HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS ATMAN: The innermost self in all beings which Hindus identify with Brahman, the supreme being. BRAHMAN: The Supreme Being which exists within the innermost self, or the Atman. Not to be confused with the god Brahma, who has four heads.

HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS DHARMA: Stands for the ultimate moral balance of all things. There is a divine order of the natural and cosmic realms, there is the same order within a personal life. Each Hindu has the responsibility to balance their own dharma. It is played out in all areas of life: religious, social and familial. What if an individual goes astray? This leads to the next Hindu belief, Karma.

HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS KARMA: Have you heard someone say “What goes around comes around”? Or “You reap what you sow”? Or the object of a boomerang- what you throw out in the world will come back to you. It stands for the belief that a person experiences the affects of their actions- that every act or thought has consequences Living in a balanced universe, if someone disrupts this, they will suffer.

HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS SAMSARA: In the western world, samsara is commonly known as reincarnation. It represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in which a person carries his or her own karma. Each life cycle presents an opportunity for balance. An individual may experience effects from past lives, although the circumstances may be totally different.

HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS SAMSARA: Hindu believe that a person’s worldly status depends on actions in a past life. Likewise good thoughts and actions can liberate a person.

HINDUISM KEY BELIEFS MOKSHA: Like heaven for a Christian, Hindus strive to reach moksha, or a state of changeless bliss. It is achieved by living a life of religious devotion and moral integrity without any interest in worldly things. This may not occur for many lifetimes. The ultimate reward is release from Samsara and union with Brahman.

DHARMA-KARMA-SAMSARA Do you have a sense of dharma in your own life? Explain. Does our society have a sense of dharma? If so, how is it maintained? How is the story “The Boy who Cried Wolf” an example of karma? Can you think of other examples in your own life? Describe a book or movie which contains the idea of Samsara.

KARMA Do you agree that your actions will come to haunt or bless you? Do you find this belief similar in any way to Christian beliefs? How do Christian beliefs conflict with karma?

SAMSARA Do you experience cycles of birth, death, and rebirth in any way in your own life? Do you find this belief similar in any way to Christian beliefs? How do Christian beliefs conflict with Samsara?

Textbook Reading Read Pages 123-126 in Exploring World Religions. Complete the following review activities: Create a 2 sentence summary of each of the Hindu Paths to Salvation (Devotion, Action, Wisdom, Meditation). Create a 2 sentence summary of each of the different Hindu Castes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra) Create a 2 sentence summary of each of the Hindu Life Stages (Student, Householder, Forest Dweller, Ascetic) Create a 2 sentence summary of the 4 Aims or goals of a Hindu’s Life.