Title: Hinduism
1Hinduism
2How It Began
-Hinduism began about 4000 years ago -Hinduism
did not grow out of one persons beliefs but
rather out of mixing of Aryan (ancient
Indo-Europeans) traditions and beliefs -There is
no one founder of Hinduism -Developed primarily
in modern-day India
3What is Hinduism?
- -The four aims of Hinduism are
- Pleasure
- Prosperity
- Moral Duty
- Enlightenment
- -Hindus believe in reincarnation, or the passing
of a soul onto a different being - -A persons reincarnation depends on their karma,
or the sum total of ones actions, good or bad
4Who/What do Hindus Look To?
-Hindus are polytheistic, worshipping many
gods -Hindus worship three primary gods are
Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and
Shiva (the destroyer) -Hindus look to Brahma as
the supreme god -On Earth, Hindus look to Gurus,
or religious teachers to give advice -Hindus can
worship in temples but they are also allowed to
exclusively worship in their homes
5What is Om and its importance?
- "Om" is a holy word often spoken during the
practice of any Hindu rites. - Represents the trinity of three supreme Gods
- Brahma the creator
- Vishnu the preserver
- Shiva the destroyer
- Reincarnations of Lord Vishnu
- Lord Rama (Ramayana)
- Lord Krishna (Mahabharata and the Gita)
- Gita narrates the meaning of life, karma, moksha,
atma, and parmatma
Man is mortalthe soul is immortal!
6Hindu Life
-820 million Hindus worldwide -Practice the Caste
System, individuals are born into a social
class -Though these classes are breaking down
today -Hindus take pilgrimages, or holy journeys,
to bathe in sacred rivers but most of all to
bring them closer to the gods -Yoga is often
practiced to better self-discipline, posture,
breathing and concentration -Mohandas Gandhi is
the most notable Hindu
710 Common Hinduism Questions
- Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?
- Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created
many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to
be His helpers - Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?
- Yes, we believe the soul (without body) is
immortal and takes birth again and again. - What is Karma?
- Karma is the universal principal of cause and
effect. Both good and bad karma not only decide
our fate (sorrow and happiness) in the present
life, but also in future life.
810 Common Hinduism Questions
- Why do Hindus worship the cow?
- By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more
than she takes, we honor the creatures as well. - Are Hindus idol worshipers?
- We worship God through the image so that we can
commune with Him and receive His blessings. - Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?
- Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way of life to
not hurt living creatures. - Do Hindus have a Bible?
- Our Bible is called the Veda which means
wisdom and which reveals the word of God.
910 Common Hinduism Questions
- 8. Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle
of their forehead? - It represents a divine sight and shows that one
is a Hindu. - 9. Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?
- It is true that God is often depicted with a
spouse in traditional stories, a symbol of love
between husband and wife. - 10. What about caste and untouchability?
- Caste is the hereditary division of Indian
society based on occupation (priests, warriors,
business people, and workers). The lowest caste,
untouchables, suffer from discrimination. It is
now illegal in India.
10What is meditation, bhakti, sadhana or devotion?
- It is essentially a language of love
- This alone can give us the bliss of
God-realization - Sadhana serves to attract the devotees attention
to the Lord - This makes the devotee free from sorrow and
suffering, and reveals Himself (God) before the
devotee
11What is yoga?
- Method of keeping us in control of
- our body, mind and actions
- One must master these four types of yoga
- Jnana yoga the path of knowledge
- Bhakti yoga the path of devotion
- Karma yoga the path of action
- Raja yoga the path based on control of ones
actions and thoughts - Having learnt these, the body can be detached
from the soul. - Achieve union with the supreme self or God.
12Hinduism and Humanity
- Code of Conduct
- Nonviolence (ahimsa)
- Truthfulness
- Patience
- Compassion
- Honesty
- Purity
- Giving
- Faith in God
13Hinduism and Humanity
- According to Mahatma Gandhi, love, sacrifice
- and truthfulness leads to comfort and pleasure
- in everyday life.
- Gandhis use of nonviolence was a strong weapon
in achieving Indias independence - Pluralism
- Hinduism promotes not only tolerance and respect
for differences in belief and religion, but also
acceptance of those paths as legitimate
14Respect for Earth
- Hinduism teaches us the need to care for the
Earth and all its beings by not killing animals
and plants - Hindus worship mountains, oceans and the planets
as God, to give respect for both earthly and
heavenly things - Vegetarianism has been advocated for many
centuries. - According to reincarnation all souls upon death
are reborn in another body. Hence there is no
difference between an animal soul and a human
soul. We should respect every soul.