The Circle of LifeHINDUISM

The largest religion in India today.

• Your are born. You live many years. You meet people. And yet, you know them all.

• You feel as if you have done everything before

• You remember things you never did or ever saw.

• You die…. and the process begins over and over and over again.

IMAGINE…….

Over a billion people believe this happens everyday!

ORIGINS OF HINDUISM

• Aryan beliefs were held in the Vedas• Their priests were called

Brahmans• Wrote new texts about the

Vedas• The Vedas, Vedic texts, &

Upanishads and the Bhagaad-Gita merged with other beliefs to form the basis of Hinduism• It is polytheistic• Believes in Reincarnation

• Oldest scriptures in the world• Word means “knowledge”- those scriptures that

we aquire knowledge form are Vedas• There are four Vedas:

• Rigveda: hymns that praise the gods; describes how to live a proper life

• Samveda: musical form- Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa

• Yajurveda: scriptures used in pujas & Yagnas

• Artharvaveda: preach non-violence

VEDAS

• They are Hindu scriptures that tell about the nature of God, reality, and the individual soul. • The word 'Upanishad' literally means

“sitting down beside” • refers to the practice of disciples (or

students) sit on the ground next to the guru (spiritual teacher) while he teaches.

UPANISHADS

• Long poem that teaches:

• Reincarnation

• Respect for creation

• Respect for life

• That you have a soul that is separate

and distinct from your physical body

BHAGAAD-GITA

Reincarnation is the belief that after you die, you are reborn as a new life form. You could be reborn as a person, animal, bug, plants… And then you live & die again. And then you are born again….. Live….die….rebirth…again and again and again… get the picture? The cycle keeps going and goinguntil the soul reaches a state of Nirvana & reunites with Brahman, the Universal soul.

REIN………WHAT?????

Born/

reborn

Grow up

Live

Get old

Die

The Circle of

Life

Remember…. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion

MANY GODS

Brahma is the creator

Vishnu is the preserver (think duct

tape)

Creation story 2:41

MANY GODS

Shiva is the destroyer Kamadhenu is the

cow- grants wishes Yama is god of death & the underworld

CASTE SYSTEM

According to Vedas, there are four main varnas in Aryan society:• Brahmin

s• Kshatriy

as• Vaisyas• Sudras

Crash course (6 min)

• The Brahman (priest) was his mouth,

• Of both his arms was the Rajanya (warriors & Kings) made;

• His thighs became the Vaisya (merchants),

• From his feet the Sudra (laborer) was produced.

ORIGINS OF CASTE

WHAT IS THE CASTE SYSTEM?

Caste is that division of human society whose basis is occupation, ability and birth.Your caste determines:• Who is suitable for you to marry (arranged

marriages)• What food you eat• How you dress• What job you have• Where you live• Who you socialize with

• also, what caste you potentially will be reborn into in your next life.

“UNTOUCHABLES” CASTE SYSTEM

KARMA

Karma: the cause /effect nature of what happens in life

Dharma: the idea of a person’s duty & need to fulfill that duty

• Moksha is the highest goal to achieve for all Hindu

• It is the Sanskrit word for “liberation”- meaning the process of being reincarnated through the castes till you are united with Brahma.

• This is achieved by one of three ways:

1. Works

2. Knowledge

3. devotion

MOKSHA (SALVATION)

Origins Founder Principles Diffusion

Developed in what is now India over the course of several centuries.

No traceable point or person for beginning

Holy books: Vedas, Upanishads, & Bhagaad-Gita

None • World’s largest polytheistic religion

• Universal deity known as Brahman

• Reincarnation- belief in a cycle of life, death, & rebirth, till Nirvana is reached

• Karma-right action

• Dharma- ethics & duties in life to achieve good karma

• Moksha- 3 ways to achieve: works, knowledge, or devotion

Spread throughout the Indian subcontinent and, eventually Southeast Asia through trade, education, and the teaching of priests.

Hinduism coexisted with Buddhism in Southeast Asia, but ultimately lost its influence