Transcript Samsara, Karma and Caste

Hinduism
Samsara, Karma
and Reincarnation
Hindu Beliefs about Death
• Although there are said to be millions of Hindu
gods and goddesses, Hindus believe there is one
Great Power or God known as Brahman.
• Brahman is everywhere and everything that exists
lives in Brahman.
• Thus, Hindus see the entire universe as one neverending cycle of creation and destruction.
• When a living thing dies it does not disappear but
changes into something else.
• This is known as REINCARNATION
Reincarnation
• Hindus believe that every living thing
contains a soul or ‘atman’…
eternal, indestructible…
…like a little bit of Brahman in each of us.
• Reincarnation is the idea that when you die,
your atman or soul will be reborn in another
person, animal, or plant.
• Where your atman goes depends on how
you have lived in this life – your karma.
Samsara
• The never-ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth
is known as Samsara.
• Although some of us might like the idea of
reincarnation, Hindus see life as being full of
suffering – pain, loss, fear, sadness etc…
• So the ultimate aim of Hindus is Moksha - escape
from the realm of Samsara and reunion with
Brahman
Samsara
Samsara, Karma, Dharma
• For most Hindus though, Moksha - reunion
with Brahman - is a distant aim.
• They think it is more realistic just to try for a
better life next time by gaining good karma.
• To that end, human life is better than life as
an animal, and animal life is better than
being reborn as a plant.
• To gain good karma and, thus, a better life, a
Hindu believes that each living thing must
fulfil the duties expected of it – its Dharma.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is r____ as
another p_____, ______, or plant. This is known as
r___________. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have _____ in our previous life – our _____.
reincarnation
lived
person
reborn
karma
animal
Q. What differences and similarities can you see
between Hindu beliefs about life after death and
those in Christianity and Islam?
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another p_____, ______, or plant. This is known as
r___________. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have _____ in our previous life – our _____.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another person, ______, or plant. This is known as
r___________. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have _____ in our previous life – our _____.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another person, animal, or plant. This is known as
r___________. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have _____ in our previous life – our _____.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another person, animal, or plant. This is known as
reincarnation. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have _____ in our previous life – our _____.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another person, animal, or plant. This is known as
reincarnation. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have lived in our previous life – our _____.
Task 1
Copy and Complete:
Hindus believe that after we die, our soul is reborn as
another person, animal, or plant. This is known as
reincarnation. What we are reborn as depends on
how we have lived in our previous life – our karma.
Q. What differences and similarities can you
see between Hindu beliefs about life after
death and those in Christianity and Islam?
Differences
• No Afterlife
• No Heaven or Hell
• Come back to life on
Earth
Similarities
• Death is not the end
• How you live affects
what happens after
you die
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Moksha
Atman
Samsara
Brahman
Karma
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Moksha
Atman
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Samsara
Karma
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Atman
Moksha
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Samsara
Karma
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Atman
Samsara
Moksha
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Karma
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Atman
Samsara
Moksha
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Karma
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Atman
Samsara
Moksha
Karma
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Dharma
Task 2
• Copy and complete the table matching the
Hindu terms with the correct definition:
Brahman
Atman
Samsara
Moksha
Karma
Dharma
The Hindu name for God
The eternal soul in each of us
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Escape from the cycle of samsara –
the ultimate aim of Hindus.
What our next rebirth is decided by
The duties someone must fulfil to
gain good karma.
Task 3 – The Cycle of Samsara
• Draw your own version of
this diagram in your jotter
• It does not have to be an exact
copy, but should include, from
the bottom up…
• a plant
• an insect
• an animal
• a person
• a holy person
Extension: Do you think it is
better to be a person than
an animal? Why?
Dharma and the Caste System
• Hindus believe that the life we are born into
depends on our karma – how we lived our
previous life.
• Good karma depends on fulfilling our duties
– our dharma.
• All Hindus have a duty to worship God, be
honest and respect others, for example.
• But the dharma of individuals also depends
on the section of society they are born into –
their caste.
The Caste System
• In Hinduism, a person’s role is decided at birth and
the caste of the family they are born into.
• They see society as being made up of four main
castes:
Brahmins – Priests and Teachers
Kshatriyas – Warriors and Kings
Vaishyas – Merchants and Farmers
Shudras – Servants and Builders
• There is also a very large fifth group of ‘outcastes’ or
‘untouchables’ who do the jobs the others regard
as dirty or ‘unclean’ – including midwives, street
cleaners, and leatherworkers.
Caste, Karma, and Moksha
• Hindus believe that a person’s caste depends on how
they lived in their previous life – their karma.
• They might not like their role in society, but they learn
to accept their duties rather than complain about what
is expected of them.
• However, they believe that a person can
work their way up the caste system from
lifetime to lifetime by fulfilling their dharma
and worshipping Brahman.
• Only by becoming a Brahmin can they achieve their
ultimate aim - Moksha – escape from Samsara…
• … by disciplining and purifying their mind through
meditation and yoga and working for the spiritual wellbeing and karma of others.
Purusha and the Caste System
Some Hindus explain the caste system through the
story of Purusha – the primordial man whose
sacrifice created the universe:
Untouchables
• The head represents the Brahmins –
priests and teachers.
• The arms represent the Kshatriyas –
warriors and kings.
• The thighs represent the Vaishyas –
merchants and farmers.
• The feet represent the Shudras –
servants and builders.
• Untouchables are seen as being
outside the caste system.
Purusha and the Caste System
TASK 4: Draw and colour in your own drawing of
Purusha including the different castes and their duties.
Brahmins – Priests and Teachers
Kshatriyas – Warriors and Kings
Vaishyas – Merchants and Farmers
Shudras – Servants and Builders
and don’t forget…
Untouchables – The Dirty Jobs
Untouchables
Extension: What do you think of the
caste system? What advantages are
there? What are the disadvantages?
Task 5
Answer the following in full sentences:
Q.1 What things are all Hindus expected to do as
part of their dharma?
Q.2 What is an individual’s dharma decided by?
Q.3a What are your duties?
3b Who decides what your duties are?
3c Pick one of your duties and explain the benefits
of carrying out that duty is and the consequences if
you do not.
Extension:
What do you think about a person’s role in life
being decided by the family they are born into?
Task 5
Q.1 What things are all Hindus expected to do as
part of their dharma?
All Hindus have a duty to worship God, be
honest and respect others
Task 5
Q.2 What is an individual’s dharma decided by?
An individual’s dharma is decided at birth and the
caste of the family they are born into.
Task 5
Q.3a What are your duties?
3b Who decides what your duties are?
3c Pick one of your duties and explain the benefits
of carrying out that duty is and the consequences if
you do not.
Task 5
Extension:
What do you think about a person’s role in life
being decided by the family they are born into?