||||||||| ||||||||

||||||| |||| |||||||

|||||| |||||||||
||||||
|||||||||||||||||||||
?
 
| ||||||||
    

       

|   
 
|||||||    ||||||
                  
       

!"
 #$%
&'
(  ?)
 Hinduism differs from
ristianity
and oter monoteistic religions in
tat it does not ave:

‡ a single founder,
‡ a specific teological system,
‡ a single concept of deity,
‡ a single oly text,
‡ a single system of morality,
‡ a central religious autority,
‡ te concept of a propet.

Hinduism is not a religion in te

same sense as
ristianity is; it is
more like an all encompasing way of
life  muc as ative merican
spirituality is.
‡ Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest
organized religion. It consists of "u

 

u


 
u u 



   

." Because of the wide variety of Hindu traditions,
freedom of belief and practice are notable features of
Hinduism.

‡ ·ost forms of Hinduism are henotheistic religions. They

recognize a single deity, and view other Gods and
Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme
God. Henotheistic and polytheistic religions have
traditionally been among the world's most religiously
tolerant faiths.
± early every Hindu god can be depicted with
many arms (many heads too). This simply
suggest their supernatural powers.

±
exual union is a metaphor of gods supreme

consciousness, since it involves oneness, bliss,
love, peace after orgasm, creation of new life,
and beauty.

±The four arms indicate this symbolism. A man

and woman merged in love have four arms.
·any Hindu gods have an ͞androgynous͟ look
as well indicating       , the
merging of male and female.

±ertain Hindu temples are covered in erotic

carvings, more evidence for the root
metaphor of sexual ecstasy standing for
mystical ecstasy.
‡ It has been said that Hinduism is a religion
of 330 million Hinduism gods.
o in some
ways Hinduism is a polytheistic religion.
However saying only this would be
incorrect.
‡ ·any Hindus view the religion as a
monotheistic religion with only one
supreme being who is formless and
impersonal. All other gods and goddesses
are simply facets of this one God. This
supreme being is viewed as the god of all
other religions and equal to all existence or
the ultimate reality.
In the Hindu faith, there is a trinity as in
the hristian faith, where God is in three
persons:

‡ &* is the creator of all reality

‡ #   + * is the preserver of all of
the creations
‡ Î * is the destroyer.