What is the relationship between Hinduism and God?

Hindus believe in the formless Absolute Reality as God and also in God as personal Lord and Creator. This freedom makes the understanding of God in Hinduism, the oldest monotheistic religion. Hinduism is also unique in saying that God can be experienced, and, in fact, that is the ultimate goal of one’s soul.

Who was Jesus before birth?

Jesus in Disguise Many Bible scholars believe Jesus appeared on earth centuries before his Bethlehem birth, not as a man, but as the Angel of the Lord. The Old Testament includes more than 50 references to the Angel of the Lord.

What is the origin of the gods in Indonesia?

Most native Indonesian ethnic groups, especially those not influenced by other traditions, explain the origin of the universe, gods and deities, as well as their ancestors. Ancient people in Java and Bali believed in an unseen spiritual entity that has supernatural powers identified as Hyangs.

How did Hinduism influence Javanese and Balinese mythology?

By contrast, Javanese, Balinese, and to some degree Sundanese were influenced by Hindu – Buddhist Indian mythology as early as the 1st century CE. Hindu gods, legends and epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata were adopted and adapted into a uniquely local form.

How many Hindus are there in Indonesia?

Hinduism in Indonesia. Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Indonesia. Currently, around 1.7 percent of the Indonesian population adheres to Hinduism, which in absolute terms constitutes approximately four million individuals out a total of almost 250 million Indonesians. Today, the majority of the Indonesian Hindu community lives on…

What does wayang mean in Javanese?

Etymology. The term ‘wayang’ is the Javanese word for shadow, or bayang in standard Indonesian; the word also means “imagination”. In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary, wayang can refer to the puppet itself or the whole puppet theatre performance.