Download Aim: What does it mean to be Hindu?

Aim: What does it mean to be Hindu?
Period One: Technological and Environmental Transformations, to c. 600
B.C.E.
Key Concept 1.3. The Development and Interactions of Early
Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies
NY State Learning Standards 2
Common Core RS 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and WS 1, 2
I How did Hinduism begin?
A) Aryans (Caucasian nomads)
invaded Northern India in 1500
BCE. Their beliefs combined
with those of the people by
the Indus river.
B) Hinduism did NOT have a
single founder. Even today it is
not an organized religion, but
rather a federation of many
different beliefs and
philosophies.
II Hindu Beliefs
A) As Hinduism is continually evolving, Many Hindus believe in only ONE
god, Brahman. Other gods are just different forms of the ONE god.
Similar to Christianity, Hinduism is often called monotheistic (belief in
one god), or henotheistic (belief in one god that takes on different
forms).
B) There is a part of God in all of us (our soul) called Atman.
*The Regents Exam considers Hinduism to be polytheistic. Yes, the
Regents can be wrong.
All these deities are
manifestations of
Brahman, the one Hindu
god.
Hindu Beliefs Continued…
Lord Brahma is the god of
creation. He appears seated on a
lotus (a symbol of glorious
existence). He has four heads and
hands. Each hand is holding a
sacrificial tool (sruva), the Vedas
(knowledge), a water pot
(kamandalu) and a rosary.
Hindu Beliefs Continued…
Vishnu is the preserver of the
universe. He has four hands.
The first holds a conch shell
(sankha) indicating spread of
the divine sound "Om"; one
holds a discus (chakra), a
reminder of the wheel of
time, and to lead a good life;
one holds a lotus (Padma)
which is an example of
glorious existence and the
fourth hands holds a mace
(gada) indicating the power
and the punishing capacity of
Vishnu if discipline in life is
ignored.
Hindu Beliefs Continued…
Shiva is the destroyer of the
universe. Shiva is necessary to
continue the cycle of life and
death. Lord Shiva appears in a
meditating but ever-happy
posture. He has matted hair which
holds the flowing Ganges river and
a crescent moon, a serpent coiled
around his neck, a trident (trishul)
in his one hand and ashes all over
his body.
Hindu Beliefs Continued…
Lord Ganesh has a human form but
the head of an elephant. He
represents the power of the
Supreme Being that removes
obstacles and ensures success in
human endeavors. The large head of
an elephant symbolizes wisdom,
understanding, and a discriminating
intellect that one must possess to
attain perfection in life. The human
body possesses a human heart,
which is a symbol of kindness and
compassion toward all.
Hindu beliefs continued…
C) There are 4 main goals of Hinduism:
1. Kama - pleasure, physical or emotional.
2. Artha - power, fame and wealth.
3. Dharma: Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to
the codes of conduct as described by the Vedas.
4. Moksha: Liberation from reincarnation.
On the left is a representation of the cycle of
birth and rebirth (reincarnation).
“After death, the soul goes to the next world,
bearing in mind the subtle impressions of its
deeds, and after reaping their harvest returns
again to this world of action. Thus, he who has
desires continues subject to rebirth.”
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.6
Hindu beliefs continued…
D) Your actions in this life will determine your karma. By having good
karma, your next life will be better than this one; you will move up the
caste system.
“According as one acts, so does he become. One becomes virtuous by
virtuous action, bad by bad action.” Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 4.4.5
The caste system is a
hierarchical (ordered) system.
You are born into your caste.
You are supposed to accept
your place in the caste system,
as Hindus believe you deserve
it based on your karma from
your past life.
Untouchables/ Dalits
“The Dalits, also known as the “untouchables” make up nearly one quarter of India’s
1.2 billion society.. In 70% of India’s villages, for example, non-Dalits will not eat or
drink with Dalits. After drinking their tea, they are expected to crush the cup on the
ground so that no other person risks being polluted by the cup the Dalit touched.” The
UN experts say Dalit women and girls are particularly vulnerable and are exposed to
multiple forms of discrimination, sexual violence and trafficking. Hundreds of
thousands of children in India are forced to eke out a living to support their families by
sweeping streets, cleaning toilets and clearing garbage from public places. On 17
August 2009, some 1000 children affected by manual scavenging took part in a protest
March in Ahmedabad. www.dalitnetwork.org
III Sacred Hindu Texts
A) The most sacred scriptures of Hinduism are the Vedas, a collection of texts written in
Sanskrit from about 1200 BCE to 100 CE. Hindus believe the Vedas to be of divine origin.
