History UsefulNotes / Hinduism

The concept of [[{{Satan}} the Devil]], i.e; a central being that causes all evil, does not appear in Hinduism. Simply put, such a character simply doesn't exist in the mythology. Instead, Hinduism states that good and evil exist inside all creatures, and, according to the path one chooses, his fate will be determined. This is where Karma comes into play - in accordance with your actions, in your next life you will be born as a lesser or higher being. Though demonic creatures do exist in mythology, even they are never portrayed as AlwaysChaoticEvil - even Ravana, the biggest, baddest BigBad in the entire Hindu mythos, never comes off as pure evil, though he is definitely [[AxCrazy crazy]].

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]]. 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). Generally speaking, however, in the same way Catholicism 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, Ishvara, or other names, which is not a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather an ultimate manifestation of the universe (of which you, your family and your house and are also part - yay!). Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about how to consider Hinduism ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism monistic]], [[LongList others]], or [[MindScrew a mix of all]]) have occurred for centuries and still ocur 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]]. 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). Generally speaking, however, in the same way Catholicism 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 forms of one entity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names, which is not a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather an ultimate manifestation of the universe (of which you, your family and your house and are also part - yay!). Although Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of Brahman. As a consequence, debates about how to consider Hinduism ([[OurGodsAreDifferent polytheistic]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} pantheistic]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism monistic]], [[LongList others]], or [[MindScrew a mix of all]]) have occurred for centuries and still ocur 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]]. 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, so every sect has pretty much its own different dogma. Generally speaking, however, in the same way Catholicism 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 forms of one entity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names, which is not a distinct father god as in Abrahamic monotheism, but rather an ultimate manifestation of the universe (of which you, your family and your house and are also part - yay!). So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being". As a consequence, debates about how to consider Hinduism (polytheistic, pantheistic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism monistic]] or a mix of all) have occurred for centuries and still ocur today.

This 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 only religions in the world that allows the practice of UsefulNotes/{{Atheism}}[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_in_Hinduism within itself]], and the oldest evidence of the concept itself.

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, certain parts of Oceania (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Fiji}}), the island countries of East Africa (especially UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}, which is the only country outside of South Asia to have a Hindu majority), the Arabian Peninsula (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}) due to it's huge amount of South Asian diaspora, and parts of Southeast Asia (especially the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

In fact, there is a passage in the ''Literature/BhagavadGita'' (one of the long sequence of religious texts in the Hindu faith) where Krishna explicitly encourages religious tolerance, stressing that all gods are in fact part of one supreme God. The Supreme God, 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]].

It should be noted though, that Hinduism encompasses a wide range of beliefs and is not bound by a single doctrine. There is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the Dalai Lama, so there are different sects of the religion with different dogmas.

Hinduism is also very loose and allows acceptance of other religions. For this reason, the very concept of conversion does not exist in any of the Hindu texts, and those that wish to convert to the faith can actually do so with no ceremony, and can even keep practicing faith in another religion. (However, due to modern-day inter-religious tensions, [[BrokenBase this cannot be stated as a general sentiment]], and there is a [[VocalMinority significant minority]] that holds on to the belief that [[NoTrueScotsman one has to be born a Hindu to be one.]])

This 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 only religions in the world that allows the practice of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_in_Hinduism atheism within itself]], and the oldest evidence of the concept.

The concept of [[Satan the Devil]], i.e; a central being that causes all evil, does not appear in Hinduism. Simply put, such a character simply doesn't exist in the mythology. Instead, Hinduism states that good and evil exist inside all creatures, and, according to the path one chooses, his fate will be determined. This is where Karma comes into play - in accordance with your actions, in your next life you will be born as a lesser or higher being. Though demonic creatures do exist in mythology, even they are never portrayed as AlwaysChaoticEvil - even Ravana, the biggest, baddest BigBad in the entire Hindu mythos, never comes off as pure evil, though he is definitely [[AxCrazy crazy]].

