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H A F S I T E . O R G
Hinduism 101Promoting Dignity
Mutual Respect & Pluralism
Where does Hinduism come from?
Hinduism…
… d e v e l o p e d i n T H E I N D U S
VA L L E Y
… i s a t l e a s t
5000Y E A R S O L D
… i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e w o r l d ’ s
oldestA C T I V E M A J O R
R E L I G I O N
Hindus refer to their religion as Sanatana Dharma, or
the Eternal Way.
ScripturesV E D A S
U PA N I S H A D S
P U R A N A S
E P I C SR A M A Y A N A & M A H A B H A R A T A
Countless life stories, devotional poetry, and commentaries by learned religious figures.
What are the Indic Religions?
Hinduism Buddhism Jainism Sikhism
O v e r m a n y c e n t u r i e s , H i n d u i s m ' s p l u r a l i s t i c e t h o s w a s r e f l e c t e d t h r o u g h I N D I A ' S E M B R A C E O F O T H E R R E L I G I O U S G R O U P S s u c h a s J e w s , C h r i s t i a n s , a n d Z o r o a s t r i a n s w h e n t h e y w e r e p e r s e c u t e d e l s e w h e r e .
What do Hindus believe?
T h e d e e p e s t s p i r i t u a l t r u t h g l e a n e d t h r o u g h t h e Ve d a s i s t h a t B r a h m a n o f S u p r e m e C o n s c i o u s n e s s ( u s e d i n t e r c h a n g e a b l y w i t h “ t h e D i v i n e ” “ t h e A b s o l u t e ” o r “ G O D ” ) , p e r v a d e s t h e e n t i r e u n i v e r s e .
T h i s d i v i n e r e a l i t y i s p r e s e n t i n a l l l i v i n g b e i n g s a n d i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s e t e r n a l a n d f u l l o f b l i s s .
Brahman…M a n y H i n d u s b e l i e v e t h a t B R A H M A N i s f o r m l e s s a n d i n f i n i t e a n d c a n b e w o r s h i p e d i n d i f f e r e n t f o r m s .
T h e y b e l i e v e t h a t t h e e n t i r e c r e a t i o n e m e r g e d f r o m , r e s t s i n , a n d w i l l d i s s o l v e i n t o B r a h m a n .
Others believe that the Divine exists in one true form, specifically as Krishna for Vaishnavas or Shiva for Shaivites.
i t screation
i t spreservation
i t sdissolution
Brahman…i s u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e c a u s e o f c r e a t i o n –
In Hindu lore, these three functions are said to be the work of what is the commonly referred to as the Hindu trinity or trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Atman…T h e S o u l o r A t m a n , i s e t e r n a l . W h e n t h i s p h y s i c a l b o d y d i e s , t h e s o u l i s r e b o r n i n a n o t h e r b o d y ( s a m s a r a , o r r e i n c a r n a t i o n ) .
Rebirth is governed by the Law of Karma: that every action has a consequence, like cause and effect.
What one experiences in this life is the result of one’s past actions, either from this birth or previous births; and in the converse, how one acts today will impact the future, the effects of which will be experienced either in this or future births.
How one deals with the problems he or she faces in this life determines whether one creates good or bad karma for his or her present and future lives.
Human beings have 4 goals in life.
DharmaRighteous action in any given situation
Artha The pursuit of prosperity
KamaEnjoyment of the
material world
Moksha Liberation from
suffering caused by dependence on
the material world and from the cycle of birth
and rebirth
Four PathsT H E B H A G AVA D G I TA O U T L I N E S F O U R P R I M A R Y PAT H S
T O T H E E X P E R I E N C E O F G O D ’ S P R E S E N C E A N D J O Y A N D O B TA I N T H E F O U R T H G O A L O F M O K S H A
T H E F O U R PAT H S
Raja Yoga
Focusing inwardly on the divine
through meditation
Karma Yoga
Performing one’s duty selflessly
Jnana Yoga
Studying and contemplating
on the scriptures
Bhakti Yoga
Loving god through devotion and service
Forms of Brahman
I n H i n d u i s m , G o d i s w o r s h i p p e d i n b o t h m a l e a n d f e m a l e f o r m s . T h e f e m a l e f o r m i s k n o w n a s S h a k t i , w h i c h m e a n s e n e r g y.
T H E F O R M S O F B R A H M A N
B e c a u s e H i n d u s b e l i e v e t h a t B r a h m a n t a k e s f o r m ( s ) , H i n d u s a c c e p t t h a t t h e r e a r e a v a r i e t y o f w a y s i n w h i c h a l l h u m a n b e i n g s c o n n e c t w i t h t h e D i v i n e .
O t h e r f o r m s r e s e m b l e a n i m a l s o r b i r d s .
E a c h o f t h e s e f o r m s o f G o d h a s s y m b o l i c m e a n i n g . H i n d u s e n j o y t e l l i n g s t o r i e s a b o u t t h e v a r i o u s f o r m s t o i n s p i r e l o v e o f G o d a n d i n s t i l l e t h i c a l v a l u e s .
Ganesh H i n d u s p r a y t o t h e m a n y f o r m s o f B r a h m a n a s i n d i v i d u a l g o d s w h o r e p r e s e n t p a r t i c u l a r d i v i n e q u a l i t i e s o r p o w e r s .
F o r e x a m p l e , t h e y b e l i e v e t h a t G a n e s h i s t h e G o d o f w i s d o m a n d h e l p s p e o p l e o v e r c o m e o b s t a c l e s .
