HinduismGrowing up I had two family friends who were Hindu. Since then one of the two friends converted to Christianity due to the marriage. As a child I thought Hinduism and Buddhism were similar, but I knew they both came from the same country. Hinduism shares some similar ideas and practices to Buddhism and Jain dharma. They were always looking for enlightenment, its purpose was to get as far away from imperfection as possible. Hinduism has reached the level of being a larger and more dominant religion than Buddhism in India. Hinduism includes South Asian folk polytheism and elite Sanskrit traditions. Hinduism is one of the third largest religions in the world. 900 million in India alone and is influential in Southeast and Central Asia. Known as Santana-Dharma, Hinduism is made up of many different traditions. Hinduism is the oldest living religion and has no founder or date of conception. It is a timeless religion and has always existed. Hinduism can be traced back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. It is a dynamic religion that continues to evolve today. Due to colonialism, the word Hinduism was coined in English in 1830 to describe the practice of the people across the river. It is a huge ideology, of religious, philosophical and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India. Some argue that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. Since no one knows who originated Hinduism and the word was coined by foreigners, scholars believe that Hinduism existed around 10,000 BC Hinduism is one of the most complex living historical religions. The flexibility of religion has allowed it to last so long, but it has accumulated a lot of contradictions. Just like India, Hinduism has a large following in the United States……middle of paper……nd”. Devotion usually takes the form of rituals and practices with sculptures or images of the gods in the house. Hinduism is a bit similar to Buddhism because as a child and to this day my mother had Buddha images and sculptures in her house. How can you become a practicing Hindu? Can anyone become a Hindu? I'm pretty sure that the people of India disapprove of people converting to Hinduism, but there is no law that says this isn't possible. You should follow the religious guidance of Vedic scriptures. It would be a wise idea to familiarize yourself with the inner teachings. One thing you will have to give up is eating meat because the cow is sacred to Hindus and I learned this when I was young. A Hindu strives to achieve four goals: wealth in life, right conduct, desires and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. These goals must be pursued with balance otherwise life goes out of balance.