The concept of the Devil, i.e; a central being that causes all evil, does not appear in Hinduism. Simply put, such a character simply doesn't exist in the mythology. Instead, Hinduism states that good and evil exist inside all creatures, and, according to the path one chooses, his fate will be determined. This is where Karma comes into play - in accordance with your actions, in your next life you will be born as a lesser or higher being. Though demonic creatures do exist in mythology, even they are never portrayed as AlwaysChaoticEvil - even Ravana, the biggest, baddest BigBad in the entire Hindu mythos, never comes off as pure evil, though he is definitely [[AxCrazy crazy]].

*** '''Shaktism''' (Path of Power) - [[WeirdnessMagnet Probably the most misunderstood group within Hinduism.]] These people believe that the Goddess Shakti [[AwesomeMcCoolname (her 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. Whenever people think about [[ActivistFundamentalistAntics "Superstition, cow worship, irrational fear of modernity, etc. etc."]] and all the other [[AcceptableTargets blanket accusations]] of the "backwardness" of Hinduism, [[NeverLiveItDown it's these guys they're thinking about.]] Note that confusing the real Shaktists with the Loony-fringe madmen is a [[BerserkButton pretty surefire way]] to get an [[RantInducingSlight earful of rage.]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in the island countries of East Africa (especially UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}, which is the only country outside of South Asia to have a Hindu majority), the Arabian Peninsula (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}), parts of Southeast Asia (especially the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in the island countries of East Africa (especially UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}, which is the only country outside of South Asia to have a Hindu majority), the Arabian Peninsula (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}), parts of Southeast Asia (especially the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in the Indian Ocean island countries of East Africa (especially UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}), the Arabian Peninsula (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates), parts of Southeast Asia (especially the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in the Indian Ocean island countries of East Africa (especially UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}) the Arabian Peninsula (particularly UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates), parts of Southeast Asia (especially the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), with it also being popular in the Arabian Peninsula (especially UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}} and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates), parts of Southeast Asia (particularly the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), parts of Southeast Asia (particularly the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will not describe it as polytheistic, but pantheistic, monistic or even monotheistic (yes, it's complicated). To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one deity, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, as mentioned above, this is complicated and certainly not set in stone. Debates of where Hinduism places itself in the continuum between polytheism and monotheism have occurred for centuries and still ocur today. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), parts of Southeast Asia (particularly the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates of whether Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}), parts of Southeast Asia (particularly the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates on whereas Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

*** '''Nyaaya''' (Judgement) - Basically ''Saamkhya'', but they believe in the existence of divine beings, and that a soul exists, separate from consciousness. In almost every other aspect, [[MindScrew they are exactly the same.]] Buddhism is generally believed to have emerged from this school of thought.

*** '''UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}'''

Hinduism is classified under the Dharmic religions, which also include UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, UsefulNotes/{{Sikhism}}, and Jainism. The other three are offshoots from Hinduism, in the same way that UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} and UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} are offshoots from UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}.

This 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 only religions in the world that allows the practice of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_atheists atheism within itself]], and the oldest evidence of the concept.

*** '''Saamkhya''' (Rationalism) - An Atheistic school of thought. They believe that all things can be explained by impartial and dispassionate observation, inference and from consulting reliable sources. Gods are regarded as simply "[[BewareTheSuperman More Powerful than You, but Mortal - not Divine.]]" As such, they regard the Soul as nothing more than the manifestation of Human Consciousness. Highly influential, they've shaped much of the society and culture of the subcontinent with their focus on ethics and the issues of a normal person's day-to-day.

*** '''Nyaaya''' (Judgement) - Basically ''Saamkhya'', but they believe in the existence of Divine beings, and that a soul exists, separate from consciousness. In almost every other aspect, [[MindScrew they are exactly the same.]] Buddhism is generally believed to have emerged from this school of thought.

