History UsefulNotes / Hinduism

There are also a number of younger gods or ''Devas'', who occupy the heaven, known as ''Swarga''. These gods are mostly confined to Vedism (the predecessor to modern Hinduism), which is significantly different from the modern faith. Outside of folk religion and revival movements, they are no longer worshiped.

*** '''Vaishnavism''' (Path of Vishnu) - These ones believe that Vishnu is the Supreme Godhead. The closest thing to a mainstream that Hinduism has got, it's the most widely followed path - largely since it's easily accessible and generally non-ascetic. Easily recognizable by the vertical ash-mark on the foreheads of its disciples. The ''Hare Krishnas'' in the West are an outgrowth of these guys. [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown In India, the ''Hare Krishnas'' are seen as loony bins by pretty much everyone.]]

Hinduism stands out in popular Western belief for being seemingly a polytheistic religion, having a high number of deities and manifestations, often [[MultiArmedAndDangerous with many arms]][[note]]An artistic representation of how said god is omnipotent and has a hand in every aspect of one's life[[/note]]. In reality, the topic is ''much'' more complicated, and gets blurred further due to Hinduism not being bound by a single doctrine but rather encompassing a wide range of beliefs with their own evolution and influences each (there is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the Dalai Lama), to the point that it often more resembles a vast network of interconnected and semi-independent belief systems rather than a single religion unto itself. Generally speaking, however, in the same way Christianity has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, most Hindu schools share a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different manifestations of one entity, known variously as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, the creator god), Ishvara, or other names, which is not ''exactly'' a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather more of [[PowersThatBe an ultimate manifestation of the very universe itself and beyond]]. Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a vast pantheon of gods and beings, they are each recognized to be an aspect/manifestation of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about ''how'' or ''what'' to classify Hinduism as ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[{{God}} monotheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[LongList something else entirely]], or [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie a mix of all]]) have occurred for centuries and still occurring even today.

However, this cannot be said to be universally true. There is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds to the belief that one has to be ''born'' a Hindu. The issue for them is one of caste. The caste system (''Varna'') and Hinduism are very tightly linked, and caste is something one is born with and remains all one's life (the only way to change one's caste is to be reincarnated in one's next life). Therefore it is a very perplexing question: for a foreign convert with no family or history in India, what is to be their caste? For liberal or reformed branches of Hinduism, particularly in the West, it can be a non-issue. For more conservative branches, particularly those in India, it makes conversion to Hinduism simply impossible.

However, this cannot be said to be universally true. There is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds to the belief that one has to be ''born'' a Hindu. The issue of one of caste. The caste system (''Varna'') and Hinduism are very tightly linked, and caste is something one is born with and remains all one's life (the only way to change one's caste is to be reincarnated in one's next life). Therefore it is a very perplexing question: for a foreign convert with no family or history in India, what is to be their caste? For liberal or reformed branches of Hinduism, particularly in the West, it can be a non-issue. For more conservative branches, particularly those in India, it makes conversion to Hinduism simply impossible.

Hinduism stands out in popular Western belief for being seemingly a polytheistic religion, having a high number of deities and manifestations, often [[MultiArmedAndDangerous with many arms]][[note]]An artistic representation of how said god is omnipotent and has a hand in every aspect of one's life[[/note]]. In reality, the topic is ''much'' more complicated, and gets blurred further due to Hinduism not being bound by a single doctrine but rather encompassing a wide range of beliefs with their own evolution and influences each (there is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the Dalai Lama), to the point that it often more resembles a vast network of interconnected and semi-independent belief systems rather than a single religion unto itself. Generally speaking, however, in the same way Christianity has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, most Hindu schools share a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different manifestations of one entity, known variously as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, the creator god), Ishvara, or other names, which is not ''exactly'' a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather more of [[PowersThatBe an ultimate manifestation of the universe itself]]. Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a vast pantheon of gods and beings, they are each recognized to be an aspect/manifestation of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about ''how'' or ''what'' to classify Hinduism as ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[{{God}} monotheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[LongList something else entirely]], [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie a mix of all]], etc.) have occurred for centuries and still occurring even today.

