Answer to last week's question: How would you answer when asked: "What is Hindu Religion"?
The
following few significant features highlight the major precepts of Hindu
religion that can be mentioned as a starting point.
1.
Hindu religion is based on the teachings of the ancient scriptures known as the
Vedas. There are four Vedas, namely: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.
2. According
to Hindu religion, God is one all pervasive Supreme Being, manifest as creation
and its intelligence, as well as un-manifest reality. His divinity is present in one and all.
3. Core
concepts of Hindu religion include:
·
Dharma:
Righteousness
·
Karma:
The law of cause and effect: good actions incur good results (punya karma) and
unrighteous actions incur undesirable results (papa karma).
·
Reincarnation:
The belief that after a person dies, that person’s soul is reborn in a new
body.
·
Moksha (liberation); Freedom from
suffering in this life as a result of discovering one’s true nature. Attaining moksha frees a person from the cycle
of rebirth
4.
Hindu religion recognizes several spiritual practices for one’s spiritual
growth; four major practices are: karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga,
and dhyana yoga (meditation).
Elaboration of these key points will follow .
