Understanding Hinduism

 

Hinduism is a very old religion, very profound in its philosophy and has multiple paths that lead to attaining the highest goal -- God realization or Self realization.

 

Hinduism is a vast religion in its scope. By virtue of  existence of various schools of philosophies, sects and subsects, various God-forms of worship and availablility of numerous books of scripture and interpretations, Hinduism may look too mind boggling to grasp for people from other religions. Even many Hindus are at best knowledgeable about Hinduism mostly confined to the beliefs of their own sects or sub-sects and are often too inclined to quarrel with people following a different sect or school of phylosophy.

Unlike other religions, Hinduism is fortunately gifted with a continuous stream of arrival of great religious masters (Avatars, Jivan Muktas, Saints and sages) from time to time to guide earnest seekers towards the highest goal of life, most suited to the times of their arrival and to individuals' temperament and tastes.

To get a bird's eye-view of Hinduism and all its facets, Read ----> THIS

Understanding Hindu God forms

The story of Krishna, the enchanging avatar of Vishnu (with pictures)

The avatar of Krishna is considered a "Poornavatar" - Godly qualities manifesting in full and Lord Krishna is perhaps the most widely adored and worshiped Avatar by Vaishnavaites (devotees of Vishnu) across the length and breadth of India. Why, worship of Krishna has even transcended the boundaries of India, considering the global appeal of the ISKCON movement (International Society of Krishna Consciousness), spearheaded by Swami Prabhupada.

Krishna is sweetness personified. His attraction to devotees is magnetic. He is ever joyful; He is the preacher of Karma Yoga (the path for unification with God through work without attachment) and he is a perfect Karma Yogi himself, performing work ceaselessly all through his life with joyous detachment and abandonment, seeking no fruits for himself.

R E A D  M O R E . . .

 

Some Core philosophies Elaborated

Take a quiz!! Know your personality based on Hindu ancient psychology

Just answer 'yes' or 'no' to 30 simple questions and based on your score, assess your character!

TAKE THIS  QUIZ . . .

Understanding free will and God's will

The dilemma about free will and God's will exists in every religion and in Hinduism, too, there are questions and explanations available on this subject.

Any earnest seeker of God in quest of the ultimate truth will always pose this question to his Guru and seek an explanation. 

R E A D  M O R E . . .

 

 

by C.V.Rajan

WHAT IS MEDITATION? Meditation is a disciplined practice to attain control of the mind, whose very nature is vacillation, by way of limiting the flow of thoughts, ultimately leading to a state of c...More>
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by C.V.Rajan

Prayer is the way of communication with God. In the path of Bhakti (devotion) in Hinduism, prayer is one of the essential and natural acts. God is omnipresent and omnipotent; He is the creator, the p...More>
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by C.V.Rajan

Hinduism simply says unfulfilled desires are the cause of rebirth. Not only desires, but even vasanas (subtle tastes developed in enjoying or suffering worldly pleasures, which get deeply embedded in ...More>
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New!

Removing some common misconceptions about Hinduism

there are many misconceptions commonly prevalent about Hinduism, some propagated by vested interests, some by ill-informed westerners and some by self-doubting Hindus. Here is an attempt to clear up some of those misconceptions.

R e a d   m o r e . . .

Comments (1 to 10 of 11)

Vanaja Srinivasan
Aug 17, 10 at 09:03 AM
The photo of a person which indicates all religion is a real one or photoshop manipulated?
Elisabeth Mcgrath
Apr 15, 09 at 11:27 AM
Congratulations, C.V. A truly inspiring zone, visually, educationally and a credit to its creator.
Chavie Cyn
Apr 14, 09 at 03:22 PM
Hinduism seems a REAL peaceful religion. Nice place you have!
Sangeeta Deogawanka
Apr 07, 09 at 05:07 AM
Dear C.V., Congrats on publishing such a complete vision of what Hinduism is all about ! Very attractively done ... has the makings of being the best resource on Hinduism on the web. "Nandri" from another Hindu.
Ann Marie Dwyer
Apr 01, 09 at 11:04 AM
You have done a beautiful job with this Zone! Very thorough look into a diverse and rich culture.
Raven Lebeau
Mar 29, 09 at 09:45 PM
A very nice-looking and informative zone! I read your article about the misunderstanding regarding the number of Hindu gods. It was very interesting and well-written. This looks like a good place to start for anyone interested in learning more about Hinduism. The photos you've chosen are excellent visual elements too.
Petra Newman
Mar 28, 09 at 04:56 AM
Hi C.V. Rajan; This is a most interesting zone. Your articles are fascinating and informative. It opened my eyes to your culture and religion.
Cody Hodge
Mar 27, 09 at 07:06 AM
Hey, great zone, a lot of good information my friend.
C.V.Rajan
Mar 27, 09 at 01:37 AM
Thank you Olivia and Melissa for your kind comments
Olivia Bredbenner
Mar 26, 09 at 09:49 PM
Hi C.V. I am planning to come back and learn more about Hinduism. Your have put together a beautiful zone. Learning about one other on Helium is one of the things I like best. Olivia

Zone Manager

Helium member since Dec 20, 07
Number of Zones: 3

FAQ on Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi, the "hugging Saint"

Who is Amma?

Amma is Mata Amritanandamayi, a lady Hindu Saint, a God-realized (or self-realized) sage, a true knower of Universal Self (Brahma Gnyani) , who is considered an Avatar (God descended to earth in Human form, according to Hindu beliefs) and a Satguru (a spiritual teacher of the highest order) whose expression of divinity is through her unsurpassed expression of love towards all beings.

R E A D  M O R E . . . .

Moral lessons you can learn from Ramayana

by C.V.Rajan

Ramayana is just not a mythological story; it is one of the two "itihas" most widely read and revered by Hindus. Itihas means "thus happened"; Ramayana is considered the true story of Rama, the king o...More>
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C.V.Rajan
Helium member since Dec 20, 07
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by C.V.Rajan

"WHAT is this life if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?" The poet W H Davies' lament reflects in a nutshell the hopeless state to which human life has entangled itself in to. The ...More>
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Step 1
How to conduct yourself inside a Hindu Temple

Whether you are visiting a temple as a devotee or as a tourist, you should know how to conduct yourself at the holy premises. You may be surprised to notice that in reality even many of the devotees of God and the staff of the temple may not be following some of the guidelines here, but that need not be an excuse for you to ignore them. 

Step:1 Leave your footwear outside the temple premises.

R E A D   M O R E . . .

New !

Is it really possible to see God?

If God is attributed with name and form, can you see God in one of His glorious forms that Hindus worship? If God is perceived to be formless, can you in some way unequivocally feel His presence? If you are a Christian and you believe that Jesus is the son of God and believe his words that the father and the son are one, can you see Jesus?


 

How to Choose Hindu Baby Names

In Hinduism, practically every aspect of human life is intrinsically connected to religion, whether explicitly known or unknown to the common man. Naming of a baby too falls into the category.Hinduism believes that the name of God is very holy and uttering God's name, consciously or unconsciously has its spiritual benefits.

Naturally, naming of children predominantly with divine names is most prevalent in Hinduism. It is widely believed that by calling out the child, you are in fact uttering the name of a God and by that a spiritual benefit accrues to you. 

R E A D   M O R E ....

 

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