What makes hinduism a religion

Other forms combine male and female aspects together and some resemble animals, such as Ganesh or Hanuman. Each of these forms has a symbolic meaning. Hindus have long told stories about these various forms of the Divine to inspire devotion and instill ethical values.

Hindus pray to different forms of Brahman as manifestations of particular divine qualities or powers. For example: Ganesh is honored by Hindus as well as sometimes by followers of other Indian religions as the remover of obstacles and honored for his great wisdom, and is often invoked before beginning any important task or project; Saraswati is the Goddess associated with learning and wisdom; Lakshmi is worshipped as the Goddess of Prosperity.

God is believed to have the taken human form of Rama to show people how to live the path of Dharma. Krishna is said to have come to eradicate evil and protect good. Shiva is worshipped as the lord of time and change.

Furthermore, the prominence of each of the aspects of the Divine varies depending on the lineage of the individual Hindu. Hindus represent the various forms of God in consecrated images called murti. A murti can be made of wood, stone, or metals and sometimes can be naturally occurring, rather than fashioned by human hands.

Murti offer a way to visualize and meditate upon Brahman , which due to its infinite nature is believed to be beyond the grasp of the human mind. Hindu families conduct their daily worship at home altars and also at temples on special occasions. Many Hindus consult gurus recognized spiritual teachers and guides for advice or answers to spiritual questions.

Hindus believe that the soul, atman , is eternal. When the physical body dies the soul is reborn in another body. This continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth is called samsara. Allison's Journey to India. View Past Content Have a happy and bright Diwali!! Hinduism: A Unique Religion.

Travelers' Bios. Google Classroom. Play GeoGames! Introduction: One thing that makes India so unique is its religious traditions. With their cultural and religious beliefs, those of the Hindu faith can have varying views on matters such as food, holidays, general beliefs and more.

Due to the fact that Hinduism does not require followers to accept any one idea, the religion is much more cultural rather than creedal. The Hinduism religion has a belief of reincarnation, meaning that after one dies they are reborn. When it comes to the Hinduism diet there are varying beliefs. Due to a lack of scriptural documentation there are varied ideologies. Some Hindus are purely vegetarians, whereas others only eat non-vegetarian foods on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, Chathurthis, Ekadashis and celebrations of festivals.