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What is the core of Hinduism?

Hinduism emerged with the formation of feudal society in India and new changes in the caste system.

Hinduism is not an ideological system founded by a certain leader, but formed in the long-term social development process. It is a comprehensive product of extensive absorption of Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jain teachings, as well as folk beliefs, customs, and philosophical thoughts. It also refers to the religion produced in the Indian cultural circle and is one of the major religions in the world.

Hinduism is the state religion of India. There are also many believers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal in South Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines in Southeast Asia, and the Indian population in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It has 1.05 billion adherents (1993 statistics), second only to Christianity with 1.5 billion adherents, Islam with 1.1 billion adherents, and larger than Buddhism with 300 million adherents.

The so-called “Hinduism” is a comprehensive name for religion, philosophy, culture and social customs that originated in the Indian cultural circle. Its beliefs, philosophies, and ethical viewpoints are complex, diverse, and even contradictory.

India’s social classes, groups and different cultural classes have different beliefs and practices, but unlike other religions, Hinduism has three characteristics: “worshiping three-way gods, directly advocating hereditary hierarchy, and firmly believing in reincarnation.” The caste system, as the core doctrine, requires believers to strictly abide by the caste system.

The caste system is the most typical and strict hierarchical system. The four grades have strict regulations in terms of status, rights, occupations, and obligations.

Origin

Hinduism can originate from the reincarnation of Harappa and the immortality of the soul, which re-emerged in the late Vedic period and became a deeper and fundamental part of Hinduism.

The karma generated in a mortal’s life determines whether his soul will become a higher or lower human being, a beast, or even an insect the next time his soul is reincarnated.

Special piety, meditation, abstinence, and understanding of eternal truth can avoid the cycle of reincarnation; the soul of such a state avoids this cycle and achieves detachment, which is not a physical ascension to heaven, but a spiritual connection with God. Or the bliss of the reunion of heaven and earth. With the help of the immortal soul of the mortal body, the mortal life can contain an immortal ghost with the immortal creativity of the gods, and the soul can be reborn or reincarnated.

The belief in reincarnation reinforces the Hindu sentiment of respect for all life. A relative or ancestor of a person may have regenerated into a horse or a spider. Since the time of Harappa, cows have been given special veneration due to their basic use and the creation and motherhood symbolism created by the cow’s milk production.

The bull naturally symbolizes endurance and masculinity (as in Mediterranean culture), and the cow symbolizes tenderness with its large, radiant eyes. But to Hinduism, all life is sacred, and any living thing is a link in the great chain of life that manifests the existence of God.

Therefore, devout Hindus are vegetarians, and all but the lowest castes especially avoid beef. Milk, curd, ghee, yogurt, etc., are used only in religious sacrificial ceremonies.

Before entering the late Vedic period (about 600 BC), the Hindu pantheon was ruled by the trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, all supreme gods and all creators. As Hinduism continues to incorporate regional and folk religious deities and traditions, there is an embarrassing situation of diverse deity consorts, deity incarnations, and minor deities with their own beliefs and adherents.

Shiva became the most widely worshipped god. In people’s minds, he is not only the god of creation, but also the god of destruction, the god of harvest, the god of abundance, the god of cosmic dance, and the main god of yogis (practitioners of yoga and penance). He also governs life and death and the reproduction of genius, and is juxtaposed with similar gods of other religions, including Christ who represents suffering (crucified) and eternal life.

In some other religions, human sacrifices are used as a means of praying for the resurrection of life; the victim of the sacrifice gives his life to others, or sacrifices his life to pray for the blessing of others. Hinduism recognizes this concept because it sees death as a natural part of life and celebrates it through the image of the goddesses Shiva and Kali.

Doctrine

Theism

This is one of the main characteristics of Hinduism. On the surface Hinduism claims to have 33 million gods, but most Hindus worship only one god.

Hinduism has three main gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Brahma is the first god, the founder of all things.

Vishnu is the second main god, the maintainer of the universe, who can create and subdue the devil, and is regarded as the protector.

Shiva is the third main god, the destroyer of the world, symbolized by the male genitals, and constantly changing in different images, and is also regarded as the god of destruction.

Among the three main gods, Vishnu or Shiva is often established as a main god, and other gods are under it, and they are all incarnations of one of these two gods, so it is a special monotheism.

Caste separation

Believers must strictly abide by the caste system, and Brahmins enjoy supreme authority, which fully reflects the socialization of Hindu religious life.

The biggest difference between Hinduism and other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity is that Hinduism directly advocates the hereditary hierarchy, takes the caste system as its core teaching, and requires believers to strictly abide by the caste system. The caste system is the most typical and strict hierarchical system. The four grades have strict regulations in terms of status, rights, occupations, and obligations.

The first-class Brahmins, mainly monks and nobles, have the privilege of interpreting religious scriptures and offering sacrifices to gods.

The second-class Kshatriyas, mainly military nobles and administrative nobles, have the privilege of collecting various taxes.

Aryan free civilians are the third class of Vaishyas, engaged in farming, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting, etc., and must support the first two classes in the form of almsgiving and taxation.

The conquered natives are the fourth-level Sudras, who can only engage in farming, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting, and other lowly occupations.

The caste system stipulates that the occupations of all grades are hereditary, and the father and son are passed on from generation to generation; each grade implements internal intermarriage of the same grade, and intermarriage between low-grade men and high-grade women is strictly prohibited; Sudras do not have the right to participate in religious life.

Hinduism is the tool used by the exploiting classes of India to hereditarily rule the exploited stage of India. Brahmins and Kshatriyas are the exploiting classes in India, and Vaishyas and Sudras are the exploited classes in India.

From 600 BC to 2017 AD, the Indian exploiting classes Brahmins and Kshatriyas successfully and hereditarily ruled India’s exploited classes of Vaishyas and Sudras through Hinduism 2617.

Karma

It is believed that every kind of life has a soul, will be reborn or reincarnated, and that good and evil will be retributed. To attain liberation, one must reach the state of oneness of Brahman and Self, that is, oneness of soul and God.

There are three paths to liberation: the first is the path of behavior, which strictly follows various precepts and ritual sacrifices; the second is the path of knowledge, through study, practice, and personal experience; the third is the path of piety, which is obtained by believing in God. pet.

Sacrificing omnipotence

Since Hinduism believes that Brahmins are the supreme status, the worship of omnipotence has influenced the history of Indians for more than 2,000 years. The believers worship various types of gods, and the etiquette is cumbersome, and sometimes even living people are sacrificed.

In addition, Hinduism believes that restraint of emotions and asceticism is a very important method of cultivation, which can make people reach the state of Brahma and self, and get rid of the suffering of samsara.

Vedic Classics

The Vedic scriptures are considered to be the source of all cultures in Indian history and are known as “the scriptures of the apocalypse”. This earliest religious classic in India is a collection of ancient Indian religious and historical documents, which has a profound impact on the religious and philosophical thoughts of later generations in India.