HINDUISM"Truth is one, paths are many"

Om / Aum

When founded

5000 years ago, (~3000 BC)

1 AD

2010 AD3000 BC

2000

BC

1000

BC

1000

AD

Where founded?

India

MONO or POLY-THEISTIC

Here is the confusing part!

Monotheistic (one god)

All parts of life (living & nonliving) are thought to be part of Brahman

All these gods are but different forms of the

Brahman

BRAHMA the creator god

GANESHA

remover of obstacles

SHIVAgod of destruction

LAKSHMIgoddess of luck

SARASWATI goddess of wisdom

Nataraj

God of the dance of creation

Vishnu the preserver god

Durgaprotectress

What do Hindus believe?Samsara- process of death, life, and rebirth

Reincarnation – soul is reborn into another body after death (until the soul lives a life good enough to be united with Brahman)

Karma – good and bad actions done during one’s life (affect you life after death)

Life

Death

Birth

Moksha

samsara

Samsara

Wheel of life

What do Hindus believe?

CASTE

SYSTEM -inherited social classes

Sacred TextsShruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative:

Four Vedas (“truth”) – myths,

rituals, chantsUpanishads - metaphysical speculation

Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics:RamayanaMahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)

HOLY PLACES:

All rivers especially the GANGES river

Falling from its source

of Vishnu’s feet onto

Shiva’s head and out

from his hair, the water

of the Ganges is sacred

enough to purify all sins.

Holy People

No known founderHinduism was developed before there

were written records, so we can’t trace it

back to one person

Countries where Hinduism is

practiced…

India

Nepal

Sri Lanka

Bangladesh

And we too are forms of God!

“We are not human beingshaving spiritual experiences;

We are spiritual beingshaving a human experience!”

“That art Thou”Hinduism is about recognizing the all occurrence of the holy