g. What are the main teachings of Hinduism for a layman?

There are over a billion Hindus. One out of seven people on this planet is a Hindu.

1. Let’s start with Who is God? To seek God, you do not have to look outside but inside–to our soul or atman–is God. You do not realize your inner beauty because of your ego, greed, and trying to impress others. Remember, the day that inner spirit leaves you, you are worthless and only the dead body remains, at best the prettiest dead body.  

2. Hindus believe in reincarnation; death is not an end but the soul moves to a new body. A tree doesn’t die but it goes back to where it came from, that is dirt, elements and water. In its place, a new tree will come.

3. On how to pray? Hindus have many ways to unite or yoga with divinity, like meditation—Raja Yoga, knowledge—Gnana Yoga, service to others—Karma Yoga and the most popular being the Bhakti Yoga which is devotional in nature.

4. Where is god? God is omnipresent. Namaste means I see divine in you and bow to you. Further, God is present in animals, plants, mother earth, sun and moon.  

5. We do not have doctrines, like “thou shall not eat beef.” As an example, Hinduism teaches us to minimize violence – in practice, and even in thought. It teaches us that animals have equal rights on this earth. Therefore, if you feel justified to kill animals just for your taste buds, then it is your choice.

6. We have many scriptures. One popular scripture is the Bhagavad Gita and is the most well-known. It is a self-improvement guide. Gita teaches us how to be happy in this life and teaches us to do good karma.

Other reading material: https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/july-august-september-2019/educational-insight-hinduism-in-a-nutshell/ 

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Dilip Amin

Location of this post (3g): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-are-the-main-teachings-of-hinduism-for-a-layman/