HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Class Notes
Durham Catholic District School Board
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
RELIGION
World Religions: Beliefs, Issues, and
Religious Traditions
Grade 11
University/College Preparation
HRT3M
Unit 3
Hinduism
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Terminology (Key Words):
o Vedas
o Moksha
o Agni
o Karma
o Atman
o Yoga (4 types)
o Brahman
o Samsara
o Hindu Holy Trinity
o Dharma
o Brahma
o The 5 levels of the Caste System
o Vishnu
o Ahimsa
o Avatars
o Mantras
o Yogi
o Puja
o Shiva
o The Ganges River
o Maya
o Shaivism
o Parvati
o Guru
o Upanishads
o Karma
______________________________________________________________________________________
The Origins of Hinduism
Origins:
 Origins come from the Indus Valley of India, around 1500 BCE
 Hinduism is one of the Oldest religions known to mankind
 The word Hindu come from the Sanskrit word “sindhu” which means river (specifically the Indus
River)
 Hinduism emerged as a religion by absorbing and incorporating many ancient faiths
 It has continually grown and expanded over hundreds of years
Therefore Hinduism is referred to as Umbrella Religion because it is not a single, unified religion – it is a reservoir of complex
beliefs and practices that have accumulated over five thousand years, sheltering many different religious beliefs.
Brahman and Atman:
 Hindus do not believe in one God, but they believe that one reality rules the universe – this reality is
called Brahman.
 Brahman has three main manifestations:
1. Brahma
2. Vishnu
3. Siva
 Brahman is everything and in everything.
 Brahman is unknowable to the rational mind – we can only know parts of Brahman.
 Hindus belief that humans are a part of Brahman… at the deepest core of all humans there is
Brahman. The deepest human core is called Atman. Therefore, from a personal perspective, it is
called Atman.
Atman is Brahman and Brahman is Atman
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Basic Hindu Beliefs

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There is no founder
There is no set creed of beliefs, therefore Hindus may practice their religion differently than their
neighbor
They believe in non-violence, this is called Ahimsa. To kill anything is to attack Brahman.
They believe in Karma. Karma literally means action – everything that a person does rebounds upon
their destiny
According to the law of Karma, every person is born into a station of life that is determined by the
deeds he/she has preformed in a past life.
Good actions = positive results = rebirth to a higher level
Bad actions = bad results = rebirth to a lower level
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The Caste System is a division of society and is based on your birth. It is related to karma.
Samsara is the Hindu belief in reincarnation – a person must go through countless rebirths before
achieving salvation. If you live your life with good karma, you will be born into a higher caste. If you
live your life with bad karma, you will be born into a lower caste.
Hindu Salvation:
 A Hindu’s ultimate goal in life is to reach Moksha: to stop the cycle of reincarnation and have their
Atman return to Brahman. To do this you must truly know your Atman.
 However Maya stops us from knowing our Atman.
 Maya are the illusions that try to represent themselves as real things.
Therefore to reach Moksha, one must have complete release from Maya.
Hinduism is…
Monism because everything is one (Brahman)
Polytheism because Hindus believe in 330 Million Gods
Hindu Gods
Brahma:
 The Creator of the World
 He is often portrayed with four faces, embracing the four points of the compass, with four arms in
which he holds the Vedas
 As Brahma is considered above and beyond worship, there are few temples dedicated to him
Vishnu:
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

The Preserver of the World
He is often depicted as descending to earth in various forms, referred to as Avatars to uphold order.
The god Krishna is the eighth avatar (the human incarnation of a god)
Siddhartha Guatama the Buddha, founder of the Buddhist religion, is the ninth avatar of Vishnu.
Siva:
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The Destroyer of the World
Siva’s cosmic dance results in the world being burned to ashes
He is portrayed wearing a necklace of skulls, his hair is tangled and matted.
Siva calls human beings out of the world to liberate them.