Hinduism stands out in popular Western belief for being seemingly a polytheistic religion, having a high number of deities and manifestations, often [[MultiArmedAndDangerous with many arms]][[note]]An artistic representation of how said god is omnipotent and has a hand in every aspect of one's life[[/note]]. In reality, the topic is ''much'' more complicated, and gets blurred further due to Hinduism not being bound by a single doctrine but rather encompassing a wide range of beliefs with their own evolution and influences each (there is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the Dalai Lama), to the point that it often more resembles a vast network of interconnected and semi-independent belief systems rather than a single religion unto itself. Generally speaking, however, in the same way Christianity has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, most Hindu schools share a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different manifestations of one entity, known variously as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, the creator god), Ishvara, or other names, which is not ''exactly'' a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather more of [[PowersThatBe an ultimate manifestation of the universe itself]]. Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a vast pantheon of gods and beings, they are each recognized to be an aspect/manifestation of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about ''how'' or ''what'' to classify Hinduism as ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[{{God}} monotheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[LongList others]], or [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie a mix of all]]) have occurred for centuries and still occurring even today.

Hinduism stands out in popular Western belief for being seemingly a polytheistic religion, having a high number of deities and manifestations, often [[MultiArmedAndDangerous with many arms]][[note]]An artistic representation of how said god is omnipotent and has a hand in every aspect of one's life[[/note]]. In reality, the topic is ''much'' more complicated, and gets blurred further due to Hinduism not being bound by a single doctrine but rather encompassing a wide range of beliefs with their own evolution and influences each (there is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the Dalai Lama), to the point that it often more resembles a vast network of interconnected and semi-independent belief systems rather than a single religion unto itself. Generally speaking, however, in the same way Christianity has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, most Hindu schools share a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different manifestations of one entity, known variously as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, the creator god), Ishvara, or other names, which is not ''exactly'' a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather more of [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} an ultimate manifestation of the universe itself]] (of which you, your home, and even your dog or cat are also part of). Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a vast pantheon of gods and beings, they are each recognized to be an aspect/manifestation of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about ''how'' or ''what'' to classify Hinduism as ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[{{God}} monotheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[LongList others]], or [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie a mix of all]]) have occurred for centuries and still occurring even today.

The Trimurti or "Hindu Trinity" is probably of greater fascination to Westerners than to Hindus themselves, doubtless due to its superficial resemblance to the [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Christian]] concept of the Holy Trinity - with some even blithely assuming Christianity must have swiped the original idea from Hinduism. In fact, the concept of the "Trimurti" only really took off in Hinduism centuries ''after'' Christianity was established, and today remains an important concept to only a small minority of Hindus. The Vaishnavites and Shaivites, who together make up over 90% of all Hindus, regard either Vishnu or Shiva (respectively) as the Supreme Being - full stop - and do not pay much if any attention to the concept of a "trinity" at all.

The Trimurti or "Hindu Trinity" is probably of greater fascination to Westerners than to Hindus themselves, doubtless due to its superficial resemblance to the [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Christian]] concept of the Holy Trinity - with some even blithely assuming Christianity must have originally swiped the idea from Hinduism. In fact, the concept of the "Trimurti" only really took off in Hinduism centuries ''after'' Christianity was established, and today remains an important concept to only a small minority of Hindus. The Vaishnavites and Shaivites, who together make up over 90% of all Hindus, regard either Vishnu or Shiva (respectively) as the Supreme Being - full stop - and do not pay much if any attention to the concept of a "trinity" at all.

According to two of the four major Hindu sects described above, the universe was born from Lord Brahma (The Creator), maintained by Lord Vishnu (The Preserver), and governed by Lord Shiva (The Destroyer), in the sense that after the age of man is over, the world will be destroyed to unite [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence all individual souls with the Supreme Consciousness]]. The three together form the Great Trinity, more popularly known as the 'Trimurti'[[note]]त्रिमूर्ति trimūrti[[/note]] of Hinduism. So not even a question as straightforward as "Who's the TopGod?" [[ComplexityAddiction gets a simple answer in this religion.]]

Apart from the Trinity, there are also a number of younger gods or ''Devas'', who occupy the heaven, known as ''Swarga''. These gods are mostly confined to Vedism (the predecessor to modern Hinduism), which is significantly different from the modern faith. Outside of folk religion and revival movements, they are no longer worshiped.

