K-What I KNOW
W-What I WANT
to know
 L-What I
LEARNED


The Hindu god
Brahman
showing the
different ways it
shows itself to
people
HINDUISM
is one of the
world's oldest religions.
Over 2/3's of the
world's Hindus live in
India; large numbers
reside in Africa also.
Not Monotheistic, but
not totally polytheistic.
 God is called Brahman,
but takes many forms.
 Believes in reincarnation
or being born again in
different forms until
reaching spiritual
enlightenment or
Moksha.

› “God is one, but wise people know it by many
names.”

Brahman “the Creator”
› “God is one, but wise people
know it by many names.”


Vishnu “the Preserver”
Vishnu is one of the
principal Hindu deities,
worshipped as the protector
and preserver of the world
and restorer of dharma
(moral order). He is known
chiefly through his avatars
(incarnations), particularly
Rama, Krishna and Buddha.
In Hinduism, persons who have depth
of character and the capacity to fight
evil are depicted as blue skinned. ...
"The theory of the blue coloring of
Krishna goes to the fact that the
Creator has given the maximum of
blue to nature i.e. the sky, the oceans,
the rivers and lakes. The deity who has
the qualities of bravery, manliness,
determination, the ability to deal with
difficult situations, of stable mind and
depth of character is represented as
blue colored. Lord Krishna spent his life
protecting humanity and destroying
evil, hence he is colored blue."
› “God is one, but wise people know it by many
names.”

Shiva “the Destroyer”

Both kind and cruel
› “God is one, but wise people know it by many
names.”

Ganesha
Remover of Obstacles
 Lord of Success

Castes-Social groups which people are
born and can rarely be changed.
 High Caste-purer and closer to moksha

› Forbidden to eat with or marry outside of caste
› Determined where and how you lived

Lower Caste
›
›
›
›
Spiritually polluted
Grave diggers
Street cleaners
Also called “Untouchables” called dalits
Although unequal, created a stable
social structure
 Couldn’t change caste, but could
change their caste in the next life by
fulfilling the duties of their present caste.


Dharma-religious and
moral duties of an
individual. Duties vary
according to class,
occupation, gender and
age.

Karma-actions of a
person’s life that affect his
or her fate in the next life.

Moksha-Spiritual
Perfection
 Traditional
Hindu
society was divided
into groups of four
classes (or varnas).
This was known as
the "caste system."
 The
goal of Hindus is
to someday join with
Brahman.
 Until that union takes
place, believers are
in a continuous
process of rebirth
called
"reincarnation."
At death, the Hindu‘s
Deeds (karma) & Duty
(Dharma) determine
what the next life will be.
 Followers work to break
this cycle--birth, death,
re-birth-- (referred to by
writers as the "Wheel of
Life") and gain release.
 The Hindu's soul then
merges with Brahman in
a condition of spiritual
perfection (moksha).


Vedas-sacred text of epic poems, rituals
and teachings written in Sanskrit.
› Mahabharata
 Bhagavad-Gita
› Ramayana

Ahimsanonviolence
› All things are
aspects of
Brahman and
deserve to be
respected
Grew out of Hindu traditions
 Rejected the idea that Brahmin priests
alone could perform certain sacred rites
 Teachings

› Meditation
› Self denial
› Extreme ahimsa

Regardless of your belief system, is there
any part of Hinduism you find valuable or
like the way you believe?