Your hands-on guide to one of the world’s major religions
The dominant religion of India, ‘Hinduism’ refers to a wide
variety of religious traditions and philosophies that have
developed over thousands of years. Today, the United States is home
to approximately one million Hindus.
If you’ve heard of this ancient religion and are looking for a
reference that explains the intricacies of the customs, practices,
and teachings of this ancient spiritual system, Hinduism For
Dummies is for you!
* Provides a thorough introduction to this earliest and popular
world belief system
* Information on the rites, rituals, deities, and teachings
associated with the practice of Hinduism
* Explores the history and teachings of the Vedas, Brahmans, and
Upanishads
* Offers insight into the modern daily practice of Hinduism
around the world
Continuing the Dummies tradition of making the world’s religions
engaging and accessible to everyone, Hinduism For Dummies is
your hands-on, friendly guide to this fascinating religion.
Tabella dei contenuti
Introduction 1
Part I: Introducing Hinduism 7
Chapter 1: A Quick Overview of Hinduism 9
Chapter 2: From Past to Present: A Condensed History of Hinduism 21
Chapter 3: Hinduism’s Core Beliefs and Values 37
Chapter 4: Major Hindu Denominations 51
Chapter 5: The Structure of Hindu Society 65
Part II: The Hindu Pantheon and Its Religious Leaders 79
Chapter 6: Pantheism to Polytheism: From the One to the Very Many 81
Chapter 7: Hindu Gods and Goddesses 89
Chapter 8: The Avatars of Vishnu: The Divine Descent 111
Chapter 9: Revering the Role of Religious Leadership 125
Part III: The Sacred Texts 141
Chapter 10: The Vedas: Centuries of Accumulated Treasures 143
Chapter 11: Gaining Higher Knowledge with the Upanishads 155
Chapter 12: Living with the Epics and Puranas 169
Chapter 13: The Song of the Lord: The Bhagavad Gita 193
Part IV: Hinduism in Practice 205
Chapter 14: Worshipping at Home 207
Chapter 15: Worshipping at Temples 221
Chapter 16: Holydays and Festivals 235
Chapter 17: Cradle to Cremation: The Life-Cycle Rites 255
Chapter 18: Taking a Pilgrimage 269
Part V: Delving Deeper into the Hindu Concept of Reality 287
Chapter 19: The Six Schools of Thought: The Darshanas 289
Chapter 20: Vedanta: The End of Knowledge 305
Chapter 21: The Yogic Path to Salvation 319
Part VI: The Part of Tens 331
Chapter 22: Ten Common Questions About Hindus 333
Chapter 23: Ten Common Prayers 337
Chapter 24: Ten (Plus) Traditional Mandates 343
Index 349
Circa l’autore
Dr. Amrutur V. Srinivasan, born in India, is primary founder and first president of the Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society. He has functioned as a Hindu priest performing a wide variety of pujas (worships), weddings, and other ceremonies since 1971.
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