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GEOGRAPHYS The World and Its People Glencoe & McGraw-Hill Historical Atlas of Religions Karen Farrington Discovery Channel (Streaming videos) Introduction History Tenants The word Hinduism simply refers to the term “India” and the wide variety of religious traditions and philosophies that follow. The worlds 3rd largest religion with approximately one billion followers concentrated mostly in India. Hinduism is a collection of thinking past down for thousands of years initially by word of mouth and then eventually written. Current form starts in India around 1500 B.C. Hard to define Polytheistic (sort of) Brahman – the supreme spirit divided into 3 (or more) Devas (gods) Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva Hinduism contains a hierarchy of gods that are known and recognized by the core of its followers, but they are very accepting of any and all gods. It is not uncommon for a Hindu to encounter a god they have not heard of; in fact, when asked how many gods there are in Hinduism, a common answer is nine hundred million: one for each Hindu. Brahma › the Hindu god (deva) of creation Not the same as Brahman Vishnu The maintainer and preserver Shiva The destroyer or transformer Atman – the soul or true self is indistinct from Brahman Caste – your place in the social structure Karma and Reincarnation – your actions in this life affect the caste you will be born into in your next life after you are reincarnated Moksha (nirvana) – loss of individuality to become completely reunited with Brahman 4 Castes or “varnas”(really 5) 1st) Brahmins – teachers, scholars, priests 2nd) Kshatriyas – kings and warriors 3rd) Vaishyas – agriculturists and traders 4th) Shudras – service providers and artisans 5th) Dalits - untouchables This cycle refers to action, reaction, birth, death, and rebirth as a continuum. Reincarnation. To truly escape this cycle one must realize one’s eternal relationship with God or Brahman. Eventually one will realize their atman, soul, is identical to the Brahman, the supreme God. To do this Hindus must have correct prayer and worship, behave in a moral way to ones self, family and society, and follow three principle paths: devotion, action, and knowledge. Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness of God and sometimes also seeking blessings from Devas Many shrines and icons Shruti – ancient texts such as the Vedas Smriti – epics such as the Bahgavad Gita Hindu religion is based on their scriptures called the Vedas. Hindu’s believe the Vedas were composed by Brahma (God) himself at the creation of the world. According to the Vedas the human soul is a portion of the supreme ruler. Dharma: Fulfilling one’s purpose in life, this usually refers to someone’s occupation Artha: pursuit of wealth and prosperity. Kama: pursuit of marriage. Moksha: The ultimate end of every Hindu's life is moksha, which can be understood in a variety of ways: liberation from rebirth, enlightenment, Self-realization, or union with God. This is considered to the be the highest purpose of life, although very few can achieve it. This entails surrendering to a personal god or goddess and putting unquestioned faith in the Brahman. The final goal is to break the cycle of Samsara. Literally translates into “work” or “deed” Many Hindus see it as the moral law of cause and effect. What you do in this life, whether it be physical actions or moral beliefs, will effect what happens to you in the next life. Knowledge learned from guru about the nature of Atman, Brahman, and the universe. This knowledge will break the bonds of attachment to the material world, leading to liberation. Much of the worship takes place at home and is a part of everyday life. Individuals create a shrine of their God or Gods of choice and perform mantras, or prayers, expressing their devotion to God. Visiting temples to worship is not an obligation, in fact it is common for followers to only attend temple for festivals or special events. Major Celebrations: • Largest religious festival in the world in the Kumbh Mela in India. 70 million attend • Diwali – Festival of lights in October or November. Believe Shiva…reincarnated as Rama returned after his exile and people lite their houses to celebrate his victory over evil. • Holi – celebrates the victory of truth over falsehood (dance and music). During harvest time.