...continued
from
Hinduism – Eastern Religions
Page 7
From the book Readings
In Eastern Religions by Harold Coward, Eva Dargyay and Ronald Neufeldt
who teach in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of
Calgary,
Alberta, Canada.
people.ucalgary.ca/~lipton/subject.html
The four Veda
Samhitas.(collection
of hymns).are
a primary source of Hindu literature. These four, the Rigveda Samhita,
the Yajurveda Samhita, the Samaveda Samhita and the Atharvaveda Samhita,
have had a seminal
influence on the religious, social and cultural life of the Indian subcontinent.....Together
the four collections comprise what is often referred to as Vedic literature.
Three other, mostly later,
bodies of literature can also be regarded as shutri.(learning
which can be heard): the Brahmanas.(beliefs
regarding the power that is the source and sustainer of the universe, the
single absolute underlying energy.pervading
the universe and found within
the individual), the Aranyakas
and the Upanishads.
From The Bible Knowledge
Accelerator: The Vedas of Hinduism: Hinduism began in India, but much
earlier than Buddhism which also began in India, about 1500 BC. The Vedas
are a collection of rituals and mythological and philosophical
commentaries with a vast number of epic stories about Gods, heroes and
saints.
They were written over a
period of aboout 2000 years,.(approx.
1400 BC to 500AD). To summarize the
Hindu belief would be impossible because there are so many different ways
to look at it. That is why there is so many different sects.
But they all believe in Brahman.(the
three-in-one God), Brahma.(the
creator), Vishnu.(the
preserver).and
Shiva.(the
destroyer). Man is subject to fate
since he is part of Brahman.
Karma,
Reincarnation
and Nirvana
are also believed as in Buddhism:
Yogas
cause one to control the body and emotions through intense discipline and
Dharma is the law of moral order which one must follow to reach Nirvana.
It is the aim of every Hindu to avoid reincarnation and reach Nirvana through
pure acts, thought and devotion. It is interesting to note that it is the
Hindu.Vedas
that worship the cow.