Download Hindu perspectives on Evil and Suffering - Gazi Asha

Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Aim:
to consider Hindu explanations for evil and
suffering in the world
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
What is Hinduism?
In pairs: 2 minute brainstorm.
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is the world's oldest extant religion, with a billion
followers, which makes it the world's third largest religion.
Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and
cultural ideas and practices that originated in India,
characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being
of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect,
following the path of righteousness, and the desire for
liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Definitions:
Dharma, Karma, Moksha
= Samsara
Dharma

The code for leading one's life.
Refers to religion or activities regulated by religion;
one's faith; one's spiritual path in life. Also in the
lowest sense it refers to the duties one is compelled to
perform in vedic culture based on their stage in life
and family in which they were born.

Respect for elders is considered important and many
consider marriage as a son's religious duty.

Moksha
The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become one
with Brahma.
This freedom is referred to as moksha. Until moksha is
achieved, a Hindu believes that he/she will be
repeatedly reincarnated in order that he/she may work
towards self-realization of the truth (the truth being
that only Brahman exists, nothing else).
Karma
Karma is the cause and effect.
This means that every action leads to a consequence.
For example: If you misbehave you get a detention or
if you smile at someone, they might smile you back
and you will both feel happier.
Good karma = good action
Bad karma = bad action.

Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Karma
Cosmic cause
and effect
Good and bad
actions ‘saved
up’ over a
lifetime
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
2 more Definitions:
Brahman- one god with
many forms
Atman – the soul is called
The Atman.
Samsara (Reincarnation)
Hindus believe that when body dies, the soul is
born again in a new body.
If you have lived a good life you will be
reincarnated as something better,like a solider
or priest
If you have lived a bad life you will be
reincarnated as something worse,like a
servant or even an animal.
Samsara
The eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth.
In Hinduism, the endless round of birth, death, and rebirth to
which all conditioned beings are subject. Samsara is
conceived as having no perceptible beginning or end. The
particulars of an individual's wanderings in samsara are
determined by karma. In Hinduism, moksha is release from
samsara. The range of samsara stretches from the lowest
insect (sometimes the vegetable and mineral kingdoms are
included) to Brahma, the highest of the gods.
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Using the sheet we have just read, write out
four new sentences about Hinduism, which use
all the words underneath:
Faith
existences
evil
actions
rebirth
God
death
natural
Oneness
Try and use the vocabulary we just learned
in your sentences!
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Journey of a Soul: How Atman reaches Moksha
Each Atman lives a number of lives while they are part of the
cycle of Samsara (birth death and rebirth). The Karma ‘saved
up’ during a lifetime, will determine whether the next rebirth will
be ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ than the previous example.
The Lowest rebirth is…
…because…
The Highest rebirth is as a ……
…..after this one may attain Moksha.
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Plenary: thinking and reflection time
Is the Hindu perspective a good way of explaining
why some people are poor, or sick?
Hindu perspectives on Evil and
Suffering
Hinduism Homework
Karma: Snakes and Ladders
Make your own snakes and ladders game with good
actions which take you up a ladder, or bad actions
which take you down a snake.
Make them big and creative because we’ll be playing
them next lesson.
You can use the proforma as a guide or make your own
from scratch.