Portal:Hinduism/Selected article
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Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a family of ancient spiritual practices dating back more than 5000 years from India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga (see Yoga as exercise).
Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to Hinduism and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many others.
The four main paths of Yoga are Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a yogi, yogin (masculine), or yogini (feminine).
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Dharma refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. Ethically, it means 'right way of living' or 'proper conduct,' especially in a religious sense. With respect to spirituality, dharma might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. Dharma is a central concept in Hinduism and other Dharmic religions.
According to Hindu beliefs, beings that live in accordance with Dharma proceed more quickly toward Dharma Yukam, Moksha or Nirvana (personal liberation). In traditional Hindu society with its caste structure, Dharma constituted the religious and moral doctrine of the rights and duties of each individual.
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The Trimurti is a concept that holds that God has three aspects, which are only different forms of the same one God. The three aspects of God are Brahma (the Source/Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver/Indwelling-life) and Shiva (the Transformer -Destroyer/Creator). According to the Trimurti belief, these three personae of God are simply different aspects of the one and the same God.
Though all the three trimurti's are males, each aspect has a female consort, all of which are manifestations of the Supreme Goddess Shakti (power/energy). Brahma was able to create because his consort is Sarasvati, the goddess of speech and learning. Similarly Vishnu's consort Lakshmi, is the Goddess of beauty and fortune making it possible for him to preserve the universe; and Durga is the consort of Shiva.
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Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a person's reincarnated lives. Karma in Hinduism explains the problem of evil that persists in spite of an omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent God; it is thus related to theodicy.
Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The results or "fruits" of actions are called karma-phala. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.
The "Law of Karma" is central to Hinduism. All living creatures are responsible for their karma. Their actions and the effects of their actions and for their release from samsara. The concept can be traced back to the early Upanishads.
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Angkor Wat is a well known Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built for king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre—first Hindu, then Buddhist—since its foundation. The temple itself has become a symbol of Cambodia as it appears on its national flag. The temple is also noted for being the country's prime tourist attraction. The temples style is an example of Khmer architecture, or the Angkor Wat style.
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temples. This style is designed to represent Mount Meru, which is the home of the gods in Hindu mythology. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this.
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The Upanishads (Devanagari: उपनिषद्, IAST: upaniṣad) are part of the Vedas and form the Hindu scriptures which primarily discuss philosophy, meditation and nature of God; they form the core spiritual thought of Vedantic Hinduism. The Upanishads are mystic or spiritual contemplations of the Vedas, their putative end and essence, and thus known as Vedānta ("the end/culmination of the Vedas"). The Upanishads were composed over several centuries. The oldest, such as the Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads, have been dated to around the eighth century BCE. The philosophical edifice of Indian religions viz., Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism is built on the foundation laid by the Upanishads.
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In Hinduism, Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश or श्रीगणेश (listen ) (when used to distinguish lordly status) (or "lord of the hosts," also spelled as Ganesa and Ganesh, often also referred to as Ganapati) is one of the most well-known and venerated representations of God. He is the first son of Shiva and Parvati, and the 'consort' of Buddhi (also called Riddhi) and Siddhi. 'Ga' symbolizes Buddhi (intellect) and 'Na' symbolizes Vidnyana (wisdom). Ganesha is thus considered the master of intellect and wisdom. He is depicted as a big-bellied, yellow or red god with four arms and the head of a one-tusked elephant, riding on, or attended to by, a mouse.
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The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद) are the main scriptural texts of Hinduism, also known as the Sanatana Dharma, and are a large corpus of texts originating in Ancient India. The Vedas, regarded as śruti ("that which is heard"), form part of an oral tradition in the form of an ancient teacher-disciple tradition. As per Hindu tradition the Vedas were 'revealed' to the Rishis referred to in the texts, not composed or written by them. Even though many historians have tried to affix dates to the Vedas there is, as of yet, no common consensus as there is for the scriptures of other religions. The Vedas are arguably the oldest surviving scriptures in the world. The Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of Hindu philosophy assert that the Vedas are apaurusheya ("unauthored"), that is, they have neither human nor divine origin, and are eternal in nature.
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Vaishnavism is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism, and is identified from other schools by its primary worship of Vishnu (and his associated avatars) as the Supreme God. It is principally monotheistic in its philosophy, whilst also incorporating elements which could be described as being panentheistic. Its beliefs and practices, (known as Bhakti Yoga, or Bhakti) are based largely on Vedic, the Bhagavad Gita, Isha Upanishad and Puranic texts. The followers of Vaishnavism are referred to as 'Vaishnavas', which is the Vriddhi form of Vishnu in Sanskrit. The principal belief of Vaishnavism is the belief of Vishnu or Narayana as the one Supreme God.
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Shaivism (also spelled Saivism, IAST Śaivism; see Sanskrit for pronunciation) is a branch of Hinduism in India that worships Shiva as the supreme God (Bhagawan). Followers of Śaivism are called Śaivas or Śaivites. There are approximately 220 million Śaivites in the world. Śaivism is a form of nondual spiritual practice and philosophy originating in India. Śaivites believe that the entire creation is both an expression of conscious divinity and is non-different from that divinity which they call "Śiva". Because he is simultaneously the created and the creator, Śiva is both immanent and transcendent. Originating in India, Śaivism has appeal all over India and the world. An icon resembling Siva in his aspect of Pasupata has been found among the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization, leading to speculation that Siva may be an ancient indigenous deity who was accepted and incorporated in later Vedic Hinduism.
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Brahman (Devanagari: ब्रह्म, Tamil: ப்ரம்மம் ) is the concept of the abstract, impersonal Godhead found in Hinduism. Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all things in this universe. Though its nature is transpersonal it is sometimes considered anthropomorphically as Ishvar, the Supreme Lord. In the Rig Veda, Brahman gives rise to the primordial being Hiranyagarbha that is equated with the creator God Brahmā. The trimurti can thus be considered a personification of hiranyagarbha as the active principle behind the phenomena of the universe. The Upanisads assert that the soul (jivanmukta), in order to liberate, must realise his identity with Brahman as his true self (see Atman).
Brahman is said to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in human language. It can be at best described as an infinite Being, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. Brahman is regarded as the source and essence of the material universe.
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The Ganges River (called Ganga in most Indian languages), is a river in Northern India and Bangladesh. The river has a long history of reverence in India and is worshipped by Hindus as a goddess. It is often called the 'holy Ganga' or 'Ganga ma' (mother Ganga).
The total length of the river is about 2,510 km (1,557 mi). Along with another river Yamuna, it forms a large and fertile basin, known as the Gangetic plains, stretching across north India and Bangladesh, and supports one of the highest densities of human population in the world. About one in every 12 people on earth (8.5% of world population) live in its water catchment area. Due to this incredible concentration of population, pollution and the destruction of habitats are matters of serious concern.
The picture shows Hindus putting lit candles on the Ganges thus demonstrating their immense reverence for the great river.
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[edit] Nominations
Feel free to add Featured, top or high importance Hindu mythology, Hindu philosophy, or Hinduism articles to the above list. Other Hinduism-related articles may be nominated here.
[edit] Current nominations
Choose the next "Selected article":
[edit] Varanasi
- Reason: Holiest city, sounds adequate.
- Date to be selected: Anytime
- Sign with date: Húsönd 21:25, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Ganesha
- Reason: One of the most identifiable and popular Hindu gods (& is a GA)
- Date to be selected: Anytime
- GizzaChat © 03:37, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
Approved. Arjun 04:11, 13 January 2007 (UTC)- Approved. seems ok.--Dwaipayan (talk) 04:56, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
