Is Hinduism a religion or a way of life?

both — it has gods, scriptures and worship like any religion, but it is also a whole culture without one founder or creed.

Hinduism has everything we usually expect of a religion: belief in the Divine, sacred texts, temples, rituals, priests, saints and a vision of liberation. In that sense it is clearly a religion, and Hindus are right to call it one.

But it also differs from many religions. It has no single founder, no single book that everyone must accept, and no central authority. It includes Vaiṣṇavas, Śaivas, Śāktas, Smārtas, philosophers who speak of an impersonal Absolute, and devotees of a very personal God. Its insiders traditionally call it Sanātana Dharma, “the eternal way”, and dharma covers food, family, work, festivals, art and ethics — not only belief.

The word “Hindu” itself came from the river Sindhu and was first used by outsiders for the people beyond it. So it is fair to say: Hinduism is a religion, and it is also a way of life — a family of traditions sharing a common root.

Sanātana Dharma: the eternal way · “Hindu” from the river Sindhu

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