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Cyclin Time
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Samsara also refers to the Hindu notion of time
Periodically, after billions of years of existence, all of creation is dissolved and enters a state of suspended
being when Brahman alone exists
At the end of these rest periods, the world is recreated, society is reformed, and the scriptures are
recomposed
The Hindu view is that history repeats itself every billion or more years in never-ending cycles of creation
and destruction
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Assignment 3.1 Hindu Holy Trinity
In your readings and in class we covered new information on Hinduism that dealt with the tree main Hindu
Gods, who together are referred to as the Trimurti.

Create a flow chart that names, identifies and fully explains the function of each of the tree gods
covered in classroom material.

In addition, please identify what aspect of the Christian Holy Trinity each of these three gods could be
compared to and toe similarities that they appear to share.

Total Inquiry Mark: 30
Example:
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Hindu Paths to Salvation
There are four ways that a Hindu can reach Moksha (eternal salvation) and total Atman/Brahman union.
These are called paths.
Personality
Emotional Person
Activist Person
Reflective Person
Extremist Person
Yoga
Bhakti
Karma
Jnana
Raja
Techniques
Loving attitude towards all
Charitable deeds, building karma
Mental Prayer and Contemplation
Mind over matter exercises and
out of body experience
1. The Path of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga)
One of the Hindu holy scriptures called the Mahabarata contains a long poem called the Bhagavad Gita.
This poem tells of the adventures of the god Krishna. Krishna teaches the worship that most Hindu follow,
called Bhakti. Bhakti is devotion to a particular God. Here moksha is achieved through constant acts of
worship, called Puja. Puja can be preformed at a home alter or in a temple
2. The Path of Action (Karma Yoga)
This requires renunciation (giving up) of the things of this world (also called asceticism) to remove Maya. This
path to mohsha is achieved through dharma. There are four stages along the Path of Action:
a. Student: 10-20 years of study under the guidance of a teacher (guru) and the practice of chastity
and other virtues.
b. Householder: marriage and faithful fulfillment of duties to family, caste and community.
c. Hermit: sexual abstinence and retirement into solitude for meditation and prayer.
d. Spiritual Pilgrim: a return to society as a wandering ascetic in preparation for death and final
liberation (moksha).
3. The Path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga)
Knowledge can assist a Hindu in reaching salvation. This is not meant to be understood as intellectual
knowledge but a true, whole realization that Atman and Brahman are one. To achieve this requires deep
mediation. Many types of physical yoga are used to enter and maintain this state of meditation. They also
concentrate on mandalas and continuously repeat mantras. The most sacred mantra involves repeating the
syllable “OM”. OM is thought to be the living deity, Brahman.
4. The Path of Meditation (Raja Yoga)
Followers of this path use deep meditation to reach moksha. Intense meditation may lead to a trance-like
state where individuals can acquire knowledge of their Atman and become one with Brahman. This path
requires strict physical and spiritual discipline.
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
The Caste System
In Hinduism there are four main divisions of society which are called castes. However, in modern India today,
there are about three thousand rigidly fixed castes in India.
The Caste system is more than just a convenient organization of people in society based entirely on the
circumstances of birth… the Hindu Caste system has deep religious significance too. Whereas Hinduism
allows for greater freedom of beliefs, it’s Caste system places greater restriction on behaviour.
About the Caste System:
1. Each person is locked into the caste in which he or she was born
2. Escape from a caste is not possible until death
3. Fidelity to Dharma (that means Duty) requires that a person submit willingly to the social status,
occupation, eating habits, dress and religious ritual prescribed for his or her caste.
4. It is not possible to move into a higher caste… rather, a person must be born into a higher caste.
In short, according to Hindu thinking, unless one achieves total union with Brahman, death is the point where
your atman is reborn into another form. To achieve total union with Brahman, one must either be born into
and die from within the Brahmin Caste, or undergo Moksha from within another Caste.
The Caste System Today:
Today in India, public discrimination against the lowest Castes and the outcastes is illegal. However, the caste
system is still a part of Hindu society.
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
The Four Goals of Life
Classic Hinduism promotes four different goals. Like other aspects of Hinduism, the goal is split between
those emphasized by the “life is good” perspective and those emphasized by the “life is bad perspective. The
three life-affirming goals are Dharma (Virtue), Artha (Success) and Karma (Pleasure), while the life-negating
goal is that of Moksha (Release).
