Download Station #1: Introduction and Beliefs Part I Hinduism is the world`s

Station #1: Introduction and Beliefs Part I
Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion. Some traditions of Hinduism
date back more than 3,000 years. Over the centuries, however, its
followers—called Hindus—have accepted many new ideas and combined
them with the old ones. More than one billion people practice Hinduism
worldwide. Most of them live in India, where Hinduism began.
Hinduism has neither a founder nor a central organization. No one has
set down a list of beliefs for all Hindus to follow. However, all Hindus revere
the Veda, an ancient body of sacred literature.
Hindus believe in a spiritual power called Brahman. Brahman is the
source of all existence and is present in every thing and every place. The
human soul, called atman, is part of the universal Brahman. Hindus generally
believe that when someone dies, the atman is reborn in another body. A soul
may return many times in human, animal, or even plant form. This idea is
known as reincarnation. The cycle of rebirth continues until one accepts that
the atman and Brahman are one. Most Hindus consider breaking free from
this cycle to be a person's highest purpose.
Caption: View of Hindu religious ceremony in
the Ganges River at Varanasi, India—the
holiest city in Hinduism. To Hindus, the Ganges
is not only a river, it is also considered a
goddess.
"Religious ceremony in Ganges." Image.
Zeber/Shutterstock. World Geography:
Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO,
2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Station #2: Beliefs Part II
Hindus are expected to act according to the principle of ahimsa,
which means “nonviolence.” This means that one must never wish to
harm anyone or anything. Hindus consider many animals to be
sacred, especially the cow. Devout Hindus eat only vegetarian food.
Hindus worship many gods. The god Vishnu is considered the
protector and preserver of life. The god Shiva represents the forces
that create life as well as those that destroy it. The supreme goddess
is most commonly called Shakti. Like Shiva, she can be either
beneficial or fierce, depending on her form. The worship of Vishnu,
Shiva, and Shakti are the three major branches of modern Hinduism.
Brahma (not to be confused with Brahman) is considered the
creator of the universe. In ancient times he was widely worshipped,
but his following is now small.
Caption: Bronze statue of the dancing form of Shiva, one of the
three main gods of Hinduism. Called Nataraj, the dancing Shiva
is a means of symbolizing the fundamental tenets of Hinduism,
which are found in the religious writings known as the Vedas
and the Upanishads. The holy nature and characteristics of
Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma are found in many of Hinduism's
primary religious texts, as well as in two of India's great epic
poems: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
"Statue of dancing Shiva." Image. Philippe Lamoise. World
History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 16
Nov. 2010.
Station #3: Practices
In a form of worship called puja, Hindus pray for a god to
enter a home or temple and then treat the god as an honored
guest. They worship an image of the god and offer up food,
water, and other items.
Tantrism is the search for spiritual knowledge and for
release from the cycle of rebirth. It involves chanting sacred
sounds and words called mantras and drawing symbols called
mandalas.
Pilgrimages, or journeys to holy places, have been common
in Hinduism since ancient times. Many pilgrimage sites lie along
the Ganges River in northern India, which Hindus consider the
holiest of rivers.
Caption: People drink from the Ganges
River during a Hindu ceremony.
"Drinking from the Ganges." Image.
Portum/Wikipedia. World Geography:
Understanding a Changing World. ABCCLIO, 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Station #4: Festivals and Holidays
Temples of any significance hold a festival at least once a year. Festivals
are combinations of religious ceremonies, processions of the locally favored
god, music, dances, and other forms of celebration. Most festivals are related
to the cycles of nature. The New Year celebration, Diwali, takes place with
exchanges of gifts, lighting of ceremonial lamps, gambling (a ritual designed
to gain luck for the coming year), and fireworks to frighten away spirits of the
dead.
Pilgrimages to holy places began during the Vedic period and continue
to be an important aspect of modern Hinduism. Certain places are considered
sacred because of a specific historical event, connection with a legendary
figure, the appearance of a god, or location on the bank of a holy river.
Visits to sacred places are supposed to confer some benefit upon the
pilgrim—frequently the healing of a dread disease. People who travel to
Varanasi (Benares) when death is near hope to be released from the birthdeath cycle by dying near the Ganges River. Many shrines organize annual
gatherings that are partly religious and partly local fairs.
Caption: A Hindu woman in Bangalore, India gives
finishing touches to a rangoli, a colored-powder
decoration that symbolizes peace and harmony, to
celebrate the Diwali festival. Hindus decorate their
houses with rangolis and light oil lamps and
candles to celebrate Diwali, the festival of light,
and usher in the blessings of the occasion.
"Decoration for Diwali celebration in India."
Image. AFP/Getty Images. World Geography:
Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2010.
Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Station #5: Temple Worship
Temples range in size from small village shrines with crude statues to huge
complexes—almost small cities—with walls and monumental gates enclosing
courtyards, pools for ceremonial bathing, schools, hospitals, and monasteries. Services
are not carried out at fixed times as they are in Western religions.
