I. Religious Traditions
A. Most of the people in India are Hindu.
Hinduism developed slowly absorbing beliefs from many
different people. It is rooted in the ancient Aryan
religion and developed into a common set of beliefs.
1.
Vedas –
Eternal truths revealed by the wise man
2. Upanishads -
Help to explain the Vedas. The Upanishads are a
collection of Indian speculations on the nature of reality and the soul and
their relationship.
3. The search for an underlying unity linking
everything is called Brahman. In this sense
every individual is
united with the cosmos, and only needs to
realize this fact to reach
fulfillment.
Rig Veda
The Rig Veda praises the gods and ask them for worldly benefits such as
wealth, health, long life, protection, and victory over the Dasa peoples.
Mantra /
Vedic chants –
Prayers that are
repeated to
achieve a
meditative state
He, self-reliant, mighty and triumphant,
brought low the dear head of the wicked Dasas.
Indra the Vritra-slayer, Fort-destroyer,
scattered the Dasa hosts who dwelt in darkness.
For men hath he created earth and waters,
and ever helped the prayer of him who worships.
To him in might the Gods have ever yielded,
to Indra in the tumult of battle.
When in his arms they laid the bolt,
he slaughtered the Dasyus
and cast down their forts of iron.
B. Hinduism worships thousands of gods
who are all part of a single supreme
force. Only a few people can understand the
force which formless and unlimited. Brahman is
the supreme force.
 There are
three main
gods that make
up Brahman…
Brahma –
The Creator
Vishnu -
The Preserver
Shiva –
The Destroyer
Symbol for “OM”
1. Brahma
 Brahma is considered the God of
the Tirmutri or the Trinity.
-Generally, Brahma is represented as 4
males or 4 females with 4 heads and 4
arms. Each hand holds a sacrificial
tool, the Vedas, a water pot and a
rosary.
-Brahma is usually sitting on a lotus
to symbolize a glorious existence.
-A swan represents a mode of travel
due to the ability to judge between
good and bad.
-Brahma is connected with the
Goddess of Learning.
2. Vishnu – The Preserver
Vishnu is the preserver of human life. He is a generous God and
known to be kind and merciful. Vishnu is the only God who is reborn
whenever there is a crisis on earth. If righteousness is disturbed,
Vishnu will descend to the earth as an avatar to fight the
forces of evil. There have been ten avatars to restore order.
-Vishnu is represented as a BLUE MAN WITH
FOUR ARMS. He HOLDS A CLUB, A CONCH
SHELL, A DISCUS AND A LOTUS.
-He is usually DRESSED IN YELLOW ROBES.
-The Ganges River is said to originate from
Vishnu's feet.
-He is also depicted as resting on a coiled
serpent which floats on the cosmic ocean.
-is connected to the consort Goddess of
Wealth.
Fish
Warrior
Tortoise
Rama
Boar
Krishna
Man Lion
Buddha
Avatars of Vishnu
Dwarf
Kalki
3. Shiva – The Destroyer
Shiva is the God of destruction, creator and sustainer
of life. Shiva seeks to destroy while she brings in new life. Only when
-He wears a necklace made of
skulls and has snakes all over his
body.
-The CRESCENT MOON crown is
wore as a symbol of controlling
time.
-He wears a tiger skin and
elephant skin.
-He has a THIRD EYE which is the
source of knowledge & wisdom.
…And of course GANESH!!!
C. During prayers to the various gods, people try to
reach a meditative state.
Puja – Treating the statue of the god as
an honored guest which is bathed,
dressed and offered food
D.
Hindus believe in the UNITY of all life and the essential
self which is a part of the universal soul. All are also part of
Brahman.
Atman –
The essential self which is part of the universal soul
E. Samsara- Hindus believe there is an endless cycle of death and
rebirth. You. strive to follow the policy of non violence. What you do
in one life will affect your placement in the next.
“A mans life is like
a bead on a necklace
whose other beads
represent past and
future lives.”
F. Moksha –
Uniting your soul with Brahman
E.
To live a harmonious live, one should follow life stages.
ASHRAMAS
1.
Youth –
Duty to learn and receive the thread of life
2.
Family –
Responsible for teaching and commitment of the youth
F. People suffer from pain and sorrow due to the pursuit of
false goals.
Obtaining material riches and individual pleasure is not
the true purpose of life. The true goal is to reunite with
Brahman. The goal cannot be achieved in one lifetime.
People can lead hundreds of lives before they reach the goal.
Your placement within the universe is dependent upon your life.
1. Reincarnation –
Belief in the rebirth of the soul in various forms after the body dies.
The soul can be reborn as anything in the universe.
2. Karma –
Every deed , mental and physical , affects your fate in a future life .
 G. Every action affects the future
fate.
Your current position is the
result of deeds in a past existence.
Every deed sooner or later; will bring you
happiness or sorrow. The cycle of rebirth
and karma are closely tied to the caste
system. Caste is determined by your
karma. So, deeds in your past life are
responsible for your current position.
Brahmin is the top caste and they are
closest to achieve the goal of moksha.
 There are numerous rules and regulations
most be followed to advance to the next
level.
 The higher caste have strict the rules.

H. Dharma –
The rules and obligations for each caste that
assist people in achieving spiritual purity
F. Besides Hinduism and Buddhism, there are other
religions from this region.
Jainism –
• The universe is made up of several levels which are all connected
• One is bound to the universe by negative karma
• Achieving enlightenment is when one has stopped reincarnating
• Follow a principle of ahimsa
AHIMSA –
Non violence
*Around the World in 80 Faiths;
Jainism(Video, start at 47min)-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYgpYM2DYs
Sikhism –
• A combination of Hinduism and
Islam
• Belief in a single, formless
god who can be known
through MEDIATION
• Cycle of reincarnation and
karma
• Rejects the caste system
*Around the World in 80 Faiths;
Sikhism(Video, start at 41min)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYgpY
M2DYs
In villages across India, women draw these designs each morning on their
doorsteps, in the courtyards of their homes, or in temples. Using rice powder
or crushed limestone, they start with a grid of small dots, then fill in the
design with a series of lines. Rangoli not only add a touch of art and beauty
to the home or temple, they also protect the family or holy place.
The designs are handed down from mother to daughter. Some of these
designs are very old, dating back hundreds and hundreds of years. Flower
and animal motifs are sometimes included in the designs, but geometric lines
are the heart of rangoli designs. There are also many different styles of
drawing, varying from region to region across the country