Posted by: JPEG May 15, 2009
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HomeyJi brother. First learned to distinguished Hinduism.
The word Hindu viz Hinduism itself did not exist until some 18 th century; it was coined by some British or German scholar.
The origins of Hinduism are debated by modern scholars. It is believed to be a mix of numerous traditions and faiths. Elements of Hinduism can be traced back to modern-day Pakistan at around 3000 BC. During the second millennium BC the nomadic Aryan people arrived in northwest India from Persia. They brought religious customs with them and borrowed borrowed religious customs from the native people in India and incorporated into Veda. Hence the term Vedic religion came to exist. At around 800 BC to 600 BC, the still-developing Vedic religion was affected by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in India. Vedic religion eventually incorporated songs and poems, making it more substantial as a religion. The subsequent arrival of Islam to the region threatened this Vedic religion. Many people responded by reviving original pre-vedic practices. The result was successful as Sakti and Trantric cults were revived again which was losing it grounds through the more influence of vedic teachings. This cults are still practiced by the Kiratas and other hill people in Himalayas regions and it revolve around Saivas and Saktas.
Anyway Hinduism is a flexible format. If you take conduct, '"dharma'"(duty and righteous action), then it may vary from one region to another according to their tradition and caste. If you take belief, 'Mata' (opinion), then there are no bars to it. What is disliked is to declare that one's 'Mata' (belief) is better than others. People with different beliefs are supposed to live together peacefully respecting each other's belief though holding to their own. This is very well illustrated in the Upanishadic injunction, 'Eko Sad, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti' (What exists is one truth, nice people describe it variously).
Without such mutual respect and accommodation people of different tribes with different traditions having different beliefs could not have lived together as they did in history in India. India is one of the countries where people of all religions, jews, christians, muslims, zoroastrians, and the local ones, buddhists, jains, and sikhs, or the aboriginals, have lived together peacefully for centuries. Kindly remember that christianity and islam reached India within one century of their establishment in the Middle-East.
The word Hindu viz Hinduism itself did not exist until some 18 th century; it was coined by some British or German scholar.
The origins of Hinduism are debated by modern scholars. It is believed to be a mix of numerous traditions and faiths. Elements of Hinduism can be traced back to modern-day Pakistan at around 3000 BC. During the second millennium BC the nomadic Aryan people arrived in northwest India from Persia. They brought religious customs with them and borrowed borrowed religious customs from the native people in India and incorporated into Veda. Hence the term Vedic religion came to exist. At around 800 BC to 600 BC, the still-developing Vedic religion was affected by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in India. Vedic religion eventually incorporated songs and poems, making it more substantial as a religion. The subsequent arrival of Islam to the region threatened this Vedic religion. Many people responded by reviving original pre-vedic practices. The result was successful as Sakti and Trantric cults were revived again which was losing it grounds through the more influence of vedic teachings. This cults are still practiced by the Kiratas and other hill people in Himalayas regions and it revolve around Saivas and Saktas.
Anyway Hinduism is a flexible format. If you take conduct, '"dharma'"(duty and righteous action), then it may vary from one region to another according to their tradition and caste. If you take belief, 'Mata' (opinion), then there are no bars to it. What is disliked is to declare that one's 'Mata' (belief) is better than others. People with different beliefs are supposed to live together peacefully respecting each other's belief though holding to their own. This is very well illustrated in the Upanishadic injunction, 'Eko Sad, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti' (What exists is one truth, nice people describe it variously).
Without such mutual respect and accommodation people of different tribes with different traditions having different beliefs could not have lived together as they did in history in India. India is one of the countries where people of all religions, jews, christians, muslims, zoroastrians, and the local ones, buddhists, jains, and sikhs, or the aboriginals, have lived together peacefully for centuries. Kindly remember that christianity and islam reached India within one century of their establishment in the Middle-East.
Last edited: 15-May-09 12:19 PM