A Hindu Creation Story
Look in Genesis and find similarities to the Hindu creation story.
Hindu
At first, there is nothing but
darkness.
On the waves, there is a giant cobra.
Sleeping in the coils is Lord Vishnu.
There is a loud sound (Aum/Om)
that pushes the darkness away.
Out of the navel of Lord Vishnu
grows a lotus flower, with Brahma
inside.
Brahma creates the world by
splitting the lotus flower in 3 parts:
heavens, earth, and sky.
He creates grass, plants, trees, and
living things and gives them
abilities.
God is
- Brahma when he creates
- Vishnu when he looks after
the creation
- Shiva who will destroy the
creation
Genesis
Hindu vocabulary and concepts
murti- image of a deity
puja - worship to a deity; at home (in a shrine) or in a temple (with a priest),
the ritual involves sounds, light, washing, food, scent, and prayers.
mandir - Hindu temple; complex of shrines, each devoted to a different deity
guru - wise teacher
mantra - sacred sounds, words, or phrases, repeated in ritual
samsara - Law of birth, death, and rebirth(reincarnation): also called the
Wheel of Life
moksha – ultimate goal; to be freed from the cycle of rebirths
karma – law that whatever one does in life affects what one will be in the
next life
dharma - one’s personal code of conduct/duty relating to family and society
Vedas - first sacred writings of Hinduism
Sanskrit - language of the Vedas; “Veda” is Sanskrit word for knowledge
Upanishads - interpretations of the Vedas added to the end of each
Upanishads moved Hinduism from a focus on sacrificial
practices to a meditative way of life (inner self)
Ganges – sacred river come closer to the source of life, to wash away their
sins, and to cleanse both their bodies and their spirits
Brahman - the supreme cosmic force
atman - the true self
maya - illusion that things are all different from one another – inability to
perceive the divine oneness (Brahman)
ahimsa - the principle of non-violence
caste - traditional Hindu social level or class
Brahmans: priests; study and teach the Vedas, lead rituals
Kshatriyas: warriors; protect the people, run a fair government
Vaishyas: producers, traders, merchants, artists
Sudras: unskilled workers, servants; serve the three higher castes
* Untouchables (Dalits): outcastes; may not interact with
members of the four castes
ascetic - someone who practises severe self-discipline or abstains from
physical pleasures for religious purposes
The Four Stages of Life
Stage 1: Student - ages 7 to 20 - religious education and willingness to
search for the truth
Stage 2: Householder – ages 20 to 50 - duty to family, raising children,
earning a living
Stage 3: Semi-retired when family is self-supporting - retreat from worldly
life, focus on spiritual matters
Stage 4: Wandering ascetic - when ready - holy, detached life, with no
possessions or responsibilities
Sacred Thread ceremony – for boys of upper 3 castes; beginning of the life
of a student
avatar - incarnation of a deity (descended into the world in earthly form)
Circle of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction - shows the interplay
of Creation (Brahma), Preservation (Vishnu), and Destruction (Shiva).
yoga - Hindu path (or discipline) to liberation
Path of Knowledge - quest for spiritual knowledge and truth
study with a guru
goal - understand that atman and Brahman are one
Path of Devotion - choose a particular deity and spend life worshipping
that deity
Path of Good Works (karma yoga) - doing dharma, or duty, to the best of
their ability
revealed scriptures (heard) - came from the deities through holy people
traditional scriptures (remembered) - mostly popular stories about the
deities
Laws of Manu - Hindu scriptures that govern actions and virtues
book contains many important instructions for living
according to caste and acting according to duty
arranged marriages : traditional Hindu beliefs; parents and others arrange
marriages
belief that love develops gradually after marriage, not before
greater wisdom to make a successful marriage
consider qualities of character, education, caste, and tradition
similar or compatible backgrounds