Hinduism

Where in the world are Hindus?• map of religion

The Vedas 1200 BCE-600 BCE.

written in SANSKRIT.

Hindu core of beliefs:

hymns and poems.

religious prayers.

magical spells.

lists of the gods and goddesses.

Rig Veda oldest work.Rig Veda oldest work.

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

ShudrasShudras

VaishyasVaishyas

Kshatriyas Kshatriyas

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

BrahminsBrahmins

• Brahmins- priests and wise men

• Kshatriyas- warriors and rulers.

• Vaishyas- merchants, traders and small farmers.

• Shudras- peasants and field workers.

• Untouchables- perform jobs no one else will do

• http://youtu.be/j31veR74gSo

The Caste System

The mouth?

The arms?

The legs?

The feet?

WHO IS…

BrahminsBrahmins

KshatriyasKshatriyas

VaishyasVaishyas

ShudrasShudras

Do Hindus believe in God?

• Hindus officially are considered polytheistic.• They believe in one impersonal

Ultimate Reality – Brahman• To make sense of this universal

God Hindu developed many many gods to make sense of their religion

A few examples

• Brahma- the creator god

Vishnu- The Preserver and Sustainer

Shiva the destroyer

Gods, Gods and More Gods

• These gods all have other personalities or avatars that also are worshipped

• The gods are usually showed with human characteristics but are often bright colors or with multiple body partshttp://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm - http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm

All these deities are butManifest forms (attributesand functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

All these deities are butManifest forms (attributesand functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

What do Hindus believe?• True essence of

life – Atman, the soul, is the universal god in you.( Brahman)

• Reincarnation – atman is continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime (Samsara)

How do I change my status?• We all have different roles in life

and fulfilling these roles is called Dharma. This means our moral duty

• Karma – spiritual impurity due to actions keeps us bound to this world (good and bad)

• Ultimate goal of life – to release Atman and reunite with the divine, becoming as one with Brahman (Moksha)

Other beliefs

• There are rules and behaviors that are expected of Hindus like in other religions.

• The way people pray, the gods they worship and the rituals they practice can vary from place to place. This is called puja

• This is consistent for all HindusHuman life is supreme