Lakshmi H e r f o u r a r m s r e p r e s e n t D h a r m a , A r t h a , K a m a , a n d M o k s h a .
T h e l o t u s g r o w s i n m u d d y w a t e r, b u t r e m a i n s c l e a n a n d d r y. I t i s s e e n a s a r e m i n d e r o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f d o i n g t h e r i g h t t h i n g e v e n w h e n s u r r o u n d e d b y w r o n g i n f l u e n c e s .
Lakshmi is worshipped as the Goddess of Prosperity.
KrishnaK r i s h n a i s s a i d t o h a v e c o m e t o e r a d i c a t e e v i l a n d p r o t e c t g o o d .
RamaG o d i s b e l i e v e d t o h a v e t a k e n t h e h u m a n f o r m o f R a m a t o s h o w p e o p l e h o w t o l i v e t h e p a t h o f D h a r m a .
T h e d e p i c t i o n o f s o m e H i n d u g o d s i n b l u e i s s y m b o l i c .
L I K E T H E S K Y, G O D I S C O N S I D E R E D
limitlessL I K E WAT E R ,
G O D I S S E E N A S life-sustaining
HanumanH a n u m a n i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e i d e a l d e v o t e e b e c a u s e o f h i s l o v i n g a n d s e l f l e s s s e r v i c e o f R a m a .
Murtis T H E VA R I O U S F O R M S O F G O D A R E R E P R E S E N T E D I N
C O N S E C R AT E D I M A G E S K N O W N A S M U RT I S
A Murti c a n b e m a d e o f w o o d , s t o n e , o r m e t a l s a n d o f f e r s H i n d u s a w a y t o v i s u a l i z e a n d m e d i t a t e u p o n B r a h m a n , w h i c h i s b e l i e v e d t o b e b e y o n d t h e g r a s p o f t h e h u m a n m i n d .
Murti i s o f t e n t r a n s l a t e d a s “ i d o l , ” b u t a m o r e a c c u r a t e t r a n s l a t i o n i s “ e m b o d i m e n t . ” H i n d u f a m i l i e s c o n d u c t t h e i r d a i l y w o r s h i p a t h o m e a l t a r s a n d a l s o a t t e m p l e s o n s p e c i a l o c c a s i o n s . M a n y H i n d u s c o n s u l t g u r u s , o r s p i r i t u a l g u i d e s , f o r a d v i c e o r a n s w e r s t o s p i r i t u a l q u e s t i o n s .
What is Hinduism’s view on other religions?
P L U R A L I S M
Hinduism promotes n o t o n l y r e s p e c t f o r o t h e r r e l i g i o n s , b u t a l s o a c k n o w l e d g e s t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r t r u t h i n t h e m .
Hindus believe t h e r e s h o u l d b e n o d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t a n y p e r s o n b a s e d o n o n e ’ s r e l i g i o n .
The core philosophy o f H i n d u i s m i s t h e s e a r c h f o r t r u t h , n o t t h e s p e c i f i c p a t h t a k e n .
What is Hinduism’s view on Science?
Hinduism e m b r a c e s s c i e n c e a s o n e o f t h e w a y s i n w h i c h h u m a n s s e e k t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e w o r l d w e l i v e i n .
H i n d u s c r i p t u r e s d e s c r i b e t h e c o n c e p t o f p l a n e t s i n t h e s o l a r s y s t e m c i r c l i n g t h e s u n , a n d t h e e a r t h a s r o u n d a n d r o t a t i n g o n i t s a x i s .
A n c i e n t H i n d u s a l s o m a d e n o t e w o r t h y s t r i d e s i n a s t r o n o m y, c h e m i s t r y, m a t h e m a t i c s , m e t a l l u r g y, m e d i c i n e ( A y u r v e d a ) , a n d s u r g e r y , i n c l u d i n g m a n y f i n d i n g s u p o n w h i c h m o d e r n s c i e n c e , m e d i c i n e a n d t e c h n o l o g y a r e b a s e d .
What is Hinduism’s global influence?
E V I D E N C E O F H I N D U I N F L U E N C E h i s t o r i c a l l y i s s t i l l s e e n a l l o v e r S o u t h E a s t A s i a
A N C I E N T H I N D U T E M P L E S w e r e b u i l t i n C a m b o d i a a n d J a v a ; a n d a b o u t 4 M i l l i o n H i n d u s L i v e I n I n d o n e s i a
S T O R I E S F R O M T H E R A M AYA N A & M A H A B H A R ATA a r e v e r y p o p u l a r i n T h a i l a n d , L a o s , M a l a y s i a & I n d o n e s i a
The Practice of Yoga O r i g i n a t e d i n H i n d u i s m a n d i s n o w p o p u l a r a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d .
with more than
1 billionH I N D U S
H I N D U I S M i s t h e
3rd largestreligion in the world
80 percentOf India’s population is Hindu
45 millionLive in neighboring countries
2.5 millionHindus have migrated to north America since 1965. This does
not account for Hindus of non-Indian descent.
Significant Numbers of Hindus still live in various parts of Africa, West Indies,
and Fiji, where they were sent by the British as plantation laborers in the 19th and 20th century.
Hinduism…i s t h e w o r l d ’ s o l d e s t a c t i v e m a j o r r e l i g i o n a n d t h i r d l a r g e s t .
e m p h a s i z e s t h e n e e d t o l i v e i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h d h a r m a o r r i g h t e o u s l y.
p r e a c h e s p l u r a l i s m a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f e x p e r i e n c i n g t r u t h .
T H A N K Y O U
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