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Hinduism
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I don’t want to claim any religion is superior or
inferior specially in comparison to Hinduism.
I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or beliefs
intentionally during my talk. However, if any of
the contents of my talk is contrary to your
beliefs or practices; please accept my apologies
beforehand.
Dr T Reddy
Origins
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Date ??? 2500 -5000
BC
Founder ?????
Scriptures
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Vedas
Upanishads and
Puranas (Ramayan,
Mahabharat - Gita)
Hinduism
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Outside – Chaotic /
disorganised
Inside – runs
smoothly and
efficiently
Way of life
Difficult to put in
Black & White
Hinduism
Gods and Goddesses
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Hinduism allows greater freedom to
understand and express God in their own
way.
Hindus can pray to God in any form that
they find particularly helpful.
One God Vs Many Gods
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Brahman – the impersonal omnipotent,
omnipresent and the source of all existence,
incomprehensible (One God)
Gods and Goddesses are seen as symbols for
describing ‘Brahman’ (Many Gods)
Common man to understand and easy to
worship
TRINITY
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Brahma – Creator
Vishnu – Preserver
Shiva – Destroyer
Cycle – no real end or
beginning.
The beginning is an
end and the end is a
new beginning
Special Features
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Families
Male & Female
Transport
Stories for common
man to believe and
worship
Imagination (Scientific
basis)
Goddess of Power (Shakti) - Durga
Lord Ganesha (Obstacle Remover)
Ramayan - Hanuman
God - Omnipresent
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Vedic Gods (Forces of
Nature)
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Rain God (Indra or
Varun)
Wind God
Fire (Agni)
Sun
Worship all living
things
God is depicted in
animal form
Way of Life (Hinduism)
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Freedom Vs Conditioning – Thinking /
Expression
Descriptive Vs Prescriptive
Democratic Vs Dictatorial
Non-Contractual (Open-Ended) Vs
Contractual (Covenant)
Tolerance (Equality / Secular) Vs
Intolerance
Hinduism
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No Conversion (Conflict / Terror /
Persecution / War / Invasion)
Non-violence (Peace) Vs Violence
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‘Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti’
Unity in Diversity
How to reach God (Moksha)?
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Eternal Truth (Sanathan Dharma)
‘Oh Lord,
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lead us from untruth to truth,
From darkness to light,
from mortality to immortality’
(Brihadanayaka Upanishad)
Reincarnation (Birth – Death- Re-birth)
Ways of reaching God :– Many different Ways (Solo or
Combination = 100%)
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Karma (good works)
Bhakti (Prayer)
Ghyana (Knowledge /Spiritual)
Hinduism
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Ordinary citizen of India – village life
– born into a Hindu family, grows in
secular / diverse culture, understand,
accept and respect (tolerance) other’s
beliefs & festivals, feel part of
community (Unity in Diversity)
Hinduness (Black hole
phenomenon)
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The average Hindu you meet
in a million villages possesses
simple, innate spirituality and
accepts your diversity, whether
you are Christian or Muslim,
Jain or Arab, French or
Chinese. It is this Hinduness
that makes the Indian
Christian different from, say,
a French Christian, or the
Indian Muslim unlike a Saudi
Muslim. (Francois Gautier-Editor-in-chief of the
Paris-based La Revue de l'Inde)
Hinduism (Prayer)
Gayathri Mantra
OM Bhur-Bhuvah-Svah.
Tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasva dhimahi.
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.
(Click sound icon to listen to
Gayathri Mantra)
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What it means?
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We meditate on the glory
of the Creator;
Who has created the
Universe;
Who is worthy of worship;
Who is the embodiment of
Knowledge and Light;
Who is the remover of all
Sin and Ignorance;
May He enlighten our
Intellect.