Statistically, there are now over 700 million Hindus located mainly in Bharat (India) and Nepal. Hinduism is referred to as Sanatana Dharma or the "eternal faith" which means that Hinduism is not strictly a religion. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life which is sometimes referred to as "what it right." Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu.

Hindus are often associated with a plethora of Gods, but there is only one Absolute. The Absolute is found in everything in life, living or not and is referred to as Brahman. It is not a he or a she. It is not even called a God because to do so would give It a gender. All things have Brahman as its source. Because of this, Hindus regard all things as sacred

Other Hindus: Death is the separation of the soul (jivatman) from the body. Death is nothing but the change of body. The soul throws it off like a used garment. Human life is getting purged and perfected in order to attain the final bliss (moksa). This takes place through myriads of births. Death is only a necessary and passing phenomenon. Just as you move from one house to another, the soul passes from one body to another to gain experiences. The soul, which passes out of the body after death is, termed 'Preta', one that is bound on its onward march to the Beyond. The soul in its disembodied form hovers about its original and familiar places for ten days. It is in the form of a ghost during these ten days. The astral body takes shape from day to day with the formation of the head, eyes, and other limbs of the Linga Sarira, fed and nourished by the sesamum and water poured out in libation over the stones which represent the ancestors.

The departed soul will wait for some time but will then be judged. Everyone is examined regarding all his actions in his life. All the limbs and parts of the body will be made to confess the sins committed by each. Each person will be given a book in which all his actions are recorded. Chitragupta, the Superintendent of Lord Yama, records all the actions of human beings. When all recordings are complete, the books will be weighed in a balance. Whose virtuous deeds are heavier than the evil ones will be sent to heaven. Those, whose wicked deeds are heavier than their good actions will be sent to a hell. Once the time comes where the soul has learned a lesson in a hell or when the soul has used up his or her time based on previous virtuous deeds in heaven, he or she will be reborn and the cycle starts again.

Sri Swami Sivananda. "What Becomes of the Soul After Death." The Divine Life Society 1999

When life ends the body is burned to hasten the dissolution process of the physical being. Each element returns to its source. During the cremation, celebrants say, "Let thine eye go to the sun, thy breath into the wind. Go to heaven or to earth as the law commands; into the waters if such is thy destiny; or into the plants with they bodily parts."

Fowler, Jeaneane. Hinduism, Beliefs & Practices. Portland, OR:Sussex Academic Press, 1997.

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Approximate Word count = 1721
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)