Salvation is reached through acts of worship, based upon the love for a god there are thousands of gods in hinduism. Feb 21, 2020 different hindu scriptures present completely different paths to salvation liberationkarmayoga the path of action, janayoga path of knowledge, and bhaktiyoga path of devotion. There are about 8 million jehovah witnesses in the world. Once salvation is reached, the saved soul becomes part of what hindus believe is the one absolute soul brahman that binds all other souls. Jnana yoga in sanskrit jnana means knowledge, but nowadays jnana is usually known as a path of wisdom. Because religion has no specific founder, its difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. Apr 04, 2017 nevertheless, hinduism and christianity share some similarities as well.
Jun 17, 2012 the three ways to salvation are 1 the karmamarga the path of duty or the dispassionate discharge of ritual and social obligations. Summary of hinduism in one page reason and meaning. The paths to salvation in hinduism and christianity eng. Ive studied, practiced and taught yoga for years, but after the holy spirit opened my eyes to the truth about yoga and the lord jesus christ, i became a christian. Hinduism is really a vast and apparently incoherent religious complex. Karma marga is for the socially active, it is called the path of works, it is for people who prefer to seek liberation through day to day tasks such as raising a family or volunteering. For example, mormons follow the beliefs of three books. Because judaism is by origin and nature an ethnic religion, salvation has been primarily conceived in terms of the destiny of israel as the elect people of yahweh often referred to as the lord, the god of israel. Bhagavad gita is a renowned world over as the jewel of indias spiritual wisdom. The topic to be discussed in this paper is the path of devotion, or bhakti in sanskrit. This work is an attempt to bring together in a concise volume the views contained in the writings of some enlightened souls on the indian religious thought and to set out the path of salvation indicated in. Jan 07, 2012 hindus have three paths to help them achieve liberation, there are three different paths because each person is unique with their own special qualities. In doing so, it will also highlight hinduisms belief in the three paths to salvation, known as the karma, jnana and bha kti. The followers of hinduism are divided into castes supposedly based on their origins.
Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. The heart of hinduism, in the spirit of the tradition, aims to be nonsectarian, evenhanded, and respectful in its description of all the hindu traditions. The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the real self within you and become one with brahman. The bhagavad gita is the work which has devoted special attention to this way of salvation. Just as these clients parents are often the main role models for the values and beliefs of the hindu client, the clinician is expected to provide a. And they say lowe castes come from his feet other other castes from other parts of his body. These three paths of yoga include karma yoga, jnana yoga, and bhakti yoga.
One acts and performs rituals according to the instructions of guru and scripture and one becomes gradually detached from material objects and sensual pleasures. Ignorance regarding this oneness, hindus say, gives rise to our bad actions, which results in bad karma, which in turn traps us in a supposed cycle of. Dec 19, 2015 the vedic spiritual paths to salvation by stephen knapp there are four basic paths that are recommended within the vedic system. Roughly 95 percent of the worlds hindus live in india.
Several denominations exist within hinduism, and while the exact path to salvation differs, the general principles remain the same and can be divided into four categories. Hinduism believes in philosophy of karma, rebirth, god as a creator of the universe, and. The term bhakti refers to one of several alternate spiritual paths to moksha spiritual freedom, liberation, salvation in hinduism, and it is referred to as bhakti marga or bhakti yoga. With this said, for hindus, reaching salvation is understanding that everything is in union. Nov 02, 2016 hinduism encourages devotees to think of brahman as either personal or transpersonal, depending on which carries the most exalted meaning for the mind in question. Choosing a particular god or goddess and worshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and deeds. Karma the way of deeds this path to salvation is the path pursued by a large number of people. The way of knowledge another way of achieving salvation in the hindu sense is the way of knowledge. The hindu holy books describe several ways of achieving this liberation. Note taking origins hinduism has no founder, it absorbed ideas and practices that suited its social and culture framework as it evolved over thousands of years. It is important to know that only human beings can get salvation. In hindu traditions, moksha is a central concept and the utmost aim to be attained through three paths during human life. Hinduism has a unique faith based in their three margas or paths of yoga which are key components to their belief system. The doctrine of original sin states that humankind is born already tainted by the sin of adam and therefore separated from god, and in need of a redeemer.
