Hinduism
By Matt, Tessa, Sarah, Chris and
Cal
• Hinduism is one of the worlds oldest religions. It was founded about
3,500 years ago is sill
• Hinduism is the worlds 3rd largest religion.
• It started in India and has spread to some of the surrounding
countries
• 80% of the people in India practice Hinduism
• Hinduism is a polytheistic religion
 Millions of gods. There said to be about 330 million gods and
goddess
• Many sacred writings
Gods and Goddesses
-Hindus Believe god is present in everything
-God and goddess each are represented in
different ways through pictures and statues
-religious art often uses symbols in pictures and
statues of gods and goddess to show special
qualities
One of the main points of Hindu theology is the
cycle of reincarnation. Hindus believe that a
person is reborn after they die because of three
gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the
preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.
Karma
Karma is the belief that deeds done in life will affect future lives. If one
does good deeds than they will have good karma and, subsequently, be
reborn in a more desirable caste. Committing bad deeds, however, lead to
bad rebirths.
The Caste System
-All Hindus are bourn into the caste system
-The castes are:
1. brahmins: purest, perform all religious
ceremonies
2. Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors
3. Vaishyas: traders, artisans
4. Shudras: ordinary workers
5. polluted, untouchable; out of caste system.
Numbers 1 - 4 are called the
four Varnas while the
untouchables are social
outcasts. They have always
been looked down upon but in
India Segregation has been
made illegal in recent years.
Four Principles of Hinduism
1. Immediate Pleasure: This is the first goal
in Indian life and is not looked down
upon because it is believed to be
natural.
2. Worldly Success: Over time people mature and move wanting worldly
success such as fame and money.
3. Renunciation: This is the phase people reach if they pass worldly success. It is a
suspicion that here is more to life that they have seen.
4. Liberation: Breaking Free from
the cycle of reincarnation and
gaining infinite awareness and
bliss.
Moshka: total oneness with Brahman in an
eternal state of perfect knowledge and bliss.
Gained by breaking the cycle of birth and death.
Ways to Achieve Moshka
1. Through yoga and meditation.
2. Complete devotion to Brahma.
3. Selflessly loving fellow human beings and
working for the good of society. (Path of Works)
Brahma: The Supreme Spirit
The Affects of Hinduism on Culture
Food
Hindus are not allowed to eat beef, or kill cows for any reason as they are
considered holiest of animals, and are discouraged to eat meat at all. Cows
are holy because when people are reincarnated if they led a good life they
might come back as cows. In addition many Hindus are complete
vegetarians, and on some religious holidays, Hindus fast.
The Affects of Hinduism on Culture
Worship
- Devotion usually takes form of rituals associated
with sculptures and images of gods in home shrines.
- Some Hindus, however, are philosophically-minded
and ignore gods altogether, instead seeking
realization of the self with intense meditation.
- Other Hindus focus on fulfilling social and moral
duties appropriate to their position in life.
The Affects of Hinduism on Culture
In Hinduism there are many rituals and practices that one
follows. Some of them are:
Puja: A religious practice that involves gazing at an image of
a god or goddess and is done before eating in the morning,
but after bathing and cleansing.
The Namaste Greeting: To greet each other, Hindus bring
their hands together in front of the heart, and bow their head.
It is said to be a humble greeting straight from the heart and
is reciprocated accordingly
The Hindu Temple: The temple sets out to resolve deficiency in our
lives by dissolving the boundaries between man and divinity.
Hatha Yoga: One of the paths leading to the ultimate goal of Raja
Yoga, or the contemplation of the One Reality.
Kundalini Yoga: Form of yoga focused on awakening the kundalini,
making it rise through the seven chakras to the top of the spine.
Ayurveda: A comprehensive system of healing that is more that
50,000 years old
In Hindu mythology, Mt. Kailasha is
sacred to the goddess Shiva.
Many pilgrimages are are made each
year to Mt. Kailasha, which is in the
middle of the Himalayas. The Himalayas
are also considered the god’s abode.
The Ganges River (right) is an extremely popular place for
pilgrimages. Many Hindus go there during their life, and
bathe in the holy river, which is said to wash away a person’s
sins. Thousands of Hindu temples line the river in the city of
Benares (bottom right). There is also a cremation ground. The
goddess Ganga is named after the river. (bottom left)
Sects and Factions
Vaishnavism
- Worship Vishnu, the protector of the world and
restorer of moral order
-Members are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas
-believe that lower gods exist under one supreme
god
-- Followers are identified by sectarian marks on
their foreheads and bodies.
Shaivism
-Worship Siva, One of the Chief Deities of Hinduism.
His name means “Auspicious one”.
-Shaivism is mainly worshipped by Tamils of southern
Indian and Sri Lanka.
-Considered the oldest of the Hindu denominations.
-Saints from southern India known as Nayanars are
attributed with the development of Shaivism.
Shaktism
• Shaki is an aspect of
Devi, the universal
mother
• Practiced mostly in
Bengal and Assam
• Exists in many different
forms depending on the
group conceptions of
Shakti.
Women in Hinduism
- In Ancient India women had the same rights as men
- In medieval India women’s status in society was lowered.
They were forced into marriages with older men at as
young as five years old with no chance of divorce or
remarriage and some were condemned to temple
protrusion
- In modern India women have the same rights as men
Kashmir
-Kashmir is a fertile valley located at the Northwest corner of India
-It is one of the original centers of Hinduism and later became important to
Buddhism
-India controls the Center
and South
-Pakistan controls the
northwest
- China controls the
northeast
The Conflict
India believes they control the valley but Pakistan considers the valley disputed
territory. There have been three wars over the valley, one in 1947, one is 1965 and
one in 1971. In 1999 there was a small conflict as well. This is considered a
dangerous territory dispute because all of the countries involved have nuclear
weapons.
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