Arizona

The state hosts the following major league teams (called the Cactus league) for spring training:. Other important scriptures are the sectarian Hindu Agamas which are texts dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. Arizona is a popular location for Major League Baseball spring training. There are also a number of revered Hindu Tantras and Sutras that command the respect of various Hindu sects of different persuasion, some including the Mahanirvana Tantra, Tirumantiram and Shiva Sutras. For a complete list, see List of people from Arizona.. Other texts considered important by today's Hindus include the Devi Mahatmya, an ode to Devi, the Divine Mother, and the Yoga Sutras, a key meditative yoga text of Shri Patanjali. Labor leader Cesar Estrada Chavez is from Yuma. The post- Vedic Hindu scriptures form the latter category, the most notable of which are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, major epics considered scripture by most followers of Sanatana Dharma, their stories arguably familiar to the vast majority of Hindus living in the Indian subcontinent, if not abroad.

Film director Steven Spielberg grew up in Scottsdale, as did Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter. See Bhagavad Gita to explore this text. From the rock and roll world, both Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac are from Phoenix; Linda Ronstadt is from Tucson. In a wider context, it is considered a timeless classic of world literature. Famous Arizonans also include Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, author Zane Grey, former Governor and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Presidential candidate (1964) and former Senator Barry Goldwater, Presidential candidate (2000) and Senior Republican Senator John McCain, former senator Carl Hayden and former Solicitor General Rex E. Lee . While technically it is considered Smriti, it has singularly achieved nearly unquestioned status as Shruti, or revealed, and is thus the most definitive single Hindu text, read by millions of bhaktas (devotees) and yogis on a largely daily basis throughout the Sanatana Dharmic world.
. The text documents a conversation between Arjuna, a warrior, and Lord Krishna immediately prior to the major battle described in the epic Mahabharata.

Ranked by per capita income. The Bhagavad Gita occupies a special position in the hearts of most Hindus as a keystone yoga upanishad whose eternal words perhaps are the most representative of all Hindu thought. Each city named in bold has a population greater than 100,000. It can be said that while early Hinduism is most reliant on the four Vedas, Classical Hinduism, from the Yoga and Vedanta to Tantra and Bhakti streams, was molded around the Upanishads. See: List of cities in Arizona, List of cities in Arizona (by population), List of Arizona counties. While the Vedas and their early commentaries on one hand center on ritual and sacrifice, the late Vedantic (End of Vedas) texts emphasize mystic insight and express abhorrence for ritual practiced at the expense of spiritual insight, claiming to streamline the excessive litany of praise to Vedic gods and to capture the essence of the Rig Vedic dictum "Truth Is One." They set Hindu philosophy apart with its embrace of a single transcendent and yet immanent force that is native to each man's soul, an identification of micro- and macrocosm as One. There is also a significant Mormon population. The Aranyakas and the Upanishads were originally esoteric, mystical teachings related in secrecy.

Four in five Arizonans are self-described Christians, with large numbers of both Catholics and Protestants living in the state. The Shrautasutras and Grhyasutras form a younger stratum dealing with domestic ritual. See also the list of Arizona Natives.. The oldest of these are the Brahmanas. 49.9% of the population is male, 50.1% is female. Depending on the school, various commentaries and instructions are associated with each Veda. As of 2000, 74.1% of Arizona residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 19.5% speak Spanish. Navajo is the third most spoken language at 1.9%, followed by Other Native North American languages at 0.6% and German at 0.5%. The four Vedas (the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas) were preserved by various shakhas or schools.

In 2003, for the first time, there were more Hispanic births in the state than white non-Hispanic births. While the overwhelming majority of Hindus may never read the Vedas, the reverence for the more abstract notion of eternal knowledge (Veda means knowledge) is etched deep into the hearts of all those who follow Veda Dharma. Arizona is likely to become a minority-majority state by the year 2035 at the latest. The Vedas are considered as shruti (inspired) by all Hindus. Only California has more Indians than Arizona, and Arizona has slightly more Indians than Oklahoma [1] (http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/states/ST-EST2002-ASRO-03.php). tradition, not revelation). 286,680 reportedly live in Arizona, this represents more than 10% of the country's total Indian population of 2,752,158. The texts are divided into two categories: Shruti- that which is heard (i.e. revelation) and Smriti- that which is remembered (i.e.

