Hinduism – Various Facets & Tenets     

(Click at each sub-title below to read more)
(Titles in red colors – links pending)

<> Brief Introduction to Various Facets

<> Introduction to various Gods In Hinduism
      – Lord Shiva
      – Lord Vishnu
      – Devi Parashakti
      – Other Gods
      – Brahman – God beyond name & Form
      – Sat-Chit-Ananda

<> Avatars in Hinduism
– Rama Avatar
      – Krishna Avatar
      – Narasimha Avatar

<> Divya Darsanam – Having a vision of God
<> Creation

<> Soul, Atman & Brahman

<> Body-Mind-Intellect-Ego-Atman

<> Vasanas-Tendencies

<> Goal of Human Life

<> 4 Purusharthas (life goals)
   -Dharma (righteousness)
   – Artha (wealth)
   – Kama (pleasures)
   – Moksha (liberation)

<> Renunciation (Sanyas)
<> Guru, Satguru
   – Acharya
<> Guru parampara in Various schools, Mutts

<> Religious sects
   – Saivam
   – Vaishnavam
   – Shaktam
   – Tantra

<> Hindu Scriptures
   – Vedas
– Prasthana Triya
        – Vedanta – Upanishads
        – Bhagavad Gita
        – Brahma Sutras (Uttara Mimamsa)

<> Agama Shastra
   – Temple & Idol worship

<> Karma & Rebirth

<> Varnashrama (Social class differences)
   – Brahmin (Priests/ teachers/knowers of Veda)
   – Kshatrya (Warriers/ rulers)
   – Vaishya (Traders/ Businessmen)
   – Shudra (laborers)

<> 4 Ashrama dharmas
   – Brahmacharya (Student, unmarried)
   – Grihastasrama (Family life)
   – Vanaprastha (Detached Living in forest)
   – Sanyas (Renunciation)

<> Sadhana- Spiritual practices
– Tapas
   – Worship, Prayers, Hymns, Stotras
   – Pranayama
   – Scriptural study, contemplation, self inquiry
   – Japa (Mantra chanting)
   – Dhyanam (Meditation)
   – Preparation
   – Methods & Practices (Various)
   – Dhayanam-Mediation-2

Ramayana (Itihas)-1

<> Mahabharata (Itihas)

<> 18 Puranas
   – Srimad Bhagavatam

<> Yogas
   – Bhakti Yoga
– Bhakti traditions
– Gnyana Yoga
– Karma Yoga
   – Raja Yoga
       – Pathanjali Yoga Sutras
   – Kundalini Yoga
   – Hatha Yoga
       – Yoga Asanas

<> Darshan Shastras
   – Poorva Mimamsa
   – Nyaya
   – Vaiseshika
– Sankhya
– Trigunas- Satva Rajas Tamas-3

<> 3 States of awareness
   – Jagrat (Waking)
   – Swapna (Dream sleep)
   – Sushupti (Dreamless sleep)
   – Turiya – the 4th state

<> Ayuveda

<> Jyotisha

<> Samsara Cycle
   – Birth, Living, death
   – Reincarnation/ rebirth

<> Mukti, Moksha, Liberation
   – Jeevan Mukta
   – God realization/ Self realization

<> 3 schools of philosophy regarding Soul & God
   – Dvaita (Dualism)
        – Sri Madhvacharya
   – Visitadvaita (Qualified non-dualism)
        – Sri Ramanujacharya
   – Advaita (Non-dualism)
        – Sri Sankaracharya

<> Great Masters of recent origin
      – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
– Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi
      – Swami Sivananda
      – Mata Amritanandamayi
– Others

<> Hinduism Versus other religions
– Problem of religious conversions

<> Common Misconceptions about Hinduism