India is a country of many faiths. Today, I’ll briefly go over some of the native religions of India, but in no way is this a complete list of all the faiths in India.

Hinduism – is the predominant relgion of India. About eighty percent of the population are HIndus. It is also one of the oldest religions. The Hindu religion is a combination of folktales, philosophy, and morality. Interestingly enough, Hindus are able to devote to a single god, while acknowledging the existence of other gods. Hindus can also worship in a physical manifestation through Yoga (योग).

Buddhism – this relgion’s teachings are based on the teachings of Siddhaartha Gautama. Buddhist believers try to find the answers in life by trying to understand why there is suffering in this world and how to liberate oneself from the cycle of hardship. Buddhism is one of the few native religions that have gained acceptance outside of India.  

Jainism – Jainists believe that every living thing is a potential divine being. They emphasize the equality of all life forms. Therefore Jainists try not to harm or kill animals such as insects, which means they are vegetarians. Jainists also believe in living a life of self control called vrata (व्रत). This self control extends to living a life of non violence, which means that even speech that could hurt a fellow being is avoided.

Sikhism – the teachings of Guru Nanak form the foundation of this religion. Sikhism stresses the equality of human beings and believes that discrimination based on sex or caste is wrong. Sikhs believe that oneness with God is the highest attainment of happiness, but that greed and reliance on worldly pleasures distract people from God. About seventy five percent of Sikhs live in the Punjab region of India.

There’s obviously more to these religions that I haven’t mentioned. You don’t have to be a follower of these religions, but I encourage you to learn more about them if you’re interested in what you’ve read so far.