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Being the oldest major living tradition in the world (apart perhaps from the Australian aborigines who originated in India anyway!) it has multiple layers, and since there has never been a centralization there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of schools of thought, branches and sects. And seeing it is the original multicultural society it has a myriad of cultures, customs and traditions — all in the same geographical area.The best cognitive model to use for Hinduism is a single campus which has every form of academic discipline from kindergarten to University and offering almost every subject for study.First comers to the campus encounter the kindergarten and playschool on the outskirts and think that that’s what it’s all about. Others walk in further and encounter so much diversity and variety and confusion that can’t actually figure out what is what and who is who. (Much like Indian traffic – there are no rules but everything just flows!) The buildings are unmarked and there is no directory or site-map, courses are not centrally listed and there is no central office or anyone in charge! In the old days insiders more or less knew what was happening but nowadays even the insiders are confused and bewildered!The most important thing to reflect upon is the brilliance of the Hindu sages who in their humility acknowledged that the human ability to comprehend is limited and conditioned – some things are so incredibly off the cognitive frames of reference that any attempt would be futile!yan manasā na manute yenāhur mano matam | tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nedaṁ yad idam upāsate || Kena up. 6 ||That which can not be conceived of by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind thinks; that verily is Brahman, not what the people here worship as such.So I shall try to give a site-map to the best of my ability.There are four major layers we need to consider firstly (I will not give time-lines as these are contentious and can be researched elsewhere.)#1. The Vedic layer often called Brahmanism. This is the ancient culture, traditions and rituals based on the Vedas dating back more than 5000 years. This was an exclusive system from which the majority of the population was disenfranchised. It was caste hierarchical and paternalist. There were dozens of different schools following different Texts (Dharma & Gihya sutras)#2. The Tantric layer was the populist religion of the masses which disregarded or even challenged the paternalistic caste status quo and adopted and adapted Vedic rituals and practices and opened then up to all and sundry.The Tantric layer was bifurcated into Left and Right factions. The Right (dakṣiṇa-mārga) was conservative and mimicked Brahmanism. The Left (vāma-marga) was maternalistic and transgressive and repudiated Brahmanism to a large degree. The 3 major schools of Tantra are Shākta (of the Goddess), Shaiva (of Shiva) and Vaishnava (of Vishnu). Again these three systems are not rigidly demarcated and there is plenty of cross over and shared theology and philosophy.#3. The 3rd layer was the Purānic layer which was again open to all regardless of caste or gender and incorporated both Vedic and Tantric elements, theories and usages. The Puranic traditions are based on the 18 major and 18 minor Puranas — they are cult-based and provide the framework of most of what we encounter as common practice in Hinduism today – the festivals, fasts, ceremonies, pilgrimage sites and customs and traditions are all to a large extant based on the Puranas. (Which do contain Vedic and Tantric elements.)#4. The 4th aspect to consider is tribal/local and foreign cultural elements that were geographically pervasive in India and gradually incorporated into the mainstream.And finally we have the influence of sister religious systems – Buddhism and Jainism, that coexisted and cross pollinated with each other. What is called “Hinduism” today is the grand outcome of ALL these influences and forces blended together.In terms of the much disputed theological perceptions Hinduism allows for every theological position known from radical atheism to rank polytheism and all variations in between. It accommodates nature and idol-worship as well as abstract meditation on the Formless Absolute and all conceivable variations. Hinduism also contains the most sublime and subtle philosophy that the human mind has conceived of. So in short Hinduism has everything from the sublime to the ridiculous!COGNITIVE TOOLS OF COMPREHENSIONThese are several tools to use in filtering and screening the content you encounter in your exploration of Hinduism but I will, for the sake of brevity present two.TYPOLOGY.All of society can be categorised according to three groupings according to the typology of Tantra. Not everything found in the vast storerooms of Hinduism is meant for everyone. Spiritual teachings, guidance and techniques are group specific, so before engaging with, and deploying the teachings of Hinduism, one needs to ascertain who the target audience is. There is an ascending order of competency and the idea is for aspirants to ascend the ladder to enlightenment and not to hover on the lowest rungs of the ladder.FILTERS OF COMPREHENSION.The way in which knowledge will be received and applied, depends upon three essential subjective factors;—svabhāva — Individual disposition/personality. This the sum total of impressions brought over from a previous birth, including one’s development through nurturing.bhūmika —The level of academic, intellectual and spiritual development achieved.adhikāra — The ability or capacity to understand abstract ideas, and the competency to digest and respond appropriately.So the teaching changes and is modified according to these filters.So for example, the commoners that are in need of assurance, hope and comfort want to be told what to do and to believe – they are either incapable or not interested in figuring it out for themselves. So the