Why Does Hinduism have Many Gods ?

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Opposite to prevailing misconceptions, Hindus all worship a one Supreme Being, although by completely different names. It is because the peoples of India with completely different languages and cultures have understood the one God in their very own distinct approach. By means of historical past there arose 4 principal Hindu denominations—Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. For Saivites, God is Siva. For Shaktas, Goddess Shakti is supreme. For Vaishnavites, Lord Vishnu is God. For Smartas—who see all Deities as reflections of the One God—the selection of Deity is left to the devotee. This liberal Smarta perspective is well-known, however it isn’t the prevailing Hindu view. As a consequence of this range, Hindus are profoundly tolerant of different religions, respecting the truth that every has its personal pathway to the one God.

One of many distinctive understandings in Hinduism is that God is just not far-off, residing in a distant heaven, however is inside every soul, within the coronary heart and consciousness, ready to be found. This figuring out that God is all the time with us offers us hope and braveness. Understanding the One Nice God on this intimate and experiential approach is the purpose of Hindu spirituality.

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