H A F S I T E . O R G

Hinduism 101Promoting Dignity

Mutual Respect & Pluralism

Where does Hinduism come from?

Hinduism…

… d e v e l o p e d i n

T H E I N D U S

VAL L E Y

… i s a t l e a s t

5000Y E AR S O L D

… i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e w o r l d ’ s

oldestAC T I V E M AJ O R

R E L I G I O N

Hindus refer to their religion as Sanatana Dharma, or

the Eternal Way.

Scriptures

V E D A S

U PA N I S H A D S

P U R A N A S

E P I C SR A M AYA N A & M A H A B H A R ATA

Countless life stories, devotional poetry,

and commentaries by learned religious

figures.

What are the Indic Religions?

Hinduism Buddhism Jainism Sikhism

O v e r m a n y c e n t u r i e s ,

H i n d u i s m ' s p l u r a l i s t i c

e t h o s w a s r e f l e c t e d

t h r o u g h I N D I A ' S

E M B R A C E O F O T H E R

R E L I G I O U S G R O U P S

s u c h a s J e w s , C h r i s t i a n s ,

a n d Z o r o a s t r i a n s w h e n

t h e y w e r e p e r s e c u t e d

e l s e w h e r e .

What do Hindus believe?

T h e d e e p e s t s p i r i t u a l

t r u t h g l e a n e d t h r o u g h t h e

Ve d a s i s t h a t B r a h m a n o f

S u p r e m e C o n s c i o u s n e s s

( u s e d i n t e r c h a n g e a b l y

w i t h “ t h e D i v i n e ” “ t h e

A b s o l u t e ” o r “ G O D ” ) ,

p e r v a d e s t h e e n t i r e

u n i v e r s e .

T h i s d i v i n e r e a l i t y

i s p r e s e n t i n a l l

l i v i n g b e i n g s a n d i s

c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s e t e r n a l

a n d f u l l o f b l i s s .

Brahman…

M a n y H i n d u s b e l i e v e t h a t B R A H M A N

i s f o r m l e s s a n d i n f i n i t e a n d c a n b e

w o r s h i p e d i n d i f f e r e n t f o r m s .

T h e y b e l i e v e t h a t t h e e n t i r e c r e a t i o n

e m e r g e d f r o m , r e s t s i n , a n d w i l l d i s s o l v e

i n t o B r a h m a n .

Others believe that the Divine exists in one true form, specifically as

Krishna for Vaishnavas or Shiva for Shaivites.

i t s

creationi t s

preservationi t s

dissolution

Brahman…i s u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e c a u s e o f c r e a t i o n –

In Hindu lore, these three functions are said to be the work of what is

the commonly referred to as the Hindu trinity or trimurti of Brahma,

Vishnu and Shiva.

Atman…T h e S o u l o r A t m a n , i s e t e r n a l . W h e n t h i s

p h y s i c a l b o d y d i e s , t h e s o u l i s r e b o r n i n

a n o t h e r b o d y ( s a m s a r a , o r r e i n c a r n a t i o n ) .

Rebirth is governed by the Law of Karma: that every

action has a consequence, like cause and effect.

What one experiences in this life is the result of one’s past actions,

either from this birth or previous births; and in the converse, how one

acts today will impact the future, the effects of which will be experienced

either in this or future births.

How one deals with the problems he or she faces in this life determines

whether one creates good or bad karma for his or her present and

future lives.

Human beings have 4 goals in life.

