The Bhagavad Gita is the highest expression of philosophical Hinduism. It is a story of the immense

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The Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord)
The Bhagavad Gita is the highest expression of
philosophical Hinduism. It is a story of the
immense Indian epic, the Mahabharata, the saga of
the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Arjuna, hero of the Pandavas, is about to
confront the army of the Kauravas on the
battlefield. Among the opposing army are his
friends and relatives. Convinced that it would be
wrong to kill his own kinsmen, Arjuna is overcome
by despair. He lays down his bow and declares
that he will not fight. The God Vishnu,
incarnated as the charioteer Krishna, explains
that Arjuna should do his duty and do battle. The
human soul, which is part of the universal soul,
is immortal - therefore no-one is actually slain.
If people perform the duties appropriate to their
station, without attachment to success or
failure, then they cannot be stained by
action. The Bhagavad Gita is an expression of the
Hindu philosophy that God is in all things, and
all things are in God. The one God is the
pinnacle of all things - the radiant sun of
lights, the guiding light of sensory organs, the
intellect of beings, the ocean of waters, the
Himalayas of mountain ranges, the Ganges of
rivers. He is also the inherent essence of
everything - including evil. He is the gambling
of rogues, the courage of the courageous, the rod
of disciplinarians, the statecraft of
politicians, the Knowledge of the knowing.
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The Importance of Hindu Scripture
It is doubtful if modern day Hinduism would buy
the argument that these and these alone (and any
other religious book for that matter) would
ensure salvation to an individual, although it
does emphasize that one should live and act in
accordance with ones own dharma ( sacredness in
all life) and the scriptures. Those who still
trust their religious validity look for new
meaning in them, while others look elsewhere for
answers to their perplexing questions. Each
person alone has the solace and the comfortable
feeling of assurance that his/her religion and
his/her scriptures give liberty to pursue truth
in his/her own way.
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Pantheistic view the entire universe is one
divine entity who is simultaneously at one with
the universe and who transcends it as well.
Monotheistic view Ishvara is the personified
form of Brahman that is, Saguna Brahman has
particular traits. These traits are expressed
through the Trimurti (three manifestations).
Closet to Jesus Christ like figure
Polytheistic View the ten incarnations, or
avatars, are the original gods of Hinduism it
is estimated that there are now some 300 million
gods in the Hindu religion. Each god is said to
provide focus on an aspect/attribute of Ishvara
a path to understanding.
According to Hindu tradition, Brahman became
personal in the form of Ishvara Ishvara became
known to humanity in three manifestations.
Ishvara then became known further through the ten
mythical incarnations of Vishnu, called avatars
(animals a fish, a boar, a tortoise and humans
Krishna, Rama, Buddha). The stories of these
avatars are told in the Bhagavad Gita.
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The Hindu Life

• Ultimately, Brahman is an impersonal oneness
  that is beyond all distinctions, a being who is
  entirely transcendent, yet is the essence of
  everything.
• The soul, known as the Atman, is one with
  Brahman and is representative of the true self.
  Just as the air inside an open jar is the same
  as the air that surrounds it, so our essence is
  identical to that of Brahman it is the job of
  every Hindu to open the jar.
• Humanitys primary problem, according to the
  Hindu, is our ignorance to our divine nature. We
  have forgotten that we are extended from Brahman
  and so we mistakenly attach ourselves to the
  desires of our separate self (ego) and thereby
  suffer the consequences. Because of our
  attachment to desire and individualistic
  existence, we are all subject to the law of
  Karma.
• The Law of Karma is the moral equivalent to the
  natural law of cause and effect. In essence, we
  reap what we sow. Every action produces a just
  and definite reaction. Moreover, the effects of
  our actions, follow us not only in our present
  lifetime, but in lives to come

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• Reincarnation (Transmigration of the Soul), is
  the Hindu concept that the soul is transferred
  into another body after death. This is the
  ever-revolving wheel of life, death, and rebirth.
  A persons karma determines the kind of body
  (any living being) into which he or she will
  inhabit in the next life. Through pure acts,
  thoughts, and devotion, one can be reborn at a
  higher level. Likewise, bad deeds can cause a
  person to be reborn at a lower level. The
  unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, and
  suffering are thus seen as the natural result of
  Karma.
• In acknowledging the truth of the above
  process, Hindus organize their lives around
  certain activities, known as purusharthas (the
  doctrine of the fourfold end of life).
• dharma righteousness in religious life
  sacredness of all life
• artha success in economic life material
  prosperity
• kama gratification of the senses pleasurable
  existence
• moksha liberation from the cycle of rebirth

Liberation (moksha), is attained through
the realization that the concept of the
individual self is an illusion and that only the
undifferentiated oneness of Brahman is real.
Detachment from self is the the path to
liberation.
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Important Hindu Terms
Puja the act of showing reverence to a god or
to aspects of the divine through prayers, songs,
and rituals. The essential part of puja for the
Hindu is making a spiritual connection with a
deity. Ahimsa doctrine of nonviolence to all
life, which is the basis for Hindu
vegetarianism. Guru one who shows by example a
spiritual path to follow. Tilak (Kumkum)
Generally, no religious work should begin without
a Tilak on the forehead. There are 13 places on
the body where the Tilak can be placed, however,
it is only on the forehead that it is noble. The
head is the summit of the body with the brain
being the axis of the entire body. The wearing
of the Tilak is a symbol of worship and
devotion. Yoga (5 types) Bhakti (means intense
love for God), Karma (is often called the path of
right action), Jnana (described as the way to God
through intellectual ability), Hatha (meant as a
controlling of physical self the body), Raja
(teaches the path to God through meditation).