Do Now: What is my religion IQ?

(in basket):

What is my pre-existing knowledge of Hinduism?

What is Hinduism?Objective: To Define, describe, and Objective: To Define, describe, and

analyze the origins and analyze the origins and

beliefs of Hinduism. beliefs of Hinduism.

Essential Question: What are the major Essential Question: What are the major world religions and how are they world religions and how are they

interconnected? interconnected?

Intro to Hinduism • Main religion in India • No founder/ formal church (changed over

thousands of years- early as 3000 BC under Dravidians- Aryan invasions

• Is a way of life and a religion

Sacred Texts:• The Vedas (eternal truths-

Collection of Sanskrit hymns and poetry)

• The Upanishads (explanation)

• The Ramayana*• The Mahabharata* • *= two most famous

“Who abhors violence in every form, who strives for harmony in every behavior, who loves wisdom, who respects all teachers of wisdom, who practices some form of mediation, such a one may be said to be a Hindu.”

Brahman: • Hindus are polytheistic

(worship of more than 1 God) – they worship millions of gods- reflecting complexity of life

• Each god is part of a single force=Brahman

• It is nameless, faceless, and limitless

• Only a select few understand the Brahman

• Hindus believe in unity of all lifeAtman= essential self (same as Brahman)• All things part of same universal soul- stress nonviolence •Respect Nature

The 3 Main Gods of Hinduism are :1. Brahma- The Creator2. Vishnu- The Preserver 3. Shiva- The Destroyer→All Gods/ Goddesses are incarnations of Brahman; all other gods= aspects of Brahman

Brahma

Vishnu

Shiva

Reincarnation:

• People suffer due to pursuit of

material things

• True goal in life = moksha (freeing of soul from body to unite with the Brahman- cannot be achieved in 1 life)

• Reincarnation/ transmigration is the rebirth of the soul in various forms

Karma: “What goes around comes around.”

• The cycle of death/ rebirth continues until souls achieves union with

Brahman • achieving union depends on karma • Karma: holds that every deed (mental

&physical) affects a person’s fate in the future life

• Your present situation is a direct result of your past existence

oEvery good deed brings oEvery bad deed brings

Hinduism & The Caste System

• Karma & reincarnation link to caste

• A person’s caste is a result of karma (deeds from past life)

• Strict social/ religious order

• Little social mobility: a person born into a caste & remained member for life

• Brahmins- highest caste - closest to moksha (perform sacrifices and rituals)

The Caste System

• Dharma: each caste has one- duties/ obligations

• Obedience to caste/ moral rules

• You can improve your caste in the next life by carrying out duties in present one

Classes of the caste system

•The system grew and changes over thousands of years • higher castes purer and closer to moksha •As invaders absorbed into caste system- sub-caste emerges

Priests, academics, those closest to unity

Warriors, Kings

Merchants, landowners

Commoners, Peasants, servants

Rules & A Way of Life

• A way of life- government, habits, marriage, cooking eating and jobs

• Each job has its own caste – Gardner– Jeweler – Woodworker – Water carrier – Money lender

• Which Gods you worship, where you live and clothes all depend on caste

• Caste helps higher castes remain spiritually pure

• Risk of “spiritual pollution” if high caste had contact w/ low caste

• Ex. A Brahman could only eat foods prepared by a fellow Brahman

Hinduism Today

• Over 700 million followers • Consider Ganges River one of most Holy • Have gurus, temples and meditative practices

What is a Lingam? • Lingams are one of the most sacred

icons of the ancient and modern world. They are are yielded only by the Narmada River in India.

• The subtle vibration given off by these unique one of a kind energetic stones, reacts to the unique one of a kind vibrations of the human soul, "tuning" it into a harmonious melody. The Lingam never retains negative energy and helps to bring prosperity, and balance the subtle energy vibrations within your surroundings.

Sources:

• Google Images• Clip art • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBxy1R0j

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