Transcript Slide 1

Hinduism
Part Three
of the
World Religions series
Sponsored by the
A-B Tech Diversity
Committee
Indus Valley, India
History
• Hinduism comes from the region of the Indus Valley
in India. It is referred to as sanatama dharma or
“eternal religion” or “eternal truth”.
• Hinduism has no exact date of origin or founder but
is said to be the oldest surviving religion/major
tradition that goes back more than 1500 years BCE.
• Since India regained it’s independence in 1947
from British Colonial rule, there has been much
political controversy over the religion’s origins.
Understandably, India’s people feel strongly about
this subject, as their religion is an important part of
Visnu
Fast Facts
• Hinduism is not only a religion to it’s believers but a
way of life. It is a continuous, eternal existence.
• The Hindu prayer “may good thoughts come to us from
all sides” reinforces the concept of embracing other
religions without giving up being a Hindu.
• Brahman in Sanskrit means “spirit”, which is thought to
be what is present in everything and what keeps the
universe going.
•One’s station in society (caste), determines one’s
dharma or one’s duty in life. This caste system offers
some a strong sense of belonging and identity.
Major Sects
•Vaisnavism: Based on the worship of the blue “sky-god”
Visnu is known as the “protector of the embryo in the womb”.
This sect has the largest followers. There are ten avatars that
Visnu can appear as (more or less , depending on the text). The
main doctrine is rooted in fidelity to tradition and rules of life and
ritual.
•Saivism: Saivites worship Siva as the highest god.
This sect
is supposed to be the oldest of all. Saivism focuses on selfrealization with the ultimate goal being moksha but also includes
legends, mysticism and yogic practices.
•Saktism: This denomination centers on worshipping the
Divine Female or Devi Goddess. She represents motherhood
and bestows boons upon her followers. The Devi Goddess
manifests many forms, such as Lakshmi, consort to Visnu and
Parvati, and also wife to Siva. The Ganges river in India,
Ganesha
Beliefs
• Hindus do not believe in just one god. Instead, they believe
that a higher being takes many forms. These deities can
take on the image of human-animal forms, such as the deity
Ganesha, who has a human body with the head of an
elephant. Ganesha clears away life’s obstacles.
• All Hindus believe in reincarnation. How you live your life
determines who or what you become in the next life.
Reincarnation continues until you leave all material things
behind you and attain “moksha” liberation.
• Karma means “deeds” or “actions” in Sanskrit. It refers to
the intentional actions and what effect it has on a person’s
fortunes in life and in the next. It explains the evil and
misfortunes of the world and is a fundamental law of nature.
Siva
Path & Purpose
• Hindus follow three paths:
– karmamarga (works and action),
– jnanamarga (knowledge or philosophy),
– bhatkimarga (devotion to God)
• There are four purposes in life that a Hindu
follows:
– dharma (fufill moral, social, and religious duties),
– artha (attain financial and worldly success),
– kama (satisfy desires in moderation), and
– moksha (attain freedom from reincarnation)
Veda Scriptures
Upanishads
Sacred Texts
• The Hindus most sacred scriptures are called
the Vedas, which means “knowledge” in
Sanskrit. They represent unchallenged
authority and tradition.
• The Upanishads contains the wisdom of Hindu
teachers and sages and forms the basis of
Indian philosophy. These writings are known as
the conclusion of the Veda.
• Bhagavad-Gita or “Song of the Lord” is read in
the form of a dialogue between two characters
and is considered to be the sixth book of the
epic poem Mahabharata
Hindu Temple
Worship
• Puja is a combination of ceremonial practices that
either take place in the home or in a temple. Since
there are no special days set aside for worship, or
puja, most practices are conducted in the home.
Almost every Hindu home has a shrine with images of
their gods and goddesses.
• Ceremonial practices vary according to which sect
they belong to. Time of day, location, and community
all play an important part in the requirements of their
puja. Offerings can be modest or elaborate,
depending on the circumstance. Offerings may
include rice, flowers, fruit, incense, and milk water.
Symbolism
• A tilak, or symbolic mark on the forehead of a Hindu man,
is usually that of a line/s that represent which religious sect
he belongs to. This mark, made commonly from vermillion,
is traditionally a woman’s symbol that represents female
energy. The bindi that Hindu women wear on their
foreheads accentuates the third eye, where attention is
focused when meditating. It is also worn as protection for
women, which extends to their husbands.
• The Aum (Om) symbol is a sacred sound and consists of
several triads, including: the three worlds (earth,
atmosphere, heaven), the three major Hindu gods
(Brahma, Visnu, Siva), and the three sacred Vedic
scriptures (Rg, Yajur, Sama). Ultimately it represents the
entire universe.
Current Events
• "India Can Fuel Next
Industrial Revolution"
• India Looks to Sign Off
With a Win
The moon is one, but on agitated water it
produces many reflections. Similarly ultimate
reality is one, yet it appears to be many in a mind
agitated by thoughts.
- Maharamayana
Available for Checkout in Holly Library
• The Way to True Worship: A Popular Story of
Hinduism; Anoop Chandola
• Hinduism; Louis Renou
• Hinduism: A Cultural Perspective
• Hinduism (sound recording narrated by Ben
Kingsley)
• Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion (video)
• Women in Indian Religions; Arvind Sharma
• Handbook of Hindu Mythology; George M. Williams
• The Mahabharata (DVD)
Devi, the
Mother Goddess
Bibliography
• Couliano, I; Eliade, C.; Wiesner, H. (1991).
The Harpercollins Concise Guide to World
Religion. Harpercollins Publications
• Pollock, Robert (2002). The Everything World’s
Religions Book: Discover the Beliefs,
Traditions, and Cultures of Ancient and
Modern Religions. F + W Publications, Inc.
• Klostermaier, Klaus (2000). Hinduism: A Short
History. Oneworld Publications (Berne
Convention).
• Religionfacts website (www.religionfacts.com)
Image Resources
2: http://www.myhimalayas.com/ladakh_indus_valley/image/indus_valley.jpg
4: http://vamsikarra.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/lord-visnu.jpg
6:http://www.tropicalisland.de/india/uttar_pradesh/varanasi/images/VNS%20Varanasi%20or%2
0Benares%20%20Hindu%20pilgrims%20taking%20a%20bath%20in%20the%20holy%20Ganges%20river%
20at%20sunrise%20at%20Raja%20Ghat%20detail%203008x2000.jpg
8: http://www.searchindia.com/search/images/american-hindu-gods/gane-rich.jpg
10: http://www.biocrawler.com/w/images/3/3d/Siva.jpg
12: http://www.indicstudies.us/Archives/manuscripts/isaUpanishad1.gif ,
http://vedanaturalenergy.com/images/categories_desc/History/originals/VedicScriptures.jpg
14: http://www.buyselloldbooks.com/images/pictures/hindu-temple-in-west-bengal-india.jpg
16: http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.2558225.5.fc,300x300,black.jpg ,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Indian_Woman_with_bindi.jpg,
http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/images/things/tilak-sadhu4-cc-meanest-indian200.jpg
18: http://publication.samachar.com/pub_article.php?id=7559979&navname
http://publication.samachar.com/pub_article.php?id=7559971&navname
20: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Wassertropfen.jpg
23: http://images.exoticindiaart.com/panels/devi_the_mother_goddess_wd29.jpg
Islam
Coming soon
in the
World Religions series