HINDUISM

1
HINDUISM

• No formal founder
• No formal church
• roots lie in the beliefs and practices of the
  ancient Aryans
• Hindu-Kush Mtns
• crossed thru the Khyber Pass into South Asia from
  Caucasus Mtns
• brought Hindu beliefs

Khyber Pass
2
ARYAN Culture

• migration took 100s of years
• invented Chariots
• brought Hinduism
• developed Sanskrit
• INDRA warrior god
• also farmers herders
• cattle as wealth
• Rajahs hereditary chiefs that rule the villages

3
Aryan Migration into South Asia
4
SACRED TEXTS

• VEDAS contain eternal truths that were revealed
  to wise men
• ca. 6000 - 1500 BCE
• contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from
  ancient India
• give a unique view of everyday life in India four
  thousand years ago
• 4 VEDAS
• RIG VEDA oldest
• YAJUR VEDA
• SAMA VEDA
• ATHARVA VEDA

5
SACRED TEXTS

• UPANISHADS helps to explain the Vedas
• the Epics -
• Mahabharata the great story
• longest written story
• 100,000 verses
• poem _at_ 12 yr war btwn two royal families
• Bhagavad Gita song of God
• Ramayana Ramas Way
• to avoid war, Rama places himself in exile, thus
  not becoming heir to the throne
• written in SANSKRIT

6
The CASTE SYSTEM

• Varna means color
• suggest that caste was first determined by skin
  color
• Brahmins
• priests
• Kshatriyas
• warriors, rulers
• Vaisyas
• landowners, merchants, herders
• Sudras
• servants, peasants
• UNTOUCHABLES

7
The CASTE SYSTEM

• Varna means color
• suggest that caste was first determined by skin
  color
• ______________________
• priests
• ______________________
• warriors, rulers
• ______________________
• landowners, merchants, herders
• ______________________
• servants, peasants
• ______________________
• So low, not part o/t caste system

8
Harijans (Untouchables or Dalits)

• Considered to by so lowly that
• they do not have a caste.
• Perform the despicable tasks like killing
  animals, tanning hides, sweeping and cleaning.
• Gandhi called them the children of God
• 1950 Indian Constitution abolished
  untouchabilitybut still exists

9
4 Principles of Hinduism

• Dharma duties responsibilities according to
  ones caste.
• Karma ones actions in this life, will effect
  the next lives (vice-versa)
• Samsara Wheel of Life
• birth, disease, death, rebirth
• aka? _____________________
• Moksha
• Hindu enlightenment
• escape fm Samsara
• becomes one w/ Brahman

10
4 Principles of Hinduism

• _______________ duties responsibilities
  according to ones caste.
• _______________ ones actions in this life, will
  effect the next lives (vice-versa)
• ____________ Wheel of Life
• birth, disease, death, rebirth
• aka? _____________________
• ______________________
• Hindu enlightenment
• escape fm Samsara
• becomes one w/ Brahman

11
The HINDU TRINITY

• Brahma Creator God
• all other gods come from Brahma
• Monist
• Vishnu Preserver God
• ten avatars incarnations
• returns to earth as avatars to bring
  justice/balance
• Shiva Destroyer God
• The Cosmic Dance
• equivalent to the oscillating universe theory

12
The HINDU TRINITY

• ___________ Creator God
• all other gods come from Brahma
• Monist
• _________ Preserver God
• ten avatars incarnations
• returns to earth as avatars to bring
  justice/balance
• _________ Destroyer God
• The Cosmic Dance
• equivalent to the oscillating universe theory

13
Hindu Religious Symbols

• Sri Yantra
• symbol of spiritual evolution
• focal point for meditation
• This form is the geometric expression of
  thedivine sound of creation... OM
• OM or AUM
• Main symbol of Hinduism
• visual and verbal expression of god
• transcend ones thoughts merge w/ god.
• a beginning
• u progress
• m dissolution
• reflects the POWER responsible for creation,
  development and destruction of the universe

14
Hindu Religious Symbols

• ____________________
• symbol of spiritual evolution
• focal point for meditation
• This form is the geometric expression of
  thedivine sound of creation... OM
• _____________________
• Main symbol of Hinduism
• visual and verbal expression of god
• transcend ones thoughts merge w/ god.
• a beginning
• u progress
• m dissolution
• reflects the POWER responsible for creation,
  development and destruction of the universe

15
SHIVA

• The Destroyer God
• The Cosmic Dance
• the dance of Shiva symbolizes the creation and
  destruction of the universe
• equivalent to the oscillating universe theory
• pg. 241