Within modern hinduism, bhaktiyoga remains the predominant path towards spiritual fulfilment. There are several holy books in hinduism including the bhagwad gita, ramayan and vedas. Ever since then ive been filled with the true love, joy and peace of god and realize what it means to be intimately and blissfully united to god. Aug 06, 2019 the goal of hinduism is to achieve salvation, at which point an individuals soul stops reincarnating. As of 2020, there are about one billion hindus in the world. The way of works is the attempt to purify ones soul by the meticulous observance of all the laws and obligations of the hindu scriptures. Hinduism has a unique faith based in their three margas or paths of yoga. Though that is a very famous way, it is not possible for everybody to denounce the normal life and become an ascetic. The heart of hinduism text book is produced by iskcon educational services, uk. The vedas contain no predictive prophecy and offer no miracles to confirm the revelation supposedly sent from god. Karmathe way of works, jnanathe path of enlightenment, bhaktithe path of love and worship. Sacred animals are used in hinduism in order to invoke gods and seek their blessings.
The theme of total selfsurrender is often repeated in the holy bible. Hinduism and buddhism, an introduction article khan academy. Hinduism, one of the oldest religions in the world, dates from perhaps 3500 b. Bhakti devotion appears to be the path most recommended in the gita. The evolution of this religion gave raise to new beliefs and new gods. Bhagavad gita through the lord krishna primarily advocates three spiritual paths towards attaining spiritual salvation, namely karma yoga, jhana yoga and bhakti yoga. But he gives us only one path to eternity with him. The three ways to salvation are 1 the karmamarga the path of duty or the dispassionate discharge of ritual and social obligations. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life.
Also, hindus follow down one of three paths to salvation. In bhagavadgita, lord krishna has described many ways to attain salvation. The bhagavad gita had been made practically the only source for the means to moksha liberation with the development of classical hinduism in. In hinduism there are three main paths marga to salvation or liberation. To help put the enormity of that figure in perspective, consider this. To attain salvation, we do not need to become ascetic. Over the centuries the salvation options in hinduism have varied widely. Its a conversation between lord krishna and his intimate disciple arjuna that offers a definitive guide to the science of selfrealization. Roughly 95 per cent of the worlds hindus live in india. In the hindu tradition there are numerous gods and goddesses and many books and. Iskcon, the international society for krishna consciousness, belongs to the vaisnava tradition of hinduism. There are three paths in hinduism the path of knowledge, the path of devotion and the path of action. Reading path to salvation was a refreshing experience, reminding me of the springtimes of my faith, when i have had great passion for god and for holiness. Most people find that when they hear a little about hinduism it all begins to sound a little familiar.
Guide to behavior for buddhists as a way to salvation. The three paths according to the hindu religion mainly symbolize the three main ways to salvation or liberation. The foundation of hinduism was laid by two groups of people, the indus valley civilization and the aryans. To attain release, hinduism acknowledges four distinctive paths. Dharma, artha, kama, and moksha are the four aims of a human life amongst which moksha is the final aim. Only a few ideas and concepts are common to most hindus. Hinduisms three views of salvation 2145 words 123 help me. The vedic spiritual paths to salvation by stephen knapp there are four basic paths that are recommended within the vedic system. In this paper, i will demonstrate how hinduism is a plausible religion, and how it compares and contrasts to the christian faith that i was brought up believing. The way of works karma marga, is the path to salvation through religious duty. The sacred scriptures of these periods are called vedas, of which there are. Karma the way of works, jnana the path of enlightenment, bhakti the path of love and worship.
