Religions in India

I. Religious Traditions

A. Most of the people in India are Hindu. Hinduism developed slowly absorbing beliefs from many different people. It is rooted in the ancient Aryan religion and developed into a common set of beliefs.

1. Vedas – Eternal truths revealed by the wise man

2. Upanishads - Help to explain the Vedas. The Upanishads

are a collection of Indian speculations on the nature of reality and the soul and their relationship.

3. The search for an underlying unity linking

everything is called Brahman. In this sense every individual is united with the cosmos, and only needs to

realize this fact to reach fulfillment.

Rig VedaThe Rig Veda praises the gods and ask them for worldly benefits such as wealth, health, long life, protection, and victory over the Dasa peoples.

He, self-reliant, mighty and triumphant,brought low the dear head of the wicked Dasas.

Indra the Vritra-slayer, Fort-destroyer,scattered the Dasa hosts who dwelt in darkness.

For men hath he created earth and waters,and ever helped the prayer of him who worships.

To him in might the Gods have ever yielded,to Indra in the tumult of battle.

When in his arms they laid the bolt,he slaughtered the Dasyus

and cast down their forts of iron.

Mantra / Vedic chants –

Prayers that are repeated to achieve a meditative state

B. Hinduism worships thousands of gods who are all part of a single supreme force. Only a few people can understand the force which formless and unlimited. Brahman is the supreme force.

There are three main gods that make up Brahman…

Brahma – The Creator

Vishnu - The Preserver

Shiva – The Destroyer Symbol for “OM”

1. Brahma Brahma is considered the

God of the Tirmutri or the Trinity.

-Generally, Brahma is represented as 4 males or 4 females with 4 heads and 4 arms. Each hand holds a sacrificial tool, the Vedas, a water pot and a rosary.

-Brahma is usually sitting on a lotus to symbolize a glorious existence.

-A swan represents a mode of travel due to the ability to judge between good and bad.

-Brahma is connected with the Goddess of Learning.   

2. Vishnu – The Preserver Vishnu is the preserver of human life. He is a generous God and known to be kind and merciful. Vishnu is the only God who is reborn whenever there is a crisis on earth. If righteousness is disturbed, Vishnu will descend to the earth as an avatar to fight the forces of evil. There have been ten avatars to restore order.

-Vishnu is represented as a BLUE MAN

WITH FOUR ARMS. He HOLDS A CLUB, A CONCH

SHELL, A DISCUS AND A LOTUS.

-He is usually DRESSED IN YELLOW ROBES.

-The Ganges River is said to originate from Vishnu's feet.

-He is also depicted as resting on a coiled serpent which floats on the cosmic ocean.

-is connected to the consort Goddess of Wealth.

Fish Tortoise Boar Man Lion Dwarf

Rama Krishna BuddhaWarrior Kalki

Avatars of Vishnu

3. Shiva – The DestroyerShiva is the God of destruction, creator and sustainer

of life. Shiva seeks to destroy while she brings in new life. Only when

-He wears a necklace made of skulls and has snakes all over his body.

-The CRESCENT MOON crown is wore as a symbol of controlling time.

-He wears a tiger skin and elephant skin.

-He has a THIRD EYE which is the source of knowledge & wisdom.

…And of course GANESH!!!

C. During prayers to the various gods, people try to reach a meditative state.

Puja – Treating the statue of the god as an honored guest which is bathed, dressed and offered food

D. Hindus believe in the UNITY of all life and the

essential self which is a part of the universal soul. All are also part of Brahman.

Atman –The essential self which is part of the universal soul

E. Samsara- Hindus believe there is an endless cycle of death and rebirth. You. strive to follow the policy of non violence. What you do in one life will affect your placement in the next.

“A mans life is like a bead on a necklace whose other beads represent past and future lives.”

F. Moksha – Uniting your soul with Brahman

E. To live a harmonious live, one should follow life stages.

ASHRAMAS1. Youth –

Duty to learn and receive the thread of life2. Family –

Responsible for teaching and commitment of the youth

F. People suffer from pain and sorrow due to the pursuit of false goals. Obtaining material riches and individual pleasure is not the true purpose of life. The true goal is to reunite with Brahman. The goal cannot be achieved in one lifetime. People can lead hundreds of lives before they reach the goal. Your placement within the universe is dependent upon your life.

1. Reincarnation – Belief in the rebirth of the soul in various forms after the

body dies. The soul can be reborn as anything in the universe.

2. Karma – Every deed , mental and physical , affects your fate in a

future life .

G. Every action affects the future fate. Your current position is the result of deeds in a past existence. Every deed sooner or later; will bring you happiness or sorrow. The cycle of rebirth and karma are closely tied to the caste system. Caste is determined by your karma. So, deeds in your past life are responsible for your current position.

Brahmin is the top caste and they are closest to achieve the goal of moksha.

There are numerous rules and regulations most be followed to advance to the next level.

The higher caste have strict the rules.

H. Dharma – The rules and obligations for each caste that assist people in achieving spiritual purity

F. Besides Hinduism and Buddhism, there are other religions from this region.Jainism – • The universe is made up of several levels which are

all connected• One is bound to the universe by negative

karma• Achieving enlightenment is when one has stopped reincarnating• Follow a principle of ahimsa

AHIMSA – Non violence

*Around the World in 80 Faiths; Jainism(Video, start at 47min)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYgpYM2DYs

Sikhism –• A combination of

Hinduism and Islam• Belief in a single,

formless god who can be known through MEDIATION

• Cycle of reincarnation and karma

• Rejects the caste system

*Around the World in 80 Faiths; Sikhism(Video, start at 41min)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYgpYM2DYs

In villages across India, women draw these designs each morning on their doorsteps, in the courtyards of their homes, or in temples. Using rice powder or crushed limestone, they start with a grid of small dots, then fill in the design with a series of lines. Rangoli not only add a touch of art and beauty to the home or temple, they also protect the family or holy place. The designs are handed down from mother to daughter. Some of these designs are very old, dating back hundreds and hundreds of years. Flower and animal motifs are sometimes included in the designs, but geometric lines are the heart of rangoli designs. There are also many different styles of drawing, varying from region to region across the country