According to 2003 Census esimates, Arizona has the second highest number of Native Americans of any state in the Union. Indeed, much of the morphology and linguistic philosophy inherent in the learning of Sanskrit is sometimes claimed to be inextricably linked to study. The racial breakdown of the state is as follows:. The overwhelming majority of Hindu sacred texts are composed in the Sanskrit language. As of 2003, Arizona had a population of 5,580,811 according Census Bureau estimates. Main article: Hindu scripture. High-tech employment was led by software and computers, with 34,314; electronics components manufacturing, 30,358; aerospace manufacturing, 25,641; architectural and engineering services, 21,378; telecommunications, 21,224; and instruments manufacturing, 13,056. Hinduism's fundamental truth is best expressed in the Upanishadic dictum, Tat Twam Asi (Thou Art That), and the ultimate aspiration as follows:.

High-tech payroll in 2001 was $2.2 billion, or 14.7 percent of the private-sector total. the temporal or earthly plane) who succeeds in living an honest, loving and dharmic life a jivanmukta (living free soul). In 2001, 161,166 Arizonans were employed in the high-tech sector, accounting for about 8.3 percent of total private-sector employment of more than 1.9 million. The great rishis (Hindu sages) have termed the samsaric (one who lives in samsara, i.e. Arizona lost much of its advantage as a high-technology industry leader between 1990 and 2001, according to a state Department of Commerce (http://www.commerce.state.az.us/) report. The chief aim of the Vedic religion is to achieve moksha, or liberation, through constant dedication to satya (Truth) and eventual realization of the atman (Universal Soul), held to be achievable by all, whether through meditation or pure love. The state government is the state's largest employer, while Wal-Mart is the state's largest private employer, with 17,343 employees in 2003. Its presiding principle, Ma (Mother) Gayatri, is also known as Veda Mata (Mother of the Vedas) and is strongly associated with the Goddess of Learning and Illumination, Saraswati.

Copper is still produced in abundance from many giant open-pit mines and underground mines. Known as a universal mantra, it is revered as being the most condensed form of Divine Knowledge (Veda). At one point Arizona was the largest producer of cotton in the country. Many Hindus to this day, in a tradition that has continued unbroken for at least 3,000 years, perform morning ablutions at the bank of a sacred river (especially the Ganga/Ganges). Its per capita income was $27,232, 39^th in the United States. Early in its history, Arizona's economy relied on the "five C's": copper, cotton, cattle, citrus and climate (i.e., tourism). It is considered one of the most universal of all Hindu mantras, invoking the universal Brahman as the principle of knowledge and the illumination of the primordial Sun. The 2003 total gross state product was $182 billion. The most revered mantra in Hinduism is the famed Gayatri Mantra (see Sanskrit for pronunciation):.

It is rare for tornadoes to occur in Arizona. Indeed, Mahatma Gandhi's dying words were a two-word mantra to the Lord Rama: "Hai Ram!"'.. The monsoons bring lightning, thunderstorms, wind and torrentious, if usually brief, evening downpours. They often give courage in exigent times and serve to help 'invoke' one's inner spiritual strength. Monsoon season in Arizona is from the end of July through August. They can also be used to aid in expression of love for the deity, another facet of Bhakti yoga akin to the understanding of the murti. Extreme cold temperatures are not unknown, cold air systems from the northern states and Canada occasionally push into the state bringing temperatures below -20C ( subzero Fahrenheit) temperatures in the higher parts of the state. Mantras are said, through their meaning, sound, and chanting style, to help meditational focus for the sadhaka (practitioner).

