With reference to a Hindu wedding ceremony, describe and explain the many points of symbolism.
With reference to a Hindu wedding ceremony, describe and explain the many points of symbolism. Ritual is very important within the Hindu religion. If ritual is performed correctly, good karma will follow and if not, the opposite will occur. There are whole books dedicated to ritual such as the Veda, the oldest scripture in the world. Key factors in making the right match include the partner being Hindu, also preferably from the same caste and compatible horoscopically. Also, the horoscopes show what the best date for the wedding to take place is. Although India is a large country and weddings vary, most key points are shared. In India the wedding itself would be at the bride's home but in England a hall is booked. In preparation for the wedding, henna is used to decorate her hands and feet lasting many weeks symbolising her entry into her marriage. A red spot is painted called a 'tilaka' showing she has been blessed by god. She is wearing a red sari, the colour of happiness, with gold jewellery, the best she can afford and black paint around her eyes called kajal. The groom gives her a ring that she wears on her toe. The groom will wear a kurta-pajana; a lose fitting top and trousers and a veil of beads. The bride and groom's parents will worship Ganesh and the family deities asking them to be present at the wedding and make sure everything goes to plan. Throughout the
How Do Hindus View Suffering?
HOW DO HINDUS VIEW SUFFERING? Hinduism is an ancient religion and is a mixture of several different faiths. The religion includes the beliefs of the early inhabitants together with the beliefs of others from around the last three thousand years. Due to the diversities in the religion, it may seem that a number of Hindus may appear to be followers of a different religion - this is not so. The differing of beliefs can be seen in the view of suffering. It is one of the most vital concepts in Hindu philosophy. Suffering is "to undergo or be subjected to pain."1 Pain does not just mean physical torture. It could mean anything from struggling to make ends meet, to being mentally unstable. Suffering may be internal, like physical pain, or external, resulting from the environment around. The three major religions that is Christianity, Judaism, Islam (known as the religions of the book) have their own teaching on what it means to suffer. The idea of suffering in the Christian tradition is particularly conventional. The Old Testament book of Job depicts a righteous man who loses everything that he has, and in turn has inflicted upon him diseases. The view of suffering is found in the characters Zophar, Bildad, Eliphaz, who believe that the main reason Job is suffering in such a gruesome way is because of his actions. Job may have appeared to be a righteous man on the
Abortion - Hindu view.
Many Hindus value the preservation of life and always condemn murder and suicide, but see euthanasia as an act of selfless compassion and assistance to let the victim achieve spiritual liberation. Three of the main ideas involved include Karma, Samsara, and Moksha. Karma is a concept of the rituals and sacrifices a person does during their life, and largely it is thought of as the scale on which a person's actions are measured on. There is bad Karma and good Karma for good deeds and bad acts. All you Karma eventually affects your Samsara. Samsara is the endless cycle of rebirth that Hindu's believe is affected by your Karma. If you have good karma then your next life will be better, if you have bad Karma, your next life will contain suffering and pain. To finally have such a Karma that would ultimately let you escape this cycle and reach Moksha, which is the ultimate goal of Hinduism. Moksha is the liberation of Samsara and the unification of one's soul with God. Actions and deeds taken to reach Moksha and incur good Karma are the aims of many of Hinduism's basic rituals. Many Hindus think that abortion shouldn't be accepted at all by anyone, but abortion is legal in India and in Hinduism it is left up to the individual to decide whether or not abortion is the right thing to do. However, Hinduism also teaches that abortion, like any other act of violence, thwarts a soul in
Examine the Hindu views on arranged marriages. To what extent can Hindu arranged marriages survive in a multi - cultural society
Examine the Hindu views on arranged marriages. To what extent can Hindu arranged marriages survive in a multi - cultural society In this essay I will examine the Hindu views on arranged marriages and how they are surviving in s multi - cultural society. I shall use secondary research to back up what I mention within this essay. An arranged marriage is a marriage in which neither the bride nor the groom has a say over the selection of their future spouses. However, in an arranged marriage, both parties give full consent to the marriage. Arranged marriages have been proven to be successful. Arranged marriages have been a traditional aspect of family life in Hinduism. According to Hinduism, a marriage between two people is seen to be a holy relationship, that is just not limited to this one life, but extends across seven or more lives during which, the couple will help each other grow as people and progress spiritually. Two souls come together and marry because their karmas are intertwined and they have to resolve many things together upon earth in order to ensure their mutual salvation. In Hinduism, man and woman represent the two halves of the divine body. There is no question of superiority or inferiority between them. When parents are in search for a partner for their child, they firstly look at the religion, language and caste. These are very important factors that
Examine and Comment of Christian and Hindu Beliefs about Life After Death
Examine and comment on Christian and Hindu beliefs about life after death. Death is the most fateful experience of each individual's life. Whether it is the end of one's life, or the beginning of a new life, no one knows. Death for the Hindu is merely transition, simultaneously an end to a new beginning. Death for the Christian is destined and is a time of judgement that is made from their former performances in life. These are very different views from two major world religions that both question the different events that may take place after one's death. The Christian faith believes that the body is resurrected at death and the soul of an individual is immortal and continues after death. The doctrines of the church teach Christians that after one dies, they will rise before God and be judged. They believe that Christians who have been faithful throughout their life by worshipping Christ and helping other who are less fortunate. A quotation from Matthew 25: 31-46, 'One day we shall be called to account for the way we have used our gifts, our opportunities and our energies. Above all, we shall be required for the way we have behaved in relation to the poor, needy and the marginalised', supports the belief of the Christian faith and continues to teach these beliefs to mankind. This judgement that is made by God determines whether a person's soul will spend eternity in heaven
Christianity and Hinduism seem to have profoundly different views in relation to God and/or existence.
