Download hinduism

• At first, the Aryans and the other civilization in
India practiced their own religions.
• The Dasas were the other major civilization living in India at the
time
• The Dasas and the Aryans clashed and fought with
one another.
• Eventually, the Aryans and the Dasas intermingled
• Their seperate forms of religions fused into one.
• New religious ideals were formed
• The Aryans’ + Dasas’ beliefs = Hinduism
• Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that developed
slowly over a long period of time in India around 1700-1100
BC.
*NO founder has been traced
Vinayagar
Hanuman
• Hindus share a common worldview.
– Religion is a way of liberating the soul from
illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of
everyday existence.
• Sometime between 750 and 550 B.C.,
Hindu teachers tried to understand and
explain the hidden meaning in the Vedic
hymns
• Remember the Veda?
• The teachers’ interpretations were written
down in a book called the Upanishads
Adi Shankara
• The Upanishads are written dialogues or
discussions betweens students and teachers.
• The dialogues between the students and
teachers explain how people can achieve
freedom from desires and sufferings.
• This achievement is known as moksha
• A state of perfection
Atman (the human soul)
Brahman (the uniting soul)
When a person fully understands the
relationship between atman and Brahman, this
is when they achieve PERFECT understanding
– PERFECT understanding= Moksha
God Kali
• Three Paths to achieve Moksha:
– Path of right thinking
– Path of right action
– Path of religious devotion
*A sadhu is person who has given up their
life to achieve Moksha*
• Moksha does not usually come every lifetime.
• Sometimes it takes multiple lifetimes before a spirit
reaches the PERFECT understanding
• Hindus believe in Reincarnation
– Reincarnation is basically a Rebirth
– An individual soul or spirit is born again and again until
moksha is achieved.
• Reincarnation is affected by karma
• Karma is the soul’s good or bad deeds.
• It follows one’s soul from one reincarnation to
another.
• It influences specific life circumstances, such as
being born into castes.
• Hinduism has changed greatly over the last
2,500 years.
• The word soul Brahman has the
personalities of THREE GODS
• Brahma = The Creator
• Vishnu = The Protector
• Shiva = The Destroyer
• Devi (a mother Goddess) has become more
important.
Devi
Vishnu
Bhrama
Shiva
• Hindu ideas about karma and reincarnation has
strengthened the caste system
*Remember the social order system?*
• Whatever social class you were born into
depended on your karma in a past life.
– If you lived a good life, you were born into the wealthier class
• Ex: Merchant or warrior
– If you lived a bad life, you were born into the bottom classes
• Ex: Untouchables
• Hinduism and the caste system determined:
– What a person ate
– Cleanliness
– And who you could associate and talk with
April 2008