Essays on Hinduism

The belief in Karma and Samsara form the basis for the Hindu’s religious worldview. It has been central to Hinduism for thousands of years, and as a result forms a major part in the philosophical thinking of many Hindu’s today. The ideas of Karma and Samsara are evident in almost all of the great Hindu…

“Poetry, Passion, and Power: The Lyrics of Andal-Goda and the Music of Goda Mandali,” Vasudha Narayanan”Mirabai: Inscribed in Text, Embodied in Life,” Nancy M. Martin-KershawThis is a summary and reaction to the above articles, both of which have similar foci in that they each discuss different female Hindu saints. These Saints, though women, have life…

What does the symbol mean? The swastika is a cross that has its ends bent at right angles- it ends up looking like a spine. In geometry, the swastika is described as a 20 sided polygon (a.k.a. an irregular icosagon). Heller (2008) notes that the swastika is also referred to as a “Gammadion,” “Hakenkreuz” or…

What impact has Hinduism had on modern India’s society? Introduction and overview             Hinduism has been the most influential aspect of the current economic, social and cultural development in the modern Indian society.  This has mainly been contributed by strict adherence to the Hinduism ideals as direct applications of their lifestyles (Radhakrishnan, 2007).  Though scholars…

Brittany Fowler Humanities 101-LS2 Reflection Paper Hinduism 10/3/12 Despite being the world’s third largest and oldest religion, lots of people including me are very unaware of the facts about Hinduism. Hinduism can be traced all the way back to 5000 B. C and has been said to have over 1 billion followers. The most interesting…

Hindooism is a organic structure of spiritual and philosophical beliefs and cultural patterns from India. It is a faith with many beliefs and patterns. Hinduism is characterized by a belief in reincarnation. belief in a supreme being of many different signifiers. the position that opposing theories are facets of one ageless truth. and a desire…

In this essay I will provide a detailed explanation of the worship of Shiva in relation to the bhakti tradition. I will use an iconic visual representation of this deity to assist with my explanation of the beliefs and values associated with the devotion of the Deity. To do so, I shall begin my essay…

dhismThe Differentiation of Beliefs in Hinduism and BuddhismWhile Hinduism and Buddhism come from the same cultural backgrounds, they are extremely diverse in their beliefs on afterlife, deity, and rituals. Both religions believe in reincarnation, but it is where an individual goes after he or she gets off the endless cycle that differs. These religions also…

The Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple, located in Lanham, Maryland, is unique in that it houses both an icon to Shiva and an icon to Vishnu. Shiva is represented with a stone lingam and Vishnu is portrayed lying upon a bed of snakes. These two icons are the center of the temple and are housed in…

There are three paths in Hinduism – the path of knowledge, the path of devotion and the path of action. The topic to be discussed in this paper is the path of devotion, or ‘bhakti’ in Sanskrit. Devotion is defined as, “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause” (Google Definitions). In the…