The nearly 4,000 year old and hinduism s oldest sacred text. There are many hindu schools of thought and practice and many hindu communities. In hinduism, the idea of salvation is called moksha, which for hindus means escaping the cycle of life and rebirth and entering a state of completeness. As you already mentioned, three paths lead to salvation or liberation but as there are three different paths, there are also three different results. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. The way of salvation in hinduism is unique in each of the early periods of hinduism, which have 23 been classified into 1 the prevedic period, 3500 b. Theophan produced in this book an excellent work of spiritual psychology, with fantastic insight into the struggles and victories of the christian life.
Sep 29, 2017 in hinduism, the idea of salvation is called moksha, which for hindus means escaping the cycle of life and rebirth and entering a state of completeness. Jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, and raja yoga. There are two really basic hindu texts that most every hindu knows. Hinduism is one of the living religions that originated in southern asia along with jainism, buddhism and sikhism. Nevertheless, many schools of philosophy have held that acceptance of the sacred compositions called the vedas as a source of divine authority is a litmus test of orthodoxy. Material progress without spiritual development can cause serious problems. In doing so, it will also highlight hinduisms belief in the three paths to salvation, known as.
Hinduism teaches that humanitys main problem is the mistaken belief that we are individuals and not one with the ultimate divine reality, brahman. By practicing yoga, one can reach to a pure steadfast mind and eventually come to the blessed lord. One of the three hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing performing right actions according to dharmathe path of worksthe way one wants to be saved without building good karma. Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion, second in size only to christianity and islam. Hinduism has traditionally recognized three main paths of salvation. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. The hindu religion focuses on four key pieces that lead one to salvation personal gods, karma, reincarnation, and moksha spiritual liberation.
Salvation, for the hindu, can be achieved in one of three ways. The online indian purans describes these three paths as follows. These are the foundational elements for the three ways way hindus can obtain salvation and are presented in a hindu text called the bhagavadgita. There are many deities and paths to salvation in hinduism. Jan 10, 2017 this was an age when islam, brahmanical hinduism, sufism, various strands of bhakti, and the nathpanths, siddhas and yogis influenced one another. To reach nirvana you must follow the noble eightfold path. This lesson will focus on the sacred hindu text of the bhagavad gita. Complex form of social organization in indian society. This path to salvation is characterized by commitment and action. Reincarnation the process by which an individual soul passes through a sequence of bodies is known as reincarnation. The bhagavad gita presents three paths to salvation. It is very popular because it provides worship to the hindu god. Attaining salvation is the ultimate goal of a hindu s life. A polytheist is as much a hindu, as a monotheist or a monist or even an atheist.
Nov 07, 20 paths to salvation are called the margas or yogas. We saw that new towns chapter 6 and kingdoms chapters 2, 3 and 4 were emerging, and people were taking up new professions and finding new roles for themselves. Hindus acknowledge the validity of several paths margas toward such release. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the thirdlargest religion behind christianity and islam. Nirvana is a transcendental, blissful, spiritual state of nothingnessyou become a buddha. God loved us so much that he came down to earth clothed in flesh so that he and he alone could justify us, knowing our efforts would always fall short. This path to salvation is the path pursued by a large number of people.
We get this human body when the soul travels through 8,400,000 species. It was not until the 2nd century bce that there arose a belief in an afterlife, for which the dead would be resurrected and undergo divine. In this paper, i will demonstrate how hinduism is a plausible religion, and how it compares and contrasts to the christian faith that i. Hinduism is the product of the various peoples that have occupied the region of india through the period of time. Hinduism a christian examines and responds to hinduism. Karma marga or the path of duty is for individuals who prefer salvation through their daily activities renou, 60. It is an inclusive religious group, allowing for a lot of diversity. Brahmin, the high priestly class say they come from brahmas head. All hindus believe in final emancipation moksha but disagree about the path marga to moksha. Concept of salvation in hinduism punjab university. Founding of the religion no single founder made from a.
677 1459 590 903 708 1019 1152 1254 496 1452 11 930 399 544 658 561 1205 1112 1221 625 866 555 609 545 1568 734 1022 1377 1566