MEANING OF THE NAME HINDUISM AND HINDUISM BY NUMBERS








MEANING OF THE NAME HINDUISM:
Meaning of name Hinduism,from the Persian hindu (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth."





  • Date founded - Earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier.
  • Place founded - India
  • Founder - none
  • Adherents - 900 million
  • Size rank - third largest in the world
  • Main location - India, also United Kingdom and United States.
  • Major Sects - Saivism, Vaisnavism, Saktism
  • Sacred Texts - Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Bhagavad Gita
  • Original Language - Sanskrit
  • Spiritual Leader - guru or sage
  • Place of worship - temple or home shrine.
  • Theism - pantheism with polytheistic elements (see Is Hinduism Polytheistic?)
  • Ultimate Reality - Brahman
  • Human Nature - in bondage to ignorance and illusion, but able to escape
  • Purpose of Life - to attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of reincarnation
  • How to Live - order life according to the dharma.
  • Afterlife - if karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body; if karma resolved, attain moksa (liberation)



MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Mahashivarati (mid-February)
Holi (Spring)
Ramnavami (late March)
Dusserah (early November)
Diwali (mid-November)




THREE PATHS
Karmamarga - path of works and action
Jnanamarga - path of knowledge or philosophy
Bhaktimarga - path of devotion to God



THREE DEBTS
Debt to God
Debt to sages and saints
Debt to ancestors



FOUR STAGES OF LIFE
Brahmacharga - school years - grow and learn
Grhastha - marriage, family and career
Vanaprastha - turn attention to spiritual things
Sanrgasu - abandon world to seek spiritual things



FOUR PURPOSES OF LIFE
Dharma - fulfill moral, social and religious duties
Artha - attain financial and worldy success
Kama - satisfy desires and drives in moderation
Moksha - attain freedom from reincarnation



SEVEN SACRED CITIES
Ayodhya
Mathura
Gaya (Bodhgaya)
Kasi (Varanasi, Benares)
Kanci
Avantika (Ujjain)
Dvaraka



TEN COMMITMENTS
1. Ahimsa - do no harm.
2. Satya - do not lie
3. Asteya - do not steal
4. Brahmacharya - do not overindulge
5. Aparigraha - do not be greedy
6. Saucha - be clean
7. Santosha - be content
8. Tapas - be self-disciplined
9. Svadhyaya - study
10. Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to God












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