--- title: "KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU" description: "There is no single founder of Hinduism as Hinduism was not founded as a religion." author: "DILIP SINGH" published: 2019-02-21 updated: 2019-02-23 canonical: https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/324/know-hinduism-then-say-i-am-a-hindu category: "religion" tags: ["philosophy", "religion", "life lessons"] reading_time: 3 minutes --- # KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU Throughout my life, I have met many people who proudly say I am a Hindu but when I ask do you know what does Hinduism mean they say I worship God every day. Most of them don’t know the existence, meaning, principles and the purpose of his/her religion. Yes being a Hindu is the matter of pride but just born in a religion does not make you a person who is connected to his religious roots. One should know religion is as old [as the world](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/62160/according-to-the-henley-passport-index-india-ranks-which-position-as-the-world-s-most-travel-friendly-passport) itself and created for the peace and betterment of society. All religion has played different roles in the evolution of society.\ Hinduism is [known as](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/35703/ricky-ponting-is-also-known-as-what) the world’s [oldest religion](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/93613/which-is-the-oldest-religion-in-the-world), according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. With about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam till today. **Hinduism is the only religion which survives after a millennium of invasion and forced [religious conversion](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/85347/need-for-proper-laws-on-religious-conversion-in-india).** Hinduism is also [referred to as](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39930/at-the-turn-of-the-century-widespread-panic-occurred-that-at-midnight-all-computers-would-reset-to-zero-and-life-as-we-knew-it-would-cease-to-exist-what-was-this-doomsday-theory-commonly-referred-to-as) a **"way of life"** or a **“family of** **religions”** as opposed to a single, organized religion. There is no information about a single founder or founding incident of Hinduism. It grew from the [cultural](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39729/name-the-mela-which-is-held-once-every-12-years-and-which-has-been-recognised-as-an-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity-by-the-unesco) and religious changes in India. ![KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU](http://yourviews.mindstick.com/ViewSolution/1d914183-b006-419d-bf0e-7ba4b095cc69/images/4ab56ef8-e3d2-4995-bd48-5b71fbbcef51.jpeg)\ **Principles of Hinduism**\ 1. **1. God Exists One Absolute OM:** One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva). The creator of the universe. 2. **2. All human beings are divine:** God lives inside each and every individual. 3. **3.Unity of existence through love:** The only way to live in a communal harmony with each other is through love. 4. **4. Religious harmony:** Every religion is equivalent to each other, these are only the ways to attain enlightenment (moksha) 5. **5.The 3 Gs:** Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra) 6. \ 7. **The Disciplines of Hinduism** 8. 1. Satya (Truth) 9. 2. Ahimsa (Non-violence) 10. 3. Brahmacharya (Celibacy, non-adultery) 11. 4. Asteya (No desire to possess or steal) 12. 5. Aparigraha (Non-corrupt) 13. 6. Shaucha (Cleanliness) 14. 7. Santosh (Contentment) 15. 8. Swadhyaya (Reading of scriptures) 16. 9. Tapas (Austerity, perseverance, penance) 17. 10. Ishwarpranidhan (Regular prayers) ## The way Hinduism changing our lives ![KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU](http://yourviews.mindstick.com/ViewSolution/1d914183-b006-419d-bf0e-7ba4b095cc69/images/03aa7ac5-de48-4797-abaa-6f8d850fd0e0.jpeg)\ **[Yoga and Meditation](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/99924/discuss-the-importance-of-yoga-and-meditation-in-sanatan-dharma)** originate from the Hinduism which is not just good to the [physical health](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/299449/the-connecting-link-between-meantal-and-physical-health) but at its core, have many spiritual benefits like managing stress level, improves the level of concentration and helps decrease stress level. ![KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU](http://yourviews.mindstick.com/ViewSolution/1d914183-b006-419d-bf0e-7ba4b095cc69/images/1490529e-c45e-41af-8f60-9cbc03b5c9b0.jpeg)\ The concept of **Ahimsa** (Non-Violence) first raised by Gautama Buddha (Buddhism was founded by the teachings of Gautama Buddha, considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, a major deity in Hinduism) has influenced the world greatly, as his words of wisdom and teachings continue to inspire and influence people, religious and non-violence. This message further comes into light by MK Gandhi Ji who spreads it to all over the world.\ ![KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU](http://yourviews.mindstick.com/ViewSolution/1d914183-b006-419d-bf0e-7ba4b095cc69/images/fc964dc2-025f-4fff-bbea-96a889241bbd.jpeg)\ **Ayurveda** has made a medicinal [influence on society](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/114624/what-are-the-major-religions-practiced-in-india-and-their-influence-on-society). It is an ancient medical treatment without any [side effects](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/4434/5-side-effects-of-eating-too-many-chia-seeds) curing many Hindu and Non-Hindu on a very minimal expense. ![KNOW HINDUISM, THEN SAY I AM A HINDU](http://yourviews.mindstick.com/ViewSolution/1d914183-b006-419d-bf0e-7ba4b095cc69/images/c00024a5-f45e-4110-ba62-5164e9f5165c.png)\ Hinduism’s impact on **philosophy, literature, fashion, art, religion** and the world as a whole is one that will continue to have an important role in human society — religious or not. --- Original Source: https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/324/know-hinduism-then-say-i-am-a-hindu Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.