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Hinduism

Essay by   •  November 10, 2010  •  694 Words (3 Pages)  •  1,423 Views

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Hinduism

Although the Hindu lacks unity they share some common features such as they all have deep roots in Vedas and other scriptures but also direct personal experiences of the truth through meditation, all hold ethics to be central to orderly social life. They attribute suffering to the laws of Karma, all hold that the ultimate cause of suffering is people’s ignorance of the self, which is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, perfect and eternal.

Many Hindus rest their faith in genderless deity with three basic aspects, creating, preserving, and destroying. The female is highly venerated in Hinduism compare to many other religions. Women are though to make major contribution good earthly life, consisting of dharma (order of society), martial wealth (by bearing sons in a patriarchal society), and the aesthetics of sensual pleasure.

They are auspicious beings, associated with wealth, beauty, splendor, and grace. No ceremonial sacrifice is completed unless the wife participate as well as the husbands. Men and women are thoughts to complement each other. Although the ideal of liberation has traditionally been intended largely for the male.

The Hindu Way of Life

There is no single founder, devotional traditions or philosophy which can be said to define Sanatan Dharma, everyday life is filled with spiritually meaningful aspects that spiritually is never far from one’s mind. From rituals, fasting, prayer, pilgrimage and religious festivals, the Hindu’s life is wrapped up in rituals from birth to death.

They conduct worship ceremonies in which the sacred presence is made tangible through devotions employing all the senses. Prasad food that has been sanctified by offered to the deities and/or guru’s passed around to be eaten by devotees who experience it as sacred and spiritually charged. In temple, the deity image is treated as if it were a living king or queen.

Social Duties

Because the Vedic sacrifices were reciprocal communion with gods, priest who performed the public sacrificed had to be carefully trained and maintain high standards of ritual purity. The orderly working of society included a clear division of labor among four major occupational groups. The groups consist of the Brahmin, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyes, and the Shudras. In addition, to the untouchable, with each of these groups performing different task.

The Brahmin were the priests and philosophers, specialists in the life of the spirit. The Kshatriyas, were the nobility of the feud India kings, warriors, and vassals. They was to guard and preserve the society. The Vaishyes, were economic specialists: farmers and merchants. The Shudra were the manual laborers and artisan. The untouchable they carried on the work of removing human waste, corpses, and street sweepers.

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