Melissa Thomas Examine and comment on contrasting standpoints about God and/or existence in relation to the topic you have investigated. Christianity and Hinduism seem to have profoundly different views in relation to God and/or existence. For example, creation within Christian belief is ex-nihilo (out of nothing). God created everything in 7 days from the light and darkness, to the day of rest. This can be illustrated by reference to Genesis “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth” From this it is quite clear that God pre-existed before the beginning of creation. In contrast, Hindus reject the concept that something can come from nothing for several reasons such as, the Bhagavad Gita (BG) states the eternality of matter: "Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless” and also, from the Rig Veda: ‘There was neither non-existence nor existence: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it’ - Instead they believe that the sacred sound ‘Om’ (a symbol of Brahman) was the first sound of creation. Creation emerged out of Brahman; he moved from an unmanifest state (without any form) to a manifest one (with form). There was always something before creation, as it is an impossible notion to assume that anything can come from nothing. Although, we could argue that God’s ultimate uniqueness can form the ability
The Beginning Of Hinduism.
The Beginning Of Hinduism Hinduism is the oldest of the major world religions. It began so long ago that no one really knows how old it really is, but it goes back at least 5000 years. The Hindus think it has always existed. The name 'Hindu' comes from an old name for people who lived in a part of northern India. The word 'Hindu' comes from the River Indus and in the beginning it described where people lived, not their religion. The Persians were the first people to use the name. There were people living near the River Indus about five thousand years ago. They built large cities and one of them was called Mohenjo-daro. Some archaeologists have dug the city up and discovered many things about the Indus people and their civilization. Today, over 800 million people living in India are Hindus, and there are the same number living in other parts of the world. Hinduism was not begun by any one person but it developed gradually over more than a thousand years. This means that today it has many different 'branches' and its followers have a very wide range of beliefs and ways of worshipping. Hinduism is a way of life as much as a religion, and different Hindus may believe different things without being 'right' or 'wrong'. Holy Books The Hindu religion has many holy books. Some of these are called Shastras. They advise on how people should live their lives. The most important
What, according to scholars, were the characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilisation? Discuss the possible influence of this civilisation In Hindu thought and culture
The Indus Valley a lost civilisation A) What, according to scholars, were the characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilisation? (12) B) Discuss the possible influence of this civilisation In Hindu thought and culture? (8) The origins of modern Hinduism have been thought to stem from two Ancient sources1, the Aryans and the Indus Valley Civilisation. The River Indus, in North West India, was home to a forgotten civilisation that is now held to be one of the four great civilisations of the late Bronze Age, the Mesopotamians, the Ancient Egyptians and Ancient China. Yet, it was not until 1921, when the first excavations were carried out by Sir John Marshall on the cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, that the world was alerted to its greatness. This civilisation was an urbanised trading culture that extended much further than the Indus Valley to areas in Pakistan to the coast line of the Arabian Sea. What is known about the civilisation is mainly guess work from the archaeological finds and Aryan hymns. It is a civilisation which holds, perhaps, the key to understanding the origins of Hinduism, for the characteristics of the civilisation has a strong link to Hindu thought and culture. The cities are an important feature of the Indus Civilisation. Flood 2believed that the urban areas developed due to increased agriculture which led to a higher food supply and in turn led to a
What is meant by "Karma"?
What is meant by "Karma"? "Just as every object has a shadow, every action has an effect." - Buddha Karma is one of the fundamental concepts in the Buddhist religion. The concept of Karma is not original to the Buddhist religion, as it was adopted by Buddha from Brahminism, which was an earlier version of Hinduism. The theory of Karma first appeared in the Upanishads, which was a revolutionary piece of literature of its time, questioning and challenging the role of humans alongside nature and trying to answer the classic questions: Why? Why are we here? What is our role in life? Doctrines were formulated to answer these questions by gurus and written in the Upanishads and the fundamental doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation are two key concepts that helps in the understanding of Buddhism as a religion. The life we live is, in accordance to the doctrines of Karma and Rebirth, the result of how we have lived. Karma literally translated means "Action." The law of cause and effect best explains Karma. It is through our actions that we live the life we lead. It is clear to see the stark differences that exist between humans. Some are poor and some are rich, some are healthy and some are constantly ill and so on. Buddhists explain that it is because of past actions or Karma that a person is constantly ill or is able to live a life of luxury. Our actions can have a direct effect
"It is essential for Hinduism to reform but the most important issue was the nature of the reformation" Discuss this claim with reference to the activities and teachings of A) Ramakrishna and B) Daynanda Sarasvati.
"It is essential for Hinduism to reform but the most important issue was the nature of the reformation" Discuss this claim with reference to the activities and teachings of A) Ramakrishna and B) Daynanda Sarasvati At a time where India was facing social, economical and political reform it was absolutely vital that Hindu religion and culture developed in a way that would not only preserve Hinduism but also withstand foreign religious and social criticism. Reform at this stage was inevitable but more important was the nature of this reform. The key aim was to enhance and preserve the development of Hinduism and so different people reacted to this in different ways depending on their faith and key ideas. Ramakrishna focused on spiritual development and allowed a liberal view of God. One main theme that was reinforced by Ramakrishna was his desire to "see in God in all". Ramakrishna believed that true self-realisation only came when everything was transformed into a manifestation of God. "I have now come to a stage of realization in which I see that God is walking in every human form and manifesting Himself alike through the sage and the sinner. God in the form of the saint, God in the form of the sinner, God in the form of the righteous, God in the form of the unrighteous." For Ramakrishna all the religion led to the same destination. This has become one of the modern