B) Initially, the Vedas consisted of 4 collections of mantras: Rig Veda (Wisdom of the
Verses); Sama Veda (Wisdom of the Chants); Yajur Veda (Wisdom of the Sacrificial
Formulas); and Atharva Veda (Wisdom of the Atharvan Priests).
C) Over the centuries, 3 collections were added: Brahmanas (discussions of the ritual);
Aranyakas ("books studied in the forest"); and Upanishads (philosophical writings).
D) The Ramayana, "the Journey of Rama," is a Sanskrit epic poem that tells the story of Shri
Rama, while teaching the values of ideology, devotion, duty, relationships, dharma and
karma.
E) The Mahabharata is the worlds longest epic poem. Composed of 110,000 Sanskrit
couplets, it is seven times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey combined, or three times the
length of the Judeo-Christian Bible. It is often referred to as the "fifth Veda". It states at the
beginning that "what is found here may be found elsewhere but what is not found here
cannot be found elsewhere.” Literally, it is the story of a royal family that becomes involved
in a fierce fratricidal war. At this level, it elucidates such qualities as heroism, courage, and
saintliness. Metaphorically, the war is seen as the perennial conflict between good and evil,
justice and injustice, right and wrong; essentially dharma vs adharma.
Composed as early as 1500 BC, the Rig Veda ("Wisdom of the
Verses") is the oldest of the four Vedic collections and one of the
oldest surviving sacred texts in the world!
IV Hindu Symbols
A) The ohm represents Brahmin.
B) The swastika is a Hindu symbol of good luck. The symbol imitates, in
the rotation of its arms, the course taken daily by the sun. A right-facing
45° rotated swastika was incorporated into the flag of the Nazi Party
representing Aryan “racial purity”; an obvious twisting of its original
meaning.
C) A mandala is a sacred shape to Hindus. The square shape symbolizes
the earth, while the circle symbolizes the heavens.
Hindu Symbols Continued…
The bindi represents the third
eye. It is a reminder to look
inward to find god.
V Hindu Practices
A) Yoga originally began as a Hindu practice. It is a form of meditation.
The goal is to unite your soul (atman) with the divine.
Do Not Try This At Home
Holding difficult yoga poses was necessary to loosen up your muscles.
Why? The goal is to be able to sit in meditation for as long as possible.
Hindu practices continued…
B) Hindus pray in temples, as well as at shrines. Temples are built in the
sacred shape of the mandala.
Swaminarayan Akshardham
The largest Hindu temple in the world, New Delhi, India
Hindu practices continued…
C) Hindus consider the Ganges river to be sacred. Many Hindu rituals
are performed in or near the river.
VI Hindu Holidays
A) Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights, and is the most
important of all Hindu holidays. It celebrates the victory of good
over evil, and of knowledge over ignorance. It lasts for five days.
Hindu Holidays Continued…
B) Holi, the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration of spring.
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What are the origins of Hinduism?
What are the main beliefs of Hinduism?
What are the main practices of Hinduism
(including holidays)?
What are the sacred texts of Hinduism?
What are the sacred places of Hinduism?
Do you think the concept of reincarnation
and the caste system makes sense?
Why do you think many people (and the NY
Regents) believes Hinduism to be
polytheistic?
Key Vocabulary
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Aryans
Atman
Bindi
Brahma
Brahman
Brahmins
Caste System
Dalits
Diwali
Ganesh
Ganges River
Hierarchy
Hindu Shrines
Hindu temples
Hinduism
Holi
Indus River Valley
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Karma
Mahabharata
Mandala
Manifestations
Maya
Meditation
Moksha
Ohm
Ramayana
Reincarnation
Sanskrit
Shiva
Swastika
Untouchables
Vedas
Vishnu
Yoga