BELIEF:- Hinduism  is  an  extremely  diverse religion. Although some tenets of the faith are accepted by most Hindus,   scholars  have  found   it  difficult   to  identify  any  doctrines  with  universal  acceptance   among   all denominations. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs  include  Dharma  (ethics/duties),  Samsara  ( The  continuing cycle  of  birth, life,  death  and  rebirth),  Karma  (action  and  subsequent  reaction),  Moksha  (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).

Concept of God:- Hinduism  is  a  diverse  system  of  thought  with  beliefs  spanning monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism and atheism. It is sometimes  referred  to  as  henotheistic (devotion to a single God while accepting the existence of other gods), but any such term is an oversimplification  of  the complexities and variations of belief.

Most Hindus believe that  the  spirit  or  soul—t he  true  "self"  of  every  person,  called  the  atman  is  eternal. According to the monistic/pantheistic theologies of Hinduism (such as Advaita Vedanta  school),  this  Atman  is ultimately indistinct from Brahman, the supreme spirit. Brahman is described as "The One  Without  a  Second;" hence these schools are called "non-dualist." The goal of life according to the Advaita  school  is  to  realize  that one's atman is identical to Brahman, the supreme soul. The Upanishads state that whoever becomes fully  aware of the atman as the innermost core of one's own self, realizes their identity with  Brahman  and  thereby  reaches Moksha (liberation or freedom).

Other  dualistic  schools  (see  Dvaita  and  Bhakti) understand  Brahman  as  a  Supreme Being who possesses personality and worship Him or Her thus, as  Vishnu,  Brahma, Shiva  or  Shakti  depending  on   the  sect. The atman is dependent on God while Moksha depends on love towards God and on  God's  grace. When  God  is viewed as the supreme personal being (rather than as the infinite principle) God is called Ishvara (" The Lord "), Bhagavan (" The Auspicious  One ",  or  Parameshwara (" The  Supreme  Lord ". However,  interpretations  of Ishvara vary—ranging from non-belief such as followers of Mimamsakas, in Ishvara to identifying Brahman  and Ishvara as one as in Advaita. There are also schools like the Samkhya which have atheistic leanings.

Devas and avatars:- The Hindu scriptures refer to celestial entities, called
Devas (or devi in feminine  form; devata  used  synonymously  for  Deva  in
Hindi), "the shining ones", which  may  be  translatedinto English  as  "gods"
or "heavenly beings". The devas are an integral  part  of  Hindu  culture  and
are  depicted   in  art,  architecture  and   through  icons,  and   mythological
stories about them are  relatedin  the  scriptures,  particularly  in   the Indian
epic  poetry  and  Puranas. They  are   however   often  distinguished   from
Ishvara, a supreme personal God, with  many  Hindus   worshiping  Ishvara
in a particular form as their ista devata, or  chosen  ideal;  the  choice  being
based upontheir individual preference, and  regional  and   family  traditions. 
Hindu epics and the Puranas relate several episodes of the descent  of  God
to Earth in corporeal form, in order to restore dharma in society  and  guide
humans to moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Such an incarnation
is called an avatar. The most prominent avatars are of  Vishnu,  and  include
Rama (protagonist in Ramayana) and Krishna (a  central  figure  in  the  epic
Mahabharata).

Karma and samsara:- Karma  translates  literally as action, work or deed and can be described as the "moral law of  cause and  effect".  According  to  the  Upanishads,  an  individual,  known  as  the  jiva-atma,  develops samskaras (impressions) from actions, whether physical or mental. The "linga sharira", a body  more subtle  than the physical  one,  but  less  subtle  than  the  soul,  retains  impressions, carrying  them  over  into  the  next  life, establishing a unique trajectory for  the individual. Thus, the  concept  of  a  universal,  neutral  and  never-failing karma intrinsically relates to reincarnation as well as one's personality, characteristics and family. Karma threads together the notions  of  free  will  and  destiny. This  cycle  of  action,  reaction,  birth,  death,  and  rebirth  is  a continuum called samsara. The notion of reincarnation and karma  is  a  strong  premise  in  Hindu  thought. The Bhagavad Gita states that: As a person puts on  new  clothes  and  discards  old  and  torn  clothes, similarly  an embodied soul enters new material  bodies,  leaving  the  old  bodies. Samsara  provides  ephemeral  pleasures, which lead people to desire rebirth to enjoy the pleasures of a perishable  body. However, escaping  the  world of samsara through moksha (liberation) is believed to ensure lasting happiness and peace. It is thought  that after several reincarnations, an atman eventually seeks unity with the cosmic spirit (Brahman/Paramatman).

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