Hinduism, also known as Brahmanism, is the religion of more than 300,000,000 people of India, and an additional 20,000,000 in Pakistan, Ceylon, Burma, Siam and South Africa. About 10,000 Hindus of various sects live in the United States. Being older than any other living religion, nearly all succeeding religions have been influenced by it. Unlike other great religions of the world, Hinduism has no inspired founder. The oldest of its scriptures are believed to have been accumulated as early as 100 B.C.
The basic teachings of Hinduism revolve around the Eternal Nature of the World – the belief of the world always has been and always will be; Reincarnation -the belief of the souls of the dead are reborn into another body; Karma – the Law of the Deed which determines that people who are good in one life will be compensated for it and improved in their next reincarnation, whereas the evil ones Will be punished; Nirvana – a state of Perfection Achieved by those souls who have been good throughout successive reincarnations. Every Hindu therefore strives to reach Nirvana. This parallels the Christian idea of Heaven.