Understanding Hinduism
Hinduism stands as one of the world's oldest and third-largest religions with about 900 million followers worldwide. Unlike many major religions, Hinduism has no single founder—it developed organically from the beliefs of Indo-Aryans who settled in India thousands of years ago.
At its core, Hinduism recognizes three primary deities: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). However, the faith embraces multiple perspectives on divinity, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic views.
The Hindu worldview centers around several key concepts: reincarnation (being reborn in another form), karma (the consequences of one's actions), samsara (the cycle of life and death), dharma (fulfilling one's duties), and moksha (liberation from the cycle). The sacred sound "Ahm" serves as Hinduism's symbol, reflecting the humming sound made during meditation.
Did you know? Hinduism doesn't fit neatly into categories like monotheism or polytheism—it can be both at once, plus monistic (believing all reality is one), making it incredibly diverse in its spiritual expressions!