Download Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

Basic Beliefs of
Hinduism
Hinduism, a polytheistic religion, is quite different from most of
the world’s other major beliefs. For example, it was not founded by
one individual person, as Christianity was founded by Jesus and Islam
was founded by Mohammed.
The basic ideas of Hinduism were
established in India c.1500 B.C.
Hinduism does not have just one holy book like the Christian
Bible or the Muslim Koran. The most important writings to the Hindus
are the Vedas, a collection of four books. The Brahmanas (which are
rituals and ceremonies performed by Hindu priests) and the
Upanishads (which discuss important Hindu beliefs) are important
parts of the Vedas.
Hindus believe in castes, which are social classes. Each person is
born into a certain caste. The highest caste is the Brahmins or priests;
second are the warriors and rulers; third are the professionals,
merchants, and landowning farmers; and fourth are the servants.
There are other people, who do not belong to any caste at all. They
are at the very bottom and are called the Untouchables. This means
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that these people are considered to be so low and dirty that they
cannot even be touched.
An important Hindu belief is reincarnation, which is the belief
that living things have souls that, after death, are reborn in another
body. Hindus believe that if a person led a good life, he/she would be
reborn into a higher caste. If a person was bad, however, he/she
might be reborn as a member of a lower caste – or even an animal!
Hindu people believe that a person’s karma determines how
his/her soul will be reborn in the next life. Karma means deeds or
actions – in other words, the way a person lives his/her life.
The
dharma are a set of rules that each Hindu must follow in order to be
reborn into the next life.
Hindus believe in many, many gods. The three most important
deities are Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva
(the destroyer). Hindus also believe that the Ganges River (located in
India) is sacred. In addition, the cow is considered a sacred animal.
Because of their respect for all life forms, Hindus are vegetarians.
Karma:
what goes around, comes around
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REMEMBER THESE TERMS
Brahma
Caste
Dharma
Ganges River
Karma
Reincarnation
Shiva
Vishnu