Wishesh magazine february 2018 Wishesh magazine february 2018 | Page 159

Most Hindus respect the
authority of the Vedas (the
oldest sacred texts) and
the Brahmans (the priestly
class), but some reject one
of both of these authorities.
Hindu religious life might
take the form of devotion to
God or gods, the duties of
family life, or concentrated
meditation. Given all this
diversity, it is important to
take care when generalizing
about “Hinduism” or “Hindu
beliefs.”
In the 20th century,
Hinduism began to gain
popularity in the West. Its
different worldview and its
tolerance for diversity in
belief made it an attractive
alternative to traditional
Western religion. Although
there are relatively few
western converts to Hinduism
specifically, Hindu thought
has influenced the West
indirectly by way of religious
movements like Hare Krishna
and New Age, and even more
so through the incorporation
of Indian beliefs and practices
(such as the chakra system
and yoga) into health and
spirituality. In some ways Hinduism
is the oldest living religion
in the world, or at least
elements within it stretch back
many thousands of years.
Yet Hinduism resists easy
definition partly because of
the vast array of practices
and beliefs found within it.
It is also closely associated
conceptually and historically
with the other Indian religions
Jainism, Buddhism and
Sikhism.
Hinduism is the religion of the
majority of people in India and
Nepal. It also exists among
significant populations outside
of the sub continent and has
over 900 million adherents
worldwide. Unlike most other religions,
Hinduism has no single
founder, no single scripture,
and no commonly agreed
set of teachings. Throughout
its extensive history, there
have been many key
FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WISHESH.NET