HINDUISM The Basic Facts Ratha Yatra Festival in Puri, India (painting by James Fergusson)

Hinduism: Differences to other religions No known founder of religion No single central authority or holy text No specific theological system No single concept of deity No concept of prophets Hinduism often referred to as ‘a way of life’ or ‘a family of religions’ rather than a single religion.

Hinduism: Characteristics (1) Thousands of different religious groups, having evolved in India since 1500 BC Freedom of belief and practice notable features Most forms of Hinduism: single deity, other gods and goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme god (henotheism)

Hinduism: Characteristics (2) 900 million Hindus worldwide (ca. 80 percent of India’s population and 30 million more Hindus outside of India) Hinduism third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam Term ‘Hindu’ derived from the river Sindhu (a Sanskrit word used by the inhabitants of the region, the Aryans in the second millennium BC), later applied to the people

Hinduism: Characteristics (3) Central belief: the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived main Hindu texts: the Vedas and their supplements (books based on the Vedas); Veda (a Sanskrit word) meaning ‘knowledge’; contents: e.g. discussions of dharma ‘code of conduct’, ‘law’, or ‘duty’

Hinduism: Examples of Gods: Brahma (1a) Brahma is the first god in the Hindu triumvirate, or trimurthi. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Vishnu and Shiva.

Hinduism: Examples of Gods: Brahma (1b) Brahma’s task was the creation of the world and all creatures. N.B.: Not to be confused with Brahman, the supreme God force present within all things.

Hinduism: Examples of Gods: Vishnu (2) Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe. His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, incarnated 9 times, but will be reincarnated one last time near the end of this world.

Hinduism: Examples of Gods: Shiva (3a) Shiva’s role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. His powers of destruction and recreation are used even now to destroy the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for beneficial change.

Hinduism: Examples of Gods: Shiva (3b) Believed to be the master of Dance, an important art form in India. The rhythm of dance is a metaphor for the balance in the universe which Shiva is believed to hold. Most important dance: “Tandav”, the cosmic dance of death at the end of an age, to destroy the universe.

Hinduism: Sources Banerjee, Mita, and Susanne Stadler. “Hindu deities”. India. München: Langenscheidt, 2010. P. 33. “Introduction to Hinduism”. BBC: Religions: Hinduism. London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 2009. 12 June 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml Robinson, B. A. “Hinduism: The world‘s third-largest religion”. Religious Tolerance. Kingston: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2010. 12 June 2012. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm “Overview of Hinduism”. Religion Facts. 2005. 12 June 2012. http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/overview.htm Pictures: Brahma (musée d'art asiatique de Berlin), by Jean-Pierre Dalbera (2008), Creative Commons license BY, http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2709191703 Lord Vishnu, by ES (2007), Creative Commons license BY-SA-NC, http://malaysia-images.blogspot.de/2007/02/lord-vishnu.html Ratha Yatra Festival in Puri, India, painting by James Fergusson, Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rathajatrawpuri.jpg Shiva dancing as Nataraja, by Jeremy Burgin (2008), Creative Commons license BY-SA, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jburgin/3004831429/sizes/o/in/photostream/