Zainab Salam-00059066

Portfolio #2

Hinduism

I have always though Hinduism to be an idol worshipping religion. My thoughts have not

been altered in this regards however, I have learnt many new aspects to this religion. With

regards to idol worshipping I remain with this view since anything worshipped beside God is

generally viewed as idol worshipping. The concept in Hinduism that God is manifested in

different forms/qualities that are represented by the multitude of deities which emanate from

him has strengthened my views. Hinduism worships four different deities: Bharma, Shiva,

Lakshmi and Vishnu which when bowed down to is idol worship.

Brahma's job was the creation of the world and all creatures, Vishnu is the preserver of the

universe, while Shiva's role is to destroy it in order to re-create and Lakshmi is the consort of

the god Vishnu and is the goddess of purity and wealth. Each of these Gods have distinct

roles in the universe having an interesting history behind them which seems very fallible yet

intriguing. These distinct roles by the different dieties is attesting to the fact that the Creator

is unable to govern the world and needs assistance.

According to Hindu mythology Brahma created a woman in order to aid him with his job of

creation. It is apparent that Brahma was an ineffective God since he needs help with his job

of creation. She was so beautiful that Brahma became infatuated with her, and gazed at her

wherever she went. Brahma as a God seems to have urges as humans.

The Puruṣārthas are the four goals or aims of human life that are required. They include:

 Dharma instils the manner in living in cooperation with one's fellow human beings

that includes a comprehensive set of rules.

  Artha: the pursuit of material prosperity through constructive work

 Kama: the pursuit of pleasure and happiness through the exercise of desire and

passion.

 Mosha: the pursuit of spiritual liberation and salvation by meditation and mysticism.

The Puruṣārthas when practised can create well-balanced humans in a society.

Hindu tradition holds that one's current situation and the future outcome is the result of action

and consequence, known as karma. This is a proven theory!

There are many holidays associated with Hinduism however I am more familiar with Divali.

The reasons for lighting diyas are interesting, they are lit to help the goddess Lakshmi find

her way into people's homes. This stood out because anything worshipped should be a God

and since mother Lakshmi is worshipped she is perceived as such and thus as a God she

should not have any trouble locating peoples’ home. They also celebrate one of the Diwali

legends, which tells of the return of Rama and Sita to Rama's kingdom after fourteen years of

exile.

The history of Hinduism is a bit different from other religions which has dated information as

to how it came about and who the message was given to from God. There was no 'Hinduism'

before modern times, although the sources of Hindu traditions are very ancient and has no

starting point. For this reason, people converting to Hinduism from other religious

dominations are rare in comparison to Hindus converting to other religions. Hindus therefore

are more socialized into this faith in oppose to choosing it.

References:

Religions - Hinduism: Diwali. (2010, October 20). Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/diwali.shtml.

Religions - Hinduism: History of Hinduism. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_1.shtml.