The main whales of Hinduism: a brief description of religion. The religious composition of the population of India

If you wanted to know what Hinduism is and read a brief description of this religion, then this article is for you. Hinduism is now considered the oldest and most complex religion in the world. According to Sanskrit, Hinduism is called the eternal law - sanatana-dharma.

Origin of Hinduism

Hinduism is a syncretic religion that has been formed over thousands of years and includes both the Neolithic animistic beliefs of ancient people, and the religious components of the religions of the ancient Aryans, the Indian civilization, the beliefs of the Dravidians, and also elements of philosophical teachings, Buddhists and Jains.. Given the large mass of various traditions of Hinduism, it unites the followers of this faith in the authority of the Vedas.

It is believed that the basis of the interpretation of the very name of the Indian religion is the Aryan word sindhu (river). A clear allusion to the deification of the rivers by the pre-Aryan population of India, first the Saraswati River, and later the Ganges. The belief in the sacred nature of the rivers was so strong that the Aryan newcomers had to invoke the special status of the rivers too. For their part, the Aryans brought to Hinduism the unique status of a cow as a sacred animal, for the murder of which in the old days in India was punished more severely than for the murder of a person.

From the 8th-9th centuries, Muslims began to call the non-Muslim inhabitants of India - Hindus. Subsequently, the British transferred the name Hindus to all the inhabitants of Hindustan who were not adherents of world religions and did not profess Sikhism, or. It was not until 1816 that the term Hinduism itself appeared.

Basic provisions of religion

All Hindus, regardless of currents, recognize the authority of the Vedas, which are called the word shruti (heard). There are four Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda. Based on the four Vedas, the second part of the sacred canon of the Hindus, which is called smriti, was written. Smritis include: Dharmashastras, Ihtihasas (including the two most important Mahabharata and Ramayana), Puranas, Vedanga and Agamas. Different currents of Hinduism consider not all smriti texts to be sacred.

However, the vast majority of Hindus believe that all living beings, or at least man, is endowed with a spiritual essence (jiva) soul that is associated with a creator god (most Hindus believe that Vishnu was the creator god). After the death of a person, the soul can move into the body of another person, or into the body of an animal, or even into inanimate matter. Thus, the cycle of transmigration of souls from one body to another is called samsara by Hindus.

It is possible to free the soul from the ring of samsara as a result of spiritual rebirth, enlightenment, which has different names (most often moksha, or nirvana). It is possible to achieve a favorable reincarnation, or nirvana, through the purification of karma. Karma is the totality of all human actions: mental, physical and verbal.

Also, most Hindus are united by adherence to the caste system, although for the 21st century this system began to actively disappear in India and various yogic traditions.

It is worth noting that Hinduism is considered the religion with the largest number of gods , at least there are three thousand gods. Three thousand years ago, Indra and Brahma were considered the main gods in India, but since the beginning of the Middle Ages, Vishnu and Shiva have captured the status of the leading gods of Hinduism.

Major branches of Hinduism

Vaishnavism is the main branch of Hinduism.. Vishnuites believe that the supreme god is Vishnu, who appears on earth through his avatars (earthly incarnations): Krishna, Rama, and others. Vishnuism is practiced by 68-70% of all Hindus.

The second largest branch of Hinduism is called Shaivism. Supporters of this trend, approximately 26% of the total number of Hindus, worship Shiva, according to some sources, Shiva was the supreme god of the Harappan civilization 3300-1500. before. n. e. If the information is reliable, Shaivism can be considered the oldest branch of Hinduism.

The third branch of the Indian religion is Shaktism (numbering about 3%), the essence of which is the worship of the great mother goddess, who has different names: Shakti, Durga, Saraswati, Kali, Lakshmi.

Also in India is smartism, a somewhat modified Brahmanism, which involves the worship of a number of gods, or one chosen one. The most popular gods of smartism: Vishnu, Ganesh, Shiva, Surya, Skanda, Indra.

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Geography of Indian religions

India is a very religious country. According to the latest census, less than 0.1% of the population identified themselves as atheists or undecided. The rest of the inhabitants respect, honor and observe the laws of various religions in India.

The majority of the population of India are believers and belong to some religion.

Religion in India today

In India, the following religions are currently practiced:

• Hinduism;
• Islam;
• Christianity;
• Sikhism;
• Buddhism;
• Jainism.

Four of these religions originated in India itself: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

In this table we see the percentage of the number of believers in each of the religions of India

The main religion in India is Hinduism. It is practiced by 80% of the country's population, which is more than 800 million people. In second place is Islam - 13% or more than 130 million people. Further, Christianity is 2%, 24 million Indians. Representatives of the religion of Sikhism in India - 1.9%, Buddhism - 0.8%, Jainism - 0.4%.

This map shows the prevalence of religions depending on the state of India.

The Constitution of India is loyal to the religious feelings of the Indians and officially all religions are recognized in India. This wise political move avoids sectarian strife. As a result, Indians generally respect other people's beliefs and rarely impose their own beliefs.