However, the northern third of Arizona is a plateau at signficantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler climate, with cold winters and mild summers. Much of mantra yoga, as it is called, is done through japa (repetition). Due to the primarily dry climate, large temperature swings often occur between day and night temperatures, with temperature swings as large as 10 C (50 F) in the summer months. Reciting mantras is a fundamental practice in Hinduism. The summer months of May through August bring a dry, heat ranging from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius (the high 90-100s), with occasional high temperatures exceeding 50C (125 F) have been observed in the desert area. Main article: Mantra.. About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise again with sunny warm days, and cool breezy nights. For more details on this form of worship, see murti.
.

November through February are the coldest months with temperatures typically ranging from 4 - 24 degrees Celsius (40-75 degrees Fahrenheit), although occasional frosts are not uncommon. Thus, Hindu image worship is a form of iconolatry, in which the symbols are venerated as putative sigils of divinity, as opposed to idolatry, a charge often levied (erroneously) at Hindus. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). They are symbols of the greater principle, representing and are never presumed to be the concept or entity itself. In the lower elevations, the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and hot summers. Worship of said deities is often done through the aid of pictures or icons (murti) which are said not to be God themselves but conduits for the devotee's consciousness, markers for the human soul that signify the ineffable and illimitable nature of the love and grandeur of God. Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of climates. Also, the puranas list twenty-five avatara of Vishnu : Catursana, Narad, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prithu, Narasimha , Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha.

Several major Hollywood films, such as U-Turn, Waiting to Exhale, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure have been made there (as indeed have many Westerns). Among the most popular are Vishnu (as Krishna or Rama), Shiva, Devi (the Mother as many female deities, such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Durga), Ganesha, Skanda and Hanuman. Many tourist souvenirs produced in Arizona or by its residents display immediately characteristic images, such as sunsets, coyotes, and desert plants. The vast majority of Hindus worship many gods as varicolored forms of the same prism of Truth. Sedona and Tubac are known as budding artist colonies, and small arts scenes exist in the larger cities and near the state universities. While some censuses hold worshippers of one form or another of Vishnu (known as Vaishnavites) to be at 80% and those of Shiva (called Shaivaites) and Shakti at the remaining 20%, such figures are perhaps misleading. The state is a recognized center of Native American art, with a number of galleries such as the Heard Museum showcasing historical and contemporary works. Hinduism encourages devotees to describe and develop a personal relationship with their chosen deity (ishta devata) in the form of a God or Goddess.

Arizona has witnessed a continuous string of dancing and performing groups of many ethnicities. Whether believing in the One source as formless (nirguna brahman, without attributes) or as a personal God (saguna Brahman, with attributes), Hindus understand that the one truth may be seen as different to different people. Nearly 2 billion years of the Earth's history has been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateaus have uplifted. The various gods and avatars that are worshipped by Hindus are understood as different forms of One truth, sometimes seen as beyond a mere God and as a formless Divine Ground (Brahman), akin but not limited to monism, or as one monotheistic principle like Vishnu or Shiva. The canyon, created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, is about 277 mile (446 km) long, ranges in width from 6 to 29 kilometers (4 to 18 miles) and attains a depth of more than 1,6 km (1 mile). Contrary to popular belief, practiced Hinduism is neither polytheistic nor strictly monotheistic. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt mountain lion and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. See Swastika.

The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park - one of the first national parks in the United States. Many Eastern cultures still hold it to be sacred, especially in India, in spite of the recent association with Nazism which perverted the original meaning of this universal symbol. The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. It has been used in Hinduism since the early Vedic culture and is still widespread in the Indian subcontinent. The Mogollon Rim, a 600-meters (2000-foot) escarpment, cuts across the central section of the state and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where the state experienced its worst forest fire ever in 2002. Its rotation in four directions has been used to represent many ideas, but primarily describes the four directions and their harmonious whole. More than half of the state features mountains and plateaus and contains the largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the United States. It stands for satya, truth, and stability within the power of Brahma or, alternatively, of Surya, the sun.

