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Not many things have endured without interruption or major transformation for over 5,000

years. Hindu traditions such as dharma, karma and reincarnation are exceptions. Arguably,

Hinduism is the oldest religion on Earth.

To understand how Hinduism has lasted so long, it is important to know the beliefs of Hindu.

Those are closely tied to its historical foundations.

Archaeologists say highly developed civilizations grew throughout the Indus Valley between

4000 and 1500 B.C. Archaeologists have found many items tied to Hinduism in the ruins of the

ancient Indus Valley civilization. They include statues of gods and goddesses. They also

include temple tanks for bathing and sculptures of people doing yoga.

But for still unknown reasons, the people in the valley appear to have moved suddenly and

resettled among new neighbors in northwestern India. These people who were living in

northwestern India had actually moved from central Asia and settled in India, and worshiped

a religion called Vedism. Thus, it is likely that the Indus Valley tradition and Vedic gods and

beliefs combined. When they did, they formed Hinduism.

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"A Code of Life”

Hinduism stands apart from other religions for several reasons. It has no single founder, no

single book of law and truth, and no central religious organization. Also, there is no definition of

absolute beginning and end.

Hinduism is a code of life — a collection of attitudes, personal experiences and religious

practices. That code is defined by behaviors rather than beliefs. Hindu teachings say there is

one divine way of being, and all religions are interpretations of it. Because of this, Hinduism

allows and even encourages individuals to choose a religious path that best suits their social,

intellectual and emotional needs.

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A Religion Based on Tolerance

'Vedantic" means "end of the Vedas," the Vedic beliefs never disappeared. Gods of the Vedic tradition became less commonly worshiped, but the Vedic philosophies were not

forgotten. The principles of karma and dharma were too popular (especially among members

of the lower castes) to fade away.

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“The Cycle of Reincarnation”

Hindus believe and do different things, but several concepts and traditions bind them together.

Many of these beliefs were compiled in a set of scriptures written around 1300 B.C. known as

the Vedas. It is believed that the Vedas are the eternal truths that were heard, then written

down by holy seers.

The Vedas say time and life are cyclical. After death, one's soul leaves the body and is reborn,

or reincarnated, into a new form, which could be another person, an animal or even a

plant. This constant cycle of birth and rebirth is known as samsara. What body or form the soul

is born into is determined by karma. Karma is the accumulated result of one's actions in

various lives, and can be good or bad. Righteous and moral conduct, known as dharma, is the

road to good karma.

Good conduct is defined in many ways, including marrying within one's caste, revering upper

castes and doing good deeds. It also includes refusing to eat meat, particularly that of

cows. The writings known as the Upanishads appeared 600 to 800 years after the Vedas, and

they focus on how to escape the cycle of rebirth. The Upanishads explain how to leave

Samsara through moksha, a release and ultimate enlightenment. The appearance of the

Upanishads marked the beginning of a period known as the Vedantic Age.