hinduism. hindu basics 3 rd largest religion in the world –837 million adherents –13% of the...
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Hinduism
Hindu Basics
• 3rd largest religion in the world– 837 million adherents– 13% of the world’s
population
• Practiced primarily in India and Nepal
• ~ 80% of Indians practice Hinduism
Hindu Basics
• Often considered the oldest religion in the world.– Has no founder
• Sanskrit is the ancient language of Hinduism.
• Hindu comes from the Persian word for the people living on the other side of the Indus River.
VedasThe ancient scriptures of Hinduism. A collectionof hymns, prayers, rituals, chants, etc… They are not the only sacred writings of Hinduism.
Concepts of god
• Most Hindu believe in a single god of the highest form.
• Brahman
• God is everywhere, is everything, and is beyond everything. – god represents the very
fabric of reality.
• People are thus part of Brahman as well.
Ishvara
• The personal aspects of God.
• Applying human traits to god to better communicate.
Brahma
• “Creator god”
Vishnu
• “preserver of the world”
Shiva
• “destroyer or transformer”
Nandi
• The vehicle of Shiva.
• Often seen at the entrance to shrines of Shiva.
sacred animals
Hindus believe thatall living beings havea soul.
Dharma
• Generally translated as “the law”.
• Varies according to caste or class.
• Also seen in Buddhism and Sikhism.
• How one should live their life.– Dharma determines karma
Karma
• Cause and effect
• “a fluttering butterfly’s wings causing a storm on the other side of the world”
• Unbalance in karma will be worked out in the next life.
• Goodness begets goodness and evil begets evil.
Samsara
Sanskrit word referring to the cycle of reincarnation.
Moksha
• Release from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
• Realization of one’s union with god.
Yoga
• Mental and physical meditative practices.
Practices
• Shrines and temples
• Singing hymnals, reciting scriptures and chanting mantras.
Bindi
• Help concentration and retain energy
• Protect against demons or bad luck
• Traditionally indicated that a woman was married
• Worn all over South and South East Asia– Not only Hindus
Pilgrimages and festivals
• Holy cities in Hinduism– Allahabad, Varanasi
• Holi– Festival of Colors
• Diwali – Festival of Lights– Return of Lord Raama after
defeating the demon king Ravana – ruler of Lanka
Ganges River
• Varanasi is considered by some to be the holiest site in Hinduism. – On the banks of the
Ganges R.
• Some believe they must bathe in it once in a lifetime– Cleanse a persons soul
from sins– Heal the sick
Traditional Caste System in
South Asia
The caste system is a type of SOCIAL ORDERin which a person’s occupation and position in life is determined by the circumstances of his/her birth.
Brahmans Kshatriyas
Vaisyas Sudras
4 Original Levels of theCaste System
Brahmans
Kshatriyas
Vaisyas
Sudras
Showing theoriginal castelevels in the pyramidshape symbolizes “status”from highest to lowest, but also representsthe the portion of the populationfitting into each level.
Untouchables are NOT a part of the caste system.
Largest %of population
**Remember thatthis social orderis not basedon how much$$ you have
Brahmans: priests/ scholars
Kshatriyas: warriors
Vaisyas: farmers and merchants
sudras(artisans and laborers)
Untouchables (dalits)
Sudras: laborers
Brahmins: Religious leaders & scholars
Vaisyas: Merchants & farmers (most Woods families here)
Kshatriyas: Military leaders and politicians.
Comparisons in the “West”
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
-Mohandas GandhiGandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist in 1948. He diedat the age of 79.