Download Hinduism - Sunset Ridge School District 29

All notes are excerpted from CNN
Hinduism is the third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.
The word Hinduism is derived from a Sanskrit word that means "dwellers
by the Indus River."
History:
There is no single founder or founding incident of Hinduism. It grew out of
cultural and religious changes in India.
Practicing Hinduism:
13.8% of the world’s population / 80.5% of India / 0.7% of American adults
Beliefs/Practices:
The Hindu belief is that gods or divinities can take many forms, but all form
one universal spirit called Brahman.
The three most important representations of Brahman are Brahma, the
creator of the universe, Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, and Shiva,
the destroyer of the universe.
The Hindu belief involves reincarnation of the soul, (rebirth after death).
The belief in reincarnation developed around 600 BC. Hindus believe the
conditions of one's present life are due to karma, or accumulated good or
bad behavior in past lives.
One improves one's conditions through good behavior and creates
suffering for oneself through bad behavior.
Eventually the soul will achieve moksha, or salvation, and stop the cycle
of rebirths to become a part of the absolute soul. Paths to salvation are
called margas or yogas:

karma marga – performing social obligations & offering selfless
service

jnana marga – studying & cultivating intellectual understanding of
one’s identity with Brahman

bhakti marga – devotion to one’s personal god

raja marga – using meditation to gain insight into the absolute soul
that resides within one’s self
There is no single book of doctrine, but many. It is an inclusive religious
group, allowing for much diversity.
The Vedas are the primary literary works, containing sacred verses and
hymns composed in Sanskrit and taking on their current form around 1500
B.C. There are four Vedas.
Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
Pilgrimages and festivals are common in Hinduism. Diwali, the New Year's
celebration, features giving of gifts and lighting of ceremonial lamps. Holi,
the Festival of Colors, marks the arrival of spring each year.
Caste System:
Indian society has traditionally been divided into a hierarchical system
called caste (which is not limited to Hindus, but which most Hindus have
observed throughout history).
There are four major social classes (already covered). One group is lower
than the four general groups. They are the untouchables and they
perform "unclean" work, such as leather working and street cleaning.
Although Hinduism teaches that discrimination and prejudice go against
the idea of the divinity of all beings, this “problem” does occur when
regarding the untouchable group.
Mahatma Gandhi called these untouchables "children of God." Although
the 1950 Indian constitution outlawed "untouchability," violence against
them continues.