Hinduism
Honors World History 12.2.2 World Religions
Terms
Ahimsa- the principal of non-injury to living things
Atman- the individual self, known after enlightenment to be
identical with Brahman.
Bhagavad-Gita- a portion of the Mahabharata, having the form of
a dialogue between the hero Arjuna and his charioteer, the avatar
Krishna, in which a doctrine combining Brahmanical and other
elements is evolved.
Brahman- the impersonal supreme being, the primal source and
ultimate goal of all beings, with which Atman, when enlightened,
knows itself to be identical.
caste system- a social structure in which classes are determined by
heredity
dharma- essential quality or character, as of the cosmos or one's
own nature.
Terms
Guru- a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.
Karma- action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results,
good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation
Moksha- freedom from the differentiated, temporal, and mortal
world of ordinary experience.
Reincarnation- the belief that the soul, upon death of the body,
comes back to earth in another body or form.
Upanishads- any of a class of speculative prose treatises composed
between the 8th and 6th centuries b.c. and first written a.d.
c1300: they represent a philosophical development beyond the
Vedas, having as their principal message the unity of Brahman
and Atman.
Terms
Vedas- the entire body of Hindu sacred writings, chief
among which are four books, the Rig-Veda, the SamaVeda, the Atharva-Veda, and the Yajur-Veda.
Yoga- a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and
prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for
attaining liberation from the material world and union of
the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.
Symbols
Swastika:
Om:
symbolize the suns rays
which life depends on
symbolize the
beginning, duration,
and dissolution of the
universe and the
associated gods
Hinduism in the World
Origin of Hinduism
Hinduism History
Hinduism is a term coined to designate the traditional socio-religious systems of the people of
India.
Hindus refer to their religion as Sanatana Dharma which loosely translated means “The Eternal
Path”.
Hinduism is the older, going back to the beginning of recorded history.
Hindu civilization originated in the Gangetic and Indus valleys and from there spread out over the
entire region of southeast Asia.
Hindu philosophy/theology influenced the ancient Greeks since the time Alexander the Great
conquered parts of north India.
Hindu civilization continues as a vibrant and living vector, and has remained virtually unchanged
for over 6000 years.
Hindu communities are to be found in almost every country on earth.
Basic Duties
Ahimsa - do no harm
Saucha - be clean
Satya - do not lie
Santosha - be content
Asteya - do not steal
Tapas - be self-disciplined
Brahmacharya - do not
overindulge
Svadhyaya – study
Aparigraha - do not be
greedy
Ishvara Pranidhana surrender to God
Basic Duties
dharma - fulfill moral, social and religious duties
artha - attain financial and worldly success
kama - satisfy desires and drives in moderation
moksha - attain freedom from reincarnation
News Article
http://www.examiner.com/freethought-innational/hinduism-america-on-the-rise
Hinduism is rising in America. There are temples that are
being put up. One of the most recent is for the monkey god,
Hunan in Frisco, Texas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/opinion/lweb02hin
du.html?_r=1&ref=hinduism
Offerings to the Hindu Gods end up as Jamaica Bay trash
could have presented a broader context to the causes of
pollution in Jamaica Bay.
Current Happenings
Hinduism is the 4th largest religion in the world
Hinduism is growing around the world