Abstract:
Since Hinduism is so complex, it is impossible to discuss every aspect of this religion in one paper. Instead of giving an overview of Hinduism, I have decided to focus on several parts of Hinduism: religious holidays; Gods, Goddesses, and their meaning; prayer, forgiveness, and life after death; spiritual exercise; and Hinduism in practice. I addressed these subjects through research and through interviews in order to get a diverse perspective on Hinduism.I could not write about Hinduism without including a section on its holidays, since religious holidays are such an important part of Indian culture. I chose the topic Gods, Goddesses, and their meaning, because I wanted to know the role that God or Gods play in Hinduism. This naturally led to the topic of prayer and Hindus' relationship with their God or Gods. Some Hindus believe in an after-life, and I wanted to know how a Hindu might attain a blissful life after death. I also addressed the topic of forgiveness for sinful behavior, because, in my own religion, Christianity, one must acquire forgiveness before he or she achieves a blissful life after death. Finally, I discussed spiritual exercise and Hinduism in practice to see how Hindus practice their religion day to day.From research, I achieved a better understanding of Hinduism. Through interviewing three Hindus, I discovered that not everyone agrees with every aspect of their religion. Also, I found that Christianity and Hinduism are not so drastically different as I originally thought.
