Hinduism
Mr. Tackabury
Hinduism
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Has no single founder, and no single sacred
text
Religion started when the Aryans (nomadic
people) blended with the Indus valley people
Many Gods, and many forms of worship
Many gods-or one?
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Hindu thinkers came to believe that everything in
the universe was part of a unchanging, all
powerful spiritual force called Brahman
Most important Hindu Gods:
-Brahman- the creator
-Vishnu- the preserver
-Shiva- the destroyer
*each represents aspects of the Brahman*
Would you want any of this?
The Goal of life:
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Every Hindu has an essential self called atman (really
just another name for Brahman)
The ultimate goal of existence is to achieve Moksha
(union) with Brahman
In order to accomplish this:
-Individuals must free themselves from
selfless desires
-reincarnation-rebirth of the soul in another
bodily form
-allows people to work towards Moksha
through several lifetimes
Karma and Dharma
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Come closer to achieving Moksha by obeying the law of
Karma
Refers to all the actions in a person's life that will affect
his/her fate in the next life
To Hindus, all existence is ranked:
-Humans are the closest to Brahman then comes
animals, plants, and objects like rocks and water
Live a good life, earn good Karma=rebirth into a higher
level of existence
Live a bad life= reborn into suffering
Dharma- the religious and moral duties of an individual
Duties depend upon a person's class, occupation, gender,
or age
Ahimsa (non-violence)
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To Hindus all people and things are aspects of
Brahman and should therefore be respected