Religions, Spirituality, and Humanity

By Shawn Paul

Religion, a set of organized beliefs, practices, and systems that relate to the worship of a controlling force, plays a crucial role in contemporary society. True doctrines of each religion lead us to become spiritual in nature which, in turn, propels us towards promoting the well-being of humanity. Therefore, integrating religion, spirituality, and humanity can cultivate and promote a focus on living consciously, harmoniously, and righteously.

Shawn Paul blends science, social science, and spiritual science into a format of practical living based on human ideals and values to present a well-balanced view of each major religion. He not only examines the limitations of organized religious practices, but also highlights the true doctrines of each faith and their significance in human lives. While logically critiquing traditional religious practices, their significance and limitations, and the way they impact society, Paul also summarizes major themes and corresponding holy verses while encouraging compassion, peace, and love through spiritual consciousness and service to humanity.

Religions, Spirituality, and Humanity shares a comprehensive examination of organized religious practices and their significance that inspires a harmonious life of personal fulfillment focused on contributing to the greater good and a peaceful coexistence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Dec 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665752329

Shawn Paul

Shawn Paul has practiced psychotherapy for over thirty years and holds MS degrees in chemistry, fuel science, and clinical psychology. He is deeply interested in religions, spirituality, and humanity and their role in meaningful existence. Paul is also the author of Religion without Boundaries.

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Copyright © 2023 Shawn Paul.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the World English Bible.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5231-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5233-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-5232-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023921000

Archway Publishing rev. date: 11/14/2023

Dedicated to

My Spiritual godmother Bindra Devi

My pious mother Krishna Kumari

&

Saint mother Teresa

CONTENTS

Preface

List of Abbreviations

Section 1     Introduction to the Evolution of Religion

Chapter 1     Hinduism

Chapter 2     Buddhism

Section 2     Abrahamic Religions

Chapter 3     Judaism

Chapter 4     Christianity

Chapter 5     Islam

Section 3     Comparative Studies of Religions, Spirituality, and Humanity

Chapter 6     Unique Aspects of Hinduism and its Impact on Contemporary Society

Chapter 7     The Unique Aspects of Christianity and Its Impact on Contemporary Society

Chapter 8     Unique Aspects of Islam and Its Impact on Contemporary Society

Chapter 9     Myths, Controversies, and Confabulations in Religions

Chapter 10   Comparative Studies of Major Religions in Significant Segments

Chapter 11   Lesser-Known Religions

Chapter 12   Humanism

Chapter 13   Spirituality

Chapter 14   Humanity and Humanitarianism

Section 4     Summary and Conclusions

Epilogue

Glossary

References

PREFACE

Religion, Spirituality, and Humanity is an extension of my first book Religion without Boundaries. My first book was primarily directed toward those who were disenchanted with rigid religious rules and traditions of ancient times. As a result, they became atheists and agnostics, or they were looking for alternative ways to fill a void in their spiritual lives.

This current book not only fills the void and addresses the concerns of this population but also becomes relevant to organized religions, as it encompasses the uniqueness and significance of traditional religions in contemporary society. Another feature of this book is that it precisely summarizes the major themes and corresponding holy verses. That way, the current book is easily readable and user friendly. The book critiques traditional religious practices, their significance, their limitations, and the way they impact society. Only true doctrines of religions cause individuals to become spiritual persons of moral character, who have patience, compassion, and concern for others. Humanity is an active part of spirituality. One’s concerns and compassion for others propel one to do good in society. Thus, religions, spirituality, and humanity are interconnected and interwoven.

Religions, Spirituality, and Humanity is a practical guide for leading a harmonious life of personal fulfillment, which helps you aspire to the greatest good for humanity. Its emphasis is on a religious living of compassion, peace, and love. Further, the book focuses on spiritual consciousness and service to humanity. This book points not only to the limitations of organized religious practices but also emphasizes the true doctrines of each faith and their significance in human lives, thus presenting a well-balanced view of each major religion.

The major religions are based on myths, supernatural phenomena, metaphysical concepts, rituals, and sacred texts of ancient times. As stated in my earlier book, this assertion was based on the author’s reading of religious holy scriptures, his or her life experience of observing rituals at sacred places, and the conduct of religious people in society. With the passage of time, society has changed, science has evolved, and new awareness has emerged. The rules, regulations, and holy books have never changed.

