While the people of Abram where going into the desert and trading with Egypt, the people of India began to emerge and flourish around the same time. Trading began with the Egyptians and the Hebrew people, along with conflict and war. The Hindu people were at the time of their emergence a divided and tribal people. These people were like the Egyptians, migrants of Africa and the ancient Egyptian colonies. The varying arrangements of gods in the Hindu pantheon differ, because different tribes worshiped different gods.
The idol (gods) worshiping people of India warred with the Hebrew and Muslim people for many hundreds of years. These unorganized tribal divisions became more organized once the conquest of Alexander the Great took place. The defeat of the Aryan tribes caused the unorganized territories to band together into what is known as modern day India. This unification caused the creation of the Vedas and the Upanishads, along with the introduction and combination of the various Hindu gods.
The religion of Hinduism incorporates a wide array and plethora of gods. As stated previously, these gods arise out of the ancient tribal divisions found in the ancient history of India. As the religion became more organized, religious scripture and laws began to be combined over time.
We can see their evolution from 1500 BC up until the mediaeval times.
These compilations of scripture became known as the Vedas and the Upanishads. These are the foremost in authority, importance, and antiquity.
The Upanishads are laws and divisions separating the many different categories of life. Much like the Torah, and the Sunnah (Islam), 106
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the Upanishads help govern the different categories of Hinduism. The beautiful thing about the Hindu religion is the use of hymn in the Vedas when explaining the Upanishads (through hymn). These hymns are similar to the psalms and hymns found in other religions throughout the world. We can all relate to music, and these hymns are recited songs in scripture, similar to any religious hymns and much like the musicians singing today about life and God. Song is one of the earliest forms of human expression, and one of the earliest ways to connect to the Creator or energy we arise and return to. This energy and spirit is known in Hinduism as Atman, and Maya is the illusion in which we live. Brahman is a duality of Maya (illusion) and Atman (which is spirit). Brahman is like the Jesus of Hinduism, or what the Lord is in Judaism.
Brahman is the spirit that is found in everything living. It is from this that our thought/soul/spirit (Atman) can interact with the existence and illusion we know as life (Maya).
Maya: The life or result of creation; it is this result that we live in and can manipulate according to our needs and understanding. The greater influence or connection with this energy is through the teachings of various religious belief, whether spiritual or traditional. The origination of this created illusion (Maya) stems from the origin of all creation.
The first Hindus were a people who had a connection with God that represented itself through the mysteries of the mind and nature. Many a religious person’s journey or soul searching is found when the person is in a complete state of euphoria and oneness, similar to Buddhism.
In fact, Buddhists teachings have arisen from the Hindu religion along with the principles of the people from the Orient (Nepal/China).
Migration to the lands of India began around the year 2000 BC, possibly earlier. The roots of India are from African and Arabian (Ishmael) descent, and their lineage can be traced in the book of Genesis to the time of Noah. Migration to these areas in India may have occurred at different times, creating the reason for the varying tribal divisions throughout history. The descendants’ migration through the generation of Ishmael may be the reason for the Aryan belief in one God existing in India; these tribes later became the allies of Alexander the Great.
The descendants of Hinduism came from the Indo-Iranian people, who migrated through the corridors of the mountain passes and into 107
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the land now known as India. They descended from a group of people known as Aryans who believed in the existence of one God, much like the Jewish people. These people shared the same view as the father Abram, who made the original covenant with God, Israel, and Ishmael.
These include the people of Indo-Iranian descent who come from India and Iran. This group of people also includes the descendants of the Armenians, Romans, Greeks, Germans, Balts, Celts, and Slavs. It is suggested that these people have a common root and tongue (perhaps Babel?).
Although many people think that Hinduism applies largely to only people of Indian descent, this is not true. In fact neither is the term
“Aryan” only associated with Nazi Germany. The belief in the Aryan view is the fact that we have one root. Hinduism also acknowledges the existence of the Maya, Brahman, and Atman, all making the Aryan view of Hinduism acceptable. The concept of this trinity is actually the same view as the Hebrew, Muslim, and Christian view of God in that God is all around us, and forms and helps create the environment around us and the different trials we will experience in life. The trinity from the three founding principles of Hinduism is similar to the Christian version as stated earlier:
1) Brahman: This is seen as God similar to the father of all creation, the closest to the origin of the universe. Is a physical or physical image or view of our representation of God on this material plane? It can be said to be the consciousness of everything living, a greater atman. It is not really said that Brahman has a physical form; however, if he had one it would be that of a human being.
2) Maya: The illusion that we are created from the physical body of man, the illusion of our spiritual plane and material existence, the acknowledgment that even the Maya will fail and return to the point of origin.
3) Atman: The spirit found in the consciousness of man and all things living; this Atman is the gift giving to us by the eternal creator in the likeness of Brahman and God.
There are many forms of prayer and practice in the different Vedas and Upanishads, telling us how to achieve various forms of spiritual evolution and different degrees of Atman or consciousness.
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