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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 MrGulle.com 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 MrGulle.com REMEMBER THESE TERMS Brahma Caste Dharma Ganges River Karma Reincarnation Shiva Vishnu