Hinduism Global History I: Spiconardi

Origins  Developed over thousands of years combining the beliefs of the Aryans & Indus peoples  NO single founder  The word Hindu is derived from the river Sindhu or Indus

The Universal Spirit  Hindus believe in one unifying spirit called Brahman  Brahman is too complex for humans to understand  Hindus worship many gods to give a more concrete form to Brahman

The Three Main Hindu Gods  Brahman  The creator  Vishnu  The preserver  Shiva  The destroyer

Moksha  The main goal of life is to achieve union with Brahman  Moksha can only occur when you free yourself from all your selfish desires  Most people cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime

Reincarnation  Reincarnation  the soul is reborn in a new body  Each new lifetime allows you to get closer to moksha  Hindus get closer to this union by being born into higher levels of existence

Karma & Dharma  Karma  the deeds & actions (both good & bad) of a person’s life that affects his/her existence in the next life  Dharma  The moral & religious duties that are expected by of an individual A persons gender, class/caste, age, & occupation can affect his/her dharma

The Caste System  Caste Social groups into which people are born in & out of You cannot move into a different caste during your life time

The Caste System Brahmins (Priests) Kshatriyas (Rulers & Warriors) Vaisyas (merchants, farmers, & artisans) Sudras (non-Aryan farmers & servants) Untouchable (butchers, gravediggers, trash collectors)

Other Facts  The Ganges River is sacred Bathing in it can purify, cleanse, and cure the sick Upon death many Hindus are cremated & have some of their ashes spread in the Ganges  Sacred Texts Bhagavad-Gita  most important text; it is a dialogue between a prince and the Vishnu in disguise. Vedas  Book of hymns, prayers, and philosophies