HINDUISM

NAMASTE
AUM / OM
Hinduism in the world
The world is home to over 900 million Hindus.
Most live in India, but large numbers live in Nepal,
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.
Hinduism has spread with immigration to other countries.
It is the third largest religion in the world, after
Christianity and Islam.
Hinduism is a tradition that means many things and has
many variations:
It is not a unified, centralized religion like Roman
Catholicism.
It has no formal church and no single authority.
It has no founder and no fixed doctrines.
Hindu Holiday : DIVALI which means a row of
lights. It is the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS celebrated in
anticipation of the coming of LAKSHMI, the goddess
of prosperity and good fortune.


The History of Hinduism
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world.
It can be described as evolving over three periods: Pre-Vedic, Vedic,
and Upanishadic.

Pre-Vedic Period
A civilization thrived in the Indus River valley.

Vedic Period
This period is named for the first sacred writings of Hinduismthe
Vedas.

Upanishadic Period
Hinduism accepted the Vedas and added the Upanishads, and worship
began in temples.
The Upanishads are interpretations of the Vedas.
HINDU GODS
There are up to 330 milllion Hindu Gods.
Hindus believe there is only one God or Supreme Being.
The Being is manifested in many different forms, called deities.
Each deity represents a different facet of the supreme deity or eternal soul,
Brahman.
Brahman is often shown as a drop falling into a larger pool of water.
Almost all Hindus worship and honor other deities as well.

THE HINDU TRIAD
Brahman is said to manifest in the form of many deities.
According to some Hindu traditions, three of these deities togetherBrahma,
Vishnu, and Shivasymbolize the cycle of existence.
The focus of this report is concentrated on 4 gods/deities.

Brahma (creator)
Brahma is viewed as the god of creation in Hinduism. He is often shown
with four heads and four arms. His four heads represent the four holy
books called Vedas. Brahmas four arms represent the four cardinal
directions (north, south, east, and west). His wife is Saraswati, the goddess
of learning and knowledge.

HINDU GODS
Vishnu (preserver)
Vishnu is seen as the preserver of life. Whenever evil has gained too
much power in the world, Vishnu has come to earth in animal or
human form. Hindus believe that Vishnu has come to earth nine times
in different forms in order to preserve creation by punishing evil and
protecting the weak and the righteous. Vishnu is married to the
goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth.

Shiva (destroyer)
Shiva is the god of destruction. In the cycle of life, Shiva is in charge of
death, decomposition, etc, which allow for a new life to begin. His
wife is Parvati, the mother goddess, and their son is Ganesh.

Ganesh (elephant god)
Ganesh has an elephants head and a mans body. He is the god most
widely worshipped by Hindus. His main role is to remove the
problems or obstacles for the people who worship him. Ganesh is the
son of Shiva and Parvati.


RITUALS
Puja
Puja involves worshipping one or more Hindu deities.
The image of a deity is called a murti.
Puja usually takes place in the home, but it can also be conducted in a
temple.
Almost all Hindus keep a shrine in their home regardless of their cast
or economic status.

Temple Worship
Hindus visit the mandir (temple) any time.
A Hindu temple is a complex of shrines, each devoted to a different
deity.

Yoga
A form of meditation
Sometimes uses the Bhagavad Gita (Songs of the Lord) for meditation




HINDU BELIEFS
In Hinduism, all life is governed by a law of birth, death, and rebirth.
This law is called the Wheel of Life, or samsara.
It applies to all living things.
People may not end up being reborn as humans; they could be
reborn as animals.
The goal of life for Hindus is to be freed from the wheel of life.
This liberation from the cycle of rebirths is called moksha.
According to this belief, Hindus can be reborn in a higher state of
life, moving gradually upward from lifetime to lifetime.
How someone is reborn is determined by the law of karma: whatever
one does in a life affects what one will be in the next.
The best way to ensure good karma is to do good deeds and follow
ones duty, or dharma.
Ignoring dharma builds up bad karma and increases the chances of an
unfavorable rebirth.
THE CASTE SYSTEM
In traditional Hindu society, all life was arranged as a hierarchy.
Performing good deeds and following the assigned code of behavior
determined whether people earned the right to be reborn at a higher
level.
These beliefs were expressed in Hindu societys division into castes.
Roles, jobs, social standing, and religious structures were organized
according to the hierarchy of castes.
The caste system had four groups: priests, warriors, business people,
and farmers.
More recently, another caste developed: the Untouchables or outcastes.
However, this caste is not part of the philosophy of Hinduism.
Following ones dharma means strictly following the rules of caste.
Acting above ones caste is ignoring dharma and generates bad karma.
Today in India, discrimination based on caste or occupation is illegal, but
some division among caste lines remains.
1. Brahmans the priestly caste
role is to study and teach in matters of faith
lead most key rituals

