Hinduism (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion still in practice. Its roots can be traced back to the Rig-Veda, a collection of over 1000 religious hymns written about 3500 years ago in Sanskrit. Today Hinduism has approximately one billion followers, most concentrated in the Indian subcontinent.
Hinduism believes that man needs to strive for self-realization in order to once again become part of the Ultimate Reality, which is God. All things are God - each man suffers only because he has forgotten that. Until he remember, his soul remains in bondage, and he must suffer the eternal cycle of death and rebirth into this world.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Hindu thought is that there is no one true path to self-realization. Any kind of spiritual practice followed with faith and love will lead one to this enlightenment. Hindus have a rich pantheon of deities, all of whom are but a different aspect of the one God. Many contemporary Hindus believe in a Holy Trinity, consisting of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer - all are equal, all are faces of the One. Other Hindus have different interpretation, some citing one god as God and others as subordinates.
Despite these differences, there is little conflict between the various schools of thought. For, as Krishna, avatar of Vishnu, said, "Whatever deity or form a devotee worships, I make his faith steady."