Hinduism

Hinduism originated in tbe Vedic civilization of India (second and first millennium B.C.), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority. Hinduism has many scriptures; tbe Vedas, tbe Upanishads, and tbe Bhagavad-Gita are among some of tbe most important. Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within tbeir own home. The most common figures of devotion are tbe gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a motber goddess, Devi. Most Hindus believe tbe soul, or atman, is eternal, and goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) determined by one's positive or negative karma, or tbe consequences of one's actions. The goal of religious life is to learn to act so as to finally achieve liberation (moksha) of one's soul, escaping tbe rebirth cycle.