Traditional religions are based on mythical folk stories and miracles that defy science and logic. Each religion emphasizes that it offers the only way to achieve salvation. In Hinduism, it is God Vishnu or his incarnation Lord Krishna; in Judaism, it is Yahweh; in Christianity, it is the trinity concept of God; and in Islam, it is Allah. This is known as the absolute view. A relative view says that one religion is as good as another. The author believes in the third view that affirms that there is one God who has made himself known to people in a variety of ways, and he is encompassed in the religions of the world. The author extrapolates this view further, considering one universal God. In that context, God is thus defined as the totality of nature, who has no human form. God created the world through evolution and then let nature take it over. The famous Greek philosopher and generative western thinker Aristotle stated that morality, virtues, and goodness can be derived without appealing to supernatural forces. He argued that men create God in their own image (not the other way around).

The many problems of organized religions, as pointed out by psychologist Stephen Uhl, who is a former priest, spring from the necessary stance in supernatural religion that faith must override or control one’s reason. For the believer, logic is secondary to faith. That subjecting of humankind’s highest natural power to faith results in interfaith terrorism and the repression of free inquiry. For example, it is well-established that human evolution is billions of years old and that we gradually evolved through natural selection. But Abrahamic religion, whether it is Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, still believes in the unscientific theory of Adam and Eve. Eve is supposed to have been created out of the rib of a man, which is a male chauvinistic view. Somehow, this illogical concept is still believed by millions of Christians, who insist on teaching creation and oppose the well-established scientific theory of evolution. These kinds of folk concepts and stories are present in every religion. In the Hindu religion, it is believed that one of the demigods Ganesh was created from the sweat of the goddess Parvati (wife of Lord Shiva). The same kind of concept is in in the Bible. In Genesis, it is stated that God created Adam out of dust and then breathed into his nostrils to create life.

Millions of Hindus believe in old folk stories, which are related in Hinduism’s sacred Puranic literature. These mythical concepts are so ingrained in people’s minds that they cannot be shaken. The serious problem with major religions, whether Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam, is that too much focus is on creeds, rituals, prayers, and attendance at religious services in temples, churches, or mosques. Deed takes second place to creed. Millions of people in Asia and Africa visit religious sacred places regularly, yet corruption is rampant in third-world countries. It is even committed by those who follow religious rituals and traditions regularly. However, creed does not necessarily translate into good deeds. That is why moral decay, interfaith conflicts, and violence are found even in holy places. In Western society, where Christians dominate, there is lot of hypocrisy, especially among Christian televangelists and conservative Christians, who care for the rights of the unborn but neglect the plight of millions of living children who die of starvation and malnutrition each year. Certain segments of religious people are conscious of their moral responsibility to the underprivileged and needy children. They do their part, but their number is relatively small.

To address the needs of the larger group, which was dissatisfied with the lack of reasoning and logic in religion, humanism emerged as an alternative to theism. Humanism is based on critical thinking and evidence rather than on acceptance of dogmas or superstition. It views humans as solely responsible for promoting and developing people’s individual concern for the world. In humanism, being good without god is an accepted way of life. Due to humanism’s insistence on the good without god slogan, many people, including myself, are reluctant to embrace humanism wholeheartedly.

Organized religion is based on faith while humanism is based on science. To bridge the gap between faith and science is not an easy task. However, spirituality has emerged as the only rational alternative to address the ethical issues of contemporary society. Spirituality is the true essence of any religion connected with the consciousness, morality, and integrity of humankind. It is a higher form of human awareness of goodness, kindness, and concern for others. It is the foundation of humanity. Spirituality goes beyond the boundaries of all religions.

Spirituality may refer to any kind of meaningful activity, a sacred dimension, or the deepest values and meaning by which people live. Secular spirituality emphasizes humanistic ideas of moral character and qualities such as compassion, patience, harmony, and concern for others. The individual belief in an organized religion may be very spiritual, but spirituality does not always lead the individual to a traditional, organized religious system. That is why many people, such as Deepak Chopra and Bill Gates, describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. Similarly, it is possible to be religious without having a deep spiritual connection with one’s faith. One of the biggest differences between religion and spirituality is that religion is based on the past while spirituality tends to be more about individual development in the present.