intelligent guru will give them teaching on their level of comprehension and rules and regulations to cultivate discipline and to assuage their need and to improve their lives.Most religions operate at this level only, so those who have outgrown the simplistic teachings and imposed control mechanisms, simply abandon the religion and update their belief systems. This is what is happening in most western countries – more and more people are abandoning religion altogether.The same teachings, explanations and techniques will not work for someone who is educated, a critical thinker, a highly motivated individual – who wants to take control and to question and explore and refuses to abide by simplistic rules and regulations. So again, the wise guru will raise the stakes and give the higher teachings and techniques according to the individuals’ capacity to understand and to respond (this is my aim here on Quora!)Then, when one is of the highest intellectual and spiritual calibre then no teachings and regulations are needed – for such a one has transcended the mundane level and has inner insights and realizations. (They’re absconding from Quora!)Hinduism thus provides for all types of spiritual aspirants and caters to all needs.The core of Hinduism is Vedānta which endeavours to sum up all knowledge, presenting as Truth all that is universal and reconciling all that is different.All ideas and concepts are accepted as a step forward; no ideation is summarily evaded or discarded. However, no dogma is accepted as absolute and conclusive, since the Truth is revealed afresh with each individual who attains wisdom and enlightenment.The Vedānta is a philosophical system which investigates, analyses, and criticizes all theories alike, forcing every proposition to verify and substantiate itself according to the rules of logic.The complexity of Hinduism is daunting to those of the paśu category who are in need of firm guidance, clear and simple theology and assurances of happy endings and the comfort of the herd.But for the vīras or exploratory heroes Hinduism provides an extremely exciting landscape to explore and discover. Great concepts and profound teachings to uncover and to experiment with. A place where doubt is encouraged and dissent well tolerated, where one can be free to question, to challenge and to modify. Where you are free to believe or not to believe, act or not to act without any Big Brother in the sky watching and critically judging. Where, (in Tantra) transgression is actually a spiritual technique!!! A religion which tirelessly promotes marriage and the family, but deeply venerates renunciate monks and nuns as the noblest people. Where transsexuals are looked down upon, but their blessings at child-birth valued. Where some women are subjugated but the Goddess worshipped. Where modesty is prized but where naked ascetics are venerated!Hinduism is a life-style that is totally inclusive – you just have to figure out what works for you.There is a saying allegedly from Shankaracharya — “ten times better than the worship of icons (arcana) is the singing or hymns (stotras), ten times better than hymning is silent repetition of mantra (japa) , ten times better than mantra recitation is meditation (dhyānam), ten times better than meditation is absorption in the highest concept (layam).”A beautiful terse definition of Sanātana Dharma (Hinduism) is given in the Mahābhārata:–adrohaḥ sarva bhūteṣu karmaṇā manasā girā | anugrahaśca dānaṃ ca stāṃ dharma sanātanaḥ ||The Eternal Duty (Sanātana Dharma) towards all creatures is the absence of malevolence towards them in thought, deed or word, and to practice compassion and charity towards them. (MB Vana Parva 297;35)

Here are some good books that you can tryA Short History of Nearly Everything - By Bill Bryson (Covers Everything)In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.2. History’s Greatest Lies - William Weir (Covers Untold History)The true stories behind historical events give readers a fascinating new look at our past. The revelations shock and amaze by exposing veiled motivations and convenient inaccuracies in well-documented actions by established leaders that often have a continuing effect on the world.3. Sapiens: A Brief HIstory Of Humankind - Yuval Noah HarariIn Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical – and sometimes devastating – breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, palaeontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities.4. About Time - Paul DaviesAn elegant, witty, and engaging exploration of the riddle of time, which examines the consequences of Einstein's theory of relativity and offers startling suggestions about what recent research may reveal. In About Time, Paul Davies discusses the big bang theory, chaos theory, and the recent discovery that the universe appears to be younger than some of the objects in it, concluding that Einstein's theory provides only an incomplete understanding of the nature of time.5. Why Beauty is Truth - Ian StewartIn Why Beauty Is Truth, world-famous mathematician Ian Stewart narrates the history of the emergence of this remarkable area of study. Stewart introduces us to such characters as the Renaissance Italian genius, rogue, scholar, and gambler Girolamo Cardano, who stole the modern method of solving cubic equations and published it in the first important book on algebra, and the young revolutionary Evariste Galois, who refashioned the whole of mathematics and founded the field of group theory only to die in a pointless duel over a woman before his work was published. Stewart also explores the strange numerology of real mathematics, in which particular numbers have unique and unpredictable properties related to symmetry.6. An Underground Education - Richard ZacksForget the history you were taught in school; Richard Zacks's version is crueler and funnier than anything you might have learned in seventh-grade civics--and much more of a gross-out, too. Described on the book jacket as an "autodidact extraordinaire,"7. The Greatest Stories Never Told - Rick BeyerHistory isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.8. Extraordinary Origins Of Everyday Things - Charles PanatiFor lovers of facts, students of popular culture, history buffs, and science enthusiasts, the fascinating stories behind 500 everyday items, expressions, and customs--from Kleenex to steak sauce, Barbie Dolls to honeymoons.9. How to Win Friends And Influence People - Dale Carnegie (Must Read)Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies. Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.10. The Art of Thinking Clearly - Rolf DobelliIn engaging prose and with practical examples and anecdotes, an eye-opening look at human reasoning and essential reading for anyone with important decisions to make. Simple, clear and always surprising, this indispensable book will change the way you think and transform your decision-making-work, at home, every day. It reveals, in 99 short chapters, the most common errors of judgment, and how to avoid them.11. Evolution of God - Robert WrightIn this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy.12. A Brief History Of TIme - Stephens HawkingsFrom the time of the ancient Greeks through the present time, this historical overview of cosmology is told by one of the most famous and fascinating scientists today.13. Cosmos - Carl SaganIn the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of science and civilization. Cosmos traces the origins of knowledge and the scientific method, mixing science and philosophy, and speculates to the future of science. The book also discusses the underlying premises of science by providing biographical anecdotes about many prominent scientists throughout history, placing their contributions into the broader context of the development of modern science.The book covers a broad range of topics, comprising Sagan's reflections on anthropological, cosmological, biological, historical, and astronomical matters from antiquity to contemporary times.14. Think Live Da Vinci - Michael J. GelbUseful for the business market as well as those wishing to explore their power of their brain, this book shows you how to imitate Leonardo Da Vinci's thought processes and so enhance your aptitude in every area of your life.Source:- Goodreads

An inconvenient truth is something that necessitates an undesired change.My professional life almost consists of telling people inconvenient truths. Apart from the now-normalised Western epidemic of the metabolic syndrome and its multiple consequences my professional world of primary care consists of infants failing to thrive, developmental delay, mood disorders, addictions, pain syndromes and malignancies.These are not nice things to have to explain to people. Mostly because they all imply that lives need to change, whether that change is desired or not.My early interactions with Christianity were primarily negative. Growing up without religion and declaring myself a ‘scientific atheist’ I found it easy to adopt popular narratives regarding the non-existence of Jesus, the conspiracies of the canon and the empire-related corruptions of the church. It was also easy to point out the logical failures of Christian theology - the simplest and most critical being the obvious incapacity of Christ (if divine) to bear sin given that the holiness of God rendered that scenario specifically impossible. At the time that I was parading that particular little insight I was completely ignorant of the centuries of scholarship devoted to exactly that problem of the hypostasis in Christology and its impact on doctrine.However, as I matured I met Christians who were more than willing to engage me in discussion and who (instead of telling me what to believe) shared with me their own questions and the manner in which they conducted their meditations. As a result I started asking new and different questions, researching parts of history and original language, debating with people like Justin Moffatt, Andrew Katay and Ian Powell (all converts themselves) and actually reading the Bible.Over time (as in all learning) patterns emerged that assembled a picture. They continue to do so. Is that image that has taken on meaning a delusion arising from immersion in a particular culture? Is it a worldview arising from restriction of locus of reference? I think that would be a little ironic, given that my locus of reference is larger than it has ever been, and as it increases with age and education the image becomes more detailed and defined.What image am I speaking of? I am talking about the person of Christ. Who He is, what he does, what he means. Can I draw Him as a picture? No more than I can draw my wife’s spirit. Her face changes, our bodies have differed over the last decade, but she is still herself to me. Just as Mary might describe the Lord she recognises but who seems to have altered semblance.The evolution of that image has been the most inconvenient truth of my entire life. It has forced revolution in almost every sense. It has turned me from a man of pride and purpose to a figure of pathos and irony. Yet I have never been more joyful. Like one recovering from a painful illness through painful rehabilitation I regret every moment of it specifically and none of it in totality. I am grateful.Convenient lies allow us to maintain the status quo. We keep smoking, we have a little more wine in the glass each night, we eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. We take revenge. We treat our pains with potions that make them more potent eventually. We wither, we wallow, we curse the world for the injustice of it all.At the bottom of the stack of turtles is a question of responsibility. A convenient lie eschews it. An inconvenient truth forces us to face it, and ironically put our faith in the assistance of some benefactor.Hence the proverb that fuels my fire - “physician, heal thyself”. Aye, I cannot.What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!Romans 7:24–25 NIV