The worship itself is an act of calling forth the god's presence and entertaining
the deity as a royal guest. The first act is opening the temple door. For worshipers of
Vishnu this symbolizes opening the gates of heaven. For Shiva worshipers it secures the
building's protection. Temple visitors may take part in chanting or listening to doctrinal
expositions. Images of the gods are honored with gifts of flowers, fruit, or perfumes,
and visiting worshipers are given small portions of consecrated food.
In addition to temple worship, there are daily household rites, including an
offering of food, often fruit, or flowers to the gods and recitation of the Vedas.
Household worship focuses on the transitions in a person's life, such as the rite of
passage from childhood to adult responsibility, marriage, or childbirth. Wedding
ceremonies are the major household rites, and they have remained quite elaborate,
lasting usually up to three days. The traditional funeral method is cremation. Part of
the funeral rite is a gift of food to the Brahmins (the priestly class) for the benefit of the
deceased.
Caption: Brahmins in front of
Brihadishwara Temple in
Mandapam, India. Brahmins
are the priests who occupy
the highest of the four Hindu
castes.
"Brahmins at Brihadishwara
Temple." Image. Corel. World
Geography: Understanding a
Changing World. ABC-CLIO,
2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Station #6: History
In about 1500 BCE people called Aryans invaded India from what is now Iran. The
Aryans composed the oldest writings in the Veda. They developed a religion, called
Vedism, that centered on making animal sacrifices to the gods. Vedism was the starting
point of Hinduism. But the influence of other peoples and ideas over the years made
Hinduism a very different religion from Vedism. Over time, for example, people began
to disapprove of the killing of animals as sacrifices. From the 100s BCE to the CE 300s,
the older gods of Vedism were slowly replaced by newer ones. But some rites of
Vedism have survived in modern Hinduism.
In the 1000s Muslims invaded northern India and Islam influenced some new
schools of Hinduism. In the late 1400s a new religion, Sikhism, combined Hindu and
Islamic elements.
In the early 1800s Great Britain began making India into a colony. In reaction to
foreign rule, Hinduism underwent a revival. It helped unify Indians against the British.
Also during this period, however, some Hindu leaders began criticizing elements of
traditional Hinduism. The reformer Ram Mohun Roy, for example, spoke out against
the ancient form of social organization called the caste system. Under this system,
people were treated differently depending on which social class they were born into.
The reformers used some Western ideas to modernize Hinduism.
Caption: Rammohan Roy was the leading social and religious reformer
of early-19th-century India and has been called the father of the Indian
Renaissance. He worked to better the condition of all Indians.
"Rammohan Roy." Image. Samaddar, R.N., Raja Ram Mohun Roy, 1911.
World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Station #7: History Part II
The most famous Hindu leader of the 1900s was Mahatma Gandhi. He
brought the idea of ahimsa into politics. He helped win India's independence
from Britain using only nonviolent methods. Differences between Hindus
and Muslims grew after the colony of British India was divided into the
independent countries of India and Pakistan in 1947. Millions of Hindus left
their homes in Pakistan for India, and millions of Muslims left India for
Pakistan. Many Hindus and Muslims were killed. In India and elsewhere,
violence between Hindus and Muslims continued into the 21st century.
" Hinduism ." Britannica Elementary
Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
Web. 16 Nov. 2010
<http://www.school.eb.com/all/elementary/a
rticle?articleId=353249>.
" Hinduism ." Compton's by Britannica.
Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 16
Nov.2010
<http://www.school.eb.com/comptons/articl
e-202044>.
Caption: The leader of modern Indian nationalism, Mohandas Gandhi
infused the movement with Hindu spirituality. To Gandhi, moral values
always superseded material ones, and the improvement of human
souls was a necessary precursor to the improvement of India. He was
an apostle of nonviolence and civil disobedience, proving that these
ideals could unite diverse peoples and accomplish great progress.
"Mohandas Gandhi." Image. Library of Congress. World History: The
Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Name:______________________________________________ Date:___________________________
Hinduism Station Questions
Station #1: Introduction and Beliefs Part I
1. What is the world’s oldest religion?
2. How many people practice Hinduism today?
3. Who is the founder of Hinduism?
4. Explain what the Veda is.
5. Describe what the Brahman is.
Station #2: Beliefs Part II
6. Explain the concept of “ahimsa.”
7. According to Hindu belief, who is the creator of the universe? Who is the destroyer of life? Who maintains, protects, and
preserves life?
Station #3: Practices
8. Explain what “puja” is.
9. What is the holiest of rivers according to Hindus?
Station #4: Festivals and Holidays
10. The New Year celebration is Diwali. Describe the events that take place during this festival.
11. What is generally the benefit of taking a pilgrimage to a sacred place?
Station #5: Temple Worship
12. Explain the differences between large and small temples.
13. Identify the gifts that are used to honor the gods.
14. When do Hindus practice household worship? (At what events?)
15. How long do weddings typically last?
16. The traditional funeral method is _______________________________________________.
Station #6: History Part I
17. Where did the Aryan people come from?
18. What was the basis of the Veda religion?
19. Explain how the influence of Islam changed India.
20. Define what the “caste system” is.
21. Describe how the impact of Britain changed ideals of traditional Hinduism.
Station #7: History Part II
22. Explain the significance of Gandhi.
23. Describe the relationship between Hindus and Muslims.