In India, they are loyal to any religion, so they have a lot of different beautiful temples

This also applies to Buddhism. The postulates of this religion of India say not to promote or impose faith. And so it happens: you can see an image or a statue of the Buddha, but you are unlikely to meet a procession of Buddhists along the main street of the city. In Hinduism, it is different: Indians regularly observe religious holidays and perform them with great zeal and pleasure. Often these events turn into grandiose festivities.

Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals in India.

The legendary Maha Kumbh Mela festival, which took place in 2013 in Allahabad, was attended by 70 million people. Taking a religious bath in the sacred waters of the Ganges at this festival is equivalent to reuniting with the absolute spirit, Brahman.

What religion was in ancient India

The religion that preceded Hinduism and dominated ancient India is Vedism. This is the first form of Hinduism, some of the rituals and laws of which were adopted by the modern religion of India. Vedism is a religious system, or rather a collection of practices that came from ancient scriptures. Despite the absence of a formed hierarchy of gods, their pantheon survived and was adopted by Hinduism. Here it was structured, and Vedism was transformed into Brahminism. Thus he became the progenitor of the present religion of India.

The religion of ancient India had a large pantheon of gods, it has survived to this day.

Hinduism has many branches, the main ones being Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartism. The great trinity of gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are considered the dominant gods, the creators of the world. However, the preserver of the world Vishnu and the destroyer Shiva are worshiped, but the creator Brahma is not. An ancient legend says that once Brahma decided to find the beginning and end of the sacred Lingam, for which he was cursed by Shiva. Since then, no one worships him, and throughout India you will not find more than a few temples dedicated to Brahma.

Geography of the religions of India

During the Arab conquests, Islam penetrated the territory of India and firmly established itself here. Most Muslims live in Kashmir, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Islam as a religion is very widespread in India.

Christianity is widespread in South India. The state of Goa is dotted with Catholic churches, crucifixes and icons of the Mother of God. This religion in India gained a foothold thanks to two events: the arrival of the Apostle Thomas in the 1st century AD. and Portuguese colonization in the 15th century. The state of Goa resembles the Portuguese resort towns. Most of the Indian Christians are Catholics, the rest are Protestants.

The religion of Christianity is spread mainly in the south of the country.

The religion of India, Sikhism, is popular in Punjab, Haryana and the northwestern part of the country. Sikhs believe in the One God, in Love, as the purpose and reason for the creation of all things. For them, there are no concepts of heaven, hell, karma or sins. This religion of India calls to love everything, treat all living beings with kindness and see God in the most ordinary things. Then happiness comes and anxiety goes away.

Sikhism is a religion of love, despite the fact that Sikhs are a caste of warriors

Siddhartha Gautama was born in India. In Bodhgaya (India) he gained enlightenment and became a Buddha. In the current city of Varanasi, he gave his first lecture, after which he went to preach along the Ganges River.

Buddhism, as a religion, also originated in India.

Consequently, Buddhism originated in India, but there are not as many followers of this religion within the country as outside it. Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand are leaders in the number of Buddhists.

Hinduism - a complex riddle or a simple fairy tale?

The religion of India does not have a common creed. There is no information about its founder. What our teachers called with the strange and reprehensible word "paganism," that is, polytheism, is the basis of the religion of India. Then no one told us that there were more than a billion people on the land of these same pagans.

Hinduism is a vibrant polytheistic religion with a host of gods and goddesses.

At first glance, Indian religion may seem mystical, exotic, and even barbaric. But no one will argue that there is no more diverse, unusual, colorful, rich history and legends than the religion of India in the world. The reproduction of the images of deities, in an understandable and simple way for the Indians, has become a cultural heritage of the whole world. And the philosophy of reincarnation began to be adopted more and more often by new religious and esoteric schools. If even 30-50 years ago the phrase “in a past life” was pronounced with sarcasm, today no one laughs at it anymore.

often defined as one of the world's oldest religions, but is not officially a world religion. Despite the fact that in terms of the number of believers, it ranks third after Christianity and Islam, and is also the largest national religion. Hinduism is inextricably linked with India, where it originally originated.

The population of India is more than 1 billion people and about 80% of them preach Hinduism. Only because of the fact that the vast majority of the followers of this religion live in one country, it has not been recognized as a world religion.

The specific year, or even century, for the beginning of Hinduism is unknown. It is the accumulated collection of communities, beliefs, beliefs and practices that have come together over the centuries. Their ancient roots are traditionally seen in the culture of the Indus Valley, the civilization of the river and the Indo-European people. Refined philosophies, village deities, and ethical obligations coexisted in pluralistic Hindu societies.

