Hinduism
... many different forms and facets. The supreme god is Brahma but he is perceived in forms such as Shiva and/or Vishnu. Within this trinity Brahma is the supreme soul or essence of the universe. Vishnu is the second god within the trinity, and the “Preserver” of the universe. Shiva is the third major form of god and is the “Destroyer”. Reincarnation is a key belief in the Hindu religion. Samsara, as the Hindus call reincarnation, is where ones’ soul is passed onto another body after ones’ physical death. However, it is karma that determines the souls next life. So how one behaves in their life affects the social status of their next life. In these lives Hindus have four main goals or “Aims of Life”: Dharma, which is righteousness in their religious life; Artha, which is success in their economic lives, material prosperity; Kama, which is the gratification of the senses, both sexual and mental. The main goal is Moksha, which is liberation from samsara, where the soul is released from the cycle of rebirth. To achieve Moksha you have to be one with yourself, to understand the meaning of life and to reach Nirvana. To do this many Hindus use meditation, a common form of yoga. Depending on ones’ karma, determines where in the caste system the soul is born. The caste system is a rigid division of the Hindu society. Where you are in the caste system determines your social status, your rights, the jobs available to you and other variables. The range is from the Brahmans who are the highest on the caste system all the way to the Untouchables who are below the lowest on the caste system, on the basis of their impurity. The major holy book of the Hindu religion is called The Vedas. The Vedas are divided into three smaller books: the Rig Veda, Sama Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas include hymns, incantations, rituals and stories of ancient India. The Upanishads, another important book of the Hindu culture, are known as a continuation of The Vedas. The Upanishads break down the stories of The Vedas by writing them as dialogues between student and teachers. The universal symbol for Hinduism is Aum which is a Sankrit word meaning supreme truth. it is used in meditation as a calming sound. Hindus practice meditation on a regular basis as a part of their daily or weekly rituals. Their daily worship or puja as they call it, includes home worship where they have a place in their house dedicated as a shrine to thier family god where they indulge in prayer and meditation. During the day they make severel stops to various temples and shrines for worship. The Male hindus support their father, grandfather, and grea...