Hinduism

Hinduism has no single founder or creed; rather, it consists of a vast variety of beliefs and practices. Organization is minimal and hierarchy nonexistent. In its diversity, Hinduism hardly fits most Western definitions of religion; rather, it suggests commitment to or respect for an ideal way of life, known as Dharma.

The ideal way of life is sometimes referred to in classical sources and by Hindus as the "duties of one's class and station". The term "class" (varna) is one of the words connoting the Caste system peculiar to India. The ancient texts suggest four great classes, or castes: the Brahmins, or priests; the Ksatriyas, or warriors and rulers; the Vaisyas, or merchants and farmers; and the Sudras, or peasants and laborers. A fifth class, Panchamas, or untouchables, includes those whose occupations require them to handle unclean objects. It is speculated that the Untouchables were originally assigned such lowly tasks because of their non-Aryan origins. This classification system hardly does justice to the modern complexity of the caste system, however. The classical works on dharma specify distinct duties for different classes, in keeping with the distinct roles each is expected to play in the ideal society.

The classical works also outline four ideal stages (asrama), or stations of life, each with its own duties. The first of these is studentship, from initiation at 5 to 8 years of age until marriage; the second, householdership, when one marries, raises a family, and takes part in society; the third, forest dwelling, after one's children have grown; and the fourth, renunciation, when one gives up attachment to all worldly things and seeks spiritual liberation. Besides the duties that are derived from an individual's class and station, general duties are also incumbent on all moral beings. These include honesty, courage, service, faith, self-control, purity, and nonviolence.

These ideal classes and stations encompass males only. The position of women in Hinduism has always been ambiguous; they are, on the one hand, venerated as a symbol of the divine, on the other, treated as inferior beings. Women were traditionally expected to serve their husbands and to have no independent interests.

Dharma is only one of the four aims of life distinguished within Hinduism. It is thought of as superior to two others--kama, or enjoyment of desires, and artha, or material prosperity. These three constitute the aims of those in the world. The fourth aim is liberation, the aim of those who renounce the world, and this is classically viewed as the supreme end of man.

A widespread feature of classical Hinduism is the belief in transmigrations of souls, or samsara, the passage of a soul from body to body as determined by the force of one's actions, or Karma. The strict karma theory specifies that one's type of birth, length of life, and kinds of experiences are determined by one's previous acts. This is modified in popular understanding, but it probably has remained a strong influence on most Hindus throughout history. Liberation is release from this cycle of rebirth. It is typically to be achieved by working out those karmic residues which have already begun to mature, as well as by following certain practices to ensure that no further residues are produced to cause future rebirths. The practices by which one can achieve this are frequently termed Yoga, and the theory of liberation is the core of Indian philosophy.