Hinduism “The truth is one, but different sages call it by different names.” Often viewed as the most tolerant of other religions of all the world religions.

Hindu Basics Some Hindus see Shri Ramakrishna as the founder of Hinduism. Others believe they do not owe their existence to a single person or prophet. Hinduism is a pantheistic - polytheistic religion – believing in many gods coming from one Supreme Being - Brahman. Pantheism is the view that God is essentially identical with the universe and totally immanent in the world: God is the universe and the universe is God. Thus pantheism seems to be the most accurate label for Hinduism.

Stats Oldest of the World Religions 3rd largest of the World Religions 1000 million participants India has the largest Hindu population –11 Million Hindus live in Bangladesh 13% of the world’s population is Hindu Language of origin - Persian, Sanskrit

Holy city - Varanasi, India Hindus believe that Buddha - Siddhartha Gautama - began preaching Buddhism four miles from this city. The term Hindu “Indian” comes the Hindu term ‘India’ - meaning from the region of the Indus River.

Sacred Books Vedas (chants) Mahabharat Ramayana Bhagavad Gita - most popular

Religions in India HINDUISM - about 82% ISLAM - about 12% CHRISTIANITY - about 2.5% SIKHISM - about 2% BUDDHISM - about 0.7% JAINISM - about 0.5% ZOROASTRIANISM - about 0.01% JUDAISM - about %

Devotional Divisions/Sections/Sects Vaishnavism –The largest sect in Hinduism. –Vishnu or one of his incarnations is worshipped as the supreme God. Shaivism –Shiva or Siva is worshipped as the supreme God. Shaktism Smartism

Hindu Terms Guru - holy teacher Priests and sages - lead worship services Samskaras - Hindu term for sacraments –Samskaras are practiced in Hinduism from the day of conception through the time of death. –Remember - Buddha thought all of these were useless - so there are no samskaras in Buddhism. Puja (poojas) - common rituals, ceremonial dinners for a God.

Hindu Society Caste System provides major divisions in the Hindu society. The four main divisions are: –Brahmin, which is the highest priestly caste, –Kahatriya, which is the second caste of warriors, leaders and administrators, –Vaishya, which is the third caste of merchants, traders, farmers and craftsmen, and –Shudra, which is the lowest caste mainly comprised of slaves. This is the only caste into which a person is not twice born. The Untouchables could be seen as the fifth caste, but is more precisely outside of the caste system altogether.

10 commitments 1.Do no harm. 2.Do not lie. 3.Do not steal. 4.Do not overindulge. 5.Do not be greedy. 6.Be clean. 7.Be content. 8.Be self-disciplined. 9.Study 10. Surrender to God.

Dharma - ethical duty or complete rule of life. –Not simply a list of do’s and don’ts. Moral Decision making uses Dharma. Four sources of Dharma: –Divine revelation –Tradition –Examples of those considered wise –One’s personal conscience

Karma Karma - the belief that every action produces an outcome justified by the action. –What goes around comes around –You get what you put out there –You get what you ask for

Samsara - Reincarnation Reincarnation - the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth until one receives freedom from this cycle through moksha. Hindus anticipate a long series of lifetimes, also known as samsara or the wheel of rebirth. If one’s karma is unresolved the soul is born into a new body. If one’s karma is resolved, one attains moksha or liberation in Nirvana.

Three paths to moksha Path of Works Path of Knowledge Path of Devotion

Hindu Trinity - Trimurti Brahma - the Creator God Vishnu - The Preserver God Shiva or Siva - The Destroyer God Brahman –The Ultimate Reality in Hinduism –The essence that Hindus believe all share. It is beyond the reach of human perception and thought. –Pure spirit

Four Purposes of Life Dharma - to fulfill moral, social and religious duties Artha to be successful Kama (kami) - to satisfy desires and drives in moderation Moksha - to attain freedom from reincarnation

Four Stages of Life Initiation – the time for a person to grow and learn, Householder – a time for marriage, family, and a career, Forest Dweller – a time to turn one’s attention to spiritual things, and Wandering Ascetic – a time to abandon the world and seek spiritual things.

Japam - form of worship or meditation –The name of a deity or a mantra is repeated. –The most famous - or greatest of all mantras is om - a.k.a. aum.

Tilaka The bindi – colored dot on forehead - a type of tilaka. Sign of piety and reveals the wearer is Hindu. It symbolizes the third eye – the one focused inwards toward God. Both men and women wear it – although men are not wearing it as much as in the past. In the past black meant unmarried and red meant married – now the color varies.

Hindu Symbols Mandala –Symbolic pictorial of the universe. –Concentric energy circle –A Hindu temple's ground floor plan often takes the form of a mandala symbolizing the universe. The lotus is sacred not only because it transcends the darkness of the water and mud where its roots are, but also because of its perfectly symmetrical petals, which resemble a mandala.

The swastika is a type of solar cross, with arms bent at right angles, suggesting a whirling or turning motion. Long before the symbol was co- opted as an emblem of Hitler's Nazi party, it was a sacred symbol to Hindus.The swastika is a type of solar cross, with arms bent at right angles, suggesting a whirling or turning motion. Long before the symbol was co- opted as an emblem of Hitler's Nazi party, it was a sacred symbol to Hindus. The name Swastika is derivedThe name Swastika is derived from the Sanskrit language, from the Sanskrit language, from "su," meaning "good," from "su," meaning "good," and "vasti"," meaning "being" and "vasti"," meaning "being" (together; well being) (together; well being) In India, it is used as a fertilityIn India, it is used as a fertility and good luck charm. and good luck charm. The right turning Indian swastikaThe right turning Indian swastika symbolizes the sun and positive energy, symbolizes the sun and positive energy, and is most commonly associated with the deity Ganesh, a God of prosperity and wealth. and is most commonly associated with the deity Ganesh, a God of prosperity and wealth. Some Indians regard an anti-clockwise swastika as an opposing, dark force- a symbol of the goddess Kali.Some Indians regard an anti-clockwise swastika as an opposing, dark force- a symbol of the goddess Kali. Together, the two can be regarded as symbolically similar to the Yin Yang symbol of Taoism, or the two Pillars of Kabbalah.Together, the two can be regarded as symbolically similar to the Yin Yang symbol of Taoism, or the two Pillars of Kabbalah.

Chakras In Hindu Chakra means wheel. Chakras are vital energy centers in the body. Blockages or interruptions of the flow of this energy is believed to cause illness, confusion and emotional difficulty. Traditions differ about the total number of chakras - but most agree that there are seven considered the most potent.

Wheel of Rebirth

A very integral part of the Indian weddings, particularly Hindu marriages, Mangalsutra is a jewelry that symbolizes a married woman. Tying of the Mangalsutra by the groom is the most important ritual in a marriage and is known as "Mangalya Dharanam". It symbolizes an unbroken bond of understanding, love and sacrifices in their life as husband and wife. The Mangal Sutra is never taken off by the woman after marriage until the death of the husband.

Conch Shells The conch shell is a deep part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. Many Hindus use the conch as a part of their religious practices - –blowing it during worship at specific points –accompanied by ceremonial bells. –A picture of a Hindu priest blowing a conch during punja ( religious ceremony)

Holy Cow??? Cows provide milk - often equated to one’s mother - expression Gomata = mother cow. Traditionally, cows were a part of every household The cow has a special role in Hindu mythologies. –Kamadhenu - a wish fulfilling cow Many social reform movements in India advocate non-violence and no cruelty to animals.