The Three “life is good” goals can be perused all at once or at different times in one’s life. Some goals seem
more suited to different stages of life than others.
Dharma is the practice of virtue, the living of an ethical and ritually correct life. The definition of what is
virtuous however, varies, depending on a person’s caste membership. The primary virtue is to fulfill the duties
assigned to one’s caste. Thus a Brahmin should offer sacrifices and do them to the best of his ability, while a
Vaishya silversmith should create his plates and bowls as strong and as beautiful as possible. If either person
tried to do the others job, that would be seen as a violation of Caste duty. The dharma a person is expected to
fulfill also varies depending of their stage of life. A student, for instance, becomes virtuous through a different
set of action than a householder.
Artha is the working for and achieving of success, in terms of both wealth and power. This means it is
religiously proper to be a successful businessman. It also means that it is religiously good to serve on city
council, be active in civic organizations, or even become a politician. This kind of success is most easily
achieved at the householder stage of life.
Kama is pleasure, usually understood as aesthetic pleasure of all kinds. This includes the producing and
enjoyment of art, music, dance, drama, literature, poetry and sex. The Kama Sutra, which may be one of the
best known Hindu texts I the West, is all about the aesthetic pleasure of men and women; it discusses beauty,
music dance and sexual activity. It is thus religiously praiseworthy to take part, to support, or just to appreciate
any form of pleasure. This should always be done, of course, within the realm of dharma (i.e. Virtuous manor).
The “life is bad” goal is moksha. It is the striving for release from life (since, after all, it is bad). To achieve
this, a person must turn their back on life and strive to live without the things that make up life. At first, it
requires the turning away from the first three goals, of rejecting family, comforts, pleasure, education, and so
on. It also requires one to become an ascetic, a hermit, ad to spend one’s time in contemplation. This
contemplation should be directed towards overcoming the maya that clouds the human perception of reality
and towards realizing the true nature of the cosmos and one’s place in it (that atman and Brahman are one).
______________________________________________________________________________________
The Main Differences between Hinduism and Catholicism
Hinduism
Salvation is self directed… It depends on your own
efforts
Many Gods (Polytheism)
No fixed teachings, or sacred books
Reincarnation… The soul gets as many chances as it
needs
Each atman can be in many different persons
Goal of life is to disappear (moksha)
Priests direct rituals but do not perform rituals
Catholicism
Only Jesus can save us from our sins
One God (Monotheism)
Official set of teachings, books (bible) and morality
The soul gets only one chance
Only one soul to one person
Goal of life is eternal happiness with God
Priests perform many rituals
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Hinduism – Aspects of Life:
Festivals and Rights of Passage
In the next few days, you will be working either on your own, or in groups of two, on an oral presentation.
You will present an aspect of Hindu life to your classmates.
1.
2.
3.
4.
You will select a topic
You will research the topic, either using the text, other books or the internet
In your presentation, show
a) How the aspect of Hindu life came to be (the history of the event)
b) Why the aspect of Hindu life is important
c) How is it similar/different from Christianity
d) The Hindu religious and cultural meaning of the event, the social function it serves and the
emotional and psychological function it provides
You must have a Fact Sheet (handout) for each student that is either highlighting points you make or
includes points you haven’t made. The handout should not be your notes, it should be a well organized
summary of information that is clear, and legible.
This is your chance to be as creative as you want – Presentations will be 10 minutes in length. If you
work in a group of two, be sure to divide the work evenly so that it is not necessary to get together to
complete the assignment. Excuses for not completing the assignment in time for your presentation
will not be tolerated.
Note to Student:
 Everyone should be ready to present on the first day (no exceptions – you will receive a mark of Zero (0)
of you fail to present on your day)
 Upon presenting, students must hand in to the teacher a copy of the rubric, and student/presentation
information filled out.
Please refer to the Rubric for a guideline of further expectations.