*** '''Miimaamsaa''' (Reflection) - These ones are largely indifferent toward the concept of Divinity. The way they see it, the existence (or lack thereof) of God(s) is none of their business. [[OrderVersusChaos But what people do in the name of God(s) most certainly is.]] They focus more on social duty, justice, law and order, rather than theological considerations. Anti-ascetic and anti-mystic, these ones are the epitome of pragmatism.

*** '''Caarvaaka''' [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer (Eat, Drink and be Merry) ]] - These guys were basically Ethical Hedonists mixed in with Atheism. [[RiddleForTheAges Or so we think.]] Almost everything we know about them comes from secondary sources, and very little of their own works have have survived into the present day. [[WrittenByTheWinners And what little is written about them tends to be unflattering.]] Is an extinct school.
*** '''Ajiivika''' (Special Lives) - These guys were a ''major'' rival to Buddhism and Jainism when those two started off. They were basically Nihilistic in their outlook, [[YouCantFightFate believing that free will was an illusion]], that everything that had happened, is happening and would happen is predetermined, has already happened several times before, and nothing is going to change. [[CrapsaccharineWorld Ever.]] Hence they focused heavily on the concept of FigureItOutYourself and to [[TheUnfettered live as one truly desired]], rather than by some predetermined moral code. They didn't really care about God(s) and Souls, and felt that by observation they could figure out what do to next and what would happen next. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Which resulted in them coming up with the (pseudo-scientific) concept of Astrology.]] They slowly declined in popularity sometime after the collapse of the Mauryan Empire, and as of today, there's maybe a handful of them around. Maybe.

** In addition to all of this, most followers of the ''Sanaatan Dharma'' (the Sanskrit name for Hinduism, literal translation is [[MeaningfulName "The Eternal Way"]]) have a set path - these are the closest thing Hinduism has to sects [[HehHehYouSaidX (get your mind out of the gutter)]]. This system came into being as Hinduism grew to be more monotheistic, and dates from sometime around the 5th Century CE. The general idea is that all the Divines are ''Avatars'' (''lit.'' "Manifestations of Will") of one very powerful God(-ess), who is in charge of everything. [[BrokenBase ''Which'' God(-ess) is what no one can agree on - and which is the reason that multiple paths exist.]] While not strictly opposed to each other, all sides have some friction between each other - which is largely inconsequential, since all paths worship the same Gods(-esses) anyway. [[GameOfNerds The argument is of a highly technical and theological nature - which is of little or no interest to an ordinary person.]]
*** '''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 recognisable by the vertical ash-mark on the foreheads of it's 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.]]
*** '''Shaivism''' (Path of Shiva) - These ones believe that Shiva is the Supreme Godhead. Less mainstream, and focused more on Monastic duty, ascetics and self-discipline. Generally the choice of path for soldiers and those with a hard, demanding path in life. ''Yoga'' as it is known in the West is an outgrowth of Shaivism. Easily recognisable by the horizontal ash-mark on the foreheads of it's disciples. Whenever most people think of a Hindu Monk or ascetic, it's a pretty good bet it's these guys that they're thinking of.
*** '''Smartism''' (Path of Revelation) - Not so much a path as it is a loose collection of people who depend on scripture for guidance and inspiration. They spend their lives interpreting the Written Works listed above and generally serve as preachers, priests and spiritual guides. Whenever someone speaks of a "Spiritual Guide", it's a pretty good bet that it's these guys they're talking about. Largely monastic, they are generally found in ''Matths'' (the Hindu equivalent of a Seminary, which also serves as a Monastery).
*** '''Shaktism''' (Path of Power) - [[WeirdnessMagnet Probably the most misunderstood group within Hinduism.]] These people believe that the Goddess Shakti [[AwesomeMcCoolname (her 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. Whenever people think about [[ActivistFundamentalistAntics "Superstition, Cow Worship, Irrational Fear of Modernity, etc. etc."]] and all the other [[AcceptableTargets blanket accusations]] of the "backwardness" of Hinduism, [[NeverLiveItDown it's these guys they're thinking about.]] Note that confusing the real Shaktists with the Loony-fringe madmen is a [[BerserkButton pretty surefire way]] to get an [[RantInducingSlight earful of rage.]]

