Download Hinduism Beliefs

Bellringer
Fill at least 3 lines.
What did you do yesterday to
deserve your new caste?
Questions:
1.
2.
What do you already know about
Hinduism?
List the kinds of powers / abilities
that person can possess.
For example: Strength, etc.
Hinduism
Hinduism
Origins:
 No single founder
 But defined as religion of
“those who believe in the
Vedas, follow the dharma of
the four varnas, and the
stages of life”
Hinduism
Origins:
 Slowly evolved from ancient
Aryan culture in India
around 1500 BC
 Incredibly complex
variations as a result
 Because of variations,
Hinduism is very tolerant
Hinduism
Beliefs:
 Estimated 330 million different gods
worshipped among all of India’s
Hindus
 Followers may most often describe
Hinduism as monotheistic
How is this possible?
Hinduism
Beliefs:
 Brahman
 Nameless, formless, unlimited
supreme force of such complexity
it is unimaginable to humans
Hinduism
Beliefs:
Vishnu
-preserver of life
Shiva
-destroyer
Hinduism
Beliefs:
 Each family may worship hundreds
of additional minor deities specific
to a particular village or family
Some include:
Hinduism
Beliefs:
Ganesha
 God of
wisdom
Hinduism
Beliefs:
Saraswati
 Goddess of
knowledge &
the arts
Hinduism
Beliefs:
Durga
 Goddess of
war & female
creative
energy
(shakti)
Hinduism
Beliefs:
Krishna
Hinduism
Beliefs:
 Ahimsa: Absence of desire to
injure others
 Reincarnation (samsara)
 After death the soul leaves the
body & is reborn in the body of
new person or animal
 Life is cyclical - seen as endless
entanglement
Hinduism
Beliefs:
 Reincarnation – cont.
 Quality of new birth determined
by accumulated merit and
demerit that result from actions
(karma)
Beliefs:
Hinduism
 Thus reincarnation & karma are the
result of life’s stages and goals
Stages
1.
Pure Student
Goals
1.
 Chaste study
2.
3.
4.
Householder
Gradual Detachment
Renunciation
 Withdraw from world
Dharma
 Righteous behavior
2.
3.
4.
Material success
Pleasure
Moksha
 Release
Hinduism
Practices:
 Unity of Hinduism comes from what
followers “do” rather than what
they “believe”
 In this way, Hinduism has a
profound impact on all aspects of
life
Hinduism
Practices:
 Every Aspect of Life:
 In times without television or
radio, entertained by stories of
epic poems & mythology
 Daily bathing & removing shoes
before entering a house reflects
beliefs of purity & pollution
Hinduism
Practices:
 Every Aspect of Life:
 Reverence for Brahmins & cows
 Abstention from meat (esp. beef)
 Marriage within caste
 Hope of producing male heirs
 Make offerings to gods
 Daily ritual in home
 Ceremonially in temple
 Socially celebrate rites of passage
Hinduism
Practices:
 Caste System
 Most important characteristic of
Hindu practice
 Society is divided into four strict
hierarchical ranks: caste or varna
 Brahmans: teachers, priests
 Kshatriyas: warriors, princes
 Vaishyas: merchants
 Sudras: commoners
Hinduism
Practices:
 Caste System
 Even each varna is broken is subcastes or jati
 Determines occupation, marriage,
status, ability to end cycle of
rebirths (only Brahmins)
 Below caste structure is a group
so polluted they are untouchable:
dalits or scheduled castes
Hinduism
Practices:
 Seemingly contradictory life paths
1.Those seeking rewards of world
 Follow first 3 life stages & goals
in an attempt to fulfill one’s
dharma
2.Those seeking release from world
 Follow final life stage to gain
unity with Brahman (universal)
& be released from rebirths
Hinduism
Reflection:
In what ways is Hinduism
polytheistic? Monotheistic?