"RELIGIONS OF INDIAN ORIGINTable of ContentsIntroduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2Hinduism ....................................................................................................................................................... 3Salvation, according to Hinduism ................................................................................................................. 6Buddhism ...................................................................................................................................................... 61. There is suffering .................................................................................................................................. 72. Suffering has a cause ............................................................................................................................ 73. There is cessation to suffering .............................................................................................................. 74. There is a way to cessation of suffering ................................................................................................ 7The Eightfold Path ......................................................................................................................................... 81. Right View ............................................................................................................................................. 82. Right Thinking ....................................................................................................................................... 83. Right Speech .......................................................................................................................................... 84. Right Action ........................................................................................................................................... 85. Right Livelihood ..................................................................................................................................... 96. Right Effort ............................................................................................................................................ 97. Right Mindfulness ................................................................................................................................. 98. Right Concentration .............................................................................................................................. 9Jainism ........................................................................................................................................................... 9Ahimsa ........................................................................................................................................................ 10Many-sided reality ...................................................................................................................................... 10Non-attachment .......................................................................................................................................... 11Asceticism ................................................................................................................................................... 11Jain ethics and Five vows ............................................................................................................................ 11Sikhism ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 IntroductionIndia is famed for its religious diversity, rich philosophy and profound spirituality. The majorreligions existing in India today are Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism,Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Bahái faith. India has been the cradle of Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism and Sikhism. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have in fact been the molders of Indianphilosophy.Hinduism is the dominant religion in India, accounting for about 80% of the population. It alsohas the distinction of being the oldest religion in the world, having originated around 5000 yearsago. The other Indian religions developed much later in Indian history.Buddhism and Jainism came into being around 500 BC. A miniscule number of approximately0.5% of the Indians are Jains and another 0.7% profess Buddhism. Sikhism is the youngest religion that sprung from the Indian soil. Although it was established aslate as the 15th century, a decent number of about 2% of Indians are Sikhs. These Indian religions share a common heritage and are therefore similar in their belief systemsand modes of worship. One has to keep in mind that for an Indian, religion is more than dogmas and beliefs. Religion isa window into the cultural space and social moorings of the individual. For example, an Indianwho identifies herself as a Hindu is not revealing about her belief in after-life, but ratherindicating her place of birth and belongingness to a particular community of people. Hinduism Hinduism is undoubtedly the oldest religion in the world. It is the third largest religion in theworld, next only to Christianity and Islam. Given its long history, more than 80% of Indianpeople are followers of Hinduism in one way or the other. Hinduism is unique in many ways. Unlike the Judeo-Christian and other religions, Hinduismneither has a central governing authority, a founder nor a universally accepted holy book.Hinduism is full of contradictions, embracing a wide gamut of teachings and belief systemsstraddling the world from theism to atheism, and everything in between. Some Hindus worship apersonified Power of Nature, while others worship regional deities. Hindus could be atheists,agnostics, deeply religious, mildly religious, beef eaters, vegetarians, devotees of Shiva orVishnu or any other god or goddess for that matter. Hindus may either be orthodox orunorthodox in their religious beliefs, have contrasting markings on their foreheads, visit differenttemples, celebrate a diverse range of festivals, chant divergent bhajans and mantras and yetbelong to the wider fold of Hinduism. An accident of birth or marrying into a „Hindu? family isenough to put the seal of Hinduism on a person, irrespective of his or her adherence to anyreligious precepts or practices of Hinduism whatsoever. Hinduism is a befitting example of unityin diversity. In the absence of a uniform theology, moral standard or way of life, Hinduism is in astate of constant flux and yet has been continuing in the past 5000 years. It is therefore known asSanathan Dharma or the everlasting religion.The Hindu texts are broadly classified in Shruti and Smritib and both these represent differenttraditions of Hindu philosophy. Shruti is “that which has been heard”. Shrutis are fixed,canonical, consist of revelation and unquestionable truth, and are eternal in character. They are author-less as they were transmitted verbally across generations. Shrutis refer mainly to theVedas themselves. On the other hand, Smriti is “that which has been remembered”. Smritis refer to a body of Hindutexts usually attributed to an author and are traditionally written down. Smritis were fluid andfreely rewritten by anyone in ancient and medieval Hindu tradition. They exist in many versions,with different readings. Smritis are authoritative only to the extent that they conform to Shrutis,and may therefore change over a period of time. They are therefore considered less authoritativethan Srutis in Hinduism.One may point out that the division between Shruti and Smriti is superfluous at best. Both Shrutiand Smriti represent a continuum, with some texts being more canonical than others.Shruti literature consists of Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. The term „Vedas? literally means „knowledge?.There are four Vedas, which are the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. TheRig Veda is considered to be the oldest of the four Vedas, having been composed about 1500B.C. and codified about 600 B.C. The Vedas contain hymns, incantations, and rituals dating backto ancient India. Besides their spiritual value, they also throw light on everyday life in India fourthousand years ago. They are the most ancient religious texts preserved till today, along with thelikes of the Book of the Dead, the Enuma Elish, the I Ching and the Avesta. The Vedas are alsothe most ancient text in an Indo-European language and are therefore a treasure throve forstudying comparative linguistics.The Upanishads are a continuation of the Vedic philosophy. They were written between 800 and400 B.C, and elaborate on how the Atman can be united with the Brahman. Smriti literature consists of the epics, puranas, dharma shastras, darsanas and agamas. TheMahabharata and Ramayana are the national epics of India. They are probably the longest poemsin any language. The Ramayana is attributed to the poet Valmiki. It was written down in the firstcentury A.D, although it is based on oral traditions that date back six or seven centuries. TheRamayana is a touching love story imbued with a deep moral and spiritual message. TheMahabharata is attributed to the sage Vyasa and was written down between 540 and 300 B.C. Ittells the legends of the Vedic Aryan group called Bharatas.The Bhagavad Gita is considered as a part of the sixth book of Mahabharata, dating from about400 or 300 B.C. It is a philosophical dialog between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. TheGita discusses selflessness, duty, devotion and meditation, thereby integrating different streamsof Hindu thought.The Puranas are post-Vedic texts which narrate history of the Universe starting from creation todestruction, genealogies of kings, heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmologyand geography. They are divided into three categories, named after Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Dharma shastras are laws governing the political, social and religious spheres. Examples ofDharma shastras are Kautilyas?s Arthashastra (dealing with material property and power,Vatsyaya (elaborating on love and desires) and Manu Smriti (laying down guidelines on socialconduct of different castes). Darshanas elaborate on the Upanishadic ideal of moksha, while the Agamas deal with worshipforms and temple structures, among other things. "