Do Now: What is my religion IQ? (in basket ): What is my pre-existing knowledge of Hinduism?

What is Hinduism? Objective: To Define, describe, and analyze the origins and beliefs of Hinduism. Essential Question: What are the major world religions and how are they interconnected?

Intro to Hinduism Main religion in India No founder/ formal church (changed over thousands of years- early as 3000 BC under Dravidians- Aryan invasions Is a way of life and a religion

Sacred Texts: The Vedas (eternal truths- Collection of Sanskrit hymns and poetry) The Upanishads (explanation) The Ramayana* The Mahabharata* *= two most famous “Who abhors violence in every form, who strives for harmony in every behavior, who loves wisdom, who respects all teachers of wisdom, who practices some form of mediation, such a one may be said to be a Hindu.”

Brahman: Hindus are polytheistic (worship of more than 1 God) – they worship millions of gods- reflecting complexity of life Each god is part of a single force=Brahman It is nameless, faceless, and limitless Only a select few understand the Brahman Hindus believe in unity of all life Atman= essential self (same as Brahman) All things part of same universal soul- stress nonviolence Respect Nature

 The 3 Main Gods of Hinduism are : 1. Brahma- The Creator 2. Vishnu- The Preserver 3. Shiva- The Destroyer →All Gods/ Goddesses are incarnations of Brahman; all other gods= aspects of Brahman Brahma Vishnu Shiva

Reincarnation: People suffer due to pursuit of material things True goal in life = moksha (freeing of soul from body to unite with the Brahman- cannot be achieved in 1 life) Reincarnation/ transmigration is the rebirth of the soul in various forms

Karma: “What goes around comes around.” The cycle of death/ rebirth continues until souls achieves union with Brahman achieving union depends on karma Karma: holds that every deed (mental &physical) affects a person’s fate in the future life Your present situation is a direct result of your past existence o Every good deed brings o Every bad deed brings 

Hinduism & The Caste System Karma & reincarnation link to caste A person’s caste is a result of karma (deeds from past life) Strict social/ religious order Little social mobility: a person born into a caste & remained member for life Brahmins- highest caste - closest to moksha (perform sacrifices and rituals)

The Caste System Dharma: each caste has one- duties/ obligations Obedience to caste/ moral rules You can improve your caste in the next life by carrying out duties in present one

Classes of the caste system The system grew and changes over thousands of years higher castes purer and closer to moksha As invaders absorbed into caste system- sub-caste emerges Priests, academics, those closest to unity Warriors, Kings Merchants, landowners Commoners, Peasants, servants

Rules & A Way of Life A way of life- government, habits, marriage, cooking eating and jobs Each job has its own caste –Gardner –Jeweler –Woodworker –Water carrier –Money lender Which Gods you worship, where you live and clothes all depend on caste Caste helps higher castes remain spiritually pure Risk of “spiritual pollution” if high caste had contact w/ low caste Ex. A Brahman could only eat foods prepared by a fellow Brahman

Hinduism Today Over 700 million followers Consider Ganges River one of most Holy Have gurus, temples and meditative practices

What is a Lingam? Lingams are one of the most sacred icons of the ancient and modern world. They are are yielded only by the Narmada River in India. The subtle vibration given off by these unique one of a kind energetic stones, reacts to the unique one of a kind vibrations of the human soul, "tuning" it into a harmonious melody. The Lingam never retains negative energy and helps to bring prosperity, and balance the subtle energy vibrations within your surroundings.

Sources: Google Images Clip art itM itM