Many people know of Hare Krishna as a chant that schoolchildren use to frighten each other on dark, stormy nights. But Hare Krishna, though often misunderstood, has its roots in peace and goodness.

Founded in 1965 in San Francisco and New York, Hare Krishna adheres to many beliefs of Hinduism. The central practices of Hare Krishna include celibacy, vegetarianism, chanting, evangelism, and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. With an official 250,000 devotees and 10,000 dedicated members, the Hare Krishna religion is steadily growing. Some estimates put the worldwide member total at over one million.

The movement began in 1510 with Sri Krishna Caitanya, who showed his devotion and spiritual happiness through song and dance. The joyous aura he projected made people curious to have the same happiness, and several disciples based their beliefs and teachings on the evidence of Caitanya’s joy, believing that he was the manifestation of higher gods. In 1965, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was founded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who soon set about a board of governors to help him maintain the movement. Though Prabhupada passed away in 1977, his disciples have kept the movement alive.

Most members of Hare Krishna follow the teachings and practices while living a normal work and home life. These are known as Congregational members. They attend temples to worship among other followers. Those who have dedicated their life to Hare Krishna are known as temple-based members, and live their life according to several rules, including:

- the consumption of no meat, fish, or eggs
- no alcohol or drugs, including caffeine and nicotine
- no gambling of any kind
- celibacy except for the purposes of procreation within the bonds of marriage

They dress in white or saffron robes. Men shave their heads with the exception of a topknot, and women are permitted to wear vivid, bright saris. The religion is a joyous one, which often includes singing and dancing, as well as chanting the beads of a rosary in order to clear the mind and better reach for enlightenment.

Respect for the life of everyone, including the life of animals, has long been a central theme in Hinduism. Though some Hindus might have eaten the meat of the cow in ancient times, today the cow is revered as a sacred animal. Mahatma Gandhi once wrote, “If someone were to ask me what the most outward manifestation of Hinduism was, I would suggest that it was the idea of cow protection.”

Though there is no clear basis for worshiping the cow, the mention is often made in Hindu scripture. Lord Krishna, one of the most important people in Hindu texts, was said to be a cowherd. In fact, one of his holy names is “Govinda,” which translates to “one who brings satisfaction to the cows.” The thought of the cow providing milk and nourishment to nations is also a reason why the animal is now considered sacred.

Cows in India are often allowed to roam free. This religious practice has bumped into some serious problems, as over 40,000 cows are allowed to roam the streets of India. In heavily populated places such as New Delhi, the cows can cause traffic jams, rip open garbage in neighborhood trash cans, and injure themselves while wandering about. Many places have compromised and employed “cow catchers” to load the cows into transport vans and take them to a sanctuary or preserve outside of the cities, where they will be cared for throughout their lives.

However, the cow catchers — or anyone else, for that matter — must be very careful not to injure the cow in any way, as injuring or killing a cow is a significant offense in the Hindu religion. In fact, doing just the opposite is preferred: offering food to the cow, such as bits of bread or fruit, is considered good luck.

In addition to the living, breathing cows who are revered by so many in India and other countries, Hindu temples often feature statues and other icons that depict the cow. For instance, Nandhi the Bull is considered a protector, and a small image of him is often found near or in temples and altars.

The love of the cow has become so deeply ingrained in Hindu culture that the government has championed pro-cow legislation, and is even considering outlawing butchers in the cities, out of a desire to ensure that all cows in the country are safe.

Those who follow the Hindu religion have several days that are considered holy, and several days of celebration with friends and family. A few of the more popular observed days are listed here. Depending upon where in the world a Hindu lives, there might be more holidays for celebration.

Diwali. The festival of lights takes place in October. It is meant to commemorate Lord Krishna and his killing of a demon, but it might also be in honor of Rama and Sita, who returned to their kingdom after 14 years of exile.

Ganesh Chaturthi. This day, celebrated in early September, celebrates the birth of Ganesh.

Vasant Navratri. The Hindu festival of worship and dance, the literal translation means “Nine Nights.” The forms of Shakti are worshipped in this festival, which falls in April.

Holi. Holi is a very popular spring festival, one that celebrates the slaying of demoness Holika by Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

Makara Sankranti. This is the popular harvest festival, and it is the only festival celebrated by the solar calendar rather than the Lunar one. Those who celebrate this day take a swim in the Ganges river or any large body of water, and then offer their thanks to the Sun God for the year’s harvest.

Pancha Ganapati. This winter solstice festival celebrates Lord Ganesha and the Lord of Categories. It lasts for five days and is a time of mending past mistakes and starting over.

