Courtney Summage
RELS201
Christianity and Hinduism
22 August 2014
There are many theories in regards to how the world began. For the Hindu's, the belief is
that there are many worlds and universes in which all lies at the hands of three Gods. Christians
believe that there is one world and one creator. This creator works with His son, Jesus Christ,
and the Holy Spirit. In the Hindu religion, there is Lord Brahma the creator, Lord Vishnu the
preserver, and Lord Shiva the destroyer and re-creator. The Christian God, however, is believed
to be the sole creator of all. Because Christians believe that only God is good, He is the only one
who may offer salvation. In the Hindu religion, salvation is attained by performing good deeds
and acting with
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This purification gives
grounds for new creation and opportunity. Although there are several Hindu entities associated
with yoga, Shiva brings the art of meditation to its purest form. In Shiva, meditation represents
letting go of everything that has form. Shiva is said to have many forms. One form is known as
Nataraj. In this form, Shiva performs a dance which represents the destruction and creation of
the universe, and exposes the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. In his Nataraj form, Shiva is
the kind of dance. His Dance of Bliss is to bring welfare upon the world. When he dances, he
crushes the demon of ignorance, known as Apasmara Purusha. Another form Siva can take is
known as Hanuman. This manifestation is completely selfless and is the ultimate meditator, in
regards to karma. Shiva is often portrayed holding a trident that represents the three gunas. He
may be conceptualized with snakes on or around him. Snakes represent his immunity to poison
and death. He can also be portrayed atop a tiger or white bull (Knott, 1998).
During an interview, Adil, a Hindu cadet at the United States Air Force