The basic beliefs of a religion are the ones that form the thoughts, feelings, actions and the whole attitude of its followers towards the world around them and their fellow men.

 

  1. Any follower of Hinduism believes in a sole God, single reality that is simultaneously transcendent and immanent, so much Creator as the creation. The different manifestation such as Siva, Lord Rama, Krishna etc., are not more than different aspects of one single reality, a single omnipotent God, omniscient, and omnipresent. The mystery possible of knowing only and solely through a direct communion.
     

  2. Hinduism believes in the divinity and infallibility of its sacred revealed scriptures, the four Vedas, as well as of all the Vedic literature, which forms the very basis of the transcendental building of the universal religion of Sanatana Dharma.

  3. Hinduism believes that the universe follows an infinite cyclic process of creation, preservation and dissolution, just as it is affirmed in the holy Bhagavad-gita (8.18):

    avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah
    prabhavanty ahar-agame
    ratry-agame praliyante
    tatraivavyakta-samjnake

    "When a new day of Brahma begins, all becomes manifested from the unmanifest, and after nightfall all comes back and melts into the unmanifest."

  4. Hinduism believes in the law of karma or the law of cause and effect, according to which, every individual is completely responsible for his future. Everyone creates his own destiny through his actions on the mental level, by his thoughts, on the verbal level by his words, and on the gross physical level by his actions.

  5. Hinduism believes in reincarnation. That is, that the soul goes through an educative process of transmigration of repeated births and deaths, replacing its old bodies for new ones. It also believes that final liberation or moksha awaits every soul in the end, as it is expressed in the holy Bhagavad-gita (2.13):

    dehino 'smin yatha dehe
    kaumaram yauvanam jara
    tatha dehantara-praptir
    dhiras tatra na muhyati

    "Just as the embodied soul passes in the present body from childhood to youth, and later to old age, it passes to another body in the moment of death. A reasonable person is not confused by such change."

  6. Hinduism believes in a great number of very exalted and powerful entities, which are invisible to the material senses, called Devas or Gods. It also firmly believes that different rituals, such as worship in the temple and the different sacraments, produce a profound communion between humanity and these Devas.

  7. Hinduism believes that a guru or a bona fide spiritual master is indispensable for any follower of Hinduism, and that without accepting the refuge of a spiritual master it is impossible to advance spiritually. This is confirmed in the holy Bhagavad-gita (4.34):

    tad viddhi pranipatena
    pariprasnena sevaya
    upadeksyanti te jnanam
    jnaninas tattva-darsinah

    "Make efforts to understand The Truth by approaching an authentic spiritual master, ask from him submissively and serve him, the self-realized being can give you wisdom because he has seen The Truth."

  8. Hinduism believes that life, in all its different manifestations, is sacred, and therefore is worthy of being respected, loved and worshipped. Hinduism does not accept the killing of animals or the consumption of their meat, nor does it accept harming any living being in action, word or thought.

  9. Hinduism does not accept only one unique religion as the owner and master of God, or The Truth. On the contrary, it understands that we all exist on different levels of evolution and distinct levels of development in our path towards the realization of The Absolute Truth. Therefore, Hinduism as a religion accepts, tolerates and respects with comprehension every belief, faith or religion and expects the same or similar attitude from other religions towards itself.

    The Rig Veda expresses our attitude towards other religions by saying: "Aano Bhadraḥ kritavo yāntu vishwatah"... Which means, "Allow any noble idea to come to us from whatever direction"... This phrase contains the true attitude of Sanatana Dharma and of the truly religious man.

  10. Every follower of Hinduism respect equally all saints and prophets from every religions.