Hinduism Essays - Indian Philosophy, Mindbody Interventions

Hinduism Essays - Indian Philosophy, Mindbody Interventions Hinduism Hinduism Hinduism is such a complex religion it is a very difficult topic for individuals to study. The fact that Hindus have no specific God and they have so many different belief systems made it difficult for me to interpret. Hinduism is considered one of the world?s largest religions?s and was created in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is not just a religion; it is more so the way of life. It has its own beliefs and traditions. It is a group formed of diverse traditions and has no specific supernatural being or no single holy text. According to Huxley (2010) ?Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality? (p. 78). Hindus also believes that on the death of the body the soul passes to or is reborn in another body, which is reincarnation. Sense Hindus have a strong believe in reincarnation they do not determine death as the end of life or a fear, instead they acknowledge death as a resurrection of the soul. They do not focus death on fear. Hinduism is suc h a powerful religion that it has persuaded the world with its informed beliefs. This particular religious group has a freedom of practice and belief. Hinduism has been a huge influence amongst the world for many years. It is a known religion that has created practices such as Yoga, Tantra, Karma, and so on. It is a religious tradition that could never really be categorized with any specific belief system for instance, theism, monotheism, and so forth. Hindus believe that there is only one supreme spirit ?Brahman?. On the other hand, it does not indicate that they worship a particular deity. For spiritual growth or advice Hindu seeks what they call ?Guru?, which is a spiritual teacher. For example, Christians and other religious groups have priest and Hindus have Guru?s. Within Hinduism there are many gods and goddesses that could all represent some form of Brahman. Hindus adore animals, spirits, and trees. Hindus are very devoted to respecting animals, in fact they believe that they were once human or either will be human in another life. Within Hinduism it is said that different individuals requires different spiritual paths and that individual?s personality can help establish the type of yoga to practice. The first yoga is the Jnana Yoga, which means ?Knowledge Yoga?. It is a yoga that is appropriate for priests. Then there is the Karma Yoga, which refers to ?Action Yoga?. This particular yoga helps a person gain a sense of wanting to do things out of passion rather than doing something in returns of a reward. This type of yoga suggests when work is performed unselfishly; the reward is greatness or perfection. Another yoga practice is Bhakti Yoga, which is ?Devotion Yoga?. It is a form of yoga that fosters love and faith. It can engage expressions of devotion such as, food offerings, chants, songs, and so on. There is the Raja Yoga, which stands for ?Royal Yoga?. This practice promotes meditation. It is a yoga that gives a person some mental stability and helps one gain a sense of peace. An additional yoga practice is the Hatha Yoga, which means ?Force Yoga?. Hatha Yoga includes exercises that make a long meditation period easier to follow; which includes balancing, stretching, and breathing techniques. A different form of yoga is Kundalini Yoga, which is a combining of the hatha yoga and the raja yoga. Kundalini Yoga shows that there are seven psychic centers, called Chakras. Huxley (2010) noted that ?the chakras are centers through which energy rises from the base of the spine to the crown of the head? (p. 95). Chakras help increase insight and joy during meditation There are many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. India was a land that was a full of diverse cultures, races, and religions. Hinduism brought tranquility to the land; they believed in nonviolence. Many intruders of the region influenced the development of Hinduism over the centuries. The intruders that invaded India, their religion of Vedas persuaded the indigenous beliefs of Hinduism. The Hindu culture is vegetarian which is also an influence that encourages