The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. These values were brought forth experientially by methods of great spiritual discipline. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Its origin can be traced back to the prehistoric era with its ancient scriptures dating back more than four thousand years, but no specific point of origin can be cited. Religion performs many functions in personal and social lives of individuals and groups. What we call hinduism has for thousands of years been in a constant process of change. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually.
Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or. Similarly, the tremendous growth of protestantism in latin america and the sustained role of hinduism in indian society all suggest that religion has significant influences on societal members as well as the businesses they operate in. One of the most obvious examples of this is the caste system. Righteousness, good moral, ethical practices, and the study of scriptures. For instance, islam continues to gain new adherents in many parts of the world. The combination of these factors is what accounts for the varied and diverse. Origins and diffusion cultural geography a geography of religion for many people, religion, more than any other cultural trait, defines who they are and how they understand the world around them. Hinduism also influences the laws on the treatment of animals. What are the cultural and societal influences that have. Though capital punishment is part of the law in india, it is rarely used because of the belief in hinduism that violence and killing is not acceptable. Its many sacred texts in sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a. This, when perpetuated by the sympathetic crowds in the media, causes immense damage to our cultural, social, and religious fabric. Values, religion, and culture in adolescent development edited by gisela.
At the same time, cultural influences on development are notoriously hard to call from the outside. Hinduism and the origin of hinduism 1594 words 7 pages. These 8 western philosophers were influenced by hinduism. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community. The influence of social networks on changes in religious behavior may come in. Religion has historically influenced indian society on a political, cultural and. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Unifying on cultural identity is extremely different from being unified at the end of a sword. It causes them to be more aware of the needs of others and to be more caring and considerate. Religious behaviors are actions that have no intrinsic meaning, but rather ascribed meaning. Sep 21, 20 the effects of hinduism in india many indian laws and the enforcement of certain laws are greatly influenced by the beliefs and standards of hinduism. Hinduism is considered to be a religion, most of the times.
This social aspect of life in the two millennia before christ explains why cows are regarded as sacred animals even today. Culture is defined as the beliefs, values, and attitudes practiced and accepted by members of a group or community almerico, 2014. Hinduism influence on culture outside of india american transcendentalist. But if you dig deep, then there are philosophies embedded in the religious hindu books, and these philosophies, as well as the teachings, have influenced western philosophers too here are some of the renowned western philosophers who have found some homage in hinduism. The caste system is a social hierarchy in india that divides hindus. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. One of the most remarkable aspects of hinduism has been its ability to absorb and adopt an array of cultural and religious influences, in the process transforming seemingly nonhindu ideas and.
Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Primers on hinduism in india report that hindu religious behavior. Sep 27, 2019 guide to help understand and demonstrate religious and spiritual influences on health within the nclexrn exam. Another hindu holy book that deals with religious duties is law of manu or the dharma shastra.
It covers the early history and development of the religion, hindu sects, hinduism and the arts, central beliefs, worship practices, social structure, and symbolism. You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of hinduism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a religion. Hindus believe that the cow is a holy animal and therefore, would never partake in any beefbased foods. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. Hinduism encourages family members to take a role in the care of family members. It influences and reinforces social divisions due to difference in beliefs. The religious holy book of hinduism is called the vedas which is unlike that of the bible of the christians or the koran of the islam religion. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist. Cultural and social factors that affect development the.
Brahmans are the highest ranking caste in society and represent the ideal of ritual purity and social prestige. Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. Since the 1990s, those influences and its outcomes have been the topic of. Traditionally, people are born in a certain caste, or class, and they can never change that. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. Jewish religious teaching and learning, jewish secular culture, jewishamerican. Almerico also believes that culture has a strong relationship to anthropology and focuses on the fact that humans create culture as a way of making sense of their social and physical worlds. Cultural stereotyping and social institutions principles of. Most of his ideas are quite similar to the concepts of hinduism. No serious effort to understand ancient or contemporary indian culture can be made without a clear understanding of the visual arts and their sources in religious belief and practice. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. York 11142017 hinduism in this paper, i have decided to write about the origin, beliefs and everything about hinduism.
Hinduism is so unlike any other religion that it is difficult to define with any precision. While buddhism has influenced many people in a religious way, it focuses more on. These religious men were patronized by rulers who converted to hinduism or buddhism. This influence prevails in all of his writings such as poetry, essays and letters. Based on the prehistoric vedic text, it is a faith in constant change. Despite indias enormous diversity, a common grammar of ritual behaviour connects various places, strata, and periods of hindu life. May 11, 2009 it is foolish to say that cultural diversity is unique to hinduism. Hindu festivals are combinations of religious ceremonies, semiritual spectacles, worship, prayer, lustrations, processions, music and dances, eating, drinking, lovemaking, licentiousness, feeding the poor, and other activities of a religious or traditional character. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. Read and learn for free about the following article. The effects of hinduism in india high school american.
Oct 06, 2007 the cultural and social influences that have made hinduism vital to the region in which it originated, is pretty much the same of any other religion in any other part of the world. Theres some debate over who influenced who more during this time. In particular, the visual arts associated with the hindu religion are recognised as being the most complex and rich of any living religion. Get an answer for how does religion affect social and cultural changes going on in the world today. A hindu is anyone born within india,belonging to the indus valley civilisation. Hinduism and buddhisms influence of indian culture in. Hinduism reinforced a strict social hierarchy called a caste system that made it nearly.
The spread of hinduism in southeast asia and the pacific britannica. Another characteristic of hinduism is the belief in the power and authority of the brahmans also spelled brahmins, a priestly class that has spiritual supremacy by birth. Pdf the influence of hinduism on the writings of ralph. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years.