There are many stories in the Hindu religion that focus on creation and the beginning of the earth. This is one of the most popular and beloved ones:

Before time, there was nothing. There was no heaven, no earth, and nothing else. There was only a vast ocean of nothingness, so large as to be immeasurable. It was so large, no one would ever be able to comprehend it. The waves of this ocean licked at the edges of absolutely nothing, but in the middle of the ocean, there was a giant cobra. This cobra was coiled around the Lord Vishnu. Everything was utterly silent, and Vishnu slept in the coils, undisturbed by anything at all. There was only motion, and nothing else.

At one moment in time, from the depths of the ocean, a sound began to tremble its way forth. It was a constant hum, one of urgency that filled the entire ocean of nothingness with a throbbing of energy. Light began to fill the spaces where darkness was, and in the heat of the light, a flower began to bloom from the navel of the now alert Vishnu. In the center of that flower sat Brahma, the servant of Vishnu.

Vishnu looked at Brahma and said, The time has come. Let us create the world.

Brahma, the God of creation, stayed on the Lotus flower as everything around him disappeared. He was alone in the vast ocean, tossed on the now-furious waves. He lifted his arms to calm the ocean, and then set about splitting the flower. One part of the flower became the earth, another part became the sky, and the third part became the heavens.

But the earth was bare. Brahma set to work. He created flowers and grasses and trees, and gave them the ability to grow, and infused them with feeling. Then he created the animals of the earth, put the birds in the sky, and offered fish to the sea.

Soon the world was alive and well, and everything was growing. The silence of nothingness was filled with the joyous sounds of a world changing and growing by the minute. Brahma had created the world.

Describing the basic tenants of Hinduism is a loaded question, since there are so many branches of belief. In fact, there is no truly unified system of beliefs. Rather, Hinduism is a way of life, not simply a religion to be followed.

Hinduism is full of moral ideals. These include non-violence, friendship, charity, acceptance of all ideas, honesty, compassion, self-control, generosity, purity, and courage, as well as many others. Doing good for others and treating them as you would like to be treated is an important part of being a Hindu.

Hinduism believes in the following things (though there could be more or less, depending upon your personal take on the Hindu scriptures and your moral compass):

Human life is divided into four stages. The first stage is the Brahmacharya, or the period of Learning. It lasts until the age of 25 and includes preparation for a future career, as well as preparation for a family life.

The second stage is the Grihastha, or the Householder Stage. This is the point where a family comes together and grows as one. Hinduism supports the pursuit of wealth as necessary for a family, as well as sexual pleasure between the spouses. This stage has been known to be so good, Hindu followers stay right there for the rest of their lives!

The third stage is the Vanaprastha, or the “Hermit in Retreat.” This is the time when the children are grown, the grandchildren are thriving, and the time of having an active household has come to a natural end. At this point, the very devout will release all earthly pleasures and devote their life to prayer, with only their wife for company. Since this is a very hard stage for anyone, is it any wonder that the vast majority of Hindu’s don’t follow it?

Finally, the fourth stage, or the Sannyasa, the Wandering Recluse. At this point all of a person’s worldly days are over, and they are prayerful at all times. Approaching the end of their life, the person who reaches this stage will see their funeral held by their son and heir.

What else do Hindus believe? The rule of karma, or “What goes around, comes around” is very important here. They also believe in reincarnation, or returning to life in another form. They believe in the blessings and worship of idols as well. They also believe in the dharma, or the path of righteousness – something that is a cornerstone of the Hindu faith.

With a billion followers, Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, and it is also the oldest. Hinduism originated in India as a hodge-podge of various religious beliefs, and as such, it can’t be easily explained or compared to any other religion. More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life.

Most religions can be traced back to a single person who originated it, or a group of people who spread the word. Hinduism’s past is so deep, it is impossible to pinpoint where it actually began. What scholars do know is that the earliest of Hindu scriptures, “The Rig Veda,” was created around 6500 B.C. Other texts are suspected to have been written much earlier, possibly as early as 10,000 B.C.

Ironically, the word “Hindu” came into use much later, when foreigners coined the term as a way of describing the people who lived near the River Indus or Sindhu, in the northern part of India.

The key scriptures in Hinduism were passed down by word of mouth for many generations before they were finally written in Sanskrit. The basic scriptures are called “Shastras” and are a collection of writings collected over many centuries.

Hinduism believes in one supreme being, called “Brahman.” However, it’s not as simple as assigning a name to the supreme being! Hinduism doesn’t worship one particular diety, but has many gods and goddesses that number in the thousands. The most basic diety in Hinduism is the Trinity, including Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.

For a person to embrace Hinduism and become a Hindu, they simply must accept and agree with the teachings of Hinduism, and use the teachings in their path toward spiritual enlightenment. The way a person lives determines whether they are truly intent on following the Hindu religion. Being truly ethical in both body and spirit are just two of the basic tenants of the Hindu religion.