Hinduism

Brahman

• Supreme God• Everything part

of Brahman• Goal in life to

unite atman (the soul) with Brahman

• Hindus build temples and shrines

Multiple Gods

• Hindus believe in MANY gods- POLYTHEISTIC

• Gods and goddesses are part of Brahman• Most important gods: Brahma, Vishnu,

Shiva• Holidays honor the many Gods

Dharma

• Sacred duty• Individual

dharma determined by personality, age, gender,social class

• Each class has its own duties

• Nonviolence- no harm to animals

Karma

• Sum of good and bad actions

• Good and bad actions affect future life-what form the soul will take

• Karma justifies the caste system

Samsara• Belief in

reincarnation• Continuous cycle

of birth, death and rebirth

• Goal in life is achieve moksha and be released from samsara

• People make pilgrimages and unite with Brahman to escape the cycle

Sacred Texts

• Veda– Written in Sanskrit– Word Veda means

“knowledge”

• Upanishads– Earliest reference to

reincarnation– Originally in oral form

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Worship and Sacred Place

• Most Hindus worship every day at a home shrine

• Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a sacred statue of God or goddess

• Mandir- Hindu Temple

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Major festival- Divali

• New Year Festival/ Festival of Light

• Celebrated all over the world

• 5 days• Usually celebrated in

October/November

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Rituals-Sanskar

• Wedding- can take several hours

• Baby rituals-

Ceremony during pregnancy;

Naming ceremony and many others

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

What is the red dot?• Known as a bindhi, tika or

tilaka• “Third eye of Shiva”-

represents the center of knowledge or symbol of respect for ancestors

• Used to be worn only by married women and on holidays- now worn by men and women as fashion

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Other Practices

• Ganges River is holy place

• Pilgrimage to sacred places important

• Fasting

• Belief in reincarnation very important

• YOGA- form of physical and mental exercise - means “Union”- provides a path to Brahman