Download Hinduism

HINDUISM
• The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth!
Founder
• If Jesus founded
Christianity, then who
founded Hinduism?
• The truth is that there
•
is no single founder.
It is believed to have
originated 3,500
years ago when the
Aryans invaded India
from Central Asia.
The Vedas and Epics
What are they?
• Oldest scriptures in the world
• Teach about unending conflict
• 128 hymns, 15 times longer than the Bible
• Tells stories of:
– Aryan warrior aristocracy and Indus Valley
tradition
– Ramayana and Mahabharata – mythological
stories of the human condition
Ramayana
The Law of Karma
• “What goes around
•
•
•
comes around.”
Your future depends
on what actions you
take today.
Laws of cause and
effect
All gods and people
are subject to karma
Reincarnation
• Human spirits are born again and again
until they reach their spiritual goal
• Sometimes, you are not born a human
again… why?
Stages of Life
• Ashrama – learning and education
• Artha – pursue wealth and power
• Kama – pleasure
• … the big one…
• Moksha – liberation from reincarnation
(samsara)
Moksha
• After all reincarnation
is done, the soul is
united with the
Brahma
How many gods?
• 330 million gods
•
•
•
(Devas)
Both polytheistic and
monotheistic
Worship in temples
Sabbath isn’t a
particular day – every
day
Cycle of Life
• Brahma - (Creator)
•
•
is everything (God is
everything)
Vishnu - (Preserver)
Shiva – (Destroyer)
• “Hindu Triad”
• Initially rivals that
reconciled
Hindu Triad
About the gods
• Each god:
– has a consort (shakti) that balances male and
female
– Has a creature to ride on (vahana)
– Ganesha – most worshipped god – remover of
obstacles
The Sacred Cow
• Killing a cow is equivalent to murdering a
person
• Cow is useful:
– Mostly economics – work, garbage disposal,
dairy, fertilizer
By the way…
• Sacrifice to gods became less important
• May transfer belief in one god to another
• Mantra – word or phrase repeated during
meditation