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Ancient Hindu wisdom and modern practice A blue-skinned god with four arms, a festival of colors, a cosmic tortoise carrying the world on its back...Hinduism is one of the world's oldest-and most imaginative-religions. In
Hinduism For Dummies, you discover the history, beliefs, and traditions of this popular faith. In reader-friendly style, this book describes how Hindus worship and pray, explains the major denominations, and explores the deeper questions of reality and salvation. It's your thorough introduction to the teachings and practice of Hinduism.
Inside... - Exploring central beliefs of Hinduism
- Appreciating the Hindu pantheon of gods
- Examining rituals and celebrations
- Inspecting the Sacred texts
- Taking a pilgrimage
- Recognizing common Hindu prayers
- Addressing Hindu culture and society
List of contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Introducing Hinduism 5 Chapter 1: Overviewing Hinduism 7
Chapter 2: From Past to Present: A Condensed History of Hinduism 19
Chapter 3: Exploring the Core Beliefs and Values. 37
Chapter 4: Reviewing Major Hindu Denominations 51
Chapter 5: Exploring Hindu Society Structure 67
Part 2: The Hindu Pantheon and Its Religious Leaders 83 Chapter 6: Pantheism to Polytheism: From the One to the Very Many 85
Chapter 7: Identifying Hindu Gods and Goddesses 95
Chapter 8: The Avatars of Vishnu: The Divine Descent 119
Chapter 9: Revering the Role of Religious Leadership 133
Part 3: Studying the Sacred Texts 151 Chapter 10: The Vedas: Centuries of Accumulated Treasures 153
Chapter 11: Gaining Higher Knowledge with the Upanishads 167
Chapter 12: Living with the Epics and Puranas 183
Chapter 13: The Song of the Lord: The Bhagavad Gita 209
Part 4: Practicing Hinduism 223 Chapter 14: Worshipping at Home 225
Chapter 15: Worshipping at Temples 241
Chapter 16: Observing Holydays and Festivals 257
Chapter 17: Cradle to Cremation: The Life-Cycle Rites 277
Chapter 18: Taking a Pilgrimage 293
Part 5: Delving Deeper into the Hindu Concept of Reality 311 Chapter 19: The Six Schools of Thought: The Darshanas 313
Chapter 20: Vedanta: The End of Knowledge 327
Chapter 21: Following the Yogic Path to Salvation 343
Part 6: The Part of Tens 357 Chapter 22: Ten Common Prayers 359
Chapter 23: Ten (or So) Traditional Mandates 365
Index 371
