e or nonexistence of God or on whether there is one god or many. Because religious truth is said to transcend all verbal definitions, it is not conceived in dogmatic terms. Moreover, the tendency of Hindus to distinguish themselves from others on the basis of practice rather than doctrine further de-emphasizes doctrinal differences.
             Hinduism is both a civilization and a congregation of religions; it has neither a beginning nor founder, nor a central authority, hierarchy, or organization. Hindus believe in an uncreated, eternal, infinite, transcendent, and all-embracing principle, which, "comprising in itself being and non-being," is the sole reality, the ultimate cause and foundation, source, and goal of all existence. This ultimate reality is called Brahman. As the All, Brahman causes the universe and all beings to emanate from itself, transform itself into the universe, or assumes its appearance. Brahman is in all things and is the Self (atman) of all living beings. Brahman is the creator, preserver, or transformer and absorber of everything. Although it is in itself, without attributes and qualities and hence impersonal, it may also be conceived of as a personal high God, usually as Vishnu (Visnu) or Siva. This fundamental belief in and the essentially religious search for ultimate reality - that is, the One is the All - has continued almost unaltered for more than 30 centuries and has been the central focus of India's spiritual life.
             In some perceptions, Hinduism has been called 'atheistic.' In other perceptions, and this is perhaps the more common one, it is labeled 'polytheistic.' The term 'polytheism' acknowledges the presence of a God-figure in a religious system but in the plural. Thus it is said that Hindus worship many such beings we call God. But obviously, this implies a very profound difference in the understanding of what such a 'God' could be. It is often said that Hindus worship three gods an...