Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Hinduism - Essay Example are many aspects of their religious beliefs and practices that provide the necessary common ground to bring under a single political classification, if not a theistic one. While the predominant deity may differ from one faction to the other, all deities are taken from the more than 300 million divine entities that form the cosmos. While no one scripture is considered to represent the religion in all its complexities, a few historical scriptures are widely circulated, read and referred across the various denominations. These are the Vedas (some of which date back to 2000 years B.C. and beyond) and Upanishads (a later-day invention of the Brahman classes). Some form of religious practices, beliefs and rituals that derived from Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads and Vedas are being used by the Hindus even today. This is the strongest argument in favor of a unifying Hindu theology (Van Horn, 2006). Hinduism places emphasis on worship of nature. Indus Valley was the cradle of the religion. Hence, the way of life afforded by its geography holds religious significance as well. The Indus River was vital to the survival of its surrounding inhabitants; so worship of river god is a basic tenet. This also explains the reverence accorded to river Ganges, the dependents of which refer to it as Ganga Mata (Mother Ganga). The plains on either side of these rivers provide the necessary fertile grounds for growing subsistence crops. And at the time of composition of the Vedas, domesticated cattle was the only means to plough the land. Cows also provide other necessary nutrients in the form of its milk. What started as reverence had evolved into devotion and worship. This social aspect of life in the two millennia before Christ explains why Cows are regarded as sacred animals even today. So, at the time of its formation, Hinduism was little more than a practical means of livelihood. But the religion’s links to every day life became weak ever after making it an abstract