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Dharmic Religion
Dharmic religions are a family of religions that have originated from the
Indian subcontinent. They encompass Hinduism and three other religions that have
spawned from it—namely Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.[1][2] Dharmic religions
are one of the two major schools of religion in the world, the other being
Abrahamic religions.
The theology and philosophy of Dharmic Religions center on the concept of
Dharma, a Sanskrit term for "fixed decree, law, duty", especially in a spiritual
sense of "natural law, reality". It is mostly influential across the Indian
subcontinent, East Asia and South East Asia with influence felt throughout the
world. These Dharmic religions are very closely interrelated.
The Dharmic faiths
According to the Encarta encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation:
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism share with Hinduism the concept of dharma along
with other key concepts, and the four religions may be said to belong to the
dharmic tradition. At one level Hinduism can refer to the beliefs or practices
of followers of any of the dharmic traditions. The word Hinduism retains this
sense in some usages in the Indian Constitution of 1950. In the field of
religious studies, however, Hinduism is used in a narrower sense to distinguish
it from the other religions of Indian origin. [3]
Hinduism
Hinduism (Devanagari: हिन्दू धर्म – Hindū Dharma or सनातन धर्म – Sanātana
Dharma or the eternal dharma) is considered to be the
oldest living religion in the world.[4][5] Having its foundation in the Vedic
civilization that dates back to at least 2,500 BCE, Hinduism has no single
founder[6][7] and is based on a number of religious texts developed over many
centuries that contain spiritual insights and practical guidance for religious
life. Among such texts, the four Vedas, namely Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda,
and Atharva Veda are the most ancient. Other scriptures include the eighteen
Puranas and the epic poems Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, which is
contained within the Mahabharata, is a widely studied scripture that summarizes
the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.[8]
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, with approximately 1
billion adherents (2005 figure), of whom approximately 890 million live in
India.
Buddhism
Buddhism (also known as Buddha Dharma (Pali: धमा
Dhamma), "the teachings of the awakened one") is a dharmic, non-theistic
religion, a way of life, a practical philosophy, and arguably a form of
psychology. Buddhism focuses on the teachings of Gautama
Buddha (Pali: Gotama Buddha), who was born in Kapilavastu, ancient India
which now falls under modern day Nepal, with the name Siddhārtha Gautama (Pāli:
Siddhattha Gotama) around the fifth century BCE[10]. Buddhism spread throughout
the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing,
and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two
millennia.
Today, Buddhism is divided primarily into three
traditions: Theravāda (Sanskrit: Sthaviravāda), Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna.
Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide, and it is considered a major
world religion. According to one source , "World estimates for Buddhists vary
between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million." However, estimates
are uncertain for several countries. Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in
the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese
religion, respectively. Buddhism is the fourth-largest organized religion in the
world, and the monks' order Sangha is amongst the oldest organizations on earth.
Jainism
The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahimsa, meaning
non-violence. The word in the middle is "ahimsa." The wheel represents the
dharmacakra, to halt the cycle of reincarnation through relentless pursuit of
truth. Jainism (pronounced in English as , traditionally known as Jain Dharma ,
is a religion and philosophy originating in ancient India. A minority in modern
India, with growing immigrant communities in the United States, Western Europe,
Africa, the Far East and elsewhere, Jains continue to sustain the ancient
Shraman or ascetic tradition.
Jains have significantly influenced the religious, ethical, political and
economic spheres in India for about three millennia. Jainism stresses spiritual
independence and equality of all life with particular emphasis on non-violence.
Self-control is vital for attaining Keval Gyan and eventually moksha, or
realization of the soul's true nature.
Perhaps the smallest, Jainism is also the second-oldest Dharmic religion. It is
a religious system that does not recognize a Godhead, and that reveres liberated
souls known as Siddhas. The followers of Jainism firmly reject the Vedas, but
strongly adhere to dharma, moksha and nirvana.
Sikhism
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of
the Sikhs. He is revered not only by Sikhs, but also by Hindus and Muslims in
the Punjab and across the Indian subcontinent. Sikhism or Punjabi:
is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings
of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. This system of religious philosophy
and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the
teachings of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh,
which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root meaning "disciple" or "learner", or
śikṣa meaning "instruction." Sikhism is the fifth-largest organized religion in
the world.
The principal belief in Sikhism is faith in one God—Vāhigurū—represented using
the sacred symbol of ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation
through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. The
followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus,
or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture—the Gurū Granth Sāhib—which
includes the selected works of many authors from diverse socioeconomic and
religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as
the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions and teachings are
distinctly associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab.
Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over
23 million across the world. However, most Sikhs live in the state of Punjab in
India; prior to partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now the Punjab
province of Pakistan.
Southern Buddhism
Bodhicitta
Dharmic Religion
Dharma
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