*** '''Shaktism''' (Path of Power) - [[WeirdnessMagnet Probably the most misunderstood group within Hinduism.]] These people believe that the Goddess Shakti (whose name literally translates to "All-Powerful") is the Supreme Soul, and that reality is essentially feminine. As such, the pantheon in this path is mostly female - any major Hindu Goddess is going to be found in it. The tradition as a whole is heavily focused on acting rather than thinking too much about something - basically [[MemeticMutation "Do Or Do Not - There Is No Try."]] The main reason they have something of a bad rep is because of [[VocalMinority small fringe groups]] who take the "act without thinking" bit to [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity it's logical extreme]] and focus on magic, ritual, and superstition. Note that confusing mainline Shaktists with the loony-fringe madmen is a [[BerserkButton pretty surefire way]] to get an rant-inducing slight earful of rage.]]

Hinduism is a very loose and decentralized religion. In fact, there is a passage in the ''Literature/BhagavadGita'' where Krishna himself explicitly encourages religious tolerance, stressing that all gods are in fact part of one supreme Godhead. The Supreme God, in this case Vishnu, demonstrates this to the warrior Arjuna by allowing Arjuna to see, for a moment, Vishnu's Universal Form (Vishvarupa). For this reason, the very concept of "conversion" is difficult to fit into Hindu theology. There is no "initiation" or "creed" (like Baptism for Christianity or the Shahada for Islam) according to which one becomes a Hindu. Those that wish to convert to Hinduism can do so with no ceremony.

Hinduism is a very loose and decentralized religion. In fact, there is a passage in the ''Literature/BhagavadGita'' (one of the long sequence of religious texts in the Hindu faith) where ''Krishna himself'' (one of the incarnations of Vishnu and thus roughly analogous to Jesus) explicitly encourages religious tolerance, stressing that all gods are in fact part of one supreme Godhead. The Supreme God, in this case Vishnu, demonstrates this to the warrior Arjuna by allowing Arjuna to see, for a moment, Vishnu's Universal Form (Vishvarupa) (which Arjuna promptly begs Vishnu to stop because [[YouCannotGrasptheTrueForm Arjuna cannot grasp the true form]]). For this reason, the very concept of "conversion" is difficult to fit into Hindu theology. There is no "initiation" or "creed" (like Baptism for Christianity or the Shahada for Islam) according to which one becomes a Hindu. Those that wish to convert to Hinduism can do so with no ceremony.

However, due to modern-day religious tensions, this cannot be said to be universally true. There is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds to the belief that one has to be ''born'' a Hindu. The issue of one of caste. The caste system (''Varna'') and Hinduism are very tightly linked, and caste is something one is born with and remains all one's life (the only way to change one's caste is to be reincarnated in one's next life). Therefore it is a very perplexing question: for a foreign convert with no family or history in India, what is to be their caste? For liberal or reformed branches of Hinduism, particularly in the West, it can be a non-issue. For more conservative branches, particularly those in India, it makes conversion to Hinduism simply impossible.

However, due to modern-day religious tensions, this cannot be said to be universally true. There is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds to the belief that one has to be ''born'' a Hindu. The issue of one of caste. The caste system (''Varna'') and Hinduism are very tightly linked, and caste is something one is born with and remains all one's life (the only way to change one's caste is to be reincarnated in one's next life). Therefore it is a very perplexing question: for a foreign convert with no family or history in India, what is to be their caste? For modern or "reformed" branches of Hinduism, particularly in the West, it can be a non-issue. For more conservative branches, particularly those in India, it makes conversion to Hinduism simply impossible.

However, due to modern-day religious tensions, this cannot be said to be universally true. There is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds to the belief that one has to be ''born'' a Hindu. The issue of one of caste. The caste system (''Varna'') and Hinduism are very tightly linked, and caste is something one is born with and remains all one's life (the only way to change one's caste is to reincarnate in one's next life). Therefore it is a very perplexing question: for a foreign convert with no family or history in India, what is to be their caste? For modern or "reformed" branches of Hinduism, particularly in the West, it can be a non-issue. For more conservative branches, particularly those in India, it makes conversion to Hinduism simply impossible.

This openness makes Hinduism the only major world religion that is henotheistic by nature, i.e, involving devotion to one god while accepting the existence of others. This is why most Hindu sects do not seek converts, as there is an accepted belief that the goals of spiritual life can be attained through any religion, as long as it is practiced sincerely. It is also one of the rare religions in the world that allows the practice of UsefulNotes/{{Atheism}} [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_in_Hinduism within itself]], and therefore holds the oldest evidence of the concept itself.