Humanity and humanitarianism are the active parts of spirituality. One’s own consciousness and compassion toward other human beings translate into kind concern for others and the decision to do good in society. Humanity aids and encourages self-reflection, which in turn, develops personal consciousness or an active sense of civic duty. In humanitarianism, deeds before creed is the applied motto.

Religions have played crucial roles in contemporary society. In spite of interfaith conflicts, violence, and extremism in each religion, certain segments of the religious population tend to follow the true doctrines of their faith and find comfort and peace in their hearts through participation in religious services. Further, some religious organizations and pious individuals are sincerely involved in charitable work to alleviate the sufferings of people and provide necessary help for the poor and needy. True doctrines of each religion will lead us to become spiritual in nature, which in turn, will propel us toward promoting the well-being of humanity. Thus, religion, spirituality, and humanity will cultivate and promote living consciously, harmoniously, and righteously.

This book is divided into four parts. The first part consists of the introduction, the world’s oldest religion, Hinduism, and its offshoot Buddhism. The second part consists of the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All the traditional religious concepts, traditions, and features are critiqued from a logical and practical point of view. Blind beliefs and supernatural occurrences have been critiqued under my comments.

The third part discusses the unique aspects of major religions and their impacts on contemporary society. Major religions in significant segments are compared and are contrasted, along with author’s comment on myths, controversies, and confabulation. Lesser-known religions are included due to their historical and current influence in the religions of the world. Humanism, spirituality, and humanity complete the third section.

In the last and fourth section of the book, the final summary and epilogue draw conclusions. Important comments in this manuscript have been highlighted through italic type and have been repeated to emphasize their significance. It is my hope that this book will enlighten the minds of readers and will contribute toward the mutual concern for our fellow human beings, resulting in peaceful coexistence.

I have postgraduate degrees in pure, applied, and social science. This book blends science, social science, and spiritual science into a format of practical living, which is based on human ideals and values. I thankfully acknowledge the constructive suggestions of Dr. Cheryl Hamel. I have broadly relied on published literature and online sources, as stated in the notes at the end of the manuscript.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AAH: Action against Hunger

AD: anno Domini or in the year of our Lord, meaning after Christ, better known as CE (Common Era)

BAPS: Bochasanwasi Akshar Puroshottam Sanstha (Hindu religious, nonprofit charity organization)

BC: before Christ, better known as BCE (before Common Era)

BCE: before Common Era

BS: belief system

BBS: blind belief system

DBS: delusional belief system (terminology coined by this author)

CARE: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere

CE: Common Era

ERC: Emergency Relief Coordinator

ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross

IDP: internally displaced person

IFRC: International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

NGHAs: Non-Government Humanitarian Agencies

NGO: Non-Government Organization

OXFAM: Oxford Committee for Famine Relief

RC: the Red Cross

SCHR: Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response

UNICEF: United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WFP: World Food Program

WHO: World Health Organization

PART 1

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

EVOLUTION OF

RELIGION

Many stories have been put forward to account for the origins of humans. For Greeks, humans were created by Prometheus. In the Abrahamic faiths, Yahweh is credited with the creation of a man while according to ancient Egyptians, human origins emerged from an infinite sea of lifelessness. In Hindu mythology, Brahma is credited with the creation of the first man on Earth. There are numerous such stories. Although they are intriguing, none of them is backed by scientific research.

The big bang theory of universal origins begins with a single, infinitely dense, and infinitely hot point. From this single point, there was a large explosion that condensed quarks and electrons—the building blocks of matter. Over the next 13.8 billion years, the universe expanded and cooled. Quarks united to form neutrons and protons. Finally, they gathered into clouds of gas, which with the help of gravity, clustered together to form stars and galaxies.

