Hinduism

HINDU POPULATIONS
Global: c. 811,336,000
UK: c. 400,000-550,000
(Estimates taken from P.Weller (ed.), Religions in the UK: Directory 2001-03, The Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby, 2001, pp.33-35.)

BEGINNINGS OF HINDUISM
Hinduism has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, although the Hindu way of life is more often referred to by Hindus as the Sanatana Dharma (eternal way of life). Hinduism has no single founding figure or point of historical origin and Hindus perceive the Sanatana Dharma to be eternal. It has developed in very diverse schools of thought, religious practice and focii of devotion.

CENTRAL ASPECTS OF HINDUISM
The Divine

Hinduism includes both monotheists and monists. The Divine can be understood either as an impersonal Brahman (the Advaita position) or as a Supreme Person (the Dvaita position). Hinduism also has many devas and devis or gods and goddesses, which present aspects of the divine. Among these are:

Basic Concepts
Alongside the diversities of belief, philosophical orientation and practice which the Hindu tradition as a whole contains, it also shares a number of basic concepts.

Hinduism sees human life in terms of four purusharthas or aims. These are:

Hinduism also traditionally teaches that the spiritual life has four main pathways:

The Four Ashramas and Varnas

Hindu life is structured by what is known as Varnashrama Dharma, which is concerned with an understanding of one's personal and social roles within the totality of life. The four Ashramas are seen in ideal terms as the four stages through which a maturing human life should pass. Whilst in contemporary life it is not often lived precisely in these terms, its broad outlines remain a powerful influence upon the Hindu perception of life. The ashramas are those of the:

The Four Varnas are traditionally seen as complementary in terms of both status and responsibility. Some Hindus see these in primarily hereditary terms, whilst others see them as more qualitative differences. The traditional varnas consist of:

Associated with the broad, ideal classes of the four varnas, are many thousands of groups known as jatis, many of which are linked with traditional occupational groups. Examples include the following:

The Scriptures

There are two broad groupings of scriptures. The first group of sacred writings is known as the shruti (that which is heard) and the second is the smriti (that which is remembered). Some Hindus believe that the shruti and the smriti are on the same level, whilst the majority view is that the shruti are the more authoritative.
The shruti include the four Vedas which are said, originally, to have been transmitted orally for many years before they were written down. The Four Vedas are the:

Each of the Vedas has four parts:

The smriti present Hindu teaching in widely accessible ways and have six parts:

The Itihasas, or stories, contain the two famous epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

There are also, in addition, a range of other texts, including the Dharma Shastras, or law books and the Prasthana-vakyas, a range of literature which include, for example, the esoteric Tantras.

DIVERSITY WITHIN HINDUISM
Philosophical Systems
In classical Hinduism, there are six Darshanas or systems of Hindu philosophy, each of which focuses upon particular aspects of knowledge. These are the:

Among its various schools of thought, the Vedanta encompasses a range of emphases, including:

In devotional practice, Hindus focus upon ishta-devata, their chosen deity. This focus of devotion is often associated with a particular sampradaya or movement.

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