Hinduism, unlike all other religions, is not a religion. It is a way of life. Hinduism, again, unlike all other religions, is not about one God, it is about thousands of Gods. It has rock-solid foundations that are built in the four Vedas, the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda and the Yajurveda.
Multiple subdivisions of Vedas
There are multiple subdivisions of these Vedas, prominent among them being the Ayurveda, the Veda which is a practical medical science.
Unlike any other religion, Hinduism does not dwell on God alone. It also talks of astronomy, astrology, philosophy, medical science, science, the art of war, politics and day-to-day life and living.
Hinduism is also the mother of many religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The Vedas were written in the mother of all languages, Sanskrit. It is impossible for a single human being to master even one Veda, forget about all four.
Being a way of life, Hinduism in India is intertwined very closely with public life and politics.
Hinduism has been the most tolerant among all religious beliefs.
Islam found a solid home in India, Christianity has flourished, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were offshoots of Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and almost every major religion has thrived and lived in India along with Hinduism.
The Hindu is taught from a young age to be tolerant of all other religions and not to mock the religious beliefs of others. It is also the most flexible of all religions, accepting new beliefs and systems throughout the centuries.
Of course, it has been misused considerably over the centuries by different communities to promote their self-interest. The worst example is the caste system, which was originally created for the division of labor and not dividing humans according to their birth. Rather, the division of humans by their skills was the intent. Thus, Brahmins were created for teaching and knowledge, Kshatriyas for their bravery and protecting other humans, Vysyas for their commercial skills and the Sudras for performing all other tasks because they lacked the capability to perform the first three.
Over the centuries, India has been ravaged by foreigners and attempts have been made to suppress Hindus by foreign invaders. Yet, Hinduism has survived and will survive forever, because Hinduism preaches tolerance.
