Hinduism
Many Paths to One God

Welcome to the Hinduism Infocenter in 1stHolistic.com!

Hinduism is one of the major religions of the world. There are nearly 800 million Hindus today. It is several thousand years old and holds the distinction of being the most ancient of the world's living religions.

The foundation of Hindu ethics is the Vedic teaching that God (Brahman) and the indwelling Self of man are one and the same. Behind the psychophysical man is the Self, which is divine. Ayam atma Brahma-"This Self is Brahman," is a fundamental teaching of the Hindu scriptures.

The Self forms the very core of man's being. It is different from his physical body, vital energy, senses and mind. Man's ego is not this Self. The ego or I-ness is an idea only; it is purely mental. Being mental, it cannot be the Self. This Self of man is called Atman in Sanskrit.

If Brahman is compared to an infinite ocean, then Atman is a wave in it. The ocean is never different from its waves, and the waves are never different from the ocean. They are one and the same. Thus, Brahman and Atman are one and the same. It is Atman which has become the manifold universe. If I hurt anyone, I actually hurt myself. Therefore, I must not hurt anyone. This realization is the basis of Hindu ethics.

The Isha Upanishad says very beautifully, "He who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings, hates no one." It is possible for us to hate others only when that awareness of unity is not there. Our awareness of the presence of the Self in all makes everyone dear to us. The spiritual goal of Hinduism is to experience this divine Self within and without.

Excerpted From: The Essentials of Hinduism by Swami Bhaskarananda

One of the central beliefs of Hinduism is that there are many paths to seek the truth and God. They believe in the existence of Brahman, one God, or a supreme universal spirit from which the manifestations of various deities developed including the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma represents the Hindu principle of origin or creation. Vishnu is the principle of preservation or nurturing and Shiva represents the principle of dissolution or destruction. Brahman is present in everything in this universe - people, animals, trees, plants, and even stones.

Introduction to Hinduism

Goals of Human Life

Sanathana Dharma Principles

Gods

Supreme Being

Brahma

Vishnu

Ten Avataras of Vishnu

Shiva

Hindu Cosmology

Hindu Kaala Vyavahara (Metrics of Time): Superfine divisions of time by Hindus

Hindu Concept of Creation of the Universe

Hindu Scriptures

Vedas (Shruti)

Rig-Veda Samhita

Yajur-Veda Samhita

Sama-Veda Samhita

Atharva-Veda Samhita

The Upanishads (Vedanta)

Vedic Linguistics or The Vedic Science of Language

Vedas and Vedic Concepts

Smriti

Bhagavad Gita (Gita)

The Puranas

The Code Of Manu

Other Gitas

Darshanas

Tantras (Agama & Nigama)

Renaissance in Hinduism

The Brahmo Samaj

The Arya Samaj

The Theosophical Society

Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda

Ramakrishna's Teachings

Sri Aurobindo

Mahatma Gandhi

Svetaketus Education
a story explaining the concept of Self and Atman.

Beliefs of Hinduism

Hindu Belief in God

Universal Self (atman) and Ultimate Reality (Brahman)

The Eternal Soul

Stages of Life

Dharma

Reincarnation, Samsara and Karma

Moksha or Liberation From Samsara

Peeping Through "The Self"

Triloka (Universe) In Human Body

Inner Peace

Mantras And Sacred Symbols

Mantra-Yoga

Popular Mantras

OM, AUM

Namaskar Mantra

HRIM

KRIM

HUM

SHRIM

The Four Great Goddess Mantra

The Maha-Mrityunjaya Mantra

The Gayatri Mantra

Shiva Prarthana

Shiva Dhun

Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Krishna Worship

How To Chant

Rudraksha Beads - Hinduism's 'Miracle Bead'

Bhakti - Worship

Attaining Unlimited Happiness

Faith And Idol Worship

Hindu Prayers

Hymn: To Purusha
A hymn from Rig veda that attempts to express the final, universal divine principle behind the entire universe.

Guest Articles

The Essence of Hindu Scriptures
The author, an eminent scholar of Hindu Vedas (scriptures) captures the essence of Hindu scriptures into 51 principles.

Holy Gita
Bhagavad Gita, is the most important and cream of all scriptural texts for Sanadhana Dharma. According to the Gita, true religion is that which is inherent in the soul. It cannot be changed, and it is universally the same for all living entities. The external faiths are material reflections of the inherent spiritual quality of the soul.

Bhagavad Gita And Management
The critical question in every Manager's mind is how to be effective in his job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad Gita which repeatedly proclaims that 'you try to manage yourself'. The reason is that unless the Manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness that sets him apart from the others whom he is managing, he will be merely a face in the crowd and not an achiever.

Vedas: Different Paths to Experience the Supreme
All the Vedas (Hindu sacred literature) provide the same knowledge to experience the Supreme through different paths. The author looks at the theme of several vedas.

Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony
The creative principle of the universe is called Brahma in Sanskrit. Brahma, who is depicted as emerging from the navel lotus of Narayana, is a metaphor for all of creation. Brahma creates, operates in the form of this universe for trillions of years, then dissolves back into Narayana. Narayana, however, is neither created nor destroyed. Later, another Brahma appears to begin the process again.

Experience The Fruit of Gayatri Meditation
The Gayatri Mantra is a treasure and heritage that belongs to the whole of humanity without exclusion. Gayatri mantra is meant for realization of god and is regarded as representing the Supreme Lord. It is meant for spiritually advanced people. Success in chanting it enables one to enter the transcendental position of the Lord.

Brahmacharya ( Celibacy)
The importance of �Brahmacharya� is clearly explained in Yejurveda. In this modern life very few understand and practice it. All Vedas and other scriptures of Hinduism lay great emphasis regarding Brahmacharya.