Dharma

Righteous action in

any given situation

Artha

The pursuit

of prosperity

Kama

Enjoyment of the

material world

Moksha

Liberation from

suffering caused

by dependence on

the material world and

from the cycle of birth

and rebirth

Four PathsT H E B H AG AVA D G I TA O U T L I N E S F O U R P R I M A R Y PAT H S

T O T H E E X P E R I E N C E O F G O D ’ S P R E S E N C E A N D J O Y

A N D O B TA I N T H E F O U R T H G O A L O F M O K S H A

T H E F O U R PAT H S

Raja Yoga

Focusing inwardly

on the divine

through meditation

Karma Yoga

Performing one’s

duty selflessly

Jnana Yoga

Studying and

contemplating

on the scriptures

Bhakti Yoga

Loving god through

devotion and service

Forms of Brahman

I n H i n d u i s m ,

G o d i s

w o r s h i p p e d i n

b o t h m a l e a n d

f e m a l e f o r m s .

T h e f e m a l e f o r m

i s k n o w n a s

S h a k t i , w h i c h

m e a n s e n e r g y .

T H E F O R M S O F B R A H M A N

B e c a u s e H i n d u s

b e l i e v e t h a t

B r a h m a n t a k e s

f o r m ( s ) , H i n d u s

a c c e p t t h a t

t h e r e a r e a

v a r i e t y o f w a y s

i n w h i c h a l l

h u m a n b e i n g s

c o n n e c t w i t h t h e

D i v i n e .

O t h e r f o r m s

r e s e m b l e

a n i m a l s o r b i r d s .

E a c h o f t h e s e

f o r m s o f G o d

h a s s y m b o l i c

m e a n i n g . H i n d u s

e n j o y t e l l i n g

s t o r i e s a b o u t t h e

v a r i o u s f o r m s t o

i n s p i r e l o v e o f

G o d a n d i n s t i l l

e t h i c a l v a l u e s .

Ganesh

H i n d u s p r a y t o t h e m a n y f o r m s o f B r a h m a n

a s i n d i v i d u a l g o d s w h o r e p r e s e n t p a r t i c u l a r

d i v i n e q u a l i t i e s o r p o w e r s .

F o r e x a m p l e , t h e y b e l i e v e t h a t G a n e s h

i s t h e G o d o f w i s d o m a n d h e l p s p e o p l e

o v e r c o m e o b s t a c l e s .

Lakshmi

H e r f o u r a r m s r e p r e s e n t D h a r m a , A r t h a ,

K a m a , a n d M o k s h a .

T h e l o t u s g r o w s i n m u d d y w a t e r, b u t

r e m a i n s c l e a n a n d d r y. I t i s s e e n a s

a r e m i n d e r o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f d o i n g t h e

r i g h t t h i n g e v e n w h e n s u r r o u n d e d b y w r o n g

i n f l u e n c e s .

Lakshmi is worshipped as the Goddess of Prosperity.

Krishna

K r i s h n a i s s a i d t o h a v e c o m e t o e r a d i c a t e

e v i l a n d p r o t e c t g o o d .

Rama

G o d i s b e l i e v e d t o h a v e t a k e n t h e h u m a n

f o r m o f R a m a t o s h o w p e o p l e h o w t o l i v e

t h e p a t h o f D h a r m a .

T h e d e p i c t i o n o f s o m e H i n d u g o d s

i n b l u e i s s y m b o l i c .

L I K E T H E S K Y,

G O D I S C O N S I D E R E D

limitless

L I K E WAT E R ,

G O D I S S E E N AS

life-sustaining

HanumanH a n u m a n i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e i d e a l

d e v o t e e b e c a u s e o f h i s l o v i n g a n d s e l f l e s s

s e r v i c e o f R a m a .

MurtisT H E VA R I O U S F O R M S O F G O D A R E R E P R E S E N T E D I N

C O N S E C R AT E D I M A G E S K N O W N A S M U RT I S

A Murti c a n b e m a d e o f w o o d ,

s t o n e , o r m e t a l s a n d

o f f e r s H i n d u s a w a y t o

v i s u a l i z e a n d m e d i t a t e

u p o n B r a h m a n , w h i c h i s

b e l i e v e d t o b e b e y o n d

t h e g r a s p o f t h e h u m a n

m i n d .

