Hinduism
Copyright © Clara Kim 2007. All rights reserved.
Lets Take a Hindu Start
• Rise early and
bathe in the
Ganges River
–Cleansing
body and soul
Lets Take a Hindu Start
• Burn incense and offer prayer
Lets Take a Hindu Start
• Yoga – breathing exercises
Background
• No real founder
• No formal
church
• Almost
considered a
way of life
Aryan Invaders
• Aryans and nonAryans followed
their own forms
of religion
• This resulted in
the blending of
different forms of
the religion
Polytheistic? Monotheistic?
• One god or
world soul =
Brahman
–He has three
personalities
1.Brahma –
the creator
•Vishnu –
The
Preserver
• Shiva –
The
Destroyer
Vedas
• Collection of
sacred writings
–Hindu teachers
try to interpret
and explain the
meaning of the
Vedic hymns
The Upanishads
• Teachers’ asked
questions as
they meditated
–Later the
teachers’
comments were
written down in
the Upanishads
Moksha
• State of
perfect
understanding
of all things
and release
from life in
this world
Reincarnation
• Means ‘Rebirth’
• An individual
spirit (ATMAN)
is born again
and again until
Moksha is
achieved
Karma
• Means good
or bad deeds
• Your Karma
determines
your state of
reincarnation
Caste System
Brahmins - Priests
Kshatriyas - Warriors
Vaisyas - Merchants
Sudras - Untouchables