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Hinduism
Eastern Religions
What is Hinduism?
One of the oldest religions of humanity
The religion of the Indian people
Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
Hinduism is a name that Westerners gave to the part of
the Indian sub-continent. It was therefore defined by
geography (and then came to represent to the West a
set of traditions, beliefs and practices). The Hindu way of
life, is more often called by Hindus ‘Sanatana Dharma’
(the eternal way of life).
Monotheistic (one God) but also Polytheistic (more
than one God) confused yet? Many deities but a single,
impersonal ultimate truth, soul and reality known as the
Brahman (the universal soul).
What is Hinduism?
This is the largest religion in Asia and the world's third
largest, in terms of numbers of followers with
approximately 900 million worldwide.
About 400,000 – 555,000 followers are based in the
United Kingdom. These tend to be descendants of Hindu
immigrants.
It is the main religion of India, where it began. From there
it spread, about 1000 years ago, east along the trade routes
to other lands.
Hindu’s hold holy the River Ganges and the City of
Varanasi.
How did Hinduism begin?
Hinduism has no single founder, no central authority or
fixed creed.
It is the world's oldest existing religion. Some aspects of
Hinduism (such as the worship of natural forms e.g.
rivers as gods) can be traced back 3,500 years to the
peoples who moved into India from central Asia.
By 400 BC Hinduism had developed most of its present
features. However since then, there have been important
changes in its beliefs and practices.
What are the Sacred Texts?
Hinduism has no one statement of beliefs (a creed.) A
number of texts are however sacred.
The basis of Hindu philosophy is found in the four
Vedas. These are a collection of hymns, which had been
passed on orally up until 1200BCE which is when the
Vedas began to be written although they took hundreds
of years to complete.
What are the Sacred Texts?
The Veda is the earliest and holiest (about 800BC). Four
Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals, chants
The Upanishads (about 600BC.) These consider the nature
of the individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul
(Brahman.) One of the Upanishads contains the earliest
reference to the reincarnation of the soul.
The Mahabharata is an epic poem. It tells the story of a war
between two branches of a family.
One of the most famous Hindu epics is the Ramayana. It
tells the story of the god Rama's battle with Ravana(the
demon King).
What do Hindus believe?
Reincarnation
One feature is a belief in reincarnation- the transmigration
(the movement of the soul from one body to another).
A person's soul lives (Atman) on and on through a
continuous cycle of birth death and rebirth.
Moksha - This is the ultimate goal. It means the release of the
soul from the cycle of rebirth.
This belief in the rebirth of the soul may have encouraged the
further doctrine of non-injury/violence (Ahimsa). That the
penalty may be:
" suffer rebirth for 8,000 years as a worm in dung"
What do Hindus believe?
Moksha
This is the ultimate goal. It means the release of the soul
from the cycle of rebirth. The individual soul (Atman)
re-unites with Brahman (the universal soul). There are
different ways to Moksha.
There is the spiritual. This involves acquiring spiritual knowledge
through yoga and meditation.
The second way is by devotion to god.
The third is by working selflessly for the good of society.
What do Hindus believe?
Dharma
This is the code for leading one's life.
What one's duties are depends on one’s age and
position. Respect for elders is considered important and
many consider marriage as a son's religious duty.
This requires three sorts of order/ harmony.
One at a spiritual level with the universe.
A second that requires order/ harmony in society and revolves
around the caste system.
A third which requires order/harmony of the individual by
obedience to a moral code.
What do Hindus believe?
Karma
Karma literally means "deed" or "act" and more broadly
names the universal principle of cause and effect, action
and reaction which governs all life.
Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will creating his
own destiny.
According to the Vedas, if we sow goodness, we will reap
goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil.
Through pure acts, knowledge and devotion, you can
reincarnate to a higher level and eventually Moksha. The
opposite achieves the contrary result.
How do Hindus worship?
Places of worship
Hindu Temples (Mandhirs), which are dedicated to
different gods, are the focus of religious life.
There are simple shrines in streets and villages and most
Hindu homes have their own where they undertake Puja
(ritual worship) at home. They will make offerings to
their chosen god in the morning and the evening as a
minimum. The shrine may be no more than a corner of
a room, with a picture or statue of one or more gods.
There is no obligation on a Hindu to go on pilgrimage,
but many do. There are many places sacred to Hindus.
Hinduism
Hindu Temples
How do Hindus worship?
Forms of worship
Any Hindu can worship but a priest normally carries out
the more important acts.
Worship may take several forms such as meditation,
performing yoga (exercises aimed at controlling mind
and body), reading holy texts or use of prayer beads.
In special cases worship may include a procession. Each
Temple will have a special festival. Festivals can range
from simple village affairs to those that draw millions.
There are also ceremonies that mark important life
events.
What are Hindu Practices?
Practices
There are three basic practices:
Worship: This is an integral part of the faith. Offerings (Puja) are
usually made to representations of the gods.
Cremation: The dead are burnt not buried
Compliance with the rules of the caste system (explained next)
What are Hindu Practices?
The Caste System
The caste system is a complicated division of society into different groups.
Each group has rules of conduct to be obeyed.
Caste is a matter of birth. You cannot apply to become a member of another
caste and a change of job won't affect it.
Change can only come about by rebirth and the caste into which you are born
depends on the acts committed (Karma) in your previous life.
The caste system is known as the “Varnas”, there are four “Varnas” and they
consist of:
Brahmins – the priests and intelligentsia
Kshatriyas – the administrators and military
Vaishyas – shop keepers, traders, farmers
Sudras – labourers and service workers
The ‘Untouchables’ are below and not part of the other four groups.
• They would do all the dirtiest jobs (waste removal – human and
animal), work with dirty animals, and outcasts (for eating meat like
cow) of the Hindu Society.
• Discriminated against until 1949 when the terminology and class
disabilities (job restrictions and housing for example) became illegal.
• Today they are called “Harijan”.
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Brahman (the universal truth, soul and reality)
For many, but not all Hindus, their religion is
monotheistic (believe in one God only).
They believe in one ultimate truth that encompasses all
reality (Brahman)
At first glance it seems hard to reconcile this belief with the
knowledge that there are said to be as many as
330,000,000 Hindu gods and demons. This apparent
contradiction can be explained on the basis that they are all
manifestations of Brahman, the creative force.
The “Trimurti” (trinity of Brahman) is represented by
Brahma (the creator) Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the
destroyer). They comprise the three main physical
representations of Brahman, who together are all powerful.
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Brahma, the creator god
Images tend to show him with 4 heads
and 4 arms.
In these he holds a variety of objects.
These usually include a drinking pot, a
Scepter and the Vedas.
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Vishnu, the preserver god
He protects what is good in the world and appears whenever evil
threatens to overwhelm it.
He is shown wearing a high crown and smiling.
His incarnations have taken animal and human form. As a human he
was incarnated as Rama and Krishna (and also as the Buddha).
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Shiva, god of constructive destruction
(the transformer)
Shiva is the destroyer but as, in Hinduism, there can be no
rebirth without death he is also the creator.
Images show him with 1 or 5 faces, sometimes with a third
eye and with 4 arms. The arms may hold his symbols of fire,
a drum, a horn, and a trident or take up positions of action
or protection.
All these deities are but
Manifest forms (attributes
and functions) of the
impersonal Brahman
And Hindu’s too are manifest
forms of God!
“We are not human beings
having spiritual experiences;
We are spiritual beings
having a human experience!”
Hinduism is about recognizing the all pervasiveness of the divine