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Hinduism

Hinduism. Complex and Overlapping. No single founder No single sacred text No single start-date Hinduism probably began to form when Aryans combined their religious beliefs and gods with the gods of the Indus civilization Later people added their own gods, beliefs, and traditions. Brahman.

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Hinduism

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  1. Hinduism

  2. Complex and Overlapping • No single founder • No single sacred text • No single start-date • Hinduism probably began to form when Aryans combined their religious beliefs and gods with the gods of the Indus civilization • Later people added their own gods, beliefs, and traditions

  3. Brahman • One underlying force • “God is one, but wise people knowit by many names” • Everything is part of an unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force called brahman • The various Hindu gods giver concrete form to brahman • Each god can take many forms

  4. Most important gods • Brahma: The Creator • Vishnu: The Preserver • Shiva: the Destroyer • Shakti: powerful goddess that is both kind and cruel; a creator and a destroyer

  5. Brahma

  6. Vishnu

  7. Shiva

  8. Shakti

  9. Sacred Texts • Hindu teachings recorded in the Vedas • Upanishads: section of the Vedas that answer questions related to Hinduism • Bhagavad-Gita: literary work that represents Hindu beliefs

  10. Main Beliefs • Atman: every person’s essential self (either the same as brahman or a form of brahman) • Ultimate goal of existence: achieve moksha (union with brahma) • To achieve moksha, people must free themselves from selfish desires, because selfish desires keep them away from brahman • Most cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime, which is why they get many chances…

  11. More Main Beliefs • Reincarnation: belief that a soul is reborn after death into another bodily form • Soul can be reborn into any sentient (thinking) being • Can be a human or an animal • Can’t be a plant, because a plant can’t make selfish or unselfish decisions • In the new body, the soul keeps working toward moksha • Dharma: religious and moral duties of an individual… if it’s followed, progress can be made towards moksha

  12. More More Main Beliefs • A person comes closer to moksha by obeying the law of Karma • Karma: actions of a person’s life that affect his or her fate in the next life • All existence is ranked • Bad karma leads to Being reborn at a Lower level! • Good karma Leads to a higher Level!

  13. Hinduism Today • Most Hindus are vegetarians… why? • Many Hindus are nonviolent (all people and things are forms of brahman and must be respected) • One of the most famous Hindus was Mohandas Gandhi, who lead a nonviolent protest against British rule in India. He’s often referred to as “Mahatma,” which is a Hindu word meaning “Great Soul” • About 14% of the world today follows Hinduism… that’s 950 million people!

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