The earth formed 4.5 billion years ago near a star, which we call the Sun, in a galaxy we have named the Milky Way. This planet orbited the Sun for a billion years and before life, in the form of prokaryotes or simple cells, emerged. After approximately 2.5 billion years, these simple cells evolved into multicellular structures, which evolved into simple organisms a half-billion years later. The most recent fossils have brought scientists close to the time when humans first walked upright and split off from chimpanzees. It happened about six million years ago. Human ancestry is traced to a female hominid named Lucy, who lived about three million years ago.

First, there was Homo habilis, who lived about two million years ago. Then came Homo erectus or upright man, the ancient ancestor of modern humans, about one million years ago. Finally, Homo sapiens (modern humans), who appeared about two hundred thousand years ago. The first humans arose in Africa. From there, humans moved to Asia and Europe.

Primitive religion, known as animism, consisted of a belief in unseen spirits. This ancient religion, laced with symbols and integrated into rituals, where early humans celebrated the powers about them. There might be a spirit who produced an egg, which other beings came from. It is plausible to think that some groups of prehistoric men and women combined the idea of monotheism (belief in a higher God), many more or less personalized powers (polytheism and animism), and the notion of sacred forces. In the ancient era (at around 3300–1300 BCE), during the Bronze Age, there is record of an Indus Valley civilization or the northwestern region of the India subcontinent. That’s where the Hindu religion, also known as Santana Dharma, originated. Around 2600 BCE, the oldest surviving Egyptian pyramid was commissioned by Pharaoh Djoser. The first of the oldest surviving religion texts, the Pyramid Texts, was composed in ancient Egypt at around 2400 BCE. At around 2200 BCE, the Minoan civilization developed in Crete, where citizens worshipped a variety of goddesses.

Here is a time line showing the emergence of important and noteworthy religious events.

THE ANCIENT ERA

3300–1300 BCE: The Indus Valley civilization became a Bronze Age civilization.

2635–2610 BCE: The oldest surviving Egyptian pyramid was commissioned by Pharaoh Djoser.

1700–1100 BCE: The oldest of Hindu Vedas (scriptures), the Rig Veda, was composed.

1250–600 BCE: The Upanishads (Vedic texts) were composed.

600–500 BCE: The earliest Confucian writings were composed.

563 BCE: Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, was born.

440 BCE: Zoroastrianism entered the record of history.

250 BCE: The third Buddhist council was convened by Ashoka. Ashoka sent Buddhist missionaries to faraway countries in Southeast Asia, such as China.

100 BCE–500 CE: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational texts of Yoga, were composed.

THE COMMON ERA

4 BCE–30/33 CE: Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity, lived.

31–36 BCE: John the Baptist died.

70 BCE: The siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the rise of Rabbinic Judaism occurred.

325 BCE: The council of Nicaea convened and established the original Nicene Creed.

350 BCE: The oldest record of complete biblical texts survives in Greek translation, which was called the Septuagint.

380 BCE: Theodosius I declared that Nicene Christianity was the state religion of the Roman Empire.

MIDDLE AGES (THE FIFTH TO FIFTEENTH CENTURIES)

570–632 BCE: The life of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the prophet of Islam.

EARLY MODERN AND MODERN ERA

1517 BCE: Martin Luther launched the Protestant reformation.

1893 BCE: Swami Vivekananda’s first speech at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago brought the ancient philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

1931 BCE: Jehovah’s Witnesses emerged from the Bible student movement under the influence of Joseph Franklin Rutherford.

1939–1945 BCE: Millions of Jews were relocated and murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

1954 BCE: The Church of Scientology was founded by L. Ron Hubbard.

1959 BCE: The fourteenth Dalai Lama fled Tibet amid unrest and established an exiled community in India.

1961 BCE: Unitarian Universalism was formed from the merger of Unitarianism and Universalism.

1965 BCE: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was introduced.

THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

2008 BCE: Nepal, the world’s only Hindu kingdom, was declared a secular state by its constitutional assembly.

2015 BCE: The World Yoga community was registered in the United States.

For most people, religion is an organized system of beliefs and practices, which are intended to keep one in close contact with the highest being recognized by that religion. As such, religion has provided a path for the masses to follow for centuries. Blind faith and belief of religion have been the way of humans for many centuries. Organized religion emerged as a means of maintaining peace and conveying spiritual messages to the masses.

