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An altar to Hindu demigods in a Houston temple. Hinduism is an ancient religion in which many deities and figures are revered. All Hindus are seeking to find a “universal truth.” 1 What Do Hindus Believe?

T he word “Hindu” comes from the River Sindhu, or Indus, which flows across the northwest plains of India. Invaders who crossed the river named the land and the people after the river. A more accurate name for Hinduism is Sanatan Dharma , which means “the eter- nal truth of life.” Sanatan dharma describes the essential quality that unites all living things—human, animal, and vegetable— with the universe that surrounds them and, ultimately, with God, the source of their existence. It is the belief in the unity of all life that causes Hindus to resist separating their own faith from the other great faith traditions of the world. To a Hindu, all religions are part of the process of discover- ing the unity of God, humanity, and nature.

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