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15.2 The Origins of Hinduism
 No single person began it
 Vedas= collection of sacred Hindu
writings
 Sanskrit- ancient language of India
 Brahmin- a Hindu priest
15.3 Hinduism + the Caste System
* Caste- a class, group, in Hindu
society
* 4 main “castes” are:
1. Brahmins (priests and religious
scholars)
2. Kshatriyas (rulers & warriors)
3. Vaishyas (herders & merchants)
4. Shudras (servants)
 It was very important that you do
your “duty” in your varna. To not
do your duty would have been very
shameful to you and your family.
 Untouchables- a 5th “caste” who
took care of the dirty work, like
garbage and dead things. “Lowest
people”
15.3
Brahman
2 key points:
* Brahman is the one supreme power of
the universe
* Everything is part of Brahman,
Brahman is in everything
Atman= human soul
Symbol: A drop of water is part of the
ocean & the ocean is found in a drop of
water
* Hindus build + visit temples to express
love for many gods, all of which are a
form of Brahman
15.5 Multiple Gods
2 key points:
* Hindus believe in many gods, all of
whom are different faces of Brahman
* 3 main gods:
1. Brahma- the creator
2. Vishnu- the preserver
3. Shiva- the destroyer
How did we match slide + symbol? As all
gods are part of Brahman, the small links
are part of the “chain”
Effect of life in India: many Hindu
holidays, such as Divali, honor the
various Hindu gods
15.6 Dharma
2 key points:
1. Dharma= to perform one’s duties
2. Each social class had its own duties
Varna Dharma means “the way of one’s
kind”
How did we link slide + symbol?
Slide shows 4 castes doing their duty to
honor Vishnu. Hindus believe this brings
harmony. The symbol is of a man “in
harmony” (happy)
Effect on life in India? They believe in
non-violence and they avoid doing harm
to animals
15.7
Karma
key points:
1. karma= both your good + bad deeds
2. Hindus believe people will be reborn
again (reincarnation)
3. Karma determines what form the soul
will take in the next life.
4. People who lived good lives are reborn
into a higher class. People who lived evil
lives are born into a lower class or as an
animal.
How we matched slide + symbol?
Slide shows different levels of existence.
People are reborn into these, depending
on their karma. The mandala symbol
shows a man w/ a bag of his good + bad
actions.
Effect of life in India: the belief in karma
justifies the caste system in India. (People
in a higher caste system must have been
“good” in former lives.)
15.8 Samsara
2 key points:
1. Samsara is the belief in reincarnation
(that a soul is reborn into a new body
after death) Samsara- cycle of birth, life,
death, rebirth
2. People escape the cycle of
reincarnation by following basic beliefs of
Hinduism. (moksha)
How we matched slide + symbol?
Slide shows progress through various
stages of life, ending with death and
rebirth. The mandala symbol shows this
“cycle.”
Effect of this belief: People make
pilgrimages and try to unite w/ Brahman
in order to escape the cycle of rebirth,
death, reincarnation.