The major religions of the world are Christianity (constituting 33 percent of the world’s population, Islam (24 percent), Hinduism (15 percent), Buddhism (7 percent), and all others (about 20 percent). The others include nonreligious people, agnostics, atheists, and secular humanists. And among nonreligious people, half of them consider themselves theistic.

The written history of religion is only five thousand years old. A lack of written records means that most of the knowledge we have regarding prehistoric religion is derived from archaeological records, other indirect sources, and suppositions. Much prehistoric religion is subject to continued debate. In the prehistoric era, the earliest known anatomically human burials and cremations took place around forty thousand years ago. Homo sapiens were introduced to Europe. The decline of Neanderthals happened from 35,000–26,000 BCE. Individual skulls and long bones began appearing heavily stained with red ochre, and they were buried separately. This process may have been the origin of sacred relics.

In old times, humans worshipped spirits, images, idols, and imaginary gods. Three religions stand in the word that have come down to us from prehistoric times. These were Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism. Judaism failed to absorb Christianity. It was driven out of its place of birth by other Abrahamic religions, mainly Christianity and to some extent, Islam. Zoroastrianism in Persia was destroyed by Islam. Over time, the persecution of Zoroastrians became more common and widespread, and the number of believers decreased by force significantly. So now, only a handful of Parsis remain in the world. Three major religions survived—Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. It quickly spread to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. It became another religion for 7 percent of the world’s population.

An ancient religion can be compared to the attic of an old home. Unless the attic is regularly cleaned, it gathers dust and cobwebs. It eventually becomes unsafe. Similarly, if a religion cannot be updated and cleaned, from time to time, it loses its usefulness, and it cannot relate anymore to changing times and people. But this didn’t happen to the three major religions of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Fortunately, many genuine scholars have tried to clean, reform, revitalize, and make them relevant to the changing times, but their efforts have achieved only small success.

In science, if new research and evidence contradicts old theory, the old theory is discarded and is replaced with a new one. But in religion, old scripture cannot be replaced, as its sayings or verses are etched in stone. Based on the author’s research into the study of religious scriptures, it doesn’t matter if old traditions or ideas defy science or common sense; these old traditions and practices continue. Religion is based on blind faith. To protest blind faith, many religious scholars like Bart Ehrman have become agnostics. Another famous scientist, Richard Dawkins, became an atheist. Numerous humans who have been turned off by rigid, old-fashioned traditions and rituals have become atheists, agnostics, or humanists.

Humanism is not a religion in the traditional sense, as there are no continued rules, sets of beliefs one must follow, higher power one must give over to, or requirements to attend services or pray at bedtime. It’s a pursuit of knowledge and wisdom into aesthetics and daily living. Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance, which emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively. It is based on rationalism and empiricism over acceptance of dogma or superstition. Worldwide, four-to-five million people adhere to humanism.

In all religions, God is considered to be omnipotent and to have infinite power, resources, perfect knowledge, and wisdom. By proper use of their knowledge and intellect, people recognize their creator and possess belief in him. The creator has given us eyes to observe reality, ears to listen, and above all, a mind to form a right opinion based on reason and logic and not on blind faith advocated by any particular religion. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with every religion, whether it’s Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Each religion insists it is the only way to reach God.

In the Abrahamic tradition of Judaism, the Torah is the holy book; for Christians, it’s the Holy Bible; for Muslims it’s the Quran; and for Hinduism, it’s the Holy Gita. Each religion stresses that every word in its holy book comes directly from God and is unalterable. Even though most of the traditional religions’ concepts are outdated, and half the world’s population, which is female, has been marginalized, the holy book cannot be modified to adapt and adjust to current society. The old-age concepts still flourish. For example, it has been well documented that human evolution is millions of years old and that humans gradually evolved through natural selection. But Abrahamic religion, whether Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, still believes in the unscientific theory of Adam and Eve. Eve was created from the ribs of a man, which is a male chauvinistic view. Eve was tempted by a talking serpent to eat forbidden fruit. God punished future generations for the sin committed by Adam and Eve. How absurd and illogical it is, but it is still believed by billions of Christians. It’s unfortunate that in this age, fundamentalists ignore Darwin and oppose teaching evolution in our schools.

