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“There is only one God, but endless are his aspects and endless are his names” INTRODUCTION TO HINDUISM THE VAST MAJORITY OF HINDUS LIVE IN INDIA AND NEPAL THE GANGES RIVER Falling from Its source of Vishnu’s feet onto Shiva’s head and out from his hair, the water of the Ganges is sacred enough to purify all sins. WHAT IS HINDUISM? Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The religion developed in India, taking much from the religion practiced by the Aryans, a group who had invaded the country from the north around 1500 B.C. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. The Hindu religion developed from the Vedas, or the Books of Knowledge. This book also came from the Aryan priests and contains complicated rituals and hymns. WHAT DO HINDUS BELIEVE? Hindus believe in many gods . All gods are part of a supreme spirit– Brahman These are the main three gods known to Hindus around the world: Brahman – the Creator Shiva - Preserver Vishnu - Destroyer WHAT DO HINDUS BELIEVE? Reincarnation – you are continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime Karma – spiritual impurity due to actions keeps us bound to this world (good and bad) Ultimate goal of life – to reunite with the divine, becoming as one with Brahman KARMA & DHARMA Karma: “action” or “deeds” Every action produces a Justified effect based on its moral worthiness. Karma determines all the particular circumstances and Situations of one’s life. Dharma: ethical duty based on the divine order of reality. The word is the closest equivalent to “religion.” HOW DOES HINDUISM DIRECT LIFE IN THIS WORLD? Respect for all life – vegetarian Human life as supreme: Four “stations” of life (Caste) - priests & teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant class, servant class Four stages of life – student, householder, retired, renunciation Four duties of life – pleasure, success, social responsibilities, religious responsibilities REINCARNATION Samsara is the wheel of rebirth which means the soul is reborn from one life form to another. People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma from their present life. People may be reborn as plants or animals or they may be elevated to a higher caste as a human. Death is not final for Hindus as they expect to be reborn many times. WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES OF HINDUISM? The Four Yogas - seeking union with the divine: Karma Yoga – the path of action through selfless service (releases built up karma without building up new karma) Jnana Yoga – the path of knowledge (understanding the true nature of reality and the self) Raja Yoga – the path of meditation Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion Guru – a spiritual teacher, especially helpful for Jnana and Raja yoga HOW DO HINDUS WORSHIP? Bhakti Yoga is seeking union with the divine through loving devotion to manifest deities In the home (household shrines) In the Temples (priests officiate) Puja – making offerings to and decorating the deity images Darsan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship) Prasad – taking the divine within your own being through eating of food shared with the deity CASTE SYSTEM Four major castes Brahmin : priests Kshatriya: warriors and administrators Vaistrya: farmers, merchants, teachers, artisans Sudras: servants,laborers WHO DO HINDUS WORSHIP? – THE MAJOR GODS OF THE HINDU PANTHEON Brahma, the creator god All these deities are but Manifest forms (attributes and functions) of the impersonal Brahman THE TWO MOST POPULAR GODS SHIVA VISHNU AVATARS OF VISHNU Krishna Rama WHO DO HINDUS WORSHIP? – THE MAJOR GODS OF THE HINDUISM Vishnu, the preserver god Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including: Rama (featured in the Ramayana) Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata) (Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively) WHO DO HINDUS WORSHIP? – THE MAJOR GODS OF THE HINDU Shiva, god of constructive destruction (the transformer) Appears as Shiva Nataraj, lord of the dance of creation… and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha (the elephant headed remover of obstacles) BANARAS - HINDU’S HOLY CITY Pilgrims come from all over to bathe in the Ganges. Countless Hindus come to Banaras to die. It has 1500 temples, most of them devoted to Shiva. It is a gathering place for the religiously learned and their disciples. SACRED COW OF INDIA FESTIVALS AND HOLY DAYS no set day of the week is holy-each days has its possibilities Religious festivals may be solar or lunar-lunar is preferred In order to keep festivals consistent, an additional lunar month is added to the calendar about every three years. Some numbered days of the month are more important than others. There are 125 special days in the Hindu year. FESTIVAL: DIWALI Diwali: “Row of lights Takes place in Oct. or Nov. It is a series of five festivals Lights are floated on small rafts If the candle remains lit, good luck will follow. GANDHI: THE FATHER OF INDIA For Gandhi, social concern was deeply rooted in his conviction of the Sacredness of life. Gandhi believed that human beings should strive to live as simply as possible since overindulgence often meant that others may have to do without their basic needs. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on January 30, l948 as India was gaining its independence. ONE OCEAN, MANY NAMES