The Indus Valley has been inhabited since 2500 BC. Little is known about the beginnings of "Hinduism" of its then inhabitants, but it is certain that their religious impulses were directed to the forces of nature: the sun, moon, earth, water, trees, mountains ... Approximately 1500 BC, when the Indo-Aryans moved to this area from the northwest, the religion known as Hinduism first appeared. Local traditions supplemented Hinduism by "syncritization" and "Brahmanization" and flourished in Southeast Asia for several thousand years. And now in every part of the world.

Hinduism is more than a religion. It is also a philosophy and a way of life. Unlike other great religions, Hinduism is not based on one holy book - there are many, all of equal importance - or on the words of one or many prophets. Hinduism is a culture in the broadest sense of the word, and as a culture, it grows like a living organism, being influenced by all existing factors and circumstances. Modern Hinduism is fueled by many sources, growing into a vast selection of teachings, each of which is important in its own way.

The main schools in Hinduism are Smartism and Shaktism. They share many common concepts and principles, such as karma and reincarnation; belief in some Supreme Being who creates the universe, maintains it, and subsequently destroys it in order to repeat this cycle anew; faith in moksha, which means the liberation of the soul from an endless series of rebirths; adherence to dharma, a set of rules and norms of behavior necessary to maintain order, ahimsa, the principle of non-violence.

Each branch of Hinduism has its own philosophy and provides different ways to achieve the same goal. Some aspects are considered by them from different angles or interpreted differently. The followers of Hinduism believe that there are many paths leading to the One God, therefore there is no enmity or rivalry between them. They freely exchange ideas, hold discussions, and hone the philosophy of their schools.

Hinduism does not have a governing body that would exercise control on a national or regional scale. Followers rely on the same sacred books, which ensures the unity of their faith, although the interpretation of certain positions among the brahmins (spiritual leaders) of different temples is different.

The sacred books of Hinduism exist in large numbers, divided into two groups: shruti and smriti. It is believed that shrutis are scriptures associated with the gods that appeared along with them. They contain the eternal knowledge of our world. Subsequently, this knowledge was "heard" by the sages and transmitted orally until it was written down by the sage Vyasa in order to save it for humanity.

Shruti includes the Vedas, consisting of four volumes and containing texts of religious rites, songs and spells; Brahmanas, which are commentaries on the Vedas; Upanishads, which set out the main essence of the Vedas, and Aranyakas, with rules of conduct for hermits. Smriti refers to books that supplement shruti. These are the dharma-shastras containing the laws and rules of conduct; itihas, including various legends and stories; Puranas or ancient epics; vedanga - manuals on six areas of knowledge (Hinduism), and agamas or doctrines.

In Hinduism, there was a place for a huge number of gods. In this religion, the gods are the supreme beings that rule the world. Each of them plays its own special role. All of these deities require worship from their followers, which can be performed at temples or at family altars.

The main gods of Hinduism are considered (keeper of the universe), Shiva (destroyer of the universe) and Brahma (creator of the universe). Also important are their wives Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati. Another trinity of revered gods is Kama (the god of love), Ganesha (the god of luck and trade) and Brahman (the god-Absolute, "the soul of the world").

A huge number of people who have devoted their lives to Hinduism receive from this religion the strength to follow their life path to a good goal, regardless of obstacles and difficulties. Being apart, they are united in their aspirations, following the scriptures and worshiping the gods, preserving the great cultural heritage that came from ancient times.

Video:

Mantra (music):

Books:

Quotes:

))) All employees of our nuclear power plant adopted Hinduism. This helps them somehow come to terms with the four-armed director.

“A person must be loved by everyone, even by animals.”
Atharvaveda, 17.1.4.

"Do not use the body given to you by God to kill God's creatures - neither people, nor animals, nor any other creatures."
"Yajurveda", 12.32.

Question to the visiting yogi(s):

Are you close to Hinduism? What exactly impresses you in the described religious direction?

India is a country with a peculiar, unusually interesting culture and its own original beliefs. It is unlikely that in any other state - with the exception, perhaps, of ancient Egypt and Greece - there is such a huge number of myths, scriptures and traditions. Some researchers consider this peninsula to be the cradle of mankind. Others suggest that this country is one of the main heirs of the culture of the Aryan peoples who came here from the deceased Arctida. India - Vedism - later transformed into Hinduism that still exists.

History of India at a glance

The ancient tribes inhabiting the Hindustan peninsula switched from gathering and hunting to settled agriculture around 6-7 thousand BC. e. By the end of the 3000s, a highly developed culture of urban-type settlements was already emerging in these territories.

It is called "Harappan" by modern scientists. This civilization lasted almost a millennium. In the ancient Indian Harappan cities, handicrafts were well developed and there was a rich class of merchants. What happened to this culture is unknown. Some researchers suggest that a large-scale catastrophe occurred, others believe that the rich cities of this period, for some reason, simply went bankrupt and were abandoned.

Subsequently, Muslim dynasties ruled India for a long time. In 1526, Khan Babur conquered these territories, after which India became part of a huge empire. This state was abolished only in 1858 by the English colonialists.

