Hinduism Made Easy - Shalu Sharma

If you ever wanted to learn about the concepts and fundamentals of Hinduism then this is the book for you. Even though the Hindu religion is the oldest religion in the world, there are many misconceptions that laypeople have about it. Some people don't understand the mystical chants and mantra traditions where they keep repeating "Aum" over and over again. But you have to understand the religion to truly appreciate where these acts and traditions come from. There is a 4000 year history to Hinduism that many people outside of India don't even know about. On top of that, Hinduism has evolved a lot over the years with both oral and ancient stories involving the laws of Hinduism. These stories were often told by sages who passed down their knowledge of the religion to their disciples. Eventually there was a compilation of ancient Sanskrit texts where Hindus could study the ethical and moral code that they needed to live by. However, Hindus for thousands of years have been changing traditions and teaching new philosophies about the religion that help motivate modern day people to become followers. Furthermore, they encourage them to take up Hindu derived practices, like yoga and meditation, in order to help them feel better in their lives.

You don't have to be looking to convert to Hinduism to appreciate this book. It is not a book that is going to try to change you or convince you that Hinduism is the one true religion to believe in. This book simply goes over all the important aspects and traditions of the religion, as they are broken down into chapters. That way you can understand the Hindu concepts of God, prayer, meditation, animal sacrifices and reincarnation. These are the key points that people often misinterpret because they see movies or television shows that misrepresent the real Hindu religion. If you are a westerner then this probably means you. The only way you are really going to learn the truth about Hinduism is to either go to India and visit a Hindu school or read through this entire book with an objective mind.

If you are thinking about becoming a Hindu then it has to be your choice alone. You first need to study the Vedic scriptures and seek religious guidance from an elder Hindu. This book will simply awaken you to the religious customs of Hinduism and get you familiar with what you are in for. The great part about Hinduism is that you don't need to have a religious affiliation with it in order to learn from its teachings and participate in its traditions. Hinduism is all about establishing a spiritual connection with your soul and the universe. For some Hindus, they don't even reach this point for an entire lifetime. That is why they continuously reach the for the Sanskrit texts and practice their meditations.

The chapters in this book:

Chapter 1 Introduction to Hinduism
Chapter 2 Hindu Philosophy
Chapter 3 Concept of Maya in Hinduism
Chapter 4 What is Karma?
Chapter 5 Soul (Aatma) in Hinduism
Chapter 6 Reincarnation in Hinduism
Chapter 7 Brahman - The Supreme Being
Chapter 8 Why Hindus Worship Idols?
Chapter 9 Mantras in the Hindu Religion
Chapter 10 Practice of Yoga in Hinduism
Chapter 11 Vegetarianism in the Hindu Religion
Chapter 12 The Caste System in the Hindu Religion
Chapter 13 Popular Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Chapter 14 Symbolism of Arms in Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Chapter 15 Hindu Swastika
Chapter 16 The Aum
Chapter 17 Holy books of the Hindus
Chapter 18 The Mahabharata
Chapter 19 Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 20 The Ramayana
Chapter 21 River Ganges in the Hindu religion
Chapter 22 The cow in Hindu religion
Chapter 23 Major Hindu Festivals
Chapter 24 Important Hindu Holy places to visit in India
Chapter 25 Tips for visiting a Hindu temple
Chapter 26 Conclusion