A key concept found in the vedic texts is sacrifice, which often involved. Vatsyayana, a courtier and a scholar, belonged to the brahmin caste, which is the upholder of hindu religious practices. These writings paint a complex and often conflicting picture of the culture of india. Hindu beliefs and practices are enormously diverse, varying over time and. Religion dominates the lives and behavior of billions of people worldwide. Ralph waldo emerson, henry david thoreau, and walt whitman a prime example is emersons poem brahma the british composers gustav holst and ralph vaughn williams put stories from the rig veda to music the author of the jungle book which is set in india, rudyard. A comprehensive survey of the hindu tradition, the book deals with the history of hinduism, the sacred writings, the hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of hinduism vaisnavism, saivism, and saktism. These epics have had a profound influence in southeast asia, even when hinduism. The concept of indian culture is a very complex and complicated matter. This paper will discuss these many different aspects that make up this belief system, along with the liberation from earthly existence. Civilizations in southeast asia focused on an appreciation to nature, which resulted in a harmonious and equal relationship between man. The cultural influences that have made hinduism essential to the region in which it originated is that thousands of years ago, the beliefs in the vedas were broken into various schools of thought by philosophers. Everyone eats examines the social and cultural reasons.
Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Hinduism and buddhism exerted an enormous influence on the civilizations of. While it is true that various elements of vedic ritual survive in modern practice and thereby serve a unifying function, much. Hinduism and buddhism exerted an enormous influence on the civilizations of southeast asia and contributed greatly to the development of a written tradition in that area. Hinduism especially emphasizes respect for all older people, with children having a special responsibility towards their parents.
There is an urgent need to repair the damages and uproot the noxious influences, but before that it is a necessity to understand the how and why of the damage. Hindu texts, theologies, rituals, architectural styles, and forms of social. May 29, 2012 another cultural aspect of the hindu heartland was the appreciation of sensual arts. This includes cookies from third party social media websites. In the wars that occur in the holy books, as in mahabharta, the different sides had different war weapons which had characters similar to modern day war weapons.
Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book. Customs and traditions have always been an important part of every religion and culture. Religious and cultural influences on the selection of menu. What are the cultural and societal influences that have made. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. For most foreigners and most illinformed indians,jainism,sikhism,buddhism, are different from hinduism. Hindu religious values and their influence on youths in india. The earliest manifestation of what we now call hinduism seems to be the product of the melding of two religious and cultural influences.
Because of this, indian law bans the killing of cows. Hinduism the spread of hinduism in southeast asia and. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the. Hindu festivals are combinations of religious ceremonies, semiritual spectacles, worship, prayer, lustrations, processions, music and dances, eating, drinking, lovemaking, licentiousness, feeding the poor, and other activities of. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements. Indias diversity has inspired many writers to pen their perceptions of the countrys culture. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism there are several important historical facts about hinduism that are relevant to the humanist context. It is considered a family obligation to care for the elderly and the sick. India is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse countries in the world.
Religion, especially hinduism, have had a major impact on indian society and culture. The second strand in the fabric of hinduism is practice. The way hinduism and buddhism entered southeast asia was not the same, as well as when it entered and its influence of indian culture that emerged into the area. But hinduism has more than one religious scriptures. So when we practice dharma, it implies that we regard the moral law and abide by it. Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma. The cultural manifestation of hinduism is uniquely complex. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. The cultural and social influences that have made hinduism vital to the region in which it originated, is pretty much the same of any other religion in any other part of the world. About the beginning of the common era, indian merchants may have settled there, bringing brahmans and buddhist monks with them. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society.
This book is a concise introduction to hinduism for westerners. Cultural stereotyping and social institutions principles. Populated by an infinite amount of gods, the belief system is open to adopting any of the gods produced by younger religions. Jun 30, 2014 to close up this series of articles about hinduism, well turn our focus to the second most important component of religion for hinduism hindu practices and behaviors. Guide to help understand and demonstrate religious and spiritual influences on health within the nclexrn exam. The religion of hinduism is very complicated and has many different aspects to it, from cultural and social influences. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. Brahmans priests are at the top of the social caste system and at the very bottom are the socalled. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. As hinduism is the oldest religion on the earth, there are a lot of hindu customs and traditions observed in india.
Specifically, i focus on hindu congregational forms, a phenomenon noted in social scientific literature. Ludden 2005 covers a wide ground, with special attention given to the. Hindu customs and traditions, culture, indiahinduism facts. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Hinduism is diverse on ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising. Its origin can be traced back to the prehistoric era with its ancient scriptures dating back more than four. It is also the main factor in how we view and differentiate people and influences the impacts on their culture. Instead there is a great diversity of belief and practice. Some customs are so important for the people that sometimes, they sacrifice their lives for them. The position adopted in the chapter is that peoples values and beliefs are. Prominent themes in hindu beliefs include the four puru. The entire creation lies within the manifestation of dharma. Because everyone accepts their place in the world, it was assumed that hindus would lack the ambition required to innovate and do business on an international stage.
For example, walking around with a white cap on your head has no meaning on its. The book is illustrated with high quality blackandwhite photos. Hinduism does not have a holy leader like the pope is among the members of the. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Roots of hinduism if youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Hinduism was often cited as one of the reasons why india would never develop. What are the cultural and societal influences that have made hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. Includes duties, such as the individual, social and religious. Each caste was then subdivided into hundreds of subcastes arranged in order of rank. The story of south asian religious life begins with the river indus and its tributaries. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian. But if you dig deep, then there are philosophies embedded in the religious hindu books, and these philosophies, as well as the teachings, have influenced western philosophers too. One can believe a wide variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu.