Hinduism Research Paper

Words: 1125
Pages: 5

Hinduism, like most religions, has sets of beliefs, and traditions. They also have a caste system, religious symbols, life-cycle rituals and holidays that they celebrate. People of the Hindu religion also have to deal with discrimination around the world, more specifically in the United States.
Like all religions the people whom practice them have a set of beliefs. The people of India who practice Hinduism have four goals in life. They are Karma, Artha, Dharma, and Moksha. “The synthesis of thought and action-of theory and practice-is even more clearly expressed in the notion of karma, another key concept of India's indigenous cultural traditions” (Madan, 122). In this article, Maden basically says that Karma for human beings is the emphasis
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All the caste system does is basically say your profession and it is just a way to show your place in society. Brahmins are the priestly caste, Kshatriyas are part of the military, Vaishyas are the mercantile caste and the Shudras provided unskilled labor. According to my research, the caste system still exists today in modern India, as part of Hinduism except it is not necessarily as strict as before. Every Hindu, no matter what caste or community he belongs to, is the subject of rituals at birth marriage and death (Madan, 124). The lower caste at some point was not even allowed in temples, but now “the temple, into which a lower caste person cannot enter, shall fall” (Siddhartha, 34). Om is a religious symbol of Hinduism in India. Hindus consider its sound and vibration to be the divine sign of existence. It embodies the supreme energy or the Brahman. Ahimsa and cow are also religious symbols of Hinduism. Ahimsa means nonviolence. The cow is a significant, sacred animal in Hinduism. This worship and admiration probably came to be from the value that was placed on the cow in this pastoral country, and progressed into gaining religious sentiment. Swastika is a noble symbol. It stands for truth, and stability inside the power of