Post on 02-Jan-2016
Facts and StatsHinduism originated in India around
3000BCIt is the world’s third largest religion with 1
billion in India, Nepal(23 million), Bangladesh (14 million) and the Indonesian island of Bali (3.3 million).
It is a polytheistic religion (although they do believe that all gods are different aspects of the Supreme Being), which is also
intertwined with theirsocial system.Page 22 of your
religion notebook.
Caste SystemOfficially banned (but still practiced)Brahmin – priests/intellectuals (highest in the
caste system before attaining salvation)Kshatriyas – warriors/rulersVaishyas – merchants/land
owners/businessmen/farmersShudras – manual workers
Dalits– untouchables, slaves, not considered human
GodsBrahman – the all being and non-being, the universal soul, ultimate reality
Brahma - creator
Vishnu – preserver
Shiva – destroyer
Avatars – reincarnations of the gods to bring balance to the universe
Buddha Rama Krishna JesusMohammad
Religious textsTheir main divine writings are the
Vedas or Upanishadsand the Mahabharata (The
Bhagavad Gita is 18 chapters of this epic poem and includes the teachings of Krishna)
yogaThe Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,
and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning "to control,“ "to join" or "to unite."
Salvation through yogaThe three ways to salvation (release from
reincarnation) according to Hinduism (these are the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita):
the karma-yoga ("the path of duties"), ritual and social obligations – watching your karma and following your duty/path in life.
yogathe jnana-yoga ("the path of
knowledge"), the use of meditation preceded by ethical and contemplative training, yoga, to gain insight into one's identity with the Supreme Being
the bhakti-yoga ("the path of devotion"), the devotion to a personal God. Every act one does (eating, praying, dancing, working) must be an act of devotion to the Supreme Being