Hinduism is the third-largest organized religion in the world, with almost a billion followers. Most Hindus live in India, and there is a growing population in the United States. Because Hindu temples do not require membership, there is no official count.
The Hindu American Foundation estimates that 2 million Hindus of Indian origin are in the United States, and another 1 million practicing American Hindus are not of Indian origin.
The Pluralism Project of Harvard University estimates that there are 1.5 million Hindus in the nation.
Diana L. Eck, one of the foremost scholars of Hinduism and director of the Pluralism Project, says Hindus believe in one transcendent Supreme Being, reincarnation and karma.
The faith tradition has no one founder, teacher, prophet or set of beliefs.
Its primary belief is that the soul does not die. Its rule of karma is that every act affects how the soul will be reborn. The cycle of birth and rebirth continues until the soul achieves spiritual perfection and is united with the Supreme Being.
Hindus worship deities, which are representations of the one god they believe in. They are monotheistic, and their worship involves meditating, chanting and worshipping icons of the deities.
Although Hinduism has many deities, the primary three are Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindus believe animals have souls, and some are worshipped as deities.
The religion includes many sacred texts. The best known is the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical conversation between the deity Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. The primary texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas, which contain hymns, rituals and incantations.
“We are one of the most peaceful religions in the world,” Dr. Ram Bandi said. “Our goal here is to serve the entire Hindu community. The temple is open to everyone. There is no membership; you simply practice. ... We believe in inclusion rather than exclusion.”
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at https://twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.
