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Hinduism
What is Hinduism?
One of the oldest
religions of
humanity
The religion of
the Indian people
Gave birth to
Buddhism,
Jainism, Sikhism
How did Hinduism begin?
Began in Indus River Valley Civilization >5000 years ago
Founded on the Vedas, a set of ancient religious texts –
Developed over time from different cultures and
practices.
It is a collection of Indian beliefs from many different
cultures and philosophies.
Sacred Writings
Vedas – written in Sanskrit by Aryans, who
brought them from Persia to India about 1500
BCE.
Covered every area of life, including social roles (caste system).
Theology, philosophy, and mythology
Hymns of praise, (over 1000) to different deities
Sacred Writings
Upanishads – about 500 BCE, expressed the idea
that everything in the universe is united as part
of one supreme being (Brahman) and that all
should reunite with this being.
Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) – 100 BCE,
expressed concepts of dharma and karma, guide
to life, how to achieve Moksha.
What do Hindus believe about
God?
One impersonal God –
Brahman is the origin of
existence for people and the
universe.
Hindus have different views
about Brahman.
Some believe that God
manifests as many personal
deities (gods) but that there is
only one God.
Others believe that the deities
are separate gods.
What do Hindus believe about
God?
There are three main
manifestations of God and
they sometimes come to
earth in human form to
defeat evil and help humanity:
Brahma the creator
Vishnu the preserver
Shiva the destroyer
Most Hindus serve either
Shiva or Vishnu.
The true essence of life, or the
soul – Atman, is Brahman
(God) trapped in earthly
matter
Who do Hindus worship?
Brahma, the creator god
Who do Hindus worship?
Vishnu, the preserver god
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:
Rama (featured in the Ramayana)
Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata)
(Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively)
Who do Hindus worship?
Shiva, god of constructive destruction
(the transformer)
Appears as Shiva Nataraj,
lord of the dance of creation…
and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha
(the elephant headed remover of obstacles)
What about the goddesses?
Saraswati, goddess of wisdom,
consort of Brahma
Lakshmi, goddess of good
fortune, consort of Vishnu
Parvati, divine mother, wife
of Shiva
What about the goddesses?
Durga, protectress
Kali, destroyer of demons
Plus about 330 million other deities
All these deities are but
Manifest forms (attributes
and functions) of the
impersonal Brahman
How do Hindus worship?
They use images and statues
to worship the deity
represented or the power
represented.
They do this in temples and at
home by creating household
shrines.
They care for and serve these
gods by
Making offerings to and
decorating the deity images
Taking the divine within
themselves by sharing and eating
food with the deity.
What do Hindus believe?
Dharma is the natural order of the universe, the “law of
being” that allows people to live in harmony and
happiness.
Dharma is a person’s spiritual duty and their duty to
others. People must act according to Dharma to live in
accord with the universe.
Patience, forgiveness, honesty, non-violence, self-control
What do Hindus believe?
Reincarnation – the soul is reborn into this
world lifetime after lifetime.
People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower
level of existence, even as plants or animals.
What do Hindus believe?
What level of existence you are reborn at depends
on the karma you built up in your past life.
Karma – (the effect of our actions, good and bad)
keeps us bound to this world.
Every action has an effect on our next life and
everyone gets what they deserve.
What do Hindus believe?
Moksha – The ultimate goal of life is for the
soul to be released from this earth and reunited
with the divine, becoming one with Brahman
(God) and experiencing infinite bliss and
awareness.
To achieve this, one must live according to Dharma
and do good deeds to balance out the bad karma.
How does one
achieve Moksha?
Selfless service (doing good deeds and serving
others) releases built up bad karma
The path of knowledge (understanding the true
nature of reality and the self)
Meditation, yoga, studying scriptures
How does one
achieve Moksha?
The path of Devotion, giving up worldly desires and
duties to focus on God.
People live the life of an ascetic, withdrawing from the world.
What do Hindus believe?
All living things should be respected
Vegetarianism
Protecting living things on Earth
Non-violence
Tolerance and respect for other beliefs and
religions
There are other paths to God
Hindu Practices
Hindus worship individually,
making personal offerings to a
particular deity at a home shrine.
Light a lamp/candle, offer food
They recite passages from
religious texts, chant mantras
(repetitive, ritualized prayers that
bring one’s mind to holy
thoughts), sing devotional
hymns and meditate.
They can do this in a temple or at
home.
Hindu Practices
Hindus purify themselves by bathing or
swimming in sacred rivers, especially the
Ganges River in North India.
They gather in temples during religious
holidays to worship and prayer.
Hindu Practices
Hindus cremate their dead.
The physical body is no longer needed and goes back to
the elements.
Hindus follow dietary restrictions.
Refuse to eat beef because cows are considered sacred
for the milk they give.
Many Hindus are vegetarian so that they do not harm
living things.
Hindu Practices
Hindus go on pilgrimage to holy places,
such as rivers, waterfalls, mountains, major
temples, or sacred cities.
The sacred is present in ordinary things,
including nature.
Many pilgrimages include bathing in a river.
Common Questions
Do Hindus worship cows?
Hindus honor the cow because she is gentle
and gives more than she takes
Why do Hindus wear a dot in the middle
of their forehead?
It represents divine sight and shows that one
is a Hindu