Like other states of the Southwest, Arizona has an abundance of topographical characteristics in addition to its desert climes. The swastika (卐) is an Arya, or noble symbol. Arizona gained two seats in the House of Representatives due to redistricting based on Census 2000. It contains an enormous and diverse amount of symbolism; Hindus consider its sound and vibration to be the divine representation of existence, encompassing all of manifold nature into the One eternal truth. ; see Aum for more detail. Hayworth (R-5), Jeff Flake (R-6), Raul Grijalva (D-7), and Jim Kolbe (R-8). Aum (ॐ) is the standard sign of Hinduism, and is prefixed and sometimes suffixed to all Hindu mantras and prayers. Arizona's representatives in the United States House of Representatives are Rick Renzi (R-1), Trent Franks (R-2), John Shadegg (R-3), Ed Pastor (D-4), J.D. Among the most revered symbols in Hinduism, two are quintessentially a part of its culture and representative of its general ethos:.

The two Arizona US Senators are Senator John McCain (Republican) and Senator Jon Kyl (Republican). With the stress on vegetarianism (which is usually followed even by meat-eating Hindus on religious days or special occasions) and the sacred nature of the cow, it is no wonder that most holy cities and areas in India have a ban on selling beef and there is a movement among Hindus to ban cow-slaughter not only in specific regions, but in all of India. She has been governor since 2003. See:List of Arizona Governors. It is said that Krishna is both Govinda (herder of cows) and Gopala (protector of cows), and Shiva's attendant is Nandi, the bull. The current Governor of Arizona is Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. Thus, while most Hindus do not worship the cow, and scriptural injunctions against eating beef arose long after the Vedas had been written, it still holds an honored place in Hindu society. The governor may serve any number of terms, though no more than two in a row. This is most likely because the largely pastoral Vedic people and subsequent generations of Hindus throughout the centuries relied so heavily on the cow for all sorts of dairy products, tilling of fields and fuel for fertilizer that its status as a willing 'caretaker' of humanity grew to identifying it as an almost maternal figure(so the term gaumata).

Arizona's executive branch is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. Those Hindus who do eat meat predominantly abstain from beef, some even going so far as to avoid leather products. However, no more than four terms may be served consecutively. Thus, while vegetarianism is not dogma, it is recommended as a sattwic (purifying) lifestyle. Arizona state senators and representatives are elected for two year terms and there are no terms limits. About 30% of today's Hindu population, especially in orthodox communities in South India, in certain northerly states like Gujarat, and in many Brahmin enclaves around the subcontinent, is vegetarian. The executive budget has allocated money to previously passed legislation. Thus, an ingrained and externally motivated influence led to the development of a large section of Hindus who grew to embrace vegetarianism in a bid to respect higher forms of life, restricting their diet to plants and vegetables.

Besides the money spent on state agencies, money has also been allocated for tax cuts, pay raises for government employees, and health insurance for government employees. While Jainism as it was practiced was certainly a major influence on Indian society with its exhortation of strict veganism and non-violence as ahimsa, the term first appeared in the Upanishads. The 2002 budget of the Arizona state legislature was $14.3 billion, while the executive budget was $13.8 billion. A note of the element of ahimsa in Hinduism is vital to understanding the society that has arisen around some of its principles. The majority party is the Republican party, which has held power since 1950. See Tantra for more. Arizona's legislature consists of a thirty-member Senate and a 60-member House of Representatives. Most tantras were written in the late middle ages and sprang from Hindu cosmology and Yoga.

See: List of Congressmen. The word "tantra" means "treatise" or "continuum", and is applied to a variety of mystical, occult, medical and scientific works as well as to those which we would now regard as "tantric". Arizona was admitted into the Union on February 14, 1912. To the Tantra we must therefore look if we would understand aright both ritual, yoga, and sadhana of all kinds, as also the general principles of which these practices are but the objective expression." (Introduction to Sir John Woodroffe's translation of "Mahanirvana Tantra."). The site was purchased after the war by the Maytag family, and is currently the Phoenix Zoo. IX., verse 12). Arizona was also the site of a German and Italian prisoner of war camp during WWII. Shiva says: 'For the benefit of men of the Kali age, men bereft of energy and dependent for existence on the food they eat, the Kaula doctrine, O auspicious one! is given' (Chap.

