Religions of India: Insights into Spiritual Traditions

Introduction

Indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, these spiritual traditions encompass a tapestry of beliefs and practices, exploring fundamental questions about existence, morality, and liberation. Rooted in diverse philosophies, they offer profound insights into the human experience and the nature of reality.

Foundations of Major World Religions: Beliefs, Practices, and Principles

Sikhism

• The Sikhs believe that their religion was revealed by God to Guru Nanak, whose spirit entered the second and subsequent Gurus till the tenth Guru.

Principles of Sikhism

• The Supreme purpose of human existence is salvation, and it cannot be achieved by worshipping idols or books but by right belief, right worship and right conduct.
• Guru Nanak regulated the community life of his followers through congregational worship.
  •  He also developed new forms of worship like community kitchens (langar).
• He did not ask for asceticism but instead asked his followers to live like an ideal man who runs his household on the basis of his own labour, attends the sangat and kirtan.
• Sikhism believes that through music, one can attain samadhi.

Gurus of Sikhism 

• Guru Nanak was the first of the ten Sikh gurus.
• The second Sikh guru, Guru Angad developed the Gurmukhi script.
• The fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev gave the Sikhs three things :
  1. Adi Granth which contains sayings of five gurus and other allied Saints.
  2. The standardized script of Gurumukhi in which the Adi Granth was first written.
  3. The site and foundation of Harmandir Saheb or Golden Temple and Akal Takht at Amritsar.
• The sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, was the first one to gird the two swords which symbolised the spiritual (Piri) and temporal (Miri) authority. 
  • He constructed Akal Takht and Lohgarh Fort to conduct daily business and defence.
• The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, created the Khalsa (Sikh warrior community). 
  • He also ordained the Sikhs to take five vows, namely, keeping of kesh (long hair and a beard), kangha (comb), kada (a metallic bangle), kirpan (a sword) and kaccha (an underwear extending to a little above the knees).
  • He further added that after his death, the Guru Granth Sahib will be the Guru of the Sikhs. 
• The Guru Granth Sahib, apart from the teachings of its other gurus, incorporates the writings of many Bhakti poets and Sufi saints such as Ramananda, Namadeva, Kabir and Sheikh Farid.

Zoroastrianism

• The Parsi or Zoroastrian religion was founded by Zarathushtra or Zoroaster, in Persia, in the eighth century BC.
• Its doctrines are enshrined in the Zend Avesta.
• They place the dead bodies in the open to be eaten by the vultures.
  • These open spaces are called Dhakma or ‘Towers of Silence’ and the Vultures that eat them are called Dhakma Nashini.
• Their fire temples are called Atash Bahram.
• They are commonly known as Parsis and Iranis, and live mostly in Mumbai, Goa and Ahmedabad (Western India).

Christianity

• • Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, and it became the largest religion in the world.
  • The basic philosophy of Christianity is the existence of One God who created the Universe.
  • Holy Trinity of Christianism : Christians worship the Holy Trinity: the father (God), the son (Jesus) and the Holy ghost.
  • The holy book of the Christians is the Bible which contains two parts: The Old Testament and The New Testament.
  • They have two main practices:

• Baptism: A Child or any individual enters the Church’s service.

• Eucharist: Breaking bread and wine with the God which signifies unity with the being.

Judaism

• It is one of the oldest religions across the globe, and its followers are called Jews.
• This religion predates Christianity and Islam, with these two borrowing a lot from Judaic philosophies.
• It is a monotheistic religion. Their religious book is called Torah, and they follow religious services called the Eliyahu-Hanavi or the Thanksgiving to Elijah the Prophet.

Islam

• Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century AD.
• Prophet Muhammad was the last in the long lines of messengers sent by God like Abraham, Moses etc.

Principles of Islam

• Islam talks of equality, brotherhood and the existence of one God.
• The five fundamental principles of Islam are: Tauhid ( belief in Allah), Namaz (prayers, five times a day), Roza (fasting in the month of Ramzan), Zakat (giving of alms) & Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
• Different sects of Islam: Although there are various sects in Islam, two major subdivisions are: 
  • Shia – They claimed that Ali, the prophet’s son-in-law was his successor.
  • Sunni – They believed that the successor should be from those close to the Prophet and who were his initial followers like Abu Bakr.
• Although the majority of Muslims in India are Sunni, Shia Muslims are also present.
• Holy books of Islam: The holy book of the Quran was compiled before the prophet’s death.

Conclusion

• These ancient spiritual traditions, born from the depths of Indian civilization, illuminate the human journey with profound wisdom and timeless truths. 
  • Through their diverse perspectives and philosophical depth, they continue to inspire seekers on the quest for meaning and understanding in the vast tapestry of existence.