Hinduism Video: An Ancient Path in the Modern World

1. HINDUISM IS THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING RELIGION DATING BACK TO 5000 YEARS AGO TO 3000 B.C.E. IN THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY IN INDIA.

2. THERE IS NO SINGLE FOUNDER.

3. THE SACRED WRITINGS ARE CALLED THE RIG VEDAS WHICH CONTAIN HYMNS AND POETRY COMPOSED BETWEEN 1500 – 450 BCE.

4. EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN INDIA (DRAVIDIANS AND THE ARYANS) COMBINED THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS TO FORM HINDUISM.

5. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF GODS IN HINDUISM BUT THEY ALL MAKE UP OR REPRESENT THE ONE DIVINE BEING OR GOD CALLED BRAHMAN.

6. PRIESTS OF HINDUISM ARE ALSO CALLED BRAHMINS.

7. REINCARNATION OR TRANSMIGRATION OF THE SOUL IS THE BELIEF THAT ALL THINGS MUST BE BORN AGAIN AND AGAIN. (SOMETIMES THIS IS REFERRED TO AS SAMSARA.)

8. THE FOLLOWING OF ONE’S “PROPER PATH” OR DHARMA MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO ASCEND TO HIGHER AND HIGHER SPIRITUAL PLANES.

9. MOKSHA IS THE FREEING OF THE SOUL FROM THE BODY SO THAT IT CAN REUNITE WITH BRAHMAN.

10. MAHATMA GANDHI, THE LEADER OF THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT WAS A HINDU.

11. HINDUISM IS THE MOST WIDESPRE AD RELIGION IN INDIA.

12. MOST HINDUS START THEIR DAY BY DOING PUJA OR WORSHIP.

13. HINDUS BELIEVE THE GANGES RIVER WAS POURED DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO CLEANSE THE EARTH OF SIN.

14. THE CITY OF VERANASI OR BENARAS ON THE BANKS OF THE GANGES RIVER HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF RELIGIOUS LIFE FOR OVER 3,000 YEARS. MILLIONS MAKE A PILGRIMAGE THERE EVERY YEAR.

15. GURU – A SPIRITUAL TEACHER

16. A SPIRITUAL CENTER IS CALLED AN ASHRAM.

17. TEMPLE – A HINDU PLACE OF WORSHIP Shown here is the Tirupati temple, the most visited religious shrine in the world

18. INSTRUMENTS USED IN HINDU WORSHIP ARE THE SITAR AND THE TABLA.

19. SONGS PERFORMED USING THE ABOVE INSTRUMENTS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY IS CALLED A RAGA.

20. HINDUS OFTEN CHANT IN WORSHIP AND RITUAL BATHING IS DONE TO CLEANSE THE SPIRIT.

22. HINDUS BELIEVE THAT ALL LIFE IS SACRED.

23. MOST HINDUS ARE VEGETARIANS AND MAY AVOID CONSUMING ANIMAL PRODUCTS.

24. COWS ARE PARTICULARLY SACRED – THE MOST GIVING OF ALL ANIMALS - AND ARE PROTECTED IN INDIA.