HINDUISM

Chapter 3Section 2

OriginsHinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that developed slowly over a long period of time.

Hindus believe that their religion helps you free your soul from the sadness, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday life.

Unlike other major religions like Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, & Judaism, it cannot be traced back to a single founder.

The main symbol of Hinduism is called Om (or Aum). It represents

the spirit of all things in the world. The name “Om” represents the sound that was made

when the universe was created.

Vedas & UpanishadsThe Vedas (1700-500BC) and the Upanishads (750 to 550BC) are a collection of writings that describe all the fundamental teachings that are central to Hinduism — including the concepts of 'karma' (action), 'samsara' (reincarnation), 'moksha' (nirvana).

Holy Texts:

ReincarnationThis is the concept that the soul is immortal, and all life forms are reborn into a new entity after death. The key word is entity: you do not have a guarantee of being reborn as a human being.

The soul travels from one body to the next.

Belief:

The body is temporary: it dies.

The soul is eternal & indestructible.

KarmaKarma is the concept that if you do good deeds, good things will happen in your life. If you do bad deeds, bad things will happen to you in life.

Further, if you live a good life (doing good deeds, being a spiritual follower of Hinduism), you will be reincarnated into a higher form, if you live a bad life, you will be reincarnated into a lower form.

Belief:

Do you believe in Karma?

MokshaMoksha is when your soul becomes free from the cycle of rebirth, and is no longer reincarnated. This happens after you reach the highest level of rebirth, and you can can’t be born into a higher form. When you reach Moksha, it means you have had all of life’s experiences, learned all of life’s lessons, and reached a perfect understanding of the universe. Instead of being reincarnated, your soul becomes one with god.

Belief:

1. Dharma: be a good, virtuous, moral person.

2. Artha: earn material prosperity: money. (This allows you and your family to live a secure life).

3. Kama: seek happiness, pleasure, emotional fulfillment (love, friendship, community).

4. Moksha: seek freedom from ignorance, spirituality, and self-knowledge.

Four Goals of Life in Hinduism:

There are hundreds of different Hindu gods, and not all Hindus worship all the gods. Sometimes families have a certain favorite god they worship, or regions in India have favorite gods.

Hindu Gods

The Big 3Hindus believe the spirit of the universe takes the form of three main gods. Hindus can choose to pray to all of these forms, some of them, or none.

Brahma: The Creator Vishnu: The Protector Shiva: The Destroyer

Hindu DietHindus do not eat beef because cows are considered a holy animal in the religion. Cows are sacred because they are so important to agriculture: they help plow the fields, they carry heavy loads, they provide dairy products, and their poop is used as fertilizer.

Most Hindus are vegetarian, meaning they do not eat meat, fish, poultry or eggs.

Caste SystemThe Caste System is a system where people are born into certain social classes, and they CANNOT change their social class. Your social class is determined by Karma: if you are a good person you will be born into a higher social class in your next life.

Under the Caste System, who you can marry, what jobs you can have, and where you can live are restricted by your social class.

The system is less frequent than it was in the past, but still exists in rural areas of India today.

PriestsWarriors

MerchantsUnskilled Laborers

-Outcastes

Caste System Activity Questions

1. How did you feel being a ____________? (3-4 sentences).

2. Would you want to redraw your card? Why or why not?

3. From the video, what did you find the most interesting and/or shocking? Summarize with your reactions in one paragraph.

RELIGIOUS CALENDAR PROJECT

http://www.teacherharris.com/uploads/2/3/7/0/23702810/religious_calendar_project.pdf