Hinduism:

Basic Hindu Beliefs

Introduction to Hinduism• Hinduism :

• ancient religion whose origins predate history

• has no single founder

• has developed over thousands of years.

• Sacred Scriptures: “Vedas” • Means “knowledge” in Sanskrit, the ritual language

of Hinduism• Began as oral tradition: scholars think they date back

as far as 6500 BCE

• Historians believe they were written down around 1000 BCE

Hinduism, continued...• Other elements (sacred symbols, worship of

certain Gods) trace back to about 600 BCE

• The word “Hindu”• First used by ancient Persians to describe practices

and beliefs of people who lived on river Sindu (Indus River)

• Hindus call their religion “Sanatana Dharma” (the eternal religion) or “Vedic Dharma” (the religion of knowledge)

• Generally…• Has continued to evolve; incorporates wide variety of

religious beliefs and practices

Hinduism continued...• Generally, continued…

• Historically has been tolerant of other religions -- Hindus believe all religions can be legitimate paths to God

• It is the 3rd largest religion practiced in the world

• More than 900 million lived in India

1. Brahman

• Brahman is the name for Hinduism’s one Supreme God or Spirit

• Brahman creates, maintains, destroys and re-creates the universe in a never-ending cycle

What do you see in this slide? What are some details in the slide that make it unrealistic? What might the relationship be among the objects?

• Everything in the world, including the human soul (atman) is a part of Brahman

• “Just like a single drop in the ocean, the atman is both separate from and one with Brahman.”

• A Hindu’s spiritual goal is to unite his or her soul with Brahman

Brahman, continued...

What do you see in this slide? What are some details in the slide that make it unrealistic? What might the relationship be among the objects?

2. Multiple Gods

Goddess Sri Vishwarwoopa: shown to encompass all Gods within herself

Goddess Durga: wife of God Shiva

Brahma: the creator

• Hindus worship many Gods and Goddesses, but believe all Gods are all aspects of the one Supreme God, Brahman.

Multiple Gods, continued...

Vishnu: the preserverShiva:

the destroyer

• Hindus believe the multiple Gods represent endless different qualities and powers of Brahman

• Some gods have humanlike personalities, others represent things like success, good luck, war

• Each person or family may be devoted to one particular God or Goddess

• 3 of the most impt: Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma(different than Brahman)

3. Dharma• Dharma means “to hold or support” and part of

dharma relates to sacred duties, which make up a system of rules and values all Hindus follow in their daily life

• Also: “the right thing to do” in a situation• Universal dharma: includes values all Hindus accept

and practice, including non-violence• Individual dharma: also impt., determined by different

things: personality, age, sex, inherited social class (varna)

• Hinduism teaches when people follow their dharma, they contribute to harmony and balance of society and the universe

3. Dharma, continued... Brahmins:

Religious scholars

Shudras: laborers

Kshtryiyas: lawmakers and warriors

Vaishyas: merchants

Pictures of people performing the duties of their varna, or class, according to Dharma

4. Karma• Karma: the total of good and bad actions in a human

soul (atman)

• It carries from life to life and determines rebirth status

• Hindus believe when a person dies, their soul leaves the body and is reborn in another body…the total of their actions decides whether they are born into a poor or rich family and what they’ll experience in life

• Examples: if you steal, you will be robbed from in a future life or if you hurt animals you will be reborn as an animal

5. Samsara

• Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth• Process of rebirth sometimes called “reincarnation”• Goal of Hindu’s life: to be released from samsara and united with the Supreme God Brahman -- the release is called moksha and is achieved after many lifetimes• Hindus achieve moksha by following the path of dharma, balancing their karma, woshipping the Gods faithfully and by following certain spiritual practices to have a direct and personal experience of God

5. Samsara, continued...

What do you see? Which figures represent the same person? What does the arrangement of the figures tell you about Hindu beliefs about the cycle of life and death?

Mandalas• Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit. Mandalas are

circular designs that originated with Hinduism and are used in both Hinduism and Buddhism to increase spiritual awareness. Hindu mandalas usually consist of a combination of lines and triangles with a circle and a square, and designs range from very simple to very complex. Mandalas symbolize the cyclical nature of the universe, and incorporate the 5 beliefs of Hinduism. People often use mandalas to focus themselves during meditation.

Examples of Mandalas