History of religion

Over the centuries in this country successively replaced each other:

• Vedic religion of ancient India.
• Hinduism. Today, this religion is dominant in India. More than 80% of the country's population is its adherents.
• Buddhism. Today it is confessed by a part of the population.

Early beliefs

Vedism is the oldest religion of ancient India. Some scientists suggest that it appeared in this country some time after the disappearance of a huge prosperous ancient state - Arctida. Of course, this is far from the official version, but it is actually very interesting and explains a lot. According to this hypothesis, once upon a time, for unknown reasons, the earth's axis shifted. As a result, the climate has changed dramatically. It became very cold in Arctida, located either at the North Pole, or in modern subpolar continental regions. Therefore, the Aryans who inhabited it were forced to migrate towards the equator. Some of them went to the Middle and South Urals, having built observatory cities here, and then to the Middle East. The other part moved through Scandinavia and the third branch took part in the formation of Indian culture and religion, reaching Southeast Asia and subsequently mixing with the indigenous inhabitants of these places - the Dravidians.

Basic concept

In fact, Vedism - the oldest religion of ancient India - is the initial stage of Hinduism. It was not distributed throughout the country, but only in its part - in Uttar and East Punjab. According to the official version, it was here that Vedism originated. For the adherents of this religion, the deification of all nature as a whole, as well as its parts and some social phenomena, was characteristic. There was no clear hierarchy of gods in Vedism. The world was divided into three main parts - the earth, the sky and the intermediate sphere - antarizhna (compare with the Slavic Yavu, Naviu and Pravya). Each of these worlds corresponded to certain gods. The main creator, Purusha, was also revered.

Veda

We briefly talked about what the oldest religion of Ancient India is. Next, we will deal with what the Vedas are - its fundamental scripture.

At the moment, this book is one of the oldest sacred works. It is believed that for thousands of years the Vedas were transmitted only orally - from teacher to student. About five thousand years ago, the sage Vyasadeva wrote down part of them. This book, which today is actually considered the Vedas, is divided into four parts (turiya) - "Rigveda", "Samaveda", "Yajurveda" and "Atharvaveda".

This work contains mantras and hymns written in verse and serving as a guide for Indian clergy (rules for wedding, funeral and other rites). It also contains spells designed to heal people and perform all sorts of magical rituals. The mythology and religion of ancient India are closely related. For example, in addition to the Vedas, there are Puranas. They describe the history of the creation of the universe, as well as the genealogy of Indian kings and heroes.

Rise of Hindu beliefs

Over time, the most ancient religion of ancient India - Vedism - is transformed into modern Hinduism. This was connected, apparently, mainly with the gradual increase in influence on the social life of the Brahmin caste. In the updated religion, a clear hierarchy of gods is established. The Creator comes to the fore. There is a trinity - Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. Brahma is given the role of the creator of social laws, and in particular the initiator of the division of society into varnas. Vishnu is revered as the main guardian, and Shiva as the destroyer god. Gradually, two directions appear in Hinduism. Vishnuism speaks of eight descents of Vishnu to earth. One of the avatars is considered to be Krishna, the other is Buddha. Representatives of the second direction - the cult of Shiva - especially revere the god of destruction, considering him both the patron of fertility and livestock.

Hinduism began to play the role of the dominant religion in India already from the Middle Ages. It remains so to this day. Representatives of this religion believe that it is impossible to become a Hindu. They can only be born. That is, varna (the social role of a person) is something that is given and predetermined by the gods, and therefore cannot be changed.

The varnashrama-dharna social system

Thus, another ancient religion of ancient India - Hinduism, became the heir to many traditions and rituals of previous beliefs. In particular, the division of Indian society into varnas arose in the days of Vedism. In addition to the four social groups (Brahmins, Kshtariyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), according to this religion, there are four ways of human spiritual life. The stage of learning is called Brahmacharya, social and family life - Grihastha, the subsequent departure from the worldly - Vanaprastha and the final stage of life with final enlightenment - Sannyasa.

Whoever created the varnashrama-dharna, such an orderly way of life is still preserved in the world. In any country there are priests (Brahmins), administrators and military men (Kshtarias), businessmen (Vaishyas) and workers (Shudras). Such a division makes it possible to streamline social life and create the most convenient living conditions for people with the opportunity to develop and improve themselves.

Unfortunately, in India itself, varnashrama-dharna has greatly degraded by our time. The rigid division into castes (moreover, depending on birth), which exists here today, contradicts the basic concept of this teaching about the need for a person's spiritual growth.

The Religion of Ancient India Briefly: The Rise of Buddhism

This is another very common belief on the peninsula. Buddhism is one of the most unusual religions in the world. The fact is that, unlike Christianity, the founder of this cult is a completely historical person. The creator of this currently quite widespread teaching (and not only in India) Sidgartha Shanyamuni was born in 563 in the city of Lumbene in a kshtaria family. He was called Buddha after he attained enlightenment at the age of 40.

