If you have ever asked yourself questions like “How do I become a Hindu?” – the answer is simpler than you might think. Hinduism is not like any conventional religion. The Sanatan Dharma forms the basis of Hinduism. It is a timeless way of life, the only universal truth, and a spiritual path which is open to anyone who wishes to follow it, regardless of your background, nationality or prior beliefs.
In this blog post, we are not trying to convince anyone to convert to Hinduism. We are simply here to explain a few facts about Hinduism, how exactly it works, and how you can start walking this path if your heart feels drawn to it.
So let’s begin by understanding the basic foundations of this oldest religion in the world.
Sanatan Dharma: An Eternal Way of Life
At the core of Hinduism is the Sanatan Dharma. This Sanskrit term has a rich meaning and can be translated into multiple terms like “eternal duty,” “eternal law,” or “eternal religion.” It’s not just about religious rules but about the natural way individuals should behave in relation to themselves, the society, and ultimately the cosmos. Thus, it can be understood as the universal principle of righteousness, duty, and the natural order of the cosmos.
Hinduism has no single founder, no fixed date of origin and no centralised authority. Therefore, there is no official conversion process like in other religions. You don’t need a certificate, a ritual or a public declaration to become a Hindu. What you truly need is understanding and practising it in your daily life. If you are still asking, “How do I become a Hindu?” – the answer is this: Start by learning about the Sanatan Dharma, and slowly integrate its principles of duty and righteousness into your daily life. For this, you don’t have to become a monk, move to the Himalayas, leave your lifestyle or renounce your current profession. You could be a doctor, engineer, accountant, artist or a homemaker, and still live as a practising Hindu.
Karma: The Law of Cause and Effect
At the heart of Hinduism lies the concept of Karma. In simple terms, Karma means Action. For every Karma (action) you perform in this world, the universe gives you an equal Reaction. Anything you do here, whether it is just a thought, spoken words or actual deeds, everything has consequences. Sooner or later, these consequences must come back to you.
If you put out Good Karma (good actions), then you will receive favourable outcomes. If you put out Bad Karma (bad actions), then you will receive challenges and suffering. Nobody has ever escaped from the shackles of Karma, not even God themselves. This is not a reward and punishment system from any Gods sitting above in judgment. The Gods are not watching your every step, they don’t even have that much time. This is a simple universal law. What you sow, you shall reap.
Karma is simply a way of the universe to balance the scales of Good and Evil in this world.
There is no need to fear Karma, because Karma is not a bitch. Karma is a teacher. If the same Karmic lessons (life patterns) are repeated again and again in your life, then you must understand that you need to learn the Karmic lesson, change yourself and move ahead in your life. Unless and until you learn the Karmic lesson, the challenge or suffering will keep repeating itself in your life.
Related Post: How to reduce or burn your accumulated negative Karmas?
In Hinduism, there is a concept of Rebirth or Reincarnation. Our Good or Bad karma from this life gets carried forward into our next birth. Similarly, we are born with a Karmic balance from our past lives. But when we are born, we don’t have any remembrance of the Karmas (actions) we did in our past lives. So we really don’t know what positive or negative balance we are carrying in our Karmic account. Many good people suffer difficulties in their lives because they might be paying off the karmic debts that are pending due to bad karma from past lives.
Reincarnation: The Cycle of Death & Rebirth
According to Hinduism, the soul is eternal. It can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only change its forms. A soul goes through many different lifetimes, and this process is known as Reincarnation. Every lifetime is an opportunity to learn, evolve and burn off the Karmic debts.
The Mrityuloka (Earth) is a school where all the souls undergo different life experiences – joyful and painful – in order to grow spiritually. The most painful life experiences accelerate the spiritual growth of the soul. This is because you learn a lot faster from painful experiences.
Your goal as a soul on Earth is to learn your karmic lessons, perform your karmic duties, and ultimately reach Moksha.
Moksha is the liberation of your soul from the cycle of death and rebirth. Moksha is the end of all suffering and the beginning of eternal peace and joy.
Purusharthas: The 4 Goals of a Hindu Life
The Sanskrit word Purushartha means “the Meaning of human life”
In Hinduism, a human life revolves around 4 primary goals. These goals balance the material and spiritual growth of a human. These 4 goals must be achieved in the exact sequence given below. If you change the sequence of these goals, it leads to an imbalance in the material and spiritual aspects of your life, leading to the destruction of the human being.
These 4 Goals are: Dharma – Artha – Kama – Moksha.
- Dharma (Duty): Refers to one’s duty, righteousness, and moral obligations. It involves understanding and practising ethical principles.
- Artha (Meaning): Understanding the purpose and meaning of your life. (This is not just about accumulating wealth or financial success)
- Kama (Desire): Mindfully experiencing happiness in all different forms, within the context of Dharma (righteousness) and Artha (meaning). This is not just about blindly pursuing sensual pleasure.
- Moksha (Liberation): The ultimate goal of human life is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (cycle of pain and joy). It is about attaining a state of enlightenment and union with the Divine.
So, you don’t have to give up your world to become a Hindu, but Hinduism teaches us how to live our life full of meaning, purpose and awareness.
Bhagavad Gita: An Answer to Life’s Questions
The sacred text of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita, is a great place to begin with if you want to understand the Sanatan Dharma. This timeless text is a simple answer to all life’s questions, like: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?” “Why am I suffering?” and so on.
The most interesting fact about the Bhagavad Gita is – it was not written by someone. This is an actual conversation between God Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. This text was spoken just before the Mahabharata War. It is a simple spiritual dialogue where the warrior Arjuna asks human questions and God Krishna gives him all the answers about human life. It offers wisdom on duty, karma, managing emotions, facing fears, navigating human life and the path to liberation – Moksha.
Read Simple English Translation: Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Many seekers from all walks of life have found life-changing insights just by reading, reflecting or meditating on its verses. Everyone interprets the Bhagavad Gita in their own way, based on their life experiences. So while reading it, you should read the literal translation of the Sanskrit verses, and not anyone’s explanation or commentary. In case you are just unable to interpret the meaning, then you might take the support of somebody’s explanation. But ideally, you do not need any priest, teacher or guru to start.
Hinduism is a Spiritual Path, not a Label
Hinduism is the most inclusive spiritual system in the world. It teaches that all the paths lead to the same eternal truth. If you are not a Hindu by birth, you can still understand and follow the principles of Sanatan Dharma in your daily life. There is no need to change your name, go through a ritual, or formally announce anything. The path of Sanatan Dharma is your personal journey.
Hinduism is not about labels or belonging to a certain group. It’s about your inner transformation, how you treat others and how you evolve as a soul. You don’t need anyone’s permission to walk the path of truth. There is no gatekeeping and no judgment in Hinduism. You just need to be curious, ask questions, understand the principles and practice what you learn in your daily life.
There are no hard rules in Hinduism, but only one universal rule: Your Karma.