Each religion emphasizes compassion, peace, love, dignity, respect for human life, and justice for all. True religion consists of moral excellence, living a life of purity, love, and altruism. It hears no evil, sees no evil, and does no evil. Reciting a holy book doesn’t make a person holy. People should have true convictions rather than following traditional rituals described in holy books. Above all, they must follow the moral code in their lives. I believe that deeds are more important than reciting holy words in a temple, church, or mosque. In this context, I have developed an integrated concept of religions, spirituality, and humanity. Salient features of each religion are critiqued and are synthesized into a new model of humanity. The basic principle of humanism is blended into the positive features of religion, based on sound reasoning, logic, and common sense. The Ten Commandments are replaced with ten guiding principles of humanity. Traditional religion has many flaws, but nonetheless, it has helped, inspired, and instilled hope in millions of humans. I believe that it need not be changed completely. It can be reformed, keeping intact all the values that are cherished by many and that are consistent with current human values while discarding outdated ideas that defy science and logic. These old concepts are to be replaced with new concepts, which are based on critical thinking and logical reasoning.

CHAPTER 1

HINDUISM

INTRODUCTION

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. It goes back as far as 6,000 BCE. From the high spiritual ideals of the Vedanta philosophy to the low ideals of idolatry, with its multifarious mythology, Hinduism has thrived. Hinduism believes in the supreme reality and its trinity of forms: Brahma (the creator of the universe), Vishnu (the sustainer), and Shiva (the redeemer). Vishnu appears in various incarnations to preserve the good and destroy evil. Hindu philosophy states that the soul (atman) can attain salvation (moksha) through devotion (bhakti) to God and by doing one’s duty, without attachment to the fruits of action. Hindus believe in the law of cause and effect, which states that each person creates his or her own destiny through thoughts, words, and deeds (karma). The soul reincarnates and evolves through many births into different physical forms until it attains salvation.

Hindus follow four different approaches to God: jnana yoga (the path of knowledge and contemplation), karma yoga (the path of work and duty), bhakti yoga (the path of worship, prayer, and service to God), or raja yoga (the path of actively seeking through hatha yoga or meditation and thus being one with God). Most often, one finds a suitable combination to attain salvation. Hinduism is the largest pluralistic religion in the world. It teaches that there are many paths, sages, and holy books and that no religion can claim any exclusive or final representations of truth. The idea of unity of religion is expressed in the precept, "Ekam sat vipra bahudah vadanthi, which means, God is one; the wise call God by different names" (Rig Veda 1:164:46). Hinduism has never tried to create any one center, church, or doctrine or to impose its views through any means. It has sought to preserve diversity.

HISTORY OF HINDUISM

Hinduism traces its roots to the Aryans who migrated in 1700 BCE from central Asia, eastern Europe, and other places. However, Hindu scholar Swami Vivekananda insists that the Indo-Aryans were indigenous to the subcontinent. The proper designation of the Aryan religion is Santana Dharma, which means eternal truth. Hinduism as a designation came later.

Early Indo-Aryan society was divided into four social categories, which is known as the caste system. Such a division was originally based on inherent qualities or talents. Originally determined by the qualities and aptitude of the individual, caste was made hereditary by self-interested people in positions of power and authority. They wanted to perpetuate their caste based on social privileges. As a result, the caste system degenerated. Certain caste groups were artificially made superior or higher, and the others were made inferior or lower. Thus, the lower-caste Shudras were looked down upon by the higher castes. Some of them were eventually labeled untouchables and were denied entry into temples. This is one of the evils of Hindu society that is still prevalent in many places.

Aryan life was divided into four stages:

1. Brahmacharya (celibacy)

2. Garhastha (household)

3. Vanaspratha (retired)

4. Sannyasa (renouncement)

In brahmacharya, a person receives education and practices celibacy. Garhastha starts with marriage within one’s own caste system. The person earns an honest living, raises a family, honors his or her elders, and takes care of his or her parents. In vanaspratha, a person retires from active household life and lives a simple spiritual life. Sannyasa is a transition from the life of a hermit to that of an ascetic. In modern times, the third and fourth stages have merged, which is considered to be a retirement stage.

The fundamentals of Hindu beliefs include