A polytheistic religion t
hat was formed from a variety of diffe
rent religious practices. In Hinduism, salvation is achieved through a spiritual oneness of the soul, atman, with the
ultimate reality of the universe, Brahma. To achieve this
goal, the soul must
obtain moksha, or liberation from the samsara, the endless
cycle of birth, d
eath, and rebirth.
As a result of these basic teachings, Hindus believe in rein
carnation, which is influenced by k
arma (material actions resulting from the consequences of
previous actions), and dh
arma (fulfilling one's duty in
life). Because all forms of
animal life possess souls, Hindus believe in ahimsa, or t
hat all
life is sac
red. and should
not be h
armed. In fact, one
animal which Hindus consider to be
extremely sac
red is the cow. The peaceful and contented existence of cows is conside
red virtuous by Hindus and would re
present a rewarding rein
carnation for a soul. For this
reason, most Hindus are vegetarians so t
hat they do
not h
arm other living beings. The belief in rein
carnation, k
arma, and dh
arma also provides the religious justifi
cation for the existence of the
rigid social structure k
nown as the Caste System.