Spirituality Guide

Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions and has over 900 million believers all over the world.

Origins: Some of the earliest evidence of the Hindu faith dates back to 3000 BCE. “Archaeological excavations in the Punjab and Indus valleys (right) have revealed the existence of urban cultures at Harappa, the prehistoric capital of the Punjab (located in modern Pakistan); and Mohenjo-daro on the banks of the River Indus.� [Source]

Beliefs: Hinduism is an extremely diverse religion. Although some tenets of the faith are accepted by most Hindus, scholars have found it difficult to identify any doctrines with universal acceptance among all denominations. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include Dharma (ethics/duties), SamsÄ?ra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices). [Source]

God: Hinduism is very diverse in that is spans polytheism, monotheism, atheism, and more. There is a mine (simplified - perhaps oversimplified) split between those who focus on the soul - the atman - and the brahman - the supreme spirit as two sides of the same soul. Realizing that they are the same is the ultimate goal. The other side of the split considers Brahman and worship him or her through the god of choice (depending on the sect).

Principles [Source]:
Abortion - When considering abortion, the Hindu way is to choose the action that will do least harm to all involved: the mother and father, the foetus and society.

Animal Ethics - Because Hinduism is a term that includes many different although related religious ideas, there is no clear single Hindu view on the right way to treat animals

Capital Punishment - There is no official Hindu line on capital punishment. However, Hinduism opposes killing, violence and revenge, in line with the principle of ahimsa (non-violence).

Contraception - There is no ban on birth control in Hinduism.

Euthanasia and Suicide - There are several Hindu points of view on euthanasia and suicide. Most would say that assisting death brings bad karma because it violates the nonviolence principle. But there are accepted Hindu ways to bring about death.

Organ Donation - No religious law prohibits Hindus from donating their organs and tissues.

War - Like most religions Hinduism includes both teachings that condemn violence and war, and teachings that promote it as a moral duty.

Other sources of information:
Hinduism @ Wikipedia
Hinduism @ Religious Tolerance
Hinduism @ BBC