Introduction to Hinduism There is only one God, but endless are his aspects and endless are his names Hinduism is a religion that began in India. The religion dates back to 1500 B.C., making it the worlds oldest religion. Most Hindus still live in India. The Indian Sub-continent Hindu Beliefs Hindus believe in a single Divinity or supreme God that is present in everything called Brahman.Hindus also believe in other gods who are aspects of that supreme God such as Shiva, Shakti, and Ganesh. Goal of Hinduism Moksha: release or liberation United forever with the divine Infinite bliss and awareness Reincarnation Samsara is the wheel of rebirth which means the soul is reborn from one life form to another. People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma from their present life. People may be reborn as plants or animals or they may be elevated to a higher caste as a human. Death is not final for Hindus as they expect to be reborn many times. Karma & Dharma Karma:action or deeds Every action produces a Justified effect based on its moral worthiness. Karma determines all the particular circumstances and Situations of ones life. Dharma:ethical duty based on the divine order of reality. The word is the closest equivalent to religion. Four Stages of Life Stage One:Student stage Stage Two:Householder Stage Three:Forest-dweller --after the birth offirst grandchild Stage Four:Sannyasin - wondering ascetic Sacred Texts Rig Veda: Hinduisms oldest text- nearly 4000 years. . Bhagavad Gita:Hinduisms most popular sacred text Sacred Writings The Vedas collections of Sanskrit hymns (written down 1200-900BCE, but based on older oral versions).The Upanishadswhich means the inner or mystic teaching that were passed down from guru (teacher) to disciple (student). VedasAtharva Veda scriptures of knowledge Rig Veda contains hyms in praise of the gods Yajur Vedais a book of rituals to be performed Sama Veda hyms to be sung The most important Dharma-Shahstras are of Manu and YajnavalkyaThe epics include Ramayana and Mahabharata The most important Purana are Bhagavata Purana and Skanda Purana For practical purpose Vedicmantras are recited in deity worship, marriage and other religious ceremoniesGita and Upanishads are the most important religious books for the learned. Ram Mohan Roy, Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo made Upanishads as their subject of studies and meditation For vast majority of the Hindus, Ramayana is the most popular sacred book Mahabharata Mahabharata,Sanskrit for Great Story, is one of the great epic poems of ancient India.It was written between300 BC and AD. 300.The story is about the battle of one family over a kingdom in northern India.The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is contained in the Mahabharata. It is dialogue between Krishna and the hero Arjuna on the meaning of life. Krishna and Arjuna Ramayana Ramayanawas written in 3rd century BC, and tells story of Rama, and his wife, Sita. Rama and Sita are generally seen as idealexamples of great manly heroism and wifely devotion.Reciting the Ramayana isconsidered a religious act, and scenes from the epic are portrayed throughout India and Southeast Asia. Rama and Sita Brahman:essence of reality

He is not ultimate reality because he can be visualized. Brahmas life span = each day is 1000 times the whole of human history. The world will end with the appearance of Vishnu is about 4000 years from now. THE TWO MOST POPULAR GODS SHIVA VISHNU Krishna Rama Avatars of Vishnu Goddesses LakshmiSaraswati Kali wife of Shiva black in color & wearing a necklace of skulls. She is a bloodthirsty goddess. A violent destroyer of herenemies affectionate and caring for her devotees. . Hindu Life Goals Hinduism is about the sort of life one should lead in order to be born into a better life next time and ultimately achieve liberation.There are 4 legitimate goals in life: dharma (appropriate living)artha (the pursuit of material gain by lawful means) kama (delight of the senses) moksha (release from rebirth). Hindu Duties Each Hindu has 4 daily duties:Revere the deities Respect ancestors Respect all beingsHonor all humankind Festivals and Holy Days no set day of the week is holy-each days has its possibilities Religious festivals may be solar or lunar-lunar is preferred In order to keep festivals consistent, an additional lunar month is added to the calendar about every three years. Some numbered days of the month are more important than others.There are 125 special days in the Hindu year. Festival: Divali, Diwali, Deepavali Meaning:Row of lights Takes place in Oct. or Nov. It is a series of five festivals Lights are floated on small rafts If the candle remains lit, good luck will follow. The Ganges River Falling from Its source ofVishnus feet onto Shivas head and out from his hair,the water of the Ganges is sacred enough to purify allsins. Banares/Varanasi - Hindus Holy City Pilgrims come from all over to bathe in the Ganges. Countless Hindus come to Banares to die. It has 1500 temples, most of them devoted to Shiva. It is a gathering place for the religiously learned and their disciples. Caste System Four major castes Brahmin : priests Kshatriya: warriors and administrators Vaistrya:farmers, merchants, teachers, artisans Sudras:servants,laborers Gandhi:the Father of India For Gandhi, social concern was deeply rooted in his conviction of the Sacredness of life. Gandhi believed that human beings should strive to live as simply as possible since overindulgence often meant that others may have to do without their basic needs. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on January 30, l948 as India was gaining its independence. One Ocean, Many Names