A Bit of Hinduism
by Stephen Marsh

Throughout Hinduism there continues a struggle between two aspects of life.  A balance between the earthly world and the spiritual world is one of the most central concerns. Many ancient Hindu texts deal with this matter and establish guidelines for a proper lifestyle.The Mahabharata describes the 4 stages of life that one should traverse.  It assigns a proper time to devote oneself to society in order to sustain civilization as well as time devoted to enlightenment.This outline directs followers in proper devotion by allowing them to make their worldly lives a priority, while still maintaining the importance of Moksha or enlightenment. The Bhagavad Gita, says that liberation can be obtained while serving one’s role in society, through altruistic acts. This concept relieves conflict by relating the two sides of the struggle. The Law Books also help define proper actions by stressing the importance of ones function in life, and the role in and between the castes. They emphasize the stability of society and the earthly life, and reserve Moksha for the later stage of life. These early texts establish an approved way of life.

The Medieval period, (600 to 1800 c.e.), developed important expansions for Hinduism. An emphasis on devotional worship became popular around the sixth century. This devotion was described as having a close relationship with God. These movements usually focused on the relationship with god, and did not pay much attention to the structure of society, as earlier texts had. The love of god was the important factor. Temples increased in number along with the devotional worship.They served as a dwelling for the gods, a center of worship, and a place to teach religion.

A second important development during the middle ages is the organization of varying thought. Six schools were created, stressing different aspects of the religion. Much of the differences come from the struggle between the worldly aspects and those of liberation, which again shows this persistent dual concern. Different schools focus on different texts like the Vedas or the Upanishads. The Vedanta school, particularly the Advaita Vedanta emphasize Moksha and renouncement of society.

Another important development is the establishment of the Tantras, which are a practices much like the Vedas in that they prescribe how to free yourself of the world. The Tantaras however lead directly to liberation through meditation and many other similar techniques. The Tantras hold many of the same values as the Vedas, but criticize them for being too elaborate.

Back to Papers

Download MS Word file
HinduismHistory.doc