With the encouragement of Brigham Young, Mormons went to Arizona from Utah in the mid to late 1800s to the Phoenix Valley (or "Valley of the Sun"), Mesa, Tempe, Prescott, Snowflake, Heber, and many other Arizona towns to settle there. The Tantra Shastra is, in fact, and whatever be its historical origin, a development of the Vaidika Karmakanda, promulgated to meet the needs of that age. Arizona was administered as part of the Territory of New Mexico until it was organized into a separate territory on February 24, 1863. According to the most famous Western Tantrik scholar, Sir John Woodroffe Sir John Woodroffe/temp (pseudonym Arthur Avalon): "The Indian Tantras, which are numerous, constitute the Scripture (Shastra) of the Kaliyuga, and as such are the voluminous source of present and practical orthodox 'Hinduism'. In 1853 the land below the Gila River was acquired from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase. See bhakti yoga for more. The United States took possession of most of Arizona at the end of the Mexican War in 1848. Altogether, bhakti resulted in a mass of devotional literature, music and art that has enriched the world and given India renewed spiritual impetus, one eschewing unnecessary ritual and artificial social boundaries.

All of what is now Arizona became part of Mexico's northwest frontier upon the Mexican assertion of independence from Spain in 1810. See bhakti movement for more depth. Father Kino developed a chain of missions and taught the Indians Christianity in Pimería Alta (now southern Arizona and northern Sonora) in the 1690's and early 1700's. Spain founded fortified towns (presidios) at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775. It is said, however, that the bhakta, through a growing connection with God, is eventually able to eschew all external form and is immersed entirely in the bliss of undifferentiated Love in Truth. Coronado's expedition entered the area in 1540–42 during its search for Cibola. This rather organic system of devotion attempts to aid the individual in connecting with God through symbolic medium. Beyond its original native inhabitants, Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan, explored the area in 1539. Devotional songs called bhajans (written primarily from the 14th-17th centuries), kirtan (praise), and arti (a filtered down form of Vedic fire ritual) are sometimes sung in conjunction with performance of puja.

USS Arizona was named in honor of this state. The most popular means of expressing love for God in the Hindu tradition has been through puja, or ritual devotion, frequently using the aid of a murti (statue) in conjunction with the singing or chanting of meditational prayer in the form of mantras. Three possible derivations are:. They can rightly be said to have affected the greatest wave of change in Hindu prayer and ritual since ancient times. Historians disagree about the origin of the name "Arizona" and its attachment to the region. The Bhakti movements rejuvenated Hinduism through their intense expression of faith and their responsiveness to the emotional and philosophical needs of India. Besides the Grand Canyon, a number of other National Forests, Parks, Monuments, and Indian reservations are located in the state. Essentially, it is God who effects all change, who is the source of all works, who acts through the devotee as love and light. 'Sins' and evil-doings of the devotee are said to fall away of their own accord, the devotee shriven, limitedness even transcended, through the love of God.

Its major cities are Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff. Seen as a form of Yoga, or union, it seeks to dissolve the ego in God, since consciousness of the body and limited mind as self is seen to be a divisive factor in spiritual realization. It is also the name of a US Battleship, the USS Arizona. The philosophy of Bhakti seeks to tap into the universal divinity through personal form, which explains the proliferation of so many Gods and Goddesses in India, often reflecting the singular inclinations of small regions or groups of people. It is one of the Four Corners states, south and east of the Colorado River, bordering New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California and Mexico, and touching Colorado. The Bhakti (Devotional) school takes its name from the Hindu term that signifies a blissful, selfless and overwhelming love of God as the beloved Father, Mother, Child, or whatever relationship finds appeal in the devotee's heart. Arizona was the 48th state admitted to the United States and is part of the Southwest United States. Like Ramanuja, Madhva (1238 - 1317) identified God with Vishnu, but his view of reality was purely dualistic in that he understood a fundamental differentiation between the ultimate Godhead and the individual soul, and the system is therefore called Dvaita (dualistic) Vedanta.