2. Kshatriyas the warrior caste
role is to protect the people and run a fair government

3. Vaishyas traders, merchants, farmers, artists, businesspeople
role is to take care of the economic needs of the
community

4. Sudras lowest caste
they serve the three higher castes
unskilled workers, servants, menial workers

5. Untouchables also called outcastes
considered outsiders and may not interact in any way
with members of the four castes
they did the dirtiest work in society and lived separately
this is changing; there are now quotas in place to ensure

members have access to better jobs
Traditional Hindu Caste System
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
Hindu Scriptures
Hinduism is possibly the worlds oldest religion.
Hindu teachings and stories were not written down, but were memorized and
passed on by word of mouth.
Eventually they were gathered into written collections called the Revealed
Scriptures.

Revealed Scriptures
Vedas
Most sacred and oldest
Mainly composed of inspiring hymns, poems, prayers or texts written in
Sanskrit
Upanishads
Upanishads means sit down near.
Each Upanishad is like a conversation where a person sits down beside a wise
teacher to learn about the Vedas.
They were shared orally for more than 1000 years before they were written
down.
For Hindus, all of the Vedas are revelations, but the conversations are seen as
the heart of the Vedas and have had the strongest influence on Hinduism.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
Purunas
It is a collection of ancient tales about the different incarnations and
lives of saints
Mahabharata
May be one of the longest epic poems, at about 100,000 verses that
displays Hindu ethical and social values
Ramayana
Another great epic poem that tells the story of Rama, the 7
th

incarnation of the deity Vishnu, and his wife Sita.
It is about how good will always triumph over evil and how Rama and
Sita are role models for the perfect husband and wife.
Bhagavad Gita
The Song of the Lord
Tells the story of two forces: Pandavas (good) and Kauravas (evil)
Guide to all on the path of truth
A dialogue between a great prince, Arjuna, and his charioteer,
Krishna


HINDU MILESTONES
Marriage
Hindu society has a tradition of arranged marriages, especially in India.
Friends, neighbors, or paid matchmakers may arrange marriages.
The couple does not date and they are never left alone.
According to traditional Hindu beliefs, parents and others who arrange
marriages
have greater wisdom into what it takes to have a successful
marriage
know their own children well
consider character, education, caste, tradition, and background
give the couple a say in what happens; if either disagrees with the
match, the search starts again
believe that love develops after marriage, not before

Death
Traditionally, the family carries the deceaseds body to the cremation
grounds.
The body is placed on the funeral pyre (fire).
The ashes are scattered on water, preferably a river.


SYMBOLS OF HINDUISM
AUM
- Universally accepted symbol of Hinduism
- Also called PRAVANA which means that by
which God is effectively praised
- A (Adimawata) representing the beginning
- U (Utkarsha) representing the progress
- M (Miti) representing dissolution
LOTUS
- Symbolizes birth of the Universe
- Symbol of the sun
- Represents beauty and non-attachment

SYMBOLS OF HINDUISM
SWASTIKA
- Ancient symbol of good fortune and protection
- Represents the eternal wheel of life which rotates
upon an unchanging center, God

SRI YANTRA
- Represents spiritual evolution.
- The triangles stand for the many aspects of God,
which when focused on, merge into one.
- Consciousness of unity appears in the circles.
- The entire symbol is seen as a single unit
mirroring the Absolute or God.

SACRED ANIMALS OF HINDUISM
MONKEY
- Symbol of good luck
- Represents fidelity and loyalty


COBRA
- Represents fertility


SACRED ANIMALS OF HINDUISM
COW
- Most sacred
- Provides milk and butter, used in rituals of
atonement.
- Represents life and the sustenance of life to the
Hindu.

ELEPHANT
- Symbol of good fortune