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 longer worshiped.

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}}), parts of Southeast Asia (particularly the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali), and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates on whereas Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}}), the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali, and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates on whereas Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}}), the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali, and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God (and in the same way that ''Series/DoctorWho'' has the concept of [[TheNthDoctor all thirteen-plus Doctors]] being different incarnations of the same JustForFun/TimeLord), Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates on whereas Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

** There's also books on prayers, incantations and offerings, but those generally depend on where you are. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_texts A complete listing]] can be found on TheOtherWiki.

According to two of the four major Hindu sects, 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.

Hinduism is also very loose and allows acceptance of other religions. For this reason, the very concept of conversion does not exist in any of the Hindu texts, and those that wish to convert to the faith can actually do so with no ceremony, and can even keep practicing faith in another religion. (However, due to modern-day inter-religious tensions, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism this cannot be stated as a general sentiment]], and there is a significant minority that holds on to the belief that you have to be born Hindu to be Hindu.)

The oldest continuously-practiced religion in the world, and the dominant religion of South UsefulNotes/{{Asia}} (chiefly UsefulNotes/{{India}}), the [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Indonesian]] island of Bali, and certain parts of UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean (such as many areas of [[{{UsefulNotes/Guyana}} Guyana]] or [[UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago Trinidad]]) due to the presence of Indo-Caribbean people there, Hinduism's roots can be traced back to [[OlderThanDirt Iron Age India]], and as such it is believed to be the [[OlderThanYouThink oldest living religion in the world]]. Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. To sum it up simply, in the same way Catholicism has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God (and in the same way that ''Series/DoctorWho'' has the concept of [[TheNthDoctor all twelve-plus Doctors]] being different incarnations of the same TimeLord), Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Brahma, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms of one God, known variously as Brahman, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Myth/HinduMythology contains a [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vast pantheon]] of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same ''Sarvasva'' or "All-Being", i.e, God.[[note]]Of course, this is not set in stone, and debates on whereas Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism Monism]] if you want a summary.[[/note]]

Both Vishnu and Shiva are widely popular among Hindus as deities (each viewed as the Supreme Being in their respective sects), to the point that there has been some friction between the devotees of the two. Vishnu is arguably the better known, probably because of the vast amount of mythology surrounding Vishnu and his [[GodInHumanForm Avatars]]. Since the maintenance of the world is his responsibility, Vishnu will incarnate as an Avatar whenever evil rises, to bring balance to the world. Prince Rama, Lord Krishna, and Vamana are some of the popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama's story has been chronicled in the ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}'', and Krishna's in the ''{{Mahabharata}}'', a [[SpinOff part of which]] is the ''Literature/BhagavadGita''.

Both Vishnu and Shiva are widely popular among Hindus as deities (each viewed as the Supreme Being in their respective sects), to the point that there has been some friction between the devotees of the two. Vishnu is arguably the better known, probably because of the vast amount of mythology surrounding Vishnu and his [[GodInHumanForm Avatar]]s. Since the maintenance of the world is his responsibility, Vishnu will incarnate as an Avatar whenever evil rises, to bring balance to the world. Prince Rama, Lord Krishna, and Vamana are some of the popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama's story has been chronicled in the ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}'', and Krishna's in the ''{{Mahabharata}}'', a [[SpinOff part of which]] is the ''Literature/BhagavadGita''.

Hinduism is classified under the Dharmic religions, which also include UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, UsefulNotes/{{Sikhism}}, and Jainism. The other three are offshoots from Hinduism, in the same way that UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} and {{Islam}} are offshoots from UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}.