What do Hindus believe about God? Lesson objectives: To know that the Hindu God is Brahman To understand how Brahman is one but is represented by many different gods/goddesses (deities) To reflect upon the importance of having many different deities for Hindus

How do you feel in these different roles? Stick the flower into your book In each of the different petals, write down the different roles that you perform in life e.g. Sister, pupil, cook, friend How do you feel in these different roles? Do you ever find that they way you feel or act in within these roles crosses over into another? Just as you are one person, but have lots of different roles, Hindus believe that God (Brahman) is One, but he can be represented in many different ways

What do Hindus believe about God? Hindus believe that there is one Supreme God, Brahman, who is eternal and the source of all life. Brahman is in everything and everything is in Brahman However, Hindus have thousands of deities (gods and goddesses) which are all representations of the different qualities of Brahman.

Brahman One True God Lakshmi Ganesh Shiva Rama Durga Hindus understand that the Supreme Being, Brahman, has various aspects, or qualities, that are represented by different gods and goddesses. Brahman is the one true God and other Hindu gods and goddesses are manifestations of various aspects, or qualities of Brahman. Brahman is unlimited and therefore can have unlimited forms. All other Hindu gods are used to better understand the Supreme Being called Brahman. Just as a man may be called a doctor, father or husband based upon the tasks he performs, the Supreme Being is known through many different gods and goddesses. Shiva Rama Durga

The Elephant and the Blind Men Please read the story of the blind men and the elephant and answer the following question: 1) How could the story of the blind men and the elephant be used to illustrate Hindu beliefs about Brahman and how Hindus come to understand and worship him? Extension: Do you agree with the message of the story? Give reasons for your answer.

The Importance of Deities for Hindus After you have played the ‘Deities to the Rescue’ game, discuss these questions in your group and try to come up with a detailed answer to the following questions. Please write these in your book: 1) Why might having several different deities be encouraging and helpful for Hindus in their day to day life? 2) What might some of the dangers be if certain Hindus only have a knowledge of a select number of deities? 3) In your opinion, which deity do you think might be the most popular and why?