Religion has always considered the deity not as a punishing or pardoning force, but as a role model, a kind of “beacon” of self-development. Buddhism, on the other hand, completely abandoned the idea of ​​creating the world by any Creator. Adherents of this religion believe that a person can only rely on himself personally, while suffering is not sent to him from above, but is the result of his own mistakes and inability to discard worldly desires. However, like the earlier Indian religions discussed above, Buddhism contains the idea of ​​salvation, that is, the achievement of nirvana.

Interaction with Western culture

For Europeans, the culture and religion of ancient India for a long time remained a mystery behind seven seals. The beginning of the interaction of these two completely different worlds was laid only at the end of the century before last. Celebrities such as Nicholas and Helena Roerich and others made their invaluable contribution to this process.

Today, one of the most widely known concerns India. The famous soothsayer believed that the most ancient teaching would soon return to the world. And it will come from India. New books will be written about it, and it will spread throughout the Earth.

Who knows, perhaps the ancient religion of India will indeed become the basis of future new beliefs. The “Fiery Bible”, as Vanga predicts, “will cover the Earth with white color”, thanks to which people will be saved. Perhaps, we are talking even about the well-known work written by the Roerichs - Agni Yoga. "Agni" means "Fire" in translation.

Culture of Ancient India

Religion and culture of ancient India are closely interconnected phenomena. The otherworldly mystical world of the gods is almost always present in the works of Indian artists, sculptors and even architects. Even in our time, masters strive to bring deep content into each of their works, a kind of vision of inner truth, not to mention the ancient craftsmen.

Unfortunately, very few ancient Indian paintings and frescoes have come down to us. But in this country there is simply a huge number of ancient sculptures of historical value, and architectural monuments. What are, for example, the huge Ellora caves with the magnificent Kailash temple in the center. Here you can also see the majestic statues of the divine Trimurti Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva.

So, we have found out that the oldest religion of Ancient India is Vedism. Hinduism and Buddhism, which arose later, are its development and continuation. Religious beliefs in India have simply had a tremendous impact not only on culture, but also on social life in general. In our time, this country still remains unusually interesting, original, original and unlike any other state in the world.

What is the article about:

— What faith is professed in India as a percentage. Features of the Hindu faith. What are the common features of the faith of the Hindus and world religions. Vaishnavism and Shaivism are the main faiths of India. The process of creation of the universes. Jesus Christ about the transmigration of souls (reincarnation) in the faith of the Hindus in India. Vegetarianism in the faith of India. Fundamentals, essence, description. L

In India, 80% of Hindus profess Hinduism. The second major religion is Islam with about 13% followers. In India originated and exist Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism . 2% of the population profess Christianity. Also associated with India Judaism and Zoroastrianism ; in the country, these religions have several tens of thousands of followers.

(Data from Wikipedia).

Table of creeds in India as a percentage for 2001

Faith in India.

Faith in India among the Hindus occupies a special position. In total - less than 0.07% of the population of India, do not have faith. This is just - 720 thousand people from - more than a billion people in India (according to 2001 data). The population of India in 2017 is about 1 billion 340 million 540 thousand people.

Hindu religion

According to 2001 data, the majority of Hindus in India profess - Hinduism: 827 578 868 people. This makes up over 80 percent of the entire population of India. The vast majority of Hindus in India are sectarian Vaishnavism and Shaivism (will be discussed in more detail below) .

What are the faiths of the Hindus, features, differences.

After getting acquainted with the culture and faith of India, the Western world became aware of such methods of self-knowledge as meditation, special breathing exercises, yoga asanas. All this is - part of the path of spiritual development, and is intended for - calming the mind, controlling the senses. And yoga exercises are also to maintain physical health. But all this is just the first step on the path of spiritual development. Meditation is intended for - perfect comprehension of one's spiritual "I" (spiritual essence). Which ultimately allows the yogi to achieve an exit from his physical body - without waiting for natural death, and subsequent transfer to - other spheres of being, or merging with the impersonal radiance of the Supreme (Brahman). Or - by transferring to the material - "heavenly" planetary systems of our universe, with a highly developed civilization, and incarnating there in a new physical body. (More details about the "hell" planets, the material "paradise" planets, are described in the website article:

This is a hard-to-realize line of faith in India, which is called Jainism. The path of spiritual development is called "jnana yoga" (or it is "jnana yoga"). This is the philosophical path of cognition of the all-pervading Brahman - the energy of the Supreme. Successful engagement in this type of spiritual development provides for complete renunciation of material sensual pleasures, a renounced way of life, and constant engagement in meditative knowledge of eternal spiritual existence. For a person who lives in modern society, such a path of advancement in spiritual self-knowledge is impossible. And yet, following the modern fashion for oriental innovations, many people practice meditation and yoga, not even understanding the ultimate essence of this activity. The maximum effect of such activities (without a complete renunciation of the world and everything “worldly”) will only be calming the mind, and relative control of one’s emotions.