Murti i s o f t e n t r a n s l a t e d a s

“ i d o l , ” b u t a m o r e

a c c u r a t e t r a n s l a t i o n i s

“ e m b o d i m e n t . ” H i n d u

f a m i l i e s c o n d u c t t h e i r

d a i l y w o r s h i p a t h o m e

a l t a r s a n d a l s o a t

t e m p l e s o n s p e c i a l

o c c a s i o n s . M a n y H i n d u s

c o n s u l t g u r u s , o r

s p i r i t u a l g u i d e s , f o r

a d v i c e o r a n s w e r s t o

s p i r i t u a l q u e s t i o n s .

What is Hinduism’s view on other religions?

P L U R A L I S M

Hinduism promotes n o t o n l y r e s p e c t f o r o t h e r r e l i g i o n s , b u t a l s o

a c k n o w l e d g e s t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r t r u t h i n

t h e m .

Hindus believe t h e r e s h o u l d b e n o d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t

a n y p e r s o n b a s e d o n o n e ’s r e l i g i o n .

The core philosophy o f H i n d u i s m i s t h e s e a r c h f o r t r u t h ,

n o t t h e s p e c i f i c p a t h t a k e n .

What is Hinduism’s view on Science?

Hinduism e m b r a c e s s c i e n c e a s

o n e o f t h e w a y s i n

w h i c h h u m a n s s e e k t o

u n d e r s t a n d t h e w o r l d

w e l i v e i n .

H i n d u s c r i p t u r e s

d e s c r i b e t h e c o n c e p t

o f p l a n e t s i n t h e s o l a r

s y s t e m c i r c l i n g t h e

s u n , a n d t h e e a r t h

a s r o u n d a n d r o t a t i n g

o n i t s a x i s .

A n c i e n t H i n d u s a l s o

m a d e n o t e w o r t h y

s t r i d e s i n a s t r o n o m y ,

c h e m i s t r y ,

m a t h e m a t i c s ,

m e t a l l u r g y , m e d i c i n e

( A y u r v e d a ) , a n d

s u r g e r y , i n c l u d i n g

m a n y f i n d i n g s u p o n

w h i c h m o d e r n s c i e n c e ,

m e d i c i n e a n d

t e c h n o l o g y a r e b a s e d .

What is Hinduism’s global influence?

E V I D E N C E

O F H I N D U

I N F L U E N C E

h i s t o r i c a l l y

i s s t i l l s e e n a l l

o v e r S o u t h

E a s t A s i a

AN C I E N T H I N D U

T E M P L E S

w e r e b u i l t

i n C a m b o d i a a n d

J a v a ; a n d a b o u t

4 M i l l i o n H i n d u s

L i v e I n I n d o n e s i a

S T O R I E S

F R O M T H E

R AM A Y A N A &

M AH A B H A R A T A

a r e v e r y p o p u l a r

i n T h a i l a n d ,

L a o s , M a l a y s i a

& I n d o n e s i a

The Practice of Yoga O r i g i n a t e d i n H i n d u i s m

a n d i s n o w p o p u l a r a l l

o v e r t h e w o r l d .

with more than

1 billionH I N D U S

H I N D U I S M i s t h e

3rd largestreligion in the world

80 percentOf India’s population is Hindu

45 millionLive in neighboring countries

2.5 millionHindus have migrated to north

America since 1965. This does

not account for Hindus of

non-Indian descent.

Significant Numbers of Hindus still live in various parts of Africa, West Indies,

and Fiji, where they were sent by the British as plantation laborers

in the 19th and 20th century.

Hinduism…

i s t h e w o r l d ’ s o l d e s t

a c t i v e m a j o r r e l i g i o n

a n d t h i r d l a r g e s t .

e m p h a s i z e s t h e n e e d t o

l i v e i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h

d h a r m a o r r i g h t e o u s l y.

p r e a c h e s p l u r a l i s m

a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e

o f e x p e r i e n c i n g t r u t h .

T H A N K Y O U