Texas Rangers in Surprise. Because of this qualification of Ultimate reality, Ramanuja's system is known as qualified non-dualism. Seattle Mariners in Peoria. Vishnu is the only independent reality, while souls and matter are dependent on God for their existence. San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale. He taught that Ultimate reality had three aspects: Isvara (Vishnu), cit (soul) and acit (matter). San Diego Padres in Peoria. Ramanuja (1040 - 1137) was the foremost proponent of the concept of Sriman Narayana as the supreme Brahman.

Oakland Athletics in Phoenix. See Advaita for more. Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. For them, Shiva is personified as God without attributes. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Tempe. For Shaktas, who worship Devi, Devi is the personal form of God to attain the impersonal Absolute, God, i.e., Shiva. Kansas City Royals in Surprise. For Shaivites, Devi is Parvati.

Colorado Rockies in Tucson. For Vaishnvaites who follow Ramanuja's philosophy, Devi is Lakshmi, who is the Mother of all and who pleads with Vishnu for mankind who is entrenched in sin. Chicago White Sox in Tucson. God's energy is personified as Devi, the Divine Mother. Chicago Cubs in Mesa. All personal forms of God such as Vishnu or Shiva are different aspects of God in personal form or God with attributes, Saguna Brahman. Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson. Nirguna Brahman can never be described as that as It transcends all definitions.

Phoenix Suns (National Basketball Association). However, even that definition can be limiting. Phoenix Mercury (Women's National Basketball Association). To Advaitists (nondualists) Ultimate Truth is best expressed as Nirguna Brahman, or God without form, or God without personal attributes; indeed, some might go so far as to say it is not 'God' but something beyond. Phoenix Coyotes (National Hockey League). Adi Sankara denounced caste and meaningless ritual as foolish, and in his own charismatic manner, exhorted the true devotee to meditate on God's love and apprehend truth. Arizona Sting (National Lacrosse League). It is not merely philosophy, but a conscious system of applied ethics and meditation, all geared towards attaining peace and understanding of truth.

Arizona Rattlers (Arena Football League). By analysis of experiential consciousness, he exposed the relative nature of the world and established the non-dual reality of Brahman in which Atman (the individual soul) and Brahman (the ultimate reality) are identified absolutely. Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball). Sankara expounded his theories largely based on previous teachings of the Upanishads and his own guru Govinda Bhagavadpada. Arizona Cardinals (National Football League). Its consolidator was Sankara (788?-820?). Arizona Music Educators Association. Advaita literally means "not two"; thus this is what we refer to as a monistic (or non-dualistic) system, which emphasises oneness.

Western International University. See Vedanta for greater depth. University of Phoenix. The great debate between followers among the major Hindu philosophical school, Vedanta, from followers of Advaita philosophy on one hand and the strict theistic schools such as those of Ramanuja and Madhva on the other, focused on the true nature of Brahman, on whether Brahman was essentially attributeless or with attributes, i.e., a personal Supreme Being. Thunderbird - The Garvin School of International Management. Most Hindu thought today in some way relates to changes affected by Vedantic thought, which focused on meditation, morality and centeredness on the one Self rather than on rituals and societal distinctions like caste. Southwestern College. Primarily associated with the Upanishads and their commentary by Badarayana, the Vedanta Sutras, Vedanta thought split into three groups, initiated by the thinking and writing of Adi Sankara.

Prescott College. The Uttara ("later") Mimamsa school is perhaps one of the cornerstone movements of Hinduism and certainly was responsible for a new wave of philosophical and meditative inquiry, renewal of faith, and cultural reform. Grand Canyon University. It, like the Upanishads, seeks realization of the Atman as being nothing other than the infinite Brahman through ethical (mind), physical (body) and meditational (soul) practices of one-pointedness on the 'one supreme truth.' See Yoga for an in-depth look at its history. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Realization of the goal of Yoga is known as moksha or samadhi. DeVry University, Phoenix. It also utilizes the Brahman/Atman terminology and concepts that are found in depth in the Upanishads, adopting Vedantic monist concepts.

