Hindu Beliefs/Practices
Hindu man meditatingIndividuals paying tribute to God shrinesYogi stance |
In the Hinduism religion, many of the Hindu follower's center of attention is the devotion and worship of God. God in this case is perceived as Brahman, Vishnu, Shiva, and/or Shakti and any of the other several of Gods. This faithfulness to their Gods takes place in different forms of rituals and practices.
The more philosophically minded Hindus completely ignore the gods but rather seek self-realization through meditation. They essentially focus on their moral obligations and duties in life. Through is meditation phase, it has been said to help these individuals with their personal path in life. There are three stages in which one must go through to end the self realization period. The three stages to liberation are called; bhaktimarga, jnanamarga, and karmamarga. 1. Bhaktimarga is the path to devotion. 2. Jnanamarga is the path of knowledge or philosophy. 3. Karmamarga is the path of works and action. Some more Hindu rituals include: Ayurveda- ancient Hindu system of medicine and healing. Hatha Yoga- this refers to the mediative state during yoga. Kundalini Yoga- psychic energy which lies in the base of the spine. This refers to any of the movement working with the spine and/or lower back during yoga. Namaste Greeting- the simple act of bringing both hands together. Puja- In which hindus perform this ritual every morning after bathing and dressing but before eating or drinking anything. |