Discuss the nature and major features of the belief system Hinduism and explain the extent to which these traditions has influenced the direction of the Indian nation?

Hinduism , through the course of history , has proven to be one of the most enduring and long lasting religions in human history . Traced to more than 3000BCE , the five thousand year old philosophy has become the dominant religion in India . The name of the religion comes from the Persian name for the Indus River , Sindhu . This name has only in modern times , and primarily by foreign traders , come to identify the religion itself , as well as the peoples surrounding the Indus River region (Manila Bulletin The Republic of India Celebration 2006

The religion

, among its adherents , is a belief in sanatana dharma the eternal divine ing of the cosmos as revealed in the Vedas , the sacred texts of the Hindus (The Sacred East 14 ) Unlike many religions , the Hindu faith has no spiritual leader or icon . The history of the faith is simply passed on as fact , rather than the words of anyone being , or source . The religion is centered in India , where the Indus valley is located , as well as the main sights of Hindu importance . The basic aspects of Hinduism lay in the teachings of the Vedas , and the seeking of personal growth and enlightenment . The first aspect of this growth comes from the understanding of the brahman , or universal soul (The World 's Religions 28 ) This entity is the base for all organization in the universe . It is through brahman that the human soul is made - in Hindu the soul is called atman

The Hindu religion also bases a great emphasis on meditation . The facilitation technique to be discussed here is Meditation . This technique was brought the consciousness of the American public in the 1960s , by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . A practice of Hindu origin , it was called Transindental Meditation , when it first arrived . However due to organizational constraints , and rules against untrained clinicians being licensed , many American physicians developed a new , and more modern technique (76

The process involves the practitioner sitting quietly for fifteen to twenty minutes , at least twice daily . During this time , the practitioner will concentrate on a single word or sound - commonly referred to as a mantra . This mantra allows from the individual to focus his or her mental processes on a single point . The intent of this strong , focused concentration is for the individual to reach an altered state of consciousness . This altered state allows for one to transcend thought ' in to better understand the images and concepts of the surrounding world (76

The effect of this practice is the relief of tension , confusion , and mental fatigue in the individual . Research has found measurable effects for meditation in reducing physiological arousal and decreasing muscle tension to bring about deep relaxation (76 ) Also , as JoAnn Campbell wrote , the practice of meditation suggests that [it] could be used to supplement courses designed to train people to think and write critically , analytically , or academically (Campbell 246 ) There is also belief that , according to the Benson Technique , regularly eliciting the relaxation response can be a...