Hinduism has gone through numerous shifts and constant growth during its lengthy existence. It is one of the oldest and most adaptable religious traditions known to man. From 2500-400 B.C.E., Hinduism’s growth from a religion of oral tradition, continued its shift into one attentive on the sacred texts known as the Vedas, which stipulated ritual action, to the Upanishads, sometimes referred to as Vedanta ("Last part of Veda") (Radhakrishnan, 1956), which then focused more on questioning Brahman, "the unchanging reality amidst and beyond the world" (Puligandla, 1997) which "cannot be exactly defined" (Sinari, 2000). Following the Vedic period was the bhakti movement, during which a new style of Hinduism emerged; remnants of which remain to
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It has evolved as a collection of religious traditions that encompass an enormous amount of texts, beliefs and practices. Some scholars question whether it can even be identified as one thing, but, that perhaps it should be viewed as many (Hinduism, 2005). Its origins are attributed to the Muslims who invaded India in the second millennium C.E., and its name may have been derived in the 19th century, by the British, who characterized all East Indians who were not Muslim, or Christian, as Hindus (Hinduism, 2005). Because of this it is difficult to specifically note many things that are distinct about Hinduism. Hinduism holds recognizable beliefs in karma and rebirth, the impermanence and suffering nature of life (samsara), and the possibility of attaining a permanent state of bliss (moksha), but, these ideas are actually not exclusive to the Hindu religion. One of the most identifiable elements of Hinduism is the caste system, a social structure that is virtually indiscernible from the religious ideology that supports it, which defines the idea that there is a hierarchy among people, and that each person is born with a dharma, or life duty. Yet, there are caste systems in other religions as well, such as Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Parsi (Hinduism, 2005). So, along what path did Hinduism become unique and recognized as a major …show more content…
The Sanskrit and old Hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to belong to", and "to worship” Bhakti is defined as “devotion” or passionate love for the Divine (Monier-Williams, 2008). The longstanding and strict adherence to ritual began being overshadowed by messages within mystical poetry. During the 14th to 17th centuries, a group of teachers, or sants, who were devoted to the Divine, wandered from temple to temple, sharing their belief that there was a personal religious experience available for each man, woman and child. Through their poetry they taught people that they could forego all of the rituals, ignore their castes, and not worry about the philosophical quandaries that had eluded them, yet still achieve moksha. Their message was that people could simply express exquisite love for God. The idea was that one could have a personal and meaningful relationship with the Divine, without all of the pomp and circumstance, and, more importantly, it could happen in their current lifetime. These poet-saints critiqued the caste system and the idea that Brahmin priests were any more favored than anyone else in a divine sense and encouraged all people, from all walks of life to simply embrace a personal union with the Divine. It is interesting to note that many of these brave, enlightened souls, both male and female came from lower castes. They chose to
It has evolved as a collection of religious traditions that encompass an enormous amount of texts, beliefs and practices. Some scholars question whether it can even be identified as one thing, but, that perhaps it should be viewed as many (Hinduism, 2005). Its origins are attributed to the Muslims who invaded India in the second millennium C.E., and its name may have been derived in the 19th century, by the British, who characterized all East Indians who were not Muslim, or Christian, as Hindus (Hinduism, 2005). Because of this it is difficult to specifically note many things that are distinct about Hinduism. Hinduism holds recognizable beliefs in karma and rebirth, the impermanence and suffering nature of life (samsara), and the possibility of attaining a permanent state of bliss (moksha), but, these ideas are actually not exclusive to the Hindu religion. One of the most identifiable elements of Hinduism is the caste system, a social structure that is virtually indiscernible from the religious ideology that supports it, which defines the idea that there is a hierarchy among people, and that each person is born with a dharma, or life duty. Yet, there are caste systems in other religions as well, such as Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Parsi (Hinduism, 2005). So, along what path did Hinduism become unique and recognized as a major …show more content…
The Sanskrit and old Hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to belong to", and "to worship” Bhakti is defined as “devotion” or passionate love for the Divine (Monier-Williams, 2008). The longstanding and strict adherence to ritual began being overshadowed by messages within mystical poetry. During the 14th to 17th centuries, a group of teachers, or sants, who were devoted to the Divine, wandered from temple to temple, sharing their belief that there was a personal religious experience available for each man, woman and child. Through their poetry they taught people that they could forego all of the rituals, ignore their castes, and not worry about the philosophical quandaries that had eluded them, yet still achieve moksha. Their message was that people could simply express exquisite love for God. The idea was that one could have a personal and meaningful relationship with the Divine, without all of the pomp and circumstance, and, more importantly, it could happen in their current lifetime. These poet-saints critiqued the caste system and the idea that Brahmin priests were any more favored than anyone else in a divine sense and encouraged all people, from all walks of life to simply embrace a personal union with the Divine. It is interesting to note that many of these brave, enlightened souls, both male and female came from lower castes. They chose to