By the way, the “jnains” are also mentioned in the scripture about the journey of Jesus Christ in
And this apocrypha, which was not included in the canonical writings, tells about the journey of Jesus Christ to India and Tibet:

«… At the age of fourteen, young Issa, blessed by God, crossed over to the other side of the Indus and settled with the Aryans, in a country blessed by God.
2. The fame of the miraculous youth spread into the depths of the northern Indus; when he traveled through the country of the Punjab and Rajputana, the worshipers of the god Jain asked him to settle with them.
3. But he left the deluded worshipers of Jain and stopped at Juggernath, in the land of Orsis, where the mortal remains of Viassa-Krishna rest, and there the white priests of Brahma gave him a hearty welcome.

Here is an episode of the scriptures of ancient India:

The Supreme Lord said: "... Gyana yoga (in a different way" jnana yoga") - the path of philosophical reflection - is intended for those who have an aversion to material life, and therefore are not attached to ordinary activities performed for the sake of enjoying its fruits. Those who are not averse to material life and who still have many material desires should advance to perfection through karma yoga.

Those who are fortunate enough to have faith in hearing about Me (the Supreme) and chanting My glories, who have neither aversion nor attraction to material life, should follow the path of love and devotion to Me and thus achieve perfection. Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.6-8 ( recommended to study after reading -)

What is the main religion in India?

According to 2001 data, the majority of Hindus in India profess - Hinduism: 827,578,868 people. This makes up over eighty percent of the total population of India. The vast majority of Hindus in India are sectarian Vaishnavism and Shaivism.

Vaishnavism and Shaivism it is that faith of the Hindus in India which is an attainment in consciousness— constant loving devotion to the Supreme.

The difference between Vaishnavism and Shaivism is the form in which God is worshiped. Vaishnavas ("Vaishnavism") and - Shaivites ("Shaivism").

“In the worldview of Shaivite ascetics, the key role is played by complete rejection of the world and dedication to achieving liberation from the cycle of samsara (rebirth in a material body). While Vaishnavas prefer to remain involved in the society of non-sadhus, performing service to society out of compassion« (Wikipedia).

This should be dealt with from the moment of creation of the material universe and the entire material world. In the Vedic scriptures, creation is described in the most detailed way.

At the very beginning of the creation of the material world, the Almighty ( "Vishnu") takes the form Karanodakashayi Vishnu, or - "MAHA VISNU" ("Chief Vishnu"). All universes emanate from this form of the Supreme.

Then, the Supreme takes - many forms Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. In these forms, the Supreme enters into every universe.

Then, this form of the Supreme Garbhodakasayi Vishnu - generates— Brahma. Brahma it is the first powerful being in the universe. He is engaged in the secondary creation of the universe. Brahma is the direct creator of the universe. When Vishnu does not have a suitable jiva (soul) for such a responsible post, then Vishnu (the Supreme) Himself fulfills the role of Brahma.

Brahma gives birth Shiva ("Siva" - among the ancient Slavs). Another of several names Shiva - "Rudra".

If Brahma is the secondary creator of the universe, Vishnu supports the entire universe with His all-pervading energy, then Shiva, when the time comes, destroys the universe. And after a certain period, the creation of the universe takes place - anew.

In fact, Vishnu and Shiva are two manifestations of the Supreme. It is difficult for you and me, with the human way of thinking, to understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead can enter every universe at the same time, and manifest Himself in different forms at the same time. The analogy with fire can help in understanding the almighty expansion of the Supreme in many forms. From one source of fire (for example, candles) you can light - many different sources of fire. And the fire remains the same - fire. Its properties and qualities during its distribution in different sources do not change. If fire has this kind of property of immutability, then the Almighty Supreme Being can even more so preserve His omnipotent qualities, expanding Himself in several forms of manifestation.

The Supreme must be thought of as the Almighty Supreme Being, the Supreme Mind. And to accept knowledge about Him as it is, without trying to analyze it with our imperfect “three-dimensional” thinking. Therefore, for successful advancement along the path of spiritual development, the faith and religion of India provides for a more definite focus on one of the forms of manifestation of the Almighty: among Shaivites, on the form of manifestation - Shiva, and among the Vaishnavas (“Vishnuism”), respectively, on the form - Vishnu ("The Supreme" in the Vedic Slavic culture (faith), later - the Almighty).

In the scriptures there is a description of Vishnu and Shiva. In particular, there is a special practice of the yogi, when the yogi meditates on the form of Vishnu, which is in his heart (as well as in the heart of every living being). With a sufficiently long and successful meditation, such a yogi acquires superhuman abilities. But in order to engage in such spiritual practice, you need - complete renunciation of material things, pleasures, accept - celibacy (celibacy), and only then, you will have a chance to achieve certain results.

