Krysta Lucero
Humanities 101
May 16, 2013
Hinduism
Hinduism traditions are very ancient and are not just a single religion it also embraces many traditions along with it. What makes Hinduism very unique? Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and there was not a founder for it. Hindus worship god by calling him Jesus, Allah, Brahman, or Buddha. According to www.religioustollerance.com/hinduism.htm they stated, “Hinduism differs from Christianity and other monotheistic religions in that it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single concept of deity, a holy text, a single system of morality, a central religious authority, and the concept of a prophet.”(David Levinson). In Hinduism there are many gods and goddess also known as a polytheistic religion. Also, another thing that makes this unique is that it is not mandatory to visit a temple; they mainly go on special occasions or during religious festivals.
In the Hinduism culture they focus on the four yoga’s and its important to them to make sure that they know the way of knowledge, the way of love, the way of work, and to make sure that they mediate. Knowledge is knowing the truth, identify the soul, observe oneself. The way of love works is to make sure to love all and have no hate in ones heart, make sure that everyone is treated equally. Hinduism and work is always important because people work for free and they do it from the kindness of their heart and they don’t expect a pay check. Mediation is very important to them it’s a healing make sure they stretch, breath correctly, and making sure it keeps the mind very calm and quiet. According to Gloria K Fiero it is stated that “ Yoga seeks the joining of ones Atman to Brahman through control of the mind and body” (Fiero pg. 65). It’s important to understand all the different concepts and to make sure you’re a full believer. Guru is the religious teacher that guides in a spiritual and philosophical manner. The fundamental of teaching Hinduism is the beings of nature and are not limited to the body or mind. Making sure that God is the mostly in the soul, the spirit is everywhere they go and making sure we are able to visualize the spirit of God.
Some traditions that Hindus practice are not being able to eat red meat because cows are holy and it’s not okay to kill something that God created. In addition, they believe in the truth, honesty, non-violence, celibacy, cleanliness, and prayer; all is highly encouraged and still practiced today. According to John Bowke he stated “Hindu festivals… They include a wide variety of rituals, including worship, prayer, processions, magical acts, music, dancing, lovemaking, eating, drinking, and feeding the poor.” At the end of this paper I will be listing the many festivals and holidays that Hindus celebrate. In addition I will be discussing some of the things that the goddesses practice as well. Devotional practice is very important and is often has a relation with meditation and it is very important that they practice meditation so they can build a better relationship with the deity. According to Lynn Foulston she states “ Temple worship also provides the devotee with a temporary respite from the world” (foulston pg.134

The art in Hinduism culture has a lot of detail and majority of it is represented as having multiple arms and heads. This is very common for the idols of the Hindu gods and goddess. Architecture and sculptures are linked to the temples and are considered to be holy symbols. The literature part of it has to do with the four Vedas and they are all primary texts of Hinduism, although they