Non commercial website, for knowledge sharing. Free to copy and use, if you find it useful. Who is a Hindu?

• If you want to be a Hindu, you can be one.
• If you feel, you are a Hindu, then you are a Hindu
• To be a Hindu, you just have to respect Hindu way of life and follow whatever possible.
• Hinduism believes in freedom and states what is good and bad. You have the choice to do what you feel is right. There is no force to do a certain thing.
• God-loving religion and not a God-fearing one.
• Hinduism evolved from the collective experiences of its mystics, its yogis, and great men/women of wisdom. Originating from experience, Hinduism was never organized under a single leader or one philosophy.

There is no single central authority or any certification mechanism to declare one as a HINDU. One just have to be true to oneself. Only issue is social acceptance by fellow Hindus.

Three Basic Principles

1. ஒன்றே குலமும் ஒருவனே தேவனும்| 
   நன்றே நினைமின் நமனில்லை நாணாமே 
   சென்மே பகுங்கதி யில்லைநுஞ் சித்தத்து | 
   நின்றே நிலைபெற நீர்நினைந் துய்மினே. - திருமந்திரம் By Thirumoolar
   Above text means: Only One race/community and one God. Think good, not only for you but also for every one. This is the only way for salvation and to eliminate fear of death. Let your mind be filled with good thoughts only. These verses unite the divided humanity instead of dividing the united Supreme Being!
   
2. ஓம்பூர்ணமத: பூர்ணமிதம் பூர்ணாத் பூர்ண முதச்யதே
   பூர்ணஸ்ய பூர்ண மாதாய பூர்ணமேவா வஸிஷ்யதே
   ஓம் ஸாந்தி : ஸாந்தி : ஸாந்தி : [Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]
   Above text means: Poornam means ever full, whole, complete or infinite or Perfect. God or ultimate reality is Poornam or ever Fullness. From Fullness comes infinite beings, which is also Fullness or made up of same divine essence. Taking Fullness from Fullness, Fullness Indeed Remains and infinite reality remains the same unaffected and unchanged. (poornam also mean both full and void or zero)
   Let there be peace be in all three realms: surroundings, body and mind OR self, you and everyone
   
3. அன்பும் சிவமும் இரண்டென்பர் அறிவிலார் |
   அன்பேசிவமாவது யாரும் அறிகிலார்
   அன்பேசிவமாவது யாரும் அறிந்தபின் |
   அன்பேசிவமாய் அமர்ந்திருந்தாரே - திருமந்திரம் By Thirumoolar
   Above text means: Only the ignorant will think that love or compassion and God (Sivam) are two different things; only few really understand that Sivam is nothing but love; once everyone understands that Sivam is nothing but love, everyone will become saintly or become Siva (God).
   Tara the Tibetan and Hindu Goddess of compassion, originated as a Great Goddess and the Mother Creator. Her compassion for living beings, her desire to save them from suffering, is said to be even stronger than a mother's love for her children.
   

What is Hinduism?

• Hinduism is the major religion in India. About eighty percent of the population is Hindu (over 700 million people). Hinduism is the most popular religion in Asia. Large numbers of people also practice it in Nepal, Fiji, and the island of Bali in Indonesia. Hinduism has over 1 billion adherents worldwide (15% of world's population)
• The word "Hindu" was first used by the Persians and other foreigners to refer to the people who lived on the southern side of the Sindus River (now known as the Indus River). The name "Hindu" came to refer to both the people and their religion.
• Hinduism is a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions (Vedic religion, Indus and Saraswathi valley cultures, asvika or siddha or renouncer or sramana traditions, Aryan-Dravidian traditions, and the many local and immigrant traditions and animist-nature-tribal religions). Difficult to say exactly how it deveoped and so there can be many possible theories.
• Hinduism is a way of live and a philosophy, Neither a Dogma, nor a Belief. It is not only the doctrine of religious and moral rights, but also the set of duties, social order, right conduct and virtuous things and deeds.
• Hinduism embraces many traditions of impersonal origin. Hinduism's history is closely linked with the rise and fall of different kingdoms and empires.
• Hinduism is a library covering many subjects like science, cosmology, medicine, literature. One can choose whatever one wants. Like any library, user discretion is advised. Right for one, may be wrong for the other.
• Hindus recognize that the Ultimate Reality also known as Brahman, is Infinity, Eternal and Unchangeable. Brahman is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God (all-powerful, all-knowing, and all- or everywhere-present).
• All Gods creations are equal and individually unique with strengths and weaknesses. As buddha told, ‘I am a human being who is awake or woken up to reality’.

Puranas or histories or stories

The Four Paths Of Yoga

1. Jnana yoga is the Path of Knowledge or intellectual way or contemplation. One uses mind to understand self, nature, dharma (order) and relationship with supreme being.
2. Karma Yoga is the Yoga of Action. It purifies the heart by teaching you to act selflessly. Do good and Work is worship.
3. Bhakti Yogi is surrendering to almighty God, who is the embodiment of love. Through prayer, worship and ritual one can realize God. God, our creator will take care of every thing.
4. Raja Yoga is the science of physical and mental control. It also includes all methods which helps one to control body, senses and mind.

Hinduism in day to day life

• Ahimsa: all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed. . It means, LIVE AND LET LIVE.
• Look upon every person or soul as a part and parcel of the mighty Whole. One can see the same Self in every life form. This doctrine encourages universal brotherhood, reverence for all forms of life, and respect for our environment.
• Importance of duty for every one. All actions can be done with God in mind and see God in every action.
• The choice of deities and way of worship is flexible. There are no hard and fast rules. There is no singular Truth or fact or view.
• Nature worship is part of Hindu religion. Live with nature.
• Life objectives is "Oneness is a point of realisation. It cannot be taught; It cannot be learnt; It can only be found or realized.

Supreme Being

• God is one, unborn, changeless, boundless all-pervasive Supreme Being or divinity. God is the beginning, middle, and end of every thing. But human mind cannot conceptualize such God.
• God manifest in many forms to devotees. Each sect/group have their own pantheon of Divinities, all in turn representing the Supreme Lord. D
• One can see God every where and in every creature. The Lord dwells in the hearts of all creatures.
• God is the essence of everything.
• God is the goal of life, support of all, and the final abode of all. God is the only refuge, the one true friend.

Freedom to Worship GOD in any form

• Smartas, who worship five major deities: Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Ganesh, Karttikeya and Surya, the sun-god.
• Vaishnava philosophy accepts that there is only one God. They worship Lord Vishnu takes many names and forms in different religions.
• Shaivites, who worship Lord Siva.
• Shaktas may worship the many forms of Durga, such as Parvati or Kali.
• There are few hundred sects worshipping other deities like Sun, Ganesha, Kumara, Rama and Krishna as main deity.

Caste and other divisions

Castes or jatis meaning birth, are are complex social groups to fit in to any model. Varna, a theoretical model may be translated as "class," and refers to four social classes. The four varnas can not represent complex systems of thousands of castes. The term Castes, means different things to different Indians, and one can not map castes to varnas. These divisions are more to do with Indian society rather than any religion. So Indian converts to other religion still live with the caste system. Divisions like clans, race exist in all societies in the world, irrespective of religion they follow.