Oneness and Pluralism: Hinduism's Essence

Hinduism, one of the world's oldest religions, is not just a system of belief but also a way of life for billions of people around the globe. Hinduism is also known as Sanatan Dharma. The term 'Hindu' is sourced from Indo-Aryan language Sanskrit root Sindhu, which was considered to be the name of Indus River that lies in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Hinduism involves a diverse family of philosophies and traditions that have been followed throughout Asia for thousands of years. Today, Hinduism is regarded as a global religion.

Most of the sects, traditions, or schools within Hinduism share some unique foundational concepts in spite of the absenteeism of a recognizable starting in history, central religious establishment or sole authoritative scripture. The ideas of 'oneness of existence' and 'pluralism' are two of these foundational concepts.

Oneness

All living beings, ranging from the tiniest organism to human beings, are believed to be the manifestations of the Divine. Hinduism treats the whole universe as a family because of this shared divinity. This idea is known as "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" in Sanskrit.

Pluralism

Against the backdrop of this apprehension of equality and unity, the Hindu religion has also been able to gladly accept the actuality of diversity through its philosophy of pluralism. Each and every living being with their distinct personalities and diverse cultures, not only associate with one another in their unique ways but also associate with the Divine in their own individual ways. This acceptance of pluralism has lead to remarkable spiritual and religious freedom one can experience within Hinduism.

The perspective of pluralism is not just relevant to Hindus, but to all the members of this universal family. Accordingly, Hinduism admits not just the probability, but also the extant of more than one path (religion) or way of relating to the Truth (God).