Download Chapter 5 Lesson 1: The Origins of Hindu India

Chapter 5 Lesson 1:
The Origins of Hindu India
Pg 92 in your textbook
Reading for tonight:
pg 92-95, questions 1-4
Hinduism- The Eternal Faith
• With over 800 million
followers worldwide,
Hinduism is one of
the oldest and most
important religions
on the planet today.
Hinduism- The Eternal Faith
• There is no single founding figure in the
history of Hinduism.
• Most scholars agree that the religion and its
beliefs developed slowly over time, beginning
with the invasion of India in 1500 BC.
Aryan Invasion
of India
The Aryans that moved
into India at that time
brought with them a
variety of beliefs.
The Vedas
• It was around 1500 BC that many Hindus
believe their scriptures known as the Vedas
were revealed.
• These are records of religious knowledge
including 1,000 years worth of hymns,
mantras, magic spells, chants and more. They
are written in Sanskrit.
The Caste System
• These texts describe the caste system that
divides Hindu society into four different groups
1. Brahmins (priests and scholars)
2. Kshatryias (warriors and rulers)
3. Vaishyas (merchants and land owners)
4. Sudras (workers)
________________
5. Untouchables (impure, outside of caste system)
Reincarnation
• The caste system is important to the belief in
reincarnation.
• Reincarnation: the belief that the soul
repeatedly goes through a cycle of being born
into a body, dying, and being reborn again in a
new body.
Reincarnation
Karma and Reincarnation
• Karma, a force that determines the quality of
each life, depending on how well one behaved
in a past life.
• Hinduism says we create karma by our
actions on earth.
• If you live a good life, you create good karma.
• If you live a bad life, you create bad karma.
Karma
Bellringer
• Write a descriptive paragraph in your notebook
using the following vocab terms from yesterday’s
lesson:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hinduism
Aryan Invasion
Vedas
Caste System
5. Reincarnation
6. Karma
Karma and Dharma
• The concept of Karma is ruled by Dharma, or
divine law.
• The law requires everyone to do their duty.
• People’s duties are different depending on their
Varna (caste)
• Those high on the social scale (Brahmins) are held
to higher expectations than lower classes.
• The Brahmins, for example, are expected not to
eat meat. To do this would mean the killing of
another being, thus affecting their karma.
Reincarnation and the Caste System
• The system of reincarnation provided a
religious basis for the class divisions in Indian
society.
• Those who had privileges, deserved them
because they obeyed their caste dharma.
• Also gave hope to those in lower castes,
because if they obeyed their caste dharma,
they would improve their condition in the next
life.
Moksha
• Each time a Hindu soul is reincarnated, it has
the opportunity to improve itself further, and
get closer to ultimate freedom.
• This freedom is called Moksha.
• When Moksha is achieved, the individual soul
unites with the Great World Soul, the
Brahman.
• Seen as a form of “dreamless sleep”
Moksha
• One attains Moksha when one has "overcome
ignorance", and no longer desires anything at all.
• The ones who reach this state are released from
the cycle of reincarnation.
• The way to get to Moksha is to not create any
bad karma.
• Hindus developed the practice of yoga to achieve
Moksha.
Yoga
• The final goal of yoga (which means “union”) is to
form a spiritual union with the Brahman.
• Because people are different, Hindus developed
four types of yoga to meet different needs.
1. The path of knowledge
2. The path of love
3. The path of work
4. The path of meditation
GODS IN HINDUISM
• Because of the variety within Hinduism, it can
be difficult to get a handle on its complex
system of gods and goddesses.
• Most Hindus regard the various gods as parts
of Brahman, the ultimate reality behind all
things.
• The individual Hindu gods are various parts of
the Brahman.
Main Gods in Hinduism
(The Holy Trinity)
1. Brahma
• Brahma is the creator god
• typically depicted with four
heads, each of which recites
one of the Vedas.
Main Gods in Hinduism
2. Vishnu
• One of the most popular
gods is Vishnu, the preserver
of the universe.
• Maintains balance in the
universe
• He is depicted as a blueskinned, four-armed male.
Main Gods in Hinduism
3. Shiva
• Shiva is the destroyer god and
is represented as dancing or
deep in meditation.
• Shiva is also a very important
and beloved god in Hinduism.
• He destroys the world so
Brahma can recreate it in an
endless cycle of reincarnation.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts
Consorts
• The “Tridevi” or triplet goddesses of Hinduism
have equal importance as the holy trinity’
• Brahma is creator, so he needs knowledge or
goddess Saraswati to create.
• Vishnu is observer, so he needs the goddess of
wealth and prosperity, goddess Lakshmi.
• Finally, Shiva is destroyer and re-creator, so he
needs goddess Shakti for power.