The Religion of Many Faces
2000 BC
-2000 -2000
77.00E17.00N
MISC

INDIA
	Though it is a complex religion that has changed over thousands of years, Hinduism finds its roots in seeds sown by tribes that invaded India about 4000 years ago.
	Like the Romans and Greeks in the western world, these Aryan invaders from Central Asia believed in many gods, as do many Hindus today. And as conquerors, they believed in staying in charge, which seems to be the origin of the Indian caste system (strict social levels).
	Though it retains a belief in many gods and in caste -- though there have been strong efforts to abolish caste -- these are no longer the real core of Hinduism.
	Over the centuries Hindus came to believe that everything that is (including their many gods), is God, a belief called "pantheism." Though some continue to believe in the personal gods, others would say these gods are illusions, or masks, of the universal "Brahman." Brahman, though often portrayed in human-like form, is considered by most Hindu thinkers as being completely impersonal.
	These masks represent a wide range of characteristics of Brahman, from mighty Shiva, the destroyer/creator, to his wife, who as the golden Uma is a god of beauty, light, and a mediator of conflicts. But as the bloodthirsty Kali, she wears snakes and a necklace of her sons' skulls.
	For the Hindu, salvation is to escape an almost unending cycle of reincarnation caused by "karma," which is essentially a very strict version of the law of cause and effect. Karma says that whatever state a person finds himself in -- rich or poor, happy or sad -- it is the result of that person's actions and attitudes in this and past lives.
	For many, escaping reincarnation means trying to obey the duties of their social caste. If a person is good enough, he can be reborn into higher and higher castes and eventually break free of reincarnation.
	Other Hindus try to escape the cycle of life by practicing yoga, an exercise of self-discipline and meditation to persuade themselves that all is illusion except Brahman.
	Another method is to search for salvation through intense devotion to one of millions of gods, such as the popular Rama and Krishna, who are also considered "avatars," or personal incarnations of the impersonal Brahman.
	Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world today, with about 690 million adherents.