Download Reincarnation/Rebirth

If you could be
reincarnated or reborn in
another life, who or what
would you choose? Why?
Hinduism
Aryans from Eastern Europe invaded the Indus
River Valley
They subdued the local inhabitants & developed a
new civilization that eventually spread over much of
S. Asia
- Aspects of this civilization exist today
If the term Aryan sounds familiar to you, it probably is.
The Nazis adopted the swastika because it was understood as an Aryan symbol indicating racial
purity and superiority. (The Nazis propagated a historical theory in which the early Aryans of
India were white invaders.) There may also be a connection with the swastika's magical
connections, for Hitler and other Nazi leaders were keenly interested in the occult.
The symbol of the swastika is very commonly used in Hindu art, architecture and decoration. It can be seen on
temples, houses, doorways, clothing, cars, and even cakes. It is usually a major part of the decoration for
festivals and special ceremonies like weddings. Its name comes the Sanskrit word svasti (sv = well; asti = is),
meaning good fortune, luck and well-being. It is most commonly used as a charm to bring good fortune (in
which case the arms are bent clockwise), but it has a variety of religious meanings as well.
The right-hand swastika is one of the 108 symbols of the god Vishnu as well as a symbol of the sun and of the
sun god Surya. The symbol imitates in the rotation of its arms the course taken daily by the sun, which appears
in the Northern Hemisphere to pass from east, then south, to west. (It is also a symbol of the sun among Native
Americans.)
The left-hand swastika (called a sauvastika) usually represents the terrifying goddess Kali, night and magic.
However, this form of the swastika is not "evil" and it is the form most commonly used in Buddhism.
Source: http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/symbols/swastika.htm
Tribes: warlike; chariot races; singing & dancing
- headed by a rajah = chief
- wealth was measured in cattle
- Aryans raided each other’s herds
-often at war
Since the Indus River valley was arable, eventually the
Aryans settled down into agricultural life.
- cattle provided milk & ghee (liquid butter);
also hunted game & butchered sheep &
goats
- Later, herds became so sacred that a meat
ban was imposed
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Vedas – Holy books containing hymns, poems,
legends & religious rituals – written once the
Aryans developed written form of Sanskrit
Aryans brought with them 4 main social classes –
Varnas
- this propagated the idea of cultural superiority
Brahman – priests -- performed
elaborate rituals & studied the
Vedas – only they could teach
the Vedas
Kshatriya – rulers, warriors,
landowners – could study Vedas,
not teach
Vaishya – merchants -- tended cattle,
lent money, traded goods, cared for
the land
Shudra – artisans, farmers, servants --served other
Varnas
Later, this hierarchy was named the Caste System by the
Europeans (casta=Portuguese for breed, race or kind)
- within system, people are ranked
- were born into a group; couldn’t change groups;
married within your group; didn’t mix socially
Another group, considered so low that they were outside of the
caste system, and thus, not part of the Varnas were:
Pariahs/Harijan – did work considered unclean (skimming
bodies of water, tanning hides, cleaning latrines)
- were called: “outcastes” or “untouchables”
-etymology of the word “outcast” originates here
Hinduism
• not founded on teachings of one person
• no holy book
• based on beliefs & practices that had roots in
Vedas and Indian epics
• Also based on Upanishads (writings from
thinkers discontent with Vedic rituals)
Hindu philosophy:
There is a universal spirit present within all life; “a light that
shines beyond all things on earth”
• All living things have souls
- Animals, thus, were sacred and killing
them was forbidden
• All souls are part of one eternal spirit: Brahman Nerguna
- To know true freedom, one must be separated from the
material world and united with this
* “As a lump of salt thrown into water dissolves, and cannot be
taken out again as salt, though wherever we taste the water there
is salt.”
Hinduism taught self denial to help people achieve union with
the universal spirit.
- encouraged Yoga – exercises & meditation that
facilitates tranquility
Reincarnation/Rebirth:
- The soul passes through many lifetimes before it finally
achieves union with the universal spirit
This cycle of rebirth is determined by Karma – how a person
lives his/her life determines the next life’s form
Reincarnation/Rebirth (con’t):
To do this, one has to live a good life and fulfill one’s Dharma
… this was the duty that was appropriate for age & class –
doing what’s required of one’s Varna
- one could go up or down
This creates the desire to live a good life – out of this desire
arose the practice of nonviolence towards all living things Ahimsa
The ultimate aim was to achieve Moksha – breaking the cycle of
rebirth – complete freedom from constant rebirth
- prayer, self-denial, religious rituals, and rejection of all
worldly possessions helped achieve this