CONCEPTS AND BELIEFS
Existence of God Most Hindus believe in the existence of God as one Absolute Supreme Reality, Universal soul or Universal spirit and is called Brahman or Parmatma. It is formless and neuter in gender. It is omnipresent. Cosmic energy emanates from this imperishable source. The divinity of God is vibrant in every atom of creation. Life in all its forms and the whole universe is a manifestation of this Absolute Supreme. The multitude of Gods and Goddesses described in Hinduism are in fact different aspects or manifestations of the Absolute Supreme Reality, symbolised in different forms. They are not viewed as separate or rival powers but as different functions, different aspects and different ways of understanding and approaching the One Reality.
Atma (Soul)
Hindus believe in the existence of Soul (Atma), which is eternal, invisible and immortal. Atma is a part of the Universal soul. It exists in all living beings
Karma
It means ‘action’ or ‘deeds’. It is believed that all actions, physical as well as those conducted by mind produce results. It refers to the totality of our actions and their reactions in present life and previous lives which determine our future lives. Hindu scriptures convey the message, ‘’as we sow, so shall we reap’’. Cycle of births and deaths continue until the soul accumulates enough positive merits to outweigh the demerits, when it is released from this cycle, i.e. gets liberated (Moksha)and unites with the Supreme Reality.
Dharma
It can be described as a path of righteousness. By fulfilling one’s Dharma one achieves good merits or Karmas, which helps towards the goal of attaining Moksha. Essential aspects of Dharma are observance of:- patience, forgiveness, self control, honesty, purity of thoughts, control of senses, truthfulness, reasoning, control of anger, non violence, knowledge and learning.
Moksha
It means emancipation or salvation. This is the ultimate goal of every Hindu. In this stage Atma merges with the Universal soul (Brahman) and gets rid of the cycle of births and deaths. There are three paths to obtain Moksha; Karma marga, the path of action; Jnana Marga, the path of spiritual enlightenment and Bhakti Marga, the path of devotion and love of God.
Journey of life
Life is like a journey which should ideally consist of both; material achievement and spiritual development. Vedic concepts have described stages, objectives and directions to achieve this goal of life.
