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What is Hinduism? The religion of the Indian people
Gave birth to other religions: Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
Focus on tolerance and diversity: "Truth is one, paths are many“
A way of life – focused both on this world and beyond
How did Hinduism begin?
The world’s oldest religion. It has no beginning.
Predates recorded history.
No particular founder!
Began in Indus River Valley Civilization over 4000 years ago.
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE 500 BCE 0 500 CE
Hinduism
Abraham
Judaism
IslamJudaism
Moses
Jesus Christ c.4 BCE – 30
CE
Christianity
K’ung (Confucius)
551-479 BCE
Confucianism
Guatama Buddha
563-483 BCE
Lao-Tzu
Taoism
Buddhism
Muhammad
570-632 CE
Islamic community
Relationship with GodBelieve in many gods (polytheistic), but a single,
impersonal larger universal force known as Brahman.
Brahman: unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force - too complex for humans to understand so they worship many gods to give the Brahman a concrete form.
Ex: think of Brahman as a hand with many fingers, each finger represents a god
Brahma: The Creator
Vishnu: The Preserver
Shiva: The Destroyer
What do Hindus believe?
One universal force – Brahman
Takes the form of many personal deities
True essence of life – Atman, the soul, is Brahman trapped in matter.
Dharma – moral balance; doing the right thing
Samsara (Reincarnation) – atman is continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime
Goal of LifeThe ultimate goal of life is to achieve moksha (union
with Brahman). To do this, individuals must free themselves from all selfish desires. Most people cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime.
A person moves closer to moksha by obeying the law of karma.
Karma refers to all actions of a person’s life that affect his/her fate.
Good Karma: reincarnate in higher form
Bad Karma: reincarnate in lower form
What are the Sacred Texts?
oFour Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals, chants
oUpanishads – collection of stories
oThe Great Indian Epics:RamayanaMahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)
But there is no single sacred text!!!
ReincarnationHindus believe that because moksha cannot be
achieved in one lifetime, the soul reincarnates in the next life.
Reincarnation: rebirth of the soul in another bodily form.
How does Hinduism view
life in this world?
To Hindus, all people & things are aspects of the Brahman and should be respected.
Respect for all life – vegetarian.
Hindus stress nonviolence.
Caste System
Caste: unchangeable social group into which a person is born.
Four “stations” of life (caste) - priests, nobles & warriors, merchant class, servant class.
The outcastes = the untouchables.
Caste System Brahmin: priests
Kshatriya: warriors and administrators
Vaishya: farmers, merchants, teachers, artisans
Shudras: servants, laborers
Who do Hindus worship? (the major gods of Hinduism)
Brahman – The Creator God
Vishnu – the preserver of the
universe
Maintains balance
Has many incarnations, coming to earth to restore balance.
Shiva – the destroyer
Hindus believe that Shiva periodically destroys the world in order to recreate it.
Shiva is the source of both good and evil.
Other important gods
Lakshmi - Goddess of wealth
Ganesh – Remover of obstacles
All these gods and goddesses are forms
(attributesand functions) of theuniversal Brahman!
All these gods and goddesses are forms
(attributesand functions) of theuniversal Brahman!
Hindu Worship
Mandir = TempleMany Hindus have
small shrines in their homes.
Hindu Symbols
Om – visual and oral representation of Brahman
The Lotus flower- birth of the universe
Swastika – sacred symbol of good
luck
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