Sacred Elements of Hindu Religion free essay sample

Sacred Elements of are of many various belief elements, that one can only consider sacred within their own traditional followings. While Hinduism is the third largest religion, majority of the devotees have the same beliefs and practices. One of The Sacred Elements is Water. Water is considered sacred because its’ considered to be equal half of all creation. Washing in water is essential to approach deities in a clean manner, body, and clothes. Water in the Hindu religion is considered to be so sacred that they believe washing in the sacred river (Ganges) will remove their sins. Hinduism has numerous gods in which they worship; approximately 330 million. In addition, there is the element of Fire which is considered sacred. Fire represents the burning brightness of the divine (Fisher, 2002, p. 85, parg. 1). In Hinduism fire sacrifices’ are a traditional and sacred ritual. In which they give offerings to the fire God Agni. Offerings consist of grains, soma, and sometimes animals. We will write a custom essay sample on Sacred Elements of Hindu Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Hinduism there is also have a sacred element, which is a cow. In Hinduism, the cow (Sanskrit: go) is revered as the source of food and symbol of life and may never be killed. Hindus do not worship the cow, however, and cows do not have especially charmed lives in India. It is more accurate to say the cow is Sacred Elements 2 taboo in Hinduism, rather than sacred (Anonymous, 2007). The cow also provides the essentials for sacrificial offerings. The Hindu religion has many forms of worship (Puja), some worship in the home some worship in temples. Worshiping in the home with statues and pictures, the Orthodox families of Hinduism do it. Orthodox families stand by an historical for of the religion. Pujaris or Brahmin priests who trained in proper Vedic recitation (Fisher, 2002, p. 111, parg. 4) do Temple worshiping. In the Hindu religion, there many deities in which they worship, according to ones needs. The gods of modern Hinduism are many, and include the chief gods Shiva, Vishnu and the Goddess Shakti as well as a myriad of local community gods (Anonymous, 2007). Worshiping in the home is done each morning to give thanks and respect to the god of the house. The family selects a certain corner of the house for worship, adding necessary things that will complete their shrine for worship, just before the start the morning worship they bathe themselves and put on clean clothing. This ritual is considered sacred and gives them character and traditional background. Hinduism has many sacred elements that characterize the religion. Karma is one of the strongest elements in which the devotees believe in. Karma means actions and consequences of actions. Within the Hindu religion, Karma has a Sacred Elements 3 great effect on the way in which the Hindu religion lives. Devotees of Hinduism believe what’s done in this life determines one’s life after death (rebirth), in the Hindu religion one must have good Dharma to reach good Karma. Hindu religion is also characterized by its sacred text known as the Vedas, there are four in which the Hindu religion use to live, according to Hindu beliefs. Rig Veda (Royal Knowledge) is the most important, covering divinities and ritual prayers. Sama Veda (Knowledge of Chants): a liturgical collection of melodies saman, a book of hymns. Yajur Veda (Knowledge of Sacrificial Rituals) treats the scientific branches and Sacrificial Rituals. Atharva Veda (Knowledge of Incarnations) is about the social field: the system of castes, and includes spells and charms. These sacred text elements are what give the Hindu religion its traditional background, and proper way to give offerings to the deities. Sacrifice and Rituals are important elements within the Hindu religion that defines their traditional ways. The Hindu religion performs sacrifices to the god of their needs with thoughts of the deity blessing them with such needed items. For example; if a child is wanted then a sacrifice to the fertility god (Shiva) is preformed. Hinduism also has a sacred drink in which they drink in order to become one with the god deva. In Hinduism there is also a sacred ritual called the â€Å"sacred thread† this is when a child leaves the family house and starts to study the Sacred Elements 4 Vedas, marriage, and death. The sacred thread ritual is the act of giving one’s self entirely over to the supreme reality. Hinduism also considers festivals to be a ritual in which they attempt to please the gods. There is a festival for each day of the year. In general, Hindu festivals are intended to purify, avert malicious influences, renew society, bridge over critical moments, and stimulate or resuscitate the vital powers of nature. They include a wide variety of rituals, including worship, prayer, processions, magical acts, music, dancing, lovemaking, eating, drinking, and feeding the poor. With all the beliefs and practices Hinduism can be considered more of a culture than a religion, if more people in the world lived as the Hindu religion is designed, this world would be more understanding, peaceful, of good character. Hinduism is one religion that is truly about tradition and a correct way of living also the respect for life.