From the Indian Sub-Continent, there is a series of religions that developed since the dawn of civilization. Known as Dharmic religions, they focus on self-improvement with the general aim of attaining personal, spiritual experiences. The religions are Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism. This paper will focus on Hinduism, and attempt to answer several questions. These questions will concern the composition of Hinduism; the cultural and societal influence of Hinduism; and the Hinduism desire for liberation from earthly existence. Hinduism has no known founder, and is a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, originating from the ancient Vedic tradition and other indigenous beliefs. It is considered the world's "oldest extant religion," and has approximately a billion adherents, placing it as the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is considered to be a polytheistic religion; however, aspects of the religion also include monotheism, panentheism, monism and atheism (Wikipedia, 2007).
Hinduism provides a vast body of scriptures, developed since its origination, which also expound an equally vast range of theology, philosophy, and myth. These scriptures provide spiritual insights along with guidance on the practice of dharma, the ethics and duties of religious living. Other prominent themes include Karma (right action), Samsara (rebirth), and Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara) (Sri Swami Sivananda, 1999).
Karma translates literally as action, work or deed and is often described as the "moral law of cause and effect". According to the religion, an individual develops impressions from actions, whether physical or mental. Each individual has a body more subtle than the physical one, but less subtle than ...