Download Hinduism - hcworldreligions

Hinduism
Concept of God
 Nirguna Brahman God without
attributes
 Saguna Brahman God with attributes
 Saguna Brahman
can be worshipped in
any shape or form,
human or otherwise
Hindu Gods
 Vishnu – preserver
of the universe.
Hindu Gods
 Shiva – destroyer
of the universe
Hindu Gods
 Ganesha – Lord of
success
Hindu Gods
 Krishna – one of
the most popular
deities
Four Goals of Human Life
 Kama – fulfillment of
desires
 Artha – accumulation of
wealth
 Dharma – performance of
social and religious duties
 Moksha – freedom from
want, liberation of the soul
from endless cycle of
rebirths, attained by uniting
the atman with the
Brachman. It is the ultimate
goal of Hindus.
Basic Beliefs
A. All living things have a soul.
B. All souls are part of the eternal soul called
atman. The goal in life is to unite atman with
Brahman.
C. Souls want to be part of Brahman but selfish
desire ties them to the material world.
D. Moksha - the goal of Hinduism - to leave the
material world and become one with Brahman,
which gives true freedom, liberation from soul
from the endless cycle of rebirth.
E. Reincarnation – the soul is reborn in other
bodily forms
Basic Beliefs
F. Karma – every action of a person in one
life influences how he will be born in the
next life.


good karma = higher form closer to
Brahman
bad karma = suffering in lower form
G. Dharma – moral rules all beings must
obey, determined by age, gender, and
social class.

Good dharma = good karma
Basic Beliefs
H. Nirvana – oneness with Brahman when
one reaches spiritual perfection. To get
to nirvana more quickly, one can pray,
do rituals, practice self-denial, and reject
worldly goods.
Symbolism in Hinduism
Caste System
Caste system – a system of unchangeable
social rank given at birth that is based on
occupation.
The Hindu faith is used to justify the caste
system.
Your caste determines:
who you marry
who you talk to
how you dress
what you eat
Caste System
Brahmin
(priests)
Kshatryia
(warriors)
Viasys
(merchants, landowners)
Sudra
(commoners, peasants, servants)
Untouchables or Pariahs
(street sweepers, latrine cleaners)
Temple Worship
 Temples provide an
atmosphere
conducive for
spiritual progress
 Centers of social and
cultural activities
 Provide a place for
collective worship
and prayers
Festivals
 Hinduism is a celebratory religion
 The motive: Festivals keep us close to
Gods,
invigorate our household and renew our
personal life.
 Festivals signify victory of good over
evil.
 Every month of Hindu calendar has at
least one
significant festival. Each festival has
regional
significance also.
 Celebration of diversity.