirit called Brahman. They call the physical world maya, or appearance because they believe that physical appearance is a distorted view of reality.
• Personal God – many Hindis believe the Supreme Being is a God of Love who created the universe, preserves it for billions of years and then destroys it to start the cycle all over again. This God is often shown in statues of Vishna with several heads or many arms and legs. Worshippers of Vishnu are called Vaishnavas and believe that God hears their prayers and comes to earth to help men. Some Hindis believe this personal God to be Shiva and are called Shivas. They believe God to be the personification of many forces of nature and represent him as dancing, symbolizing the cosmic creation of creation and destruction.

Views of Man

• Man and the Universe – all objects in the universe have souls related to God and these are ranked in accordance of the level on which they are aware of their spiritual nature. Man is the highest level, but as long as he remains at the mercy of the demands of his body he remains ignorant of his spiritual nature. He is condemned to be reborn and his morality determines the level at which he will be reborn.
• Man and Society – souls are born into varying levels of economic and social groups. There are four broad classifications of the economic divisions called varnas. Priests, teachers and government officials are the highest level with rulers, officials and soldiers on the next level. Farmers, bankers and other who control the economy are on the third level and craftsmen and laborers make up the fourth level of the caste system.

Stages of Salvation

Hinduism includes three margas, or paths to salvation. They are also called yogas and each path requires a different kind of discipline. The first stresses active participation in society, the second stresses devotion to God and the third stresses study and mystical contemplation.

The first path of duty must be mastered before the others. Those who follow this must fulfill the social, economic and ritual obligations of his caste. The second marga is the most popular as it involves devotion to a personal God through worship. Five sacrifices or offerings are made in homes every day – to the gods, to the ancestors, to the holy men of Hinduism, to all men who come as guests and to animals. Pious Hindis will not eat meat or kill any creatures and cows are regarded as scared. They fast at certain times of the year, hold family religious celebrations and worship at temples. The third path to salvation is the path of knowledge. It is considered an effective, but hard method because it requires years of self-discipline, study and meditation.

Holy Days of Hinduism

Hindi celebrations vary widely according to location, but they generally include:

• Maha Shivrathri – a festival dedicated to Shiva in mid-February.
• Holi – a carnival like festival held in early March dedicated to Krishna, the God of Pleasure.
• Ramnavami – the anniversary of the birth of Rami, who was believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. This is held in late March.
• Wesak – the birthday of Buddha held in early April.
• Dusserah – a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil celebrated in early November.
• Diwali – the Indian Festival of Lights held in mid November. This is mainly dedicated to Laskshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and is the Hindu New Year.