Hinduism

History Hinduism is a religion that began in India. The religion dates back to 1500 B.C., making it the worlds oldest religion. There are 750 million Hindus in the world today. A follower of Hinduism is called a Hindu Most Hindus still live in India.

Hindu Beliefs Hindus believe in a single Divinity or supreme God that is present in everything called Brahman. Hindus also believe in other gods who are aspects of that supreme God such as Shiva, Shakti, and Ganesh.

Karma and Reincarnation Reincarnation is the belief that the soul repeatedly goes through a cycle of being born into a body, dying, and being reborn again in a new body. Karma is a force that determines the quality of each life, depending on how well one behaved in a past life. Hinduism says we create karma by our actions on earth. If you live a good life, you create good karma. If you live a bad life, you create bad karma. Hinduism is how one should live life in order to be born into a better life next time and ultimately achieve liberation.

Reincarnation Life Cycle

Moksha Each time a Hindu soul is born into a better life, it has the opportunity to improve and get closer to ultimate liberation. This liberation is called Moksha. One attains Moksha when one has "overcome ignorance", and no longer desires anything at all. A person free from the temptations of the world. The ones who reach this state no longer struggle with the cycle of life and death. The way to get to Moksha is to NOT create any karma.

Prophets Hindu scriptures don't specify anyone as prophet delivering gods message. Hindu scriptures like vedas (collections of Sanskrit hymns), upanishads (teachings that were passed down from guru teacher to disciple student). are written by various people. Hinduism is not based on one prophet like Jesus or Muhammad.

Place of Worship Mandir or Hindu Temple Many temples have statues of the Hindu gods which the temples are dedicated too Many are located near hills, waterways because “The gods always play where groves are near rivers, mountains and springs.

Worship Leader Called a Hindu Priest All priests must come from the highest, or Brahman caste. Throughout his life, a person remains in the same caste into which he was born throughout his life, with the possibility to be born into a higher caste at his next reincarnation priesthood is hereditary (born into it) A caste is like a social class

Holidays Holi is an annual festival celebrated in early March. It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking. Holi is probably the least religious of Hindu holidays. Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights lasting five days. For many Hindus, Diwali is also New Year's Eve to celebrate the New Year. Mahashivaratri (also called Shiva Ratri) is the Great Festival of Shiva. It is especially important to Saivites (devotees of Shiva), but it is celebrated by most Hindus.

Denominations

Holy Land In Hinduism there are several places that are considered Holy land. Some of those places are Varanasi, Kerala, Sabarimala and Uttar Pradesh in India.

Hindu Life Goals There are 4 legitimate goals in life: 1. dharma (appropriate living) 2. artha (the pursuit of material gain by lawful means) 3. kama (delight of the senses) 4. moksha (release from rebirth).

Hindu Duties Each Hindu has 4 daily duties: Revere the deities Respect ancestors Respect all beings Honor all humankind

Hindu Symbol

Mahabharata Mahabharata, is a Sanskrit (ancient language in India) word for Great Story, is one of the great epic poems of ancient India. It was written between 300 BC and AD The story is about the battle of one family over a kingdom in northern India. The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is contained in the Mahabharata. It is dialogue between Krishna and the hero Arjuna on the meaning of life.

Krishna and Arjuna

Ramayana Ramayana was written in 3rd century BC, and tells story of Rama and his wife, Sita. Rama and Sita are generally seen as ideal or perfect examples of great manly heroism and wifely devotion. Reciting the Ramayana is considered a religious act, and scenes from the epic are portrayed throughout India and Southeast Asia.

Rama and Sita