What is a Hindu ?

In one of the simplest of terms, a Hindu is one who believes in the doctrine of Reincarnation and in Dharma (sacred duty), and who follows any of the four major spiritual paths: Bhakti Yoga (the path of love and devotion), Karma Yoga (the path of selfless action), Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge), Raja Yoga (the path of selfdiscipline).

All of these teachings are an integral part of what is known as Sanatan Dharma (eternal truths), which in the course of time has been called Hinduism. Reincarnation, is that after the death of one’s physical body, one’s soul (atman) enters a new human body in a cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

In the sacred teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna said:

“The soul is not born, nor does it die, for weapons cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot drench it and it does not wither. Just as a man casts off old clothes to put on new ones, so too the embodied Self discards its worn-out body to enter new ones.”

The embodied Self, also referred to as the soul is a spark of the Almighty that dwells within all beings and sustains them in life. The soul is the inner divinity of a mortal being, and it is an inconceivable part of Brahman that is not sinful or corrupt. Soul should not be confused with the egotistic, or personality self which is perishable, and where one habitually values things only in reference to one’s personal interest. when we strive to control our desires or turbulent minds through quiet contemplation, it is our egotistic self that we are seeking to improve.

 “One’s inner being is set in nature, enjoying the qualities born of nature. Attachment to the qualities is the cause of births in the wombs of good and evil.”

people have certain nature born qualities (gunas) which have their origins in nature (prakriti). These qualities are referred to as sattva, rajas and tamas. People with the inherent qualities of being compassionate, humble, patient, honest, charitable and nonviolent are referred to as sattva (goodness). Those with the inherent qualities of being lazy, arrogant, violent and dishonest are referred to as tamas (dark inertia). The qualities of greed or craving for the fruits of one’s actions are inherent to people referred to as rajas (passion or desire). The ideal thing for the rajas and tamas to do was to strive beyond the stage of sattva, and seek union with the divine Self within. With reincarnation, people are given a series of chances through the cycle of birth and death to improve themselves. By striving to uphold righteousness, and performing good deeds without seeking the fruits of our actions, one could liberate oneself from the cycle of birth and death.