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Hinduism – Aspects of Life:
Festivals and Rights of Passage
Name of Students:
1.______________________________________, 2._________________________________________
Presentation Topic:
_______________________________________________
Description of the Aspect investigated:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Criteria
Knowledge
&
Understanding
10 Marks
Thinking
&
Inquiry
10 – 9
Demonstrated a thorough
knowledge and
understanding of topic area
and Hinduism. Evidence
of excellent research
shown.
Demonstrated a very high
degree of interpretation
and analysis of the material
- making it easily
understandable to the class
– Great test questions
8–7
Showed considerable
knowledge and
understanding of topic area
and Hinduism. Evidence
of good research shown.
Demonstrated a good level
of interpretation and
analysis of the material making it understandable
to the class – Good test
questions
6–5
Showed a basic level of
knowledge and
understanding of topic
area and Hinduism.
Evidence of some
research shown.
Demonstrated a basic
level of interpretation
and analysis of the
material - making it
understood by the class
– Basic test questions
Excellent sense of
audience and purpose.
Little or no reference made
to written notes. Highly
professional in appearance
and deportment.
Good sense of audience
and purpose. Some
reference made to written
notes. Somewhat
professional in appearance
and deportment.
General sense of
audience and purpose.
Relied heavily on written
notes. Lacking in
professional appearance
and deportment.
Excellent use of the
handout material. Little or
no, repetition in your oral
presentation. Excellent
professional formatting.
Good use of the handout
material. Some repetition
in your oral presentation.
Somewhat professional in
formatting.
Superb organization
evident. An excellent
variety of vocal intonations
and expression evident in
presentation. Presentation
was highly creative and
kept the audience attention
consistently throughout
the presentation
Some good organization
evident. Some variety of
vocal intonations and use
of expression was evident
in presentation.
Presentation was
somewhat creative and
kept the audience attention
frequently throughout the
presentation
General use of the
handout material.
Highly repetitive of your
oral presentation. Lack
of professional
formatting.
Limited organization
present. A limited
variety of vocal
intonations and
expression evident in
presentation. Limited
creativity in the
presentation and kept
the audience attention
sporadically throughout
the presentation.
5 Marks
Oral Communication
of
Material
5 marks
Written
Communication of
Material
5 Marks
Application Organization and
creativity of the entire
Presentation
5 Marks
Below 5
Failed to demonstrate
adequate knowledge and
understanding of topic
area and Hinduism.
Little or no evidence of
research shown.
Did not demonstrated
an acceptable of
interpretation and
analysis of the material making it difficult to
understand – Test
questions were not
sufficient
Very limited sense of
and purpose.
Presentation was entirely
read to the class from
notes. Not professional
in appearance or
deportment.
Limited use of handout
material. An exact copy
of your oral
presentation.
Formatting was not
professional.
Not well organized. A
variety of vocal
intonations and
expression was not
evident in presentation.
No creativity in the
presentation and did not
keep the audience
attention during the
presentation
10
HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Sacred Writings
Unlike other religions which have only one book (e.g. The Bible), Hinduism has a number of sacred texts.
The Vedas:
The Four Vedas are considered the oldest Hindu Scriptures. They deal with subjects ranging from the divine
sprit to medicine and science. Each Vedas contains the following type of compositions:
o Mantras: songs of praise
o Brahmanas: manual for priests on prayer and ritual
o Aranyakas: “forest books” for saints and hermits
o Upansishads: philosophical commentary at the end of each Vedas, discussing topics such as the
mind, the senses, worship, meditation, and the many means of liberation from maya.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata:
These are India’s two great epic stories that teach Hindu ideals of moral conduct.
o Ramayana: the story of prince Rama, who was worshiped as the seventh avatar (incarnation) of
Vishnu, who was banished to the forest so that his brother could become king. Sita, Rama’s wife,
tried to rescue her husband but was taken by Ravana. A battle took place where Rama, assisted by the
king of the monkeys (Hanuman), defeated Ravana rescued Sita and returned to his kingdom.
o Mahabharata: a story of two forces, the Pandavas (good) and the Kauravas (evil). There is a war
between evil princes and good princes, eventually the good defeats the evil and rule for many years.
