Hinduism

Vocabulary and Concepts Vedas – holy books of Hinduism Reincarnation – belief that the soul is reborn and lives again in a new life (transmigration of soul or samsara)

Vocabulary and Concepts Karma – the law of consequence. It basically says “what goes around comes around.” This means you will be rewarded for good actions and punished for bad ones. An important factor in how reincarnation happens. Dharma – a person’s appropriate behavior or duty in life. Fulfilling this duty will result in building up good karma.

Vocabulary and Concepts Caste system – a way of dividing up people into categories and ranking them. It is based on occupations. The Castes- 1- Priests and scholars - Brahmans 2- Warriors and nobles - Kshatriyas 3- Merchants and farmers - Vaishyas 4- Laborers and servants - Shudras Untouchables – outsiders, or the lowest group, whose souls are considered unclean. (Other names - Harijans or Dalits)

Reflection question 1 What does the ranking of occupations tell about what was valued in Hindu culture?

Gods Brahman-the supreme spirit in Hinduism. The goal of Hindus is to unite their souls with it. Thousands of lesser gods, but all are forms of the supreme spirit.

Three Major Gods -Brahma – the creator -Vishnu – the preserver -Shiva – the destroyer

Video clip 1 1. What was the name of the time period / civilization when Hinduism is believed to have originated? Indus Valley Civilization 2. Give evidence to support this statement - The are variations of how Hinduism is practiced among its followers. -different gods can be worshipped -local festivals and practices vary around the country of India -no formal guidelines - followers of Hinduism pray at home or in a temple, can go to temple at any time, not a certain time and day for a service

Video clip 1 3. In what language were the Vedas originally written? Sanskrit 4. About how many Hindus reside in the United States today? 2 million

Video clip 2 5. What river is considered sacred to Hindus? Ganges River 6. What animal is seen as the giver of life that should be honored and why? The cow is seen as the giver of life because its milk can sustain humans throughout their whole lives. It is an extension of a mother, whose milk can nurse a child for about two years. Also it is believed that the gods exist within the cow.

Using the words Hindus believe in reincarnation, or the soul being reborn. If you follow your dharma, or role in life, properly, then you will build up good karma. You will then be rewarded when you are reincarnated by being born into a high caste in the caste system, which is a traditional way of ranking people based on occupations.