A Hindu View of Life . . . A Hindu View of Life . . .

And DeathAnd Death

SAMSKARASAMSKARArites of rites of passagepassage

HOUSEHOLDERHOUSEHOLDER2nd Ashrama

HINDU HINDU CONCEPTCONCEPT

SS

SAMSARASAMSARAcycle of lifecycle of life

REINCARNATIONREINCARNATIONborn againborn again

ATMANATMANsoulsoul

MOKSHAMOKSHAreleaserelease

DHARMADHARMAdutyduty

CASTECASTEclass/statusclass/status

ASHRAMAASHRAMAstage of lifestage of life

BRAHMANBRAHMANuniversal spirituniversal spiritAHIMSAAHIMSA

non-violencenon-violence

KARMAKARMAeffects of effects of

actionaction

SAMSARASAMSARA

REINCARNATIONREINCARNATION

ATMANATMAN

MOKSHAMOKSHA

DHARMADHARMACASTECASTE

ASHRAMAASHRAMA

BRAHMANBRAHMAN

SAMSKARASAMSKARA

HOUSEHOLDERHOUSEHOLDER

AHIMSAAHIMSA

KARMAKARMA

HINDUISMa very Brief Summary

• HINDUISM IS A WAY OF LIFE• To be a good HinduHindu, you must perform

your DharmaDharma• Your dharma is set out by who you are

and what you are born as.• Good Dharma = Good Karma

HINDUISMHINDUISMPURPOSE IN LIFEPURPOSE IN LIFE

DHARMADHARMA • Perform Your Duty• Includes

– CasteCaste– Social Duty– Family Duty

• AshramasAshramas– Religious duty

CASTECASTE• Social Class• 4 Traditional Castes

– Brahmin– Kings / Warriors– Merchants – Peasants

• Outcasts• Be the best you can in that role

HINDUISMHINDUISMDEALING WITH SINDEALING WITH SIN

KARMAKARMA• Law of consequences • Good deeds

– Good KarmaKarma • Bad Deeds

– Bad KarmaKarma

• KarmaKarma is carried forward through many lives.

HINDUISMHINDUISMAT DEATHAT DEATH

• Body Dies– Funeral rites– Body Cremated

• ATMANATMAN (soul) released– Immortal Souls

SAMSARASAMSARA• Cycle of life

– Life– Death – Rebirth

• AtmanAtman reincarnated• Good KarmaKarma

– Higher CasteCaste• Bad KarmaKarma

– Lower CasteCaste– Outcast?– Animal??

HINDUISMHINDUISMRELEASERELEASE

MOKSHAMOKSHA After Many Lives: • AtmanAtman is cleaned

– No Bad KarmaKarma• Released from SamsaraSamsara• Atman becomes one with Universal Spirit

– BRAHMANBRAHMAN (GOD)

GOD - BRAHMANGOD - BRAHMAN • “We are all God”• “We don’t know it.”

Purpose of life:• Recognise ALL life is part of BrahmanBrahman

–including you.

•“You Are IT”

HINDUISMHINDUISMPURPOSE IN LIFEPURPOSE IN LIFE

• Do your Do your DHARMA DHARMA – Duty– Social, family, religious

• Be true to your Be true to your CASTECASTE– What social role are you born into– Be the best you can in that role

HINDUISMHINDUISMDEALING WITH SINDEALING WITH SIN

• KARMAKARMA– All Actions have consequences

• Good deeds = Good KARMAKARMA • Bad Deeds = Bad KARMAKARMA

• KARMA is carried forward through many lives.

HINDUISMHINDUISMAT DEATHAT DEATH

• Body DiesBody Dies– Funeral rites– Body Cremated

• Soul Soul ATMANATMAN released released– Immortal Souls

SAMSARASAMSARA• ATMAN reborn into a new body to begin the journey again.• If GOOD KARMA last life, then higher CASTE this life.• If BAD KARMA last life, lower CASTE this life – even down to an animal!

HINDUISMHINDUISMRELEASERELEASE

• MOKSHAMOKSHA• After Many (thousands, generations, millions) of lives, the ATMAN is cleaned of any bad KARMAKARMA.• It is released from the Cycle of Life and Death and Rebirths – SAMSARA• ATMANATMAN returns to become one with the universal Spirit – BRAHMANBRAHMAN (GOD)

• HINDU view – we are all God, we just don’t know it. The quest in life is to recognise that all life is part of BRAHMANBRAHMAN including you.

•“You Are IT”

Unit 3 – Marriage & The FamilyUnit 3 – Marriage & The Family

Unit 3 – Marriage & The FamilyUnit 3 – Marriage & The FamilyASHRAMAS – 4 Stages of LifeASHRAMAS – 4 Stages of Life

Stage 1 – Student LifeStage 1 – Student Life

0 – 24

StudyingStudying & learninglearning roles to serve:• Family

• Society

• Religion

Stage 2 – Householder LifeStage 2 – Householder Life

25 – 50

Perform the family duty - DharmaDharma

MarriageMarriage

Works to help raise a family

Stage 3 – Retired LifeStage 3 – Retired Life

50 – 75

RetiresRetires & oversees extended family

Begins study of spiritual matters• YogaYoga & Meditation

• Following a GuruGuru

• Studying scriptures

Stage 4 – Renounced LifeStage 4 – Renounced Life

75 – 100

Gives upGives up on family & material life

Wholly focusedfocused on spiritual matters

Quest for MokshaMoksha (release)

Unit 3 – Marriage & The FamilyUnit 3 – Marriage & The FamilyASHRAMAS – 4 Stages of LifeASHRAMAS – 4 Stages of Life

Stage 1 – Student LifeStage 1 – Student Life

0 – 24

StudyingStudying & learninglearning roles to serve:• Family

• Society

• Religion

Stage 2 – Householder LifeStage 2 – Householder Life

25 – 50

Perform the family duty - DharmaDharma

MarriageMarriage

Works to help raise a family

Stage 3 – Retired LifeStage 3 – Retired Life

50 – 75

RetiresRetires & oversees extended family

Begins study of spiritual matters• YogaYoga & Meditation

• Following a GuruGuru

• Studying scriptures

Stage 4 – Renounced LifeStage 4 – Renounced Life

75 – 100

Gives upGives up on family & material life

Wholly focusedfocused on spiritual matters

Quest for MokshaMoksha (release)

BRAHMAN BRAHMAN Universal Universal

SpiritSpirit

ATMANATMANIndividual Individual Spirit SoulSpirit Soul

MOKSHAMOKSHARelease from Release from

cyclecycle

CASTECASTEClass / statusClass / status