Download Hinduism 101

Hinduism 101
Hinduism is the religion followed by nearly 14% of the world’s population. The beginnings of Hinduism were brought to India
by the Aryan people in about 1500 BCE. Through the centuries, religion as greatly affected India’s history and way of life.
Hinduism does not have one holy book, such as the Bible or Qur’an. Instead, it has many sacred writings. The holiest writings
are known as the Vedas, a collection of hymns and prayers. This religion is often described as polytheistic since Hindus believe
in over 33,000 gods. Among them are three major gods: Brahma the creator, Siva the destroyer, and Vishnu the preserver.
However, all of these gods are a part of the universal spirit known as Brahman. In fact, Hindus believe that everything in the
world is part of Brahman. Reuniting with this spirit is the ultimate goal in Hinduism.
A major difference between Hinduism and the religions of Christianity and
Islam concerns the beliefs on what happens to the soul after death. Christians
and Muslims believe that the soul goes to heaven or hell based on how the
person lived their life on Earth. Hindus believe that when a body dies, the
person’s soul goes into another living thing. The soul can be reborn into
another person or into the body of an animal. Hindus refer to this rebirth as
samsara, whereas the English translation is reincarnation. According to Hindu
beliefs, the soul keeps getting reborn until it reaches moksha when it finally is
reunited with the universal spirit of Brahman. Once the soul reaches moksha,
the cycle of samsara (reincarnation) finally ends. Hindus believe that a
The game Chutes and Ladders was originally
person’s karma determines how their soul will be reborn in their next life.
developed in India and was known as Snakes and
Ladders. It represented the path to and from moksha. Karma is the effects good or bad actions have on a person’s soul. For example,
if a person performs good deeds in their life, their soul will be reborn into a
higher or better form and be closer to the ultimate goal of moksha. However if a person lives a bad life, they will have bad
karma and be reborn into a lower form, maybe into the body of an insect.
What determines if a person’s actions are good or bad is dependent on a person’s dharma. Dharma is a set of rules each
Hindu must follow based on their caste. If a person experiences poverty or hardship in their life, it is thought that they are
getting what they deserve by not following their dharma in a past life and are now being punished. They must make the most
of this life, follow the dharma of their caste and earn good karma so in the next life their soul will be reborn into better
conditions and closer to moksha.
A person’s dharma, the rules they must follow, is determined by
their specific caste, or social class. Their caste determines
everything from: what kind of job they can have, what they are
allowed to eat, who they can marry, and who their friends will be.
There are four main castes: (1) Brahmins- priests (2) Kshatriyawarriors and rulers (3) Vaisyas- land owning farmers, craftspeople,
and traders (4) Sudras- laborers and servants. Each of these castes
has their own dharma that individuals must follow in order to earn
good karma.
There was a group of unfortunate people who did not belong to any
caste. These people were known as the Untouchables. They
ranked below the Sudras and were forced to do the jobs that caste
Hindus were unwilling to do like handling dead animals and
sweepings the streets. Untouchables could not worship in Hindu
temples or use public roads or wells.
In 1950 CE, the Indian Constitution did away with the Untouchable
class. In recent years the caste system has weakened and
differences among castes are less noticeable but may never
completely disappear due to their role in Hinduism.
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras make up the four castes in
Hinduism.
Name__________________________________
Hinduism 101
I.
Vocabulary- Match the vocabulary word with the correct definition using information from the article
1. _____ Dharma
A. Reincarnation
2. _____ Samsara
B. Social Classes in Hinduism
3. _____Karma
C. Effects good or bad actions have on a person’s soul
4. _____Moksha
D. Set of rules each Hindu must follow based on their caste
5. _____Caste
E. Reunion of the soul with the universal spirit of Brahman
II.
Short Answer- Answer the following questions IN FULL SENTENCES
1. What are two differences between Hinduism and Christianity or Islam?
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2. Describe some of the disadvantages of being an ‘Untouchable’ in Hindu society.
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III.
Graphic Organizer- Complete the Graphic Organizer below
Building up enough good karma will result in achieving 1. ___________________ and an end to the cycle of samsara.
Not following ones dharma can result in
bad 2. ____________________ and result
Brahmin:
Priests
in reincarnation into a lower caste.
Kshatriya: 3. __________
_____________________
4. ___________________: land owning
farmers, craftspeople, and merchants
5. __________________________: laborers and servants
6. _______________________: those forced to do jobs caste Hindus will not perform