For a person who lives in modern society and is not going to spend his life in complete renunciation of the material world, the path of devotional loving service to the Supreme will be suitable for successful spiritual development. At the final level of this principle, a person does everything for the sake of serving the Almighty (in various options possible for him). This path of spiritual development is realized in their spiritual practice by Vaishnavas, or devotees of Vishnu (the Supreme). This spiritual practice is called “bhakti yoga” (“devotional loving service to the Supreme”). This kind of faith and related spiritual practice is practiced not only in India, and not only by Hindus. Over the past few decades, this direction has gained great development in Western countries, better known as “Krishnaites”. Krishna is one of the names of the Almighty (God).

« The President of India congratulates believers on the 40th anniversary of the arrival of the Spiritual Master
Srila Prabhupada in Moscow:

Holy Scripture published on our website ("Song of God"). This scripture describes all the main ways of spiritual development. If someone aspires, or is simply interested in eternal spiritual knowledge, I highly recommend reading. Actually, this article and this entire site appeared only because its creator had a lot of luck a few years ago - to read , WHICH IS RECOGNIZED AS THE QUINTESSENCE, THE ESSENCE OF ALL VEDIC WISDOM!

Here's what he said about world famous writer Leo Tolstoy:

I firmly believe in the basic principle of the Bhagavad-gita, always try to remember it and be guided by it in my actions, as well as speak about it to those who ask my opinion, and reflect it in my writings. (Lev Tolstoy).

More details about the spiritual direction - "Vaishnavism" can be found in the article:

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Features of the Hindu faith. Common beliefs of India with world religions.

Faith in India is different in that the scriptures that underlie the religions of the Hindus give the most information about the creation of the universe, about life on other planets. The scriptures of India describe the forms and incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The ancient Vedas give information about the size of atoms, about the time of occurrence, structure and time of destruction of our universe. The process of formation of the human fetus in the womb during its development is accurately described. Indian Vedas are sacred scriptures — « Apaurusheya, i.e., scriptures in which the source of knowledge has - not of earthly origin. And the information that is presented in them confirms this.

Thus, the Hindu faith is based on - knowledge in a variety of material and transcendental (spiritual) areas.

The faith of the Hindus in India is based on the recognition (belief) in - One God - the Most High, or "Vishnu", ("Supreme" - in Old Slavonic). The belief of the Hindus in many gods is based on the knowledge and understanding of the existence of powerful beings of our universe who live on other planets (planetary systems). But - God Himself - the Primary Source of all things, in the faith of the Hindus is recognized - as One, as in other monotheistic religions and faiths.

The sacred writings of India are presented in the ancient language - Sanskrit. More than 90% of modern languages ​​originated from Sanskrit. For example: English word "man"- Human. According to Indian scriptures, the progenitor of mankind is − Manu. "Smayanti" (Skt.) - smile (English) - smile; matta (Skt.) - mad (English) - crazy. And these are just a few of the many similar words.

But most of all there are similarities between the ancient Sanskrit and the Russian language. Brother(Russian) - bratri (Sanskrit); alive- jiva; door- dwara; mother- mothers; winter- chema; snow- snow; swim- swimming; dark- tama; father-in-law- svakar; uncle- Yes Yes; fool- durra; honey- madhu; bear- madhuveda; nice- priyah; shastra, astra(Sanskrit) - sharp, weapon (Russian). By the way, the very word "FAITH" also comes from Sanskrit words: "BE" — "to know", to know, And "RA" — "radiate", or "radiating knowledge" (source).

The similarity of the ancient Sanskrit language with the Russian language is explained by the fact that on the territory of Eurasia, for many millennia, there was a Vedic civilization.

In the faith of the Hindus in India, the Supreme One God has many names.

From one of the names of God: "Vishnu" comes - "The Most High" ("The Most High" in ancient Slavic). From one of the names of God - "Bhagavan", came the word - "God". Another Hindu name for the Supreme God is Govinda. "GO" - "cow". The "patron of cows", since the cow is considered among the Indians in India - a sacred animal, in fact - the second mother, because it feeds a person with its milk. On behalf of the Almighty God Go winda ”(“ Patron of cows ”) there is a single-root word -“ go d ", and the word -" Go Lord (God). The modern word "beef" - also comes from the name of the Almighty - "Govinda" — "Patron of Cows" .

This is how we disposed of our ancient Vedic heritage, calling in the name of the Almighty- a piece of the corpse of an animal, which is patronized by the Almighty Himself!

There are a lot of place names from the Sanskrit language: Varna (city in Bulgaria); Kama; Kryshnev; Hareva; catfish; Kalka; Moksha; Nara - rivers in Russia; Arya- cities in the Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg regions. Chita , the exact translation from Sanskrit is “to comprehend, understand, know”.

