Hinduism has no single founder or single text. It grew out of the over lapping beliefs of the diverse groups in India. All Hindus share certain basic beliefs. The Hindu belief is that everything is part of the unchanging, spiritual force called Brahman. The most important Hindu gods are Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer.
Achieving Moksha is the goal of life for Hindus. Every person has an essential self, or atman. The ultimate goal is to achieve moksha, the union with Brahman. To achieve this you must free yourself from selfish desires. Most people cannot achieve Moksha in their lifetime. Hindus believe in reincarnation, the rebirth of the soul into another bodily form. Reincarnation allows people to keep working towards Moksha. A Hindu person can become closer to Moksha by karma. Karma refers to the action of people's lives that affect his or her next life. Those who do evil are reborn into suffering at a lower level of existence. To escape this, Hinduism stresses the importance of Dharma. Dharma is the religious and moral duties of an individual. A moral key principle is ahimsa, or nonviolence.

Hinduism