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Hinduism
World History/Napp
“Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that developed slowly over a long period of
time. Some aspects of the religion can be traced back to ancient times. In a Hindu
marriage today, for example, the bride and groom marry in the presence of the sacred fire
as they did centuries ago. The faithful recite daily verses from the Vedas. But Hinduism
unlike religions cannot be traced back to one founder with a single set of ideas.
Of course, Hindus share a common worldview. They see religion as a way of liberating the
soul from the illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday existence. Sometime
between 750 and 550 B.C., Hindu teachers tried to interpret and explain the hidden
meaning of the Vedic hymns. The teachers’ comments were later written down and became
known as the Upanishads. The Upanishads are written as dialogues, or discussions,
between a student and a teacher. In the course of the dialogues, the two explore how a
person can achieve liberation from desires and suffering. This is described as moksha, a
state of perfect understanding of all things. The teacher distinguishes between atman, the
individual soul of a living being, and Brahman, the world soul that contains and unites all
atmans. When a person understands the relationship between atman and Brahman, that
person achieves perfect understanding (moksha) and a release from life in this world. This
understanding does not usually come in one lifetime. By the process of reincarnation
(rebirth), an individual soul or spirit is born again and again until moksha is achieved. A
soul’s karma – good or bad deeds – follows from one reincarnation to another. Karma
influences specific life circumstances, such as the caste one is born into, one’s state of
health, wealth or poverty, and so on.
Hindus today are free to choose the deity they worship or to choose none at all. Most,
however, follow a family tradition that may go back centuries. They are also free to choose
among three different paths for achieving moksha. These are the path of right thinking, the
path of right action, or the path of religious devotion.” ~ World History
Identify and explain the following terms:
Vedas
Upanishads
Moksha
Brahman
Reincarnation
Karma
Deity
Caste
- How might the lack of a single founder result in Hinduism changing more over time than
other religions?
- How has Hinduism influenced social structure in India?
- How are the Vedas and the Upanishads similar?
- How does the Hindu caste system differ from the American class system?
- What is the goal of life according to Hinduism?
P R I M A RY S O U R C E
Thou art woman, Thou art man, Thou art the lad and the maiden too. Thou art the old
man tottering on his staff: Once born thou comest to be, thy face turned every way! A
dark-blue moth art Thou, green [parrot] with red eyes. Pregnant with lightning – seasons,
seas: Thyself beginningless, all things dost Thou pervade. From Thee all worlds were born.
~ Svetasvatara Upanishad. IV. 3–4
-
Explain the meaning of the passage.
Caste
- - Hindu ideas about
karma and reincarnation
strengthened the caste
system
- If a person was born as
an upper-caste male – a
Brahmin, warrior,
or merchant – his good
fortune was said to come
from good karma earned
in a former life
- However, a person who
was born as a female, a
laborer, or an
untouchable might be
getting the results of bad
deeds in a former life
- Karma or deeds
determined
reincarnation
- An untouchable was an
outcaste, belonging to no
caste
- Untouchables
performed the lowest
jobs in society
- Today, untouchability
is illegal in India
Moksha
- With some exceptions, only
men of the top three varnas
or castes could hope to
achieve moksha in their
present life
- The laws of karma worked
with the same certainty as
the world’s other natural
laws
- Good karma brought good
fortune and bad karma
resulted in bad fortune
- Moksha or liberation was
based on achieving only
good karma
- Moksha is the end of death
and of reincarnation
- Hindus cremate the dead
and burn the corpse on a
funeral pyre to liberate the
soul for either reincarnation
or moksha
- After cremation the ashes
are collected and usually
scattered in water; the River
Ganges is considered the
most sacred place to scatter
ashes
Dharma
- Together, the beliefs of
Hinduism and its caste
structure dominated every
aspect of a person’s life
- These beliefs determined
what one could eat and the
way in which one ate it,
personal cleanliness, the
people one could associate
with, how one dressed, and so
on
- Today, even in the most
ordinary activities of daily
life, Hindus turn to their
religion for guidance
- Dharma refers to the rules
of each caste; a Hindu must
follow the rules of his caste – a
Hindu must follow his
dharma
- Dharma together with
Karma determine
reincarnation
- Hinduism is a religion and a
way of life in that it dictates
what every member in society
can or cannot do
For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Dharma
• Ganges River
• Untouchability
• Brahmin
• Varna
Jainism
“The same period of speculation reflected in the Upanishads also led to the rise of two
other religions: Jainism and Buddhism. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was born about
599 B.C. and died in 527 B.C. Mahavira believed that everything in the universe has a soul
and so should not be harmed. Jain monks carry the doctrine of nonviolence (ahimsa) to its
logical conclusion. They sweep ants off their path and wear gauze masks over their mouths
to avoid breathing in an insect accidentally. In keeping with this nonviolence, followers of
Jainism looked for occupations that would not harm any creature. So they have a tradition
of working in trade and commerce. Because of their business activities, Jains today make
up one of the wealthiest communities in India. Jains have traditionally preached tolerance
of all religions. As a result, they have made few efforts to convert followers of other faiths.
Because of this tolerance, Jains have not sent out missionaries. Almost all of the nearly five
million Jains in the world today live in India.” ~ World History
For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Jainism
• Mahavira
• Ahimsa
• Actions of Jain Monks
• Occupations that Would Do No Harm
• Jain Views on Other Religions
- How far does the Jain respect for life extend?
- Vishnu grew to become a major Hindu god. He is
seen here as the whole Universe in all its variety.
He is blue, the color of infinity.
- Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu triumvirate
(or Trimurti). The triumvirate consists of three
gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep
and destruction of the world. The other two gods
are Brahma and Shiva. Brahma is the creator of
the universe and Shiva is the destroyer. Vishnu is
the preserver and protector of the universe.
Perhaps the most distinctive marker of
Hinduism as a religious civilization is the
______system.
(1) Varna
(2) Caste
(3) Jati
(4) Shakti
The founding principle of Jain doctrine
includes the universal belief that all things
possess a jiva, a kind of______ that yearns
to be free from the prison of the material
world.
(1) aura
(2) love
(3) soul
(4) being
Reincarnation, karma, and moksha are
elements of the belief system of
(1) Jainism
(2) Hinduism
(3) Buddhism
(4) Judaism
In India, the Caste system determined a
person’s occupation, personal associations,
and marriage partner. This situation shows
that the Caste system
(1) has helped eliminate ethnic and religious
rivalries
(2) has promoted social mobility within
Indian society
(3) has been stronger in urban areas that in
rural areas
(4) has been a way of life as well as an
element of religion
Karma is
(1) a person’s deeds
(2) a person’s past lives
(3) a person’s liberation
(4) a person’s deities
The word karma refers to
(1) Bad things that happen
(2) Reincarnation
(3) The result of previous mistakes
(4) Action
The earliest sacred texts of Hinduism are
the
(1) Upanishads.
(2) Brahmanas.
(3) Aranyakas.
(4) Vedas.
The second-ranking caste consisted of
(1) Priests.
(2) Merchants.
(3) Nobles and warriors.
(4) Artisans.
“When I go to the office, I put on my shirt
and I take off my Caste; when I come home,
I take off my shirt and I put on my Caste.”
What is the main idea of this quotation?
(1) the Caste system continues to influence
Indian society
(2) the Caste system has been reflected by
most Indians
(3) successful urban workers in India belong
the same Caste
(4) the Indian government officially
supports the Caste system
The caste system in India was characterized
by:
(1) toleration for various religious beliefs
(2) equality between men and women
(3) a lack of social mobility
(4) the right of people to choose their
occupations