Download 1. No single person founded Hinduism. It developed

G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
1. No single person founded Hinduism. It
developed slowly, over a long period of time,
growing out of centuries of older traditions.
3. The caste system affected life in India because
people were born into a caste and could not
change it. They could only marry within their
own caste.
2. Answers will vary. Possible answers:
Section 4
Section 2
Vedic religion
• oldest roots of Hinduism
• named for the Vedas
• grew out of traditions brought to India by
the Aryans
• honored a number of deities associated with
nature and social order
Brahmanism
• more complex rituals
• named for Brahmin class of priests and
religious scholars
• Brahmins interpreted the Vedas and
performed required rituals
Hinduism
• modern-day religion that is very complex
• many beliefs, forms of worship, and deities
exist, and often differ by region
• Vedas remain sacred to many Hindus today
3. The chart is organized from earliest form of
religion that contributed to Hinduism
to present day. Vedic religion grew into
Brahmanism, which influenced modern-day
Hinduism.
Section 3
1. Brahmins—priests and religious scholars
1. • supreme power that some Hindus believe
is greater than all other deities
• to these Hindus, only Brahman exists
forever
• to these Hindus, everything is part of
Brahman, including the human soul
2. Followers of the ancient Vedic religion and
Brahmanism communicated with their deities by holding elaborate rites and sacrifices outdoors.
3. • magnificent in size and design
• doors often face east, toward the rising sun
• building are covered with beautiful carvings
and sculptures
4. Visuals will vary.
Section 5
Answers will vary. Possible answers:
1. • there are many deities in Hindu sacred texts
and worship
• in some Hindu traditions, there are three
important deities
• Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva each control one
aspect of the universe
2. One effect of this belief on life in India is that
literature describes heroic deities battling evil.
Vaishyas—herders and merchants
3. Another effect of this belief on life in India is
that sacred texts about deities have inspired
religious holidays and festivals.
Shudras—servants, farmers, laborers
4. Visuals will vary.
Kshatriyas—rulers and warriors
2. Answers will vary, but students should show
that the caste system changed over time by
growing more complex. By medieval times,
there were thousands of castes.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Learning About World Religions: Hinduism 1
G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
Section 6
Section 8
Answers will vary. Possible answers:
Answers will vary. Possible answers:
1. • dharma stands for law, obligation, and duty
1. • the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
• each social class was said to have its own
duties that involved a certain type of work
• Hindus are also expected to follow a
common dharma, or set of values
2. One effect of this belief on life in India is that
many Hindus value nonviolence because they
believe all life forms have a soul.
3. Another effect of this belief on life in India
is that the cow is honored as the symbol of
Hindus’ respect for life.
• samsara ends when the soul escapes from
the cycle of reincarnation
• it takes many lifetimes before a person can
balance his or her karma and be released
from samsara
2. One effect of this belief on life in India is that
people would worship faithfully according to
prescribed rules to free themselves.
4. Visuals will vary.
3. Another effect of this belief on life in India is
that ancient Hindus would make pilgrimages
to sacred places to cleanse them of their sins.
Section 7
4. Visuals will vary.
Answers will vary. Possible answers:
1. • karma explains why Hindus should live
according to dharma
• the law of karma governs what happens to
people’s souls after death
• karma is made up of all the good and evil
that a person had done in past lives
2. One effect of this belief on life in India is that
karma was used to explain why people had a
certain status in society.
3. Another effect of this belief on life in India is
that karma was used to justify the caste system
until people started criticizing it.
4. Visuals will vary.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Learning About World Religions: Hinduism 2