All this confirms the established fact that for many millennia there was a Vedic civilization in most of the territory of modern Eurasia. By the way, the ancient Slavic Vedas reflect the same knowledge as the Vedas of ancient India. And this emphasizes one culture and faith that was on the mainland.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a sacred scripture was discovered in one of the Tibetan monasteries, which, after its translation, was called "TIBETAN GOSPEL". It told about the journey of a young Issa at the age of 14 from Judea traveled to India. IN "TIBETAN GOSPEL" the life of Saint Issa is told up to - 29 years old (just the period that was not covered in the canonical Christian writings). Here are some excerpts from this scripture:

....he left the misguided worshipers of Jain and stopped at Juggernath, in the land of Orsis, where the mortal remains of Viassa-Krishna lie (-sage, author and editor-compiler of many deeply ancient and extensive monuments - the Vedas, Puranas, the philosophical system of Vedanta, as well as the famous epic Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is one of the most important books of Hinduism., , which is recognized as the essence of all Vedic wisdom! Published on our website P Rome. admin),

... and there the white priests of Brahma gave him a warm welcome. They taught him to read and understand the Vedas, to heal with prayers, to teach and explain the Holy Scriptures to the people, to expel an evil spirit from a person’s body and return a human image to him.

After a fifteen-year journey through India and Tibet, at the age of 29, Saint Issa returned to Judea, where he was executed by crucifixion.

..….10. And the disciples of Saint Issa left the country of Israel and dispersed to all countries among the pagans, preaching that they need to leave gross errors and think about the salvation of their souls and the complete bliss that awaits people in an immaterial and full of brilliance world, where in peace and in all His In purity dwells in perfect majesty the great Creator.

The full text of the scripture can be read by clicking on the link: (The page will open in a new WINDOW).

Jesus Christ did not agree with some aspects of the doctrine of the transmigration of souls in the faith of the Hindus. He did NOT agree that the soul of a person after the death of the physical body can move into the body - the animal.

... “As a father would have done with his children, so God Himself will judge people, after their death, according to His gracious laws. He will never humiliate His child, forcing his soul to move, as in purgatory, into the body of an animal.

The very same knowledge of the transmigration of souls (reincarnation) - does not apply specifically to the faith of India. The transmigration of souls into a new body (according to their past deeds) was known everywhere, up to the 3rd-4th century AD.

You can even take a passage from the Bible:

1. “And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him: Rabbi! who sinned, he or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9:1-3).

A natural question arises: when could he have sinned before he was born blind? The answer is unequivocal: only in his past life.

Another episode: 3. Jesus Christ says: (Matthew ch. 11 v. 14)

"And if you want to receive, he is Elijah, who must come."
4. His disciples ask Him: "How can the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus said to them in response: “True, Elijah must come first and arrange everything, but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished.” Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13).

In 553 AD, the 2nd Council of Constantinople was convened. At this council, some of the teachings of such theologians as Theodore of Mopsueta, Theodoret and Yves were rejected. Fifteen anathematisms were read out. Most of all, the discussion of the transmigration of the soul found interest in these anathemisms. The same topics were discussed at the last local council in 543. Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus and their followers all spoke together about the transmigration of souls, Origen said the same thing. The opinion of the church was as follows: the soul is born at the same time as the body. The Roman Church did not accept the decision of this council until the very end of the sixth century.

That's it. By the decision of the Council of Constantinople, the knowledge of the transmigration of the soul was - "cancelled" .

Vegetarianism in the faith of the Hindus in India is not some feature of the Hindu faith. As we mentioned a little earlier, the ancient Slavs also had a Vedic culture. And they also had their own - direct commandments:

“Do not bring bloody sacrifices to Alatyr, do not anger your Gods, for it is disgusting for Them to accept innocent blood from the creatures of God.”

“Do not eat food with blood, for you will be like wild beasts, and many diseases will settle in you. You eat clean food that grows in your fields, in your forests and gardens, then you will gain many powers, powers of light, so that illnesses and torments with suffering will not overtake you.

Some, allegedly “followers” ​​of the ancient Slavic culture, want to interpret the words: “ Do not eat food with blood" in such a way that the meat, before being eaten, must be bled. This is what the Jews do in their tradition. But then it will not make sense - what is said further in the commandment: " Eat pure food that grows in your fields, in your woods and in your gardens.”

That is, in plain text:"... food that - GROWS IN the fields and in the forests."

Refusal to use animal corpses is the rule not only of the Vedic culture of the ancient Slavs and India. Here is what Jesus Christ said about this:

469. And therefore he who kills, kills his brother.
470. And the Earthly Mother will turn away from him and take away her life-giving breast.
471. And her angels will shun him, but Satan will find his abode in his body.
472. And the flesh of the slain animals in his body will become his own grave.
473. For I tell you truly, whoever kills, kills himself, and whoever eats the flesh of slain animals, eats the bodies of death.
474. For in his blood every drop of their blood turns into poison, in his breath their breath turns into a stench, in his flesh their flesh into festering wounds, in his bones their bones into lime, in his entrails their entrails into putrefaction. , in his eyes their eyes are in a veil, in his ears their ears are in a sulfur plug.
475. And their death will be his death.