* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download What is Hinduism?
Buddhism and Hinduism wikipedia , lookup
Hindu nationalism wikipedia , lookup
Indra's Net (book) wikipedia , lookup
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha wikipedia , lookup
History of Shaktism wikipedia , lookup
Brahma Sutras wikipedia , lookup
2013 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence wikipedia , lookup
California textbook controversy over Hindu history wikipedia , lookup
Hinduism in Bangladesh wikipedia , lookup
1950 East Pakistan riots wikipedia , lookup
Rajan Zed prayer protest wikipedia , lookup
Women in Hinduism wikipedia , lookup
Neo-Vedanta wikipedia , lookup
Invading the Sacred wikipedia , lookup
History of Hinduism wikipedia , lookup
Hinduism in Indonesia wikipedia , lookup
Anti-Hindu sentiment wikipedia , lookup
Warm up With your Partner: Create a list of six (6) appropriate words or phrases that you believe is part of Hinduism or the Indian Culture. Again – please be respectful and appropriate. 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