The Puranas (myths):
This literature describes the gods – each chapter begins with the name of the god and then tells its’ legend.
These are used by temple priests
Manusmriti (The Laws of Manu):
This Hindu law book affirms the concepts of Dharma, Caste, and the Four Aims of Life. It deals with religious
practice, law, customs, and politics.
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Assignment 3.1: Gandhi Video Reflection
Write a 3 page reflective essay on the film using the points given below along with your own thoughts of the
video. The essay must be single spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman font. No longer, no shorter!
Issues to investigate:
o How Gandhi’s education helped him in his fight with the British Government
o Gandhi’s appearance change from the beginning of the video to the end
o Gandhi’s reference to Bible passages when he was a Hindu
o Comparisons throughout the video to Jesus. They called Gandhi “Bapu” and “Mahatma”. What do these
terms mean. “He” his coming…
o What exactly Gandhi fought against in South Africa and in India… Living in an Ashram… Gandhi’s
starvation tactic to achieve peace
o Burning of the British cloth, making salt, wearing homespun cloth
o The massacre at Amritsar
o The beatings at the Dhavasana Salt Works
o The conflict between Hindus and Muslims. Explain the historical development and what is the situation is
like today.
o “The sun never sets on the British Empire”
o “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind”
______________________________________________________________________________________
Assignment 3.2: Untouchable Essay
After reading the article, Untouchable (National Geographic, June 2003) compose an essay that addresses the following
question:
Some suggestions to explore:
o Exploitation
o Anonymous
o Hopeless
How are untouchables castebound victims?
Suggested Essay outline:
1.
2.
3.
Introduction
a. Introductory statements
b. Thesis statement
c. Introduce supporting ideas
Body
a. First supporting idea
i. Transition, topic sentence
ii. Discussion, examples, and analysis
iii. Conclusion
b. Second supporting idea
i. Transition, topic sentence
ii. Discussion, examples, and analysis
iii. Conclusion
c. Third supporting idea
i. Transition, topic sentence
ii. Discussion, examples, and analysis
iii. Conclusion
Conclusion
a. Transition, statement reflecting back on thesis
b. Restate key points
c. Ending statement that provokes thought (optional)
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HRT 3M1: Grade 11 World Religions
Unit 3: Hinduism
Criteria
Knowledge
&
Understanding
10 – 9
Demonstrated a
thorough
knowledge and
understanding of
the issues raised
8–7
Showed
considerable
knowledge and
understanding of
the issues raised
6–5
Showed a basic
level of knowledge
and understanding
of the issues raised
Below 5
Failed to demonstrate
adequate knowledge
and understanding of
the issues raised
Demonstrated a
very high degree of
interpretation and
analysis of the
material - making it
easily
understandable to
the reader
Excellent sense of
audience and
purpose. Highly
professional in
appearance and
deportment. Essay
flowed extremely
smoothly and
logically.
Superb organization
evident. Student
was able to apply all
of the outlined
requirements with
excellence.
Demonstrated a
good level of
interpretation and
analysis of the
material - making it
understandable to
the reader
Demonstrated a
basic level of
interpretation and
analysis of the
material - making it
understood by the
reader
Did not demonstrated
an acceptable of
interpretation and
analysis of the material
- making it difficult to
understand
Good sense of
audience and
purpose. Somewhat
professional in
appearance and
deportment. Essay
flowed smoothly
and logically.
General sense of
audience and
purpose. Lacking in
professionalism in
appearance and
deportment. Essay
flowed somewhat
smoothly and
logically.
Limited
organization
present. Student
was able to apply
some of the
outlined
requirements.
Very limited sense of
audience and purpose.
Not professional in
appearance or
deportment. Essay
did not flow smoothly
or logically.
10 marks
Thinking
&
Inquiry
10 marks
Communication
10 marks
Application
10 marks
Some good
organization
evident. Student
was able to apply
most of the outlined
requirements.
Not well organized.
Student was not able
to apply any of the
outlined requirements
Total Mark ____/40
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