Today’s Vocab
 Polytheism: Belief in more than 1 God.
 Brahman: The absolute universal spirit and power in Hinduism.
 Reincarnation: The belief that all souls/spirits can be born again.
 Moksha: The ultimate goal of Hinduism. A state of perfect




understanding between Atman and Brahman.
Samsara: The cycle of reincarnation. Atman is born again and
again until Moksha is achieved.
Caste System: Social class system within Hinduism. You are a part
of the Caste you are born in your entire life.
Dharma: The laws/customs of your Caste.
Karma: How well you follow the Dharma of your Caste.
Warm up?
 What purpose do religions serve for the people who
follow them?
Commonalities of Major Religions
All religions seek to
answer big questions like
where did the world
come from; what is the
purpose of life; what
happens after we die, etc.
2. All religions set out
guidelines for how to
live, for what is right and
wrong, for how to be a
good person.
1.
3. Religious experiences occur for some people in all
religions. These involve a feeling of peacefulness, joy,
wholeness, and unity with the world. Different religions
interpret these experiences differently.
4. Within each religion there is diversity of belief and
practice. Some differences are about emphasis or style,
while some are about primary religious questions, such as
what is necessary for salvation. Within most religions
there are some groups who feel that each word of the
sacred text is literally true, while other groups do not.
5. All religions have deeply
wise people, who are easily
recognizable by anyone.
6. Most religions have people
who wish to devote
themselves wholly to their
religions, such as monks
and nuns.
7. Religion involves an
element of faith, because it
posits the existence of
something that cannot be
experienced by the five
senses.
Hinduism
 Possibly the world’s
oldest religion, over
4000 yrs. old.
 Founder: unknown
 Belief that all things
in the universe are
cyclical
 Polytheistic
 Belief in numerous
Gods & Goddesses.
 Brahman- The absolute
universal power, spirit,
force.
 Can not be understood
by humans, so the many
Gods worshipped
represent aspects of this
power.
 The 3 Main Gods
are:
 Brahma

The Creator
 Vishnu
 The Protector
 Shiva
 The Destroyer
 A part of Brahman is in
all living things
 Atman
 Individual soul of living
being
 Hindus believe in
reincarnation
 An individual’s soul or
spirit born again and
again
The Goal of Hinduism
 Moksha
 A state of perfect
understanding of the
relationship between
atman and Brahman

Become enlightened
through good Karma and
reincarnation.
 Samsara
 Cycle of reincarnation
 Atman or Soul is born
again and again until
Moksha is achieved
 Three paths to liberation
from Samsara
1.
Yoga

2.
Devotion

3.
Purification of the
mind and body
Honoring the Gods
Dharma

Obedience to the laws
and customs of your
Caste (Social System)
BRAHMAN
(Moksha)
 Priest
 Warrior
 Farmer/Merchant
 Laborer
 Reincarnation is based
on how well you follow
your Caste Dharma or
duty.
 Karma is your record
(report card) of your
deeds, if it is good you go
up, bad you go down.
 Untouchables or
outcastes are not part of
the caste system because
of bad karma in a past
life and are
discriminated against.
 Gandhi renamed them
Harijans (children of
God) to help end the
discrimination.
Closing?
 What kind of effect do you feel the Caste System has
on Hindu society?