EQ – “How are religion and culture connected?”

Basics of Hinduism

• religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal (80%)

• over 900 million people practice Hinduism

• oldest living religion

• closely linked to other Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism

• no single founder, no single holy book, and no commonly agreed set of teachings

A central part of Indian culture!

Aryan Migration

warriors horse-drawn chariots

The Vedas one Hindu holy

book

written from 1500 BCE-600 BCE in Sanskrit

included in the Vedas:

hymns and poems

religious prayers

magical spells

lists of the gods and goddesses

Hindu Holy Books

Primary Source Watch the Hindu creation myth:

http://www.bigmyth.com/fullversion/password033/myths/english/2_hindu_full.htm

What similarities and differences do you see between the Hindu story and the stories of the Middle East (Mesopotamia and Egypt)?

Sanskrit Writing• ancient language in Hindu

holy books read by Brahmin (priests)- “language of the

gods”

• no longer spoken today, but many Indian languages are based on Sanskrit

• English and Sanskrit are even related!

• Most Hindus believe in a supreme spiritual force, Brahman, the “universal soul”.

• Brahman is one, but has many incarnations.–Many Hindus believe that all the different

gods are different aspects (forms) of the supreme Brahman.

– “God is one – but wise men know it by many names.”

• Polytheism or Monotheism?

Beliefs about God

Primary Source Read the excerpt from “Isha”, chapter

two of The Upanishads.

How would you describe the “self”?

If you were to draw a picture to symbolize the “self”, what would it look like?

SKIPPED IN CLASS

Brahma“creator

”

Vishnu“preserver

”

Shiva“destroyer

”

symbols

Other Hindu Gods

Beliefs about Life• Hindus believe in reincarnation: a cycle of birth,

death, and rebirth, governed by karma.

• Karma: Hindus believe that the soul is reborn into other social classes based on your behavior in your previous life, “consequences”.– You can be reborn in human, god, or animal form.

• Moksha: your GOAL = freedom from the cycle

• Guru: spiritual leader, helps you achieve moksha

Hindu Beliefs• Read “Hindu Beliefs” and answer the

accompanying questions at the end of the packet.

• (See the reading in class to do this.)

What goes around,

comes around!

“My karma ran over my dogma…”

Hindu Festivals

Hindu Festivals

• Ganges River:

• Holi:

• Diwali:

Caste System

Caste System

SudrasSudras““laborers, crafts workers, laborers, crafts workers,

servants”servants”

VaisyasVaisyas““farmers and merchants”farmers and merchants”

KshatriyasKshatriyas““rulers and rulers and warriors” warriors”

Dulits/Pariahs Untouchables “impure” jobs

Dulits/Pariahs Untouchables “impure” jobs

BrahminsBrahmins““Priests and Priests and

Scholars”Scholars”

caste = fixed social class you are born into

jati – occupationvarnas - religion

*outlawed in India today*

KARMA

Hindu Symbols• Choose one of the “Hindu Symbols” to draw

and describe its significance. (skipped in class)

The Vedic Age

The foundations for Hinduism were

established – and a huge piece of Indian

culture!

Exit Slip

• socrative.com (room = 205lions) ORjust use a half slip of paper

• Question: How are the religion of Hinduism and the culture of India connected? Use evidence from your #3 notes.