Collins College, Tempe. This is because Ishvara is the only aspect of purusha (the infinite Divine Ground) that has not become entangled with prakrti (the temporal creative forces). American Indian College of the Assemblies of God. The most significant difference from Samkhya is that the Yoga school not only incorporates the concept of Ishvara (a personal God) into its metaphysical worldview but also that it holds Ishvara as the ideal upon which to meditate. Northland Pioneer College. Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita are also indispensable literature in the study of Yoga. Arizona Western College. It is based on the sage Patanjali's extremely influential text entitled the Yoga Sutra, which is essentially a compilation and systematization of meditational Yoga philosophy that came before.

South Mountain Community College. The yoga referred to here, however, is specifically Raja Yoga (or meditational union). Mohave Community College. The Yoga system is generally considered to have arisen from the Samkhya philosophy. Cochise College. For greater depth, please see Purva Mimamsa. Prescott College. This empirical and eminently sensible manner of religious application is key to the Sanatana/Hindu Dharma and was especially championed by rationalists like Adi Sankara and Swami Vivekananda.

Yavapai Community College. Its adherents believed that revelation must be proved by reasoning, that it should not be accepted blindly as dogma. Eastern Arizona College. Consequently this school's most valuable contribution to Hinduism was its formulation of the rules of Vedic interpretation. Pima Community College. The main objective of the Purva ("earlier") Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. South Mountain Community College. See Hindu philosophy for a discussion of the historical significance of Samkhya, Nyaya, and Vaisheshika.

Scottsdale Community College. The schools that continue to affect Hinduism today are Purva Mimamsa, Yoga, and Vedanta. Rio Salado Community College. The non-Vedic schools are called Nastika, or heterodox, and refer to Buddhism, Jainism and Lokayata. Phoenix College. The six Astika or orthodox (accepting the authority of the Vedas) schools of Hindu philosophy are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa (also called just 'Mimamsa'), and Uttara Mimamsa (also called 'Vedanta'). Paradise Valley Community College. See: Hinduism by country.

Mesa Community College. The Indonesian islands of Bali, Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Borneo have significant native Hindu populations. Glendale Community College. Other countries with a significant Hindu population include:. GateWay Community College. Of the total Hindu population of the world, about 94% (890 million) live in India. Estrella Mountain Community College. It has come to symbolize the rising bi-polarization of indian polity in the late 1990's and the first decade of the 21th century, evident in the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in the same period.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Hindutva ideology rose to importance in Indian politics in the 1980s and is chiefly associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh movement. Northern Arizona University. Such nationalistic Hinduism is generally termed Hindutva ("Hinduness", paradoxically not a well-formed Sanskrit word, since "Hindu" is a Persian word), but the boundaries are fluid and the Indian Supreme Court ruled that "no precise meaning can be ascribed to the terms 'Hindu', 'Hindutva' and 'Hinduism'; and no meaning in the abstract can confine it to the narrow limits of religion alone, excluding the content of Indian culture and heritage." Hindutva ideology was enunciated first by Savarkar in his seminal work 'Hindutva'. University of Arizona. In the 20th century, emerging Indian nationalism began to emphasize Hinduism, in opposition to the British Raj, but also in contrast to Islam, and after Independence in connection with the territorial disputes with Pakistan. Arizona State University. Main article: Hindutva.

18% No Religion. In a 1966 ruling, the Supreme Court of India defined the Hindu faith as follows for legal purposes:. 2% Non-Christian religions. Despite this various political parties sometimes exploit these divisions for electoral gain. 6% Mormon. [2] (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/10/19/stories/05192524.htm). 25% Other Protestants. Caste still plays a significant role in Hindu society; however, post Independence, caste is losing favour in India and caste-based discrimination has been illegitimised.

4% Lutheran. A number of Muslim communities have retained caste practices as well. 5% Methodist. In spite of centuries of numerous reform movements, notably within Vedanta, bhakti yoga and Hindu streams of Tantra, and reformers, with recent stalwarts like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi, caste based discrimination is so deeply ensconced in the Indian consciousness that even Christian converts have been known to separate church meetings for different castes. 9% Baptist. But over a period of time the caste system has become rigid and discriminatory. 43% Protestant