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Hinduism A Brief Introduction History of Hinduism • Originated between 4000 and 2000 BC • Over 750,000 followers, mostly in India • No single founder • Vedas: the oldest scriptures of Hinduism • Veda means “to know” • Upanishads explain the philosophical ideas in story and dialogue form Scriptures • Hundreds of scriptures • oldest scriptures: the four Vedas • Most popular scripture: Bhagavad Gita Concept of God • Believe in many gods • You can have your own god, your family can have its own god • Brahman – ultimate “god” or existance • Brahma – creater • Vishnu – preserver • Shiva - destroyer Basic Beliefs • Karma - the law of cause and effect; “you reap what you sow” • Reincarnation - eternal soul traverses through different bodies till it finds liberation • Caste System: • • • • • Brahmins - priests Kshatriyas – government Vaishyas – land owners Sudras – peasants Untouchables – lowest of low (illegal) Hindu Trinity • Brahma - the Creator • Vishnu - the Preserver • Shiva - the Destroyer • Three aspects/powers of the same divine being Ultimate Goal for Hinuism • Moksha – freedom from want • Escaping the cycle of rebirth • Evolving out of the caste system Four Paths to Moksha • Karma Yoga - Path of righteous action • Bhakti Yoga - Path of selfless devotion • Jnana Yoga - Path of rational inquiry • Raja Yoga - Path of renunciation Holy Cow! • Hindus have always had great respect for Mother Nature and its creatures • Cow is especially significant because it symbolizes gentleness Temple Worship • Although Hindus worship anywhere, homes, etc. also have temples • Temples are centers of social and cultural activities • Provide a place for collective worship and prayers Veda Vyasa • 1500 BC • classified the Vedas into the four traditional collections • composed the 18 Puranas • composed his great poetic work, the Mahabharata in a period of two and a half years Sankara • Advaitha philosophy • 7th century AD • traveled all over India having public debates with other philosophers • true happiness can be attained by removing avidya(ignorance) and maya (self deception) Festivals • Hinduism is a celebratory religion • The motive: Festivals keep us close to Gods, invigorate our household and renew our personal life. • Festivals signify victory of good over evil. • Every month of Hindu calendar has atleast one significant festival. Each festival has regional significance also. • Celebration of diversity. Sri Ramanavami Birthday of Lord Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, and his coronation as a king. Mahavir Jayanti Buddha Jayanti Birthday of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism Birthday of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism February/March Mahashivaratri Birthday of Lord Shiva Holi Holi, the festival of colors commemorating the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Holika