HinduismHinduism

The History of Hinduism

Hinduism The term Hindu was traditionally used by outsiders

to describe the people of South Asia, now it has come to describe their religion

A “Hindu” is someone who accepts the authority of the Vedas

Hinduism is the largest religion in India today

Hinduism began with the beliefs of the Aryan people and the Harappans and mixed as the two cultures collided.

Hinduism is one of the oldest of the world religions of today, originating well before the Vedas were written down.

Hinduism is incredibly tolerant of other religions, often incorporating their beliefs and practices to at least some degree.

Vedas The Vedas are ancient books of Aryan

poetry, songs, hymns, myths, stories, etc. that focus on gods, religion, and history.

There are a total of four Vedas0Rig Veda (oldest)0Sama Veda0Yajur Veda0Atharva Veda

Each Veda has four layers of text0Samhitas0Original verses

0Brahmanas0Commentary by Brahmins on keeping cosmic

balance (purity)0Aranyakas0primarily concerned with the proper performance

of ritual 0Upanishads0Philosophy-

Scripture

Brahman (Universal Spirit) According to Hinduism, everything that

exists is a part of a single supreme force. Nothing exists separate from this force.

Since Brahman can be difficult to understand, Hindus focus on aspects of Brahman which are incorporated into many gods

Gods

0Brahma: Creation God0Shiva: Destroyer god0Vishnu: Preserver god

0These are only three of literally thousands of gods. Different sects worship different gods in different ways.

Beliefs0Karma: Every deed affects a person’s fate in this

and future lives. In other words the consequences of how a person lives their life. Good or Bad

0Dharma: One’s duties and obligations in life

0Caste: A result of Karma and Dharma, directly related

Beliefs Samsara: The endless cycle of rebirths a

person must endure before achieving Moksha (liberation)

0Reincarnation: Hindus believe that a person’s Atman is reborn over and over again until all the lessons of life are learned.

0Hindus want to achieve good Karma by fulfilling their Dharma and observing Caste so that they can reunite their Atman with Brahman in order to break free of Samsara.