1. Hinduism
Ch. 4.2, 10/7/16

2. BR: What symbolism does Christianity use? Examples:
Fire = Spirit = Dove
Cross = Jesus, Death, Suffering of, etc.
Fish = Missionary work, Share the Gospel (“Fishers of Men”), etc.

3. Main Ideas Hinduism Reincarnation Karma Moksha Dharma Yoga Jainism
Ahisma

4. Hinduism
The Vedic Religion (named after the venerated Vedas), the religion of the incoming Aryans, in some ways is a parent of the modern Hindu religion, and the Vedas are seen as holy scripture by Hindus today.
Evidence with connections to modern elements of Hinduism, such as statues / idols, and amulets of different gods, giant temple tanks for ritualistic bathing, and examples of people in yoga positions, were found in the Indus River Valley civilization.
However, these same artifacts have not been found in other Vedic / Aryan areas, which seems to indicate that Hinduism started as a mixture of both belief systems. CC = Part 1+2, to 2:41
Here are excerpts from the Vedas
Indus goddess
Harappa Bath
Example of a Yoga pose

5. One Faith, Many Paths Brahma, the Creator God
Hinduism stands apart from all other religions for several reasons. It has no single founder, no single scripture, no central religious organization, and no definition of absolute beginning and end.
Hinduism is a code of life — a collection of attitudes, personal experiences, and spiritual practices. It is, in essence, defined by behaviors rather than beliefs. Vid
The three main devas (basically gods) of the Hindu are: Brahma – The Creator, Vishnu the Protector & S(h)iva, the Destroyer. VID
Aum is a mystical symbol and sound prominent in the Hindu religion. Hindus often intone the aum at the beginning and the end of a mantra, or prayer. 
Brahma, the Creator God

6. Hindu Philosophy
According to Hindu philosophy, there is one divine reality, and all religions are simply various interpretations of that (aka Brahman). Because of this, Hinduism allows and even encourages individuals to choose a religious path that best suits their social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs.
One Hindu devotee might worship well-known gods (which are really just manifestations of Brahman) such as Vishnu or Shiva in a large, public temple, whereas another might worship less common deities in a private shrine within his or her own home. Yet they would both be considered good Hindus, provided that they honored each other's choices. VID
One way that many Hindus try to meditate and worship Brahman is through Yoga: VID
This tolerance makes Hinduism difficult to understand and define, but it does explain why so many gods, goddesses, and rituals are described in the numerous Hindu scriptures. CC = 3+4 (2:41)

7. 4 Basic Beliefs Hindus have 4 main beliefs:
Dharma – Duties and obligations must be met; if they are, you can achieve liberation from the endless cycle of life and suffering. Thus, you should live well in your caste.
Karma – Karma is the belief that if you do good things, you will be blessed for it, and cursed for bad things. The results of your actions will always come back to you.
Moksha – This is the ultimate goal: if you get enough good karma, you can escape the cycle of reincarnation, and your atman, or spirit, and join with Brahman in peace
Samsara – This is the repeating cycle of reincarnation. If you were a good person, you will be reincarnated in the next life as a higher caste, until eventually you can escape the cycle (Moksha)

8. Holy Hindu Writings: Most important: The Vedas
Written ~1300 B.C.E. It is believed that the Vedas are the eternal truths that were heard, then written down by holy seers.
According to the Vedas, time and life are cyclical. After death, one's soul leaves the body and is reborn, or reincarnated, into a new form.
The constant cycle of birth and rebirth is known as samsara and the measurement by which the quality of new birth is determined is known as karma. Karma, the accumulated result of one's actions in various lives, can be good or bad. Righteous and moral conduct, known as dharma, is the road to good karma.
Birth
Death
Life
Samsara

9. Other Texts
The writings known as the Upanishads appeared six to eight hundred years after the Vedas and focus mostly on how to escape the cycle of rebirth. The Upanishads explain how to leave Samsara through a release and ultimate enlightenment known as moksha.
One of Hinduism’s most sacred texts is the Bhagavad Gita; it was a dialogue between a warrior named Arjuna and Krishna, a human form of Vishnu. Krishna tells Arjuna how to achieve moksha: Vid

10. Jainism:
Around 500 BCE, some Hindus broke away and formed a new religion, called Jainism. Led by a teacher named Mahavira, they thought regular Hinduism was governed by too much ritual.
One of their main ideas is ahisma, or “nonviolence”. While most Hindus follow this idea, Jains take it a step further, and are careful to not hurt anything, even small flies.
Some become monks or nuns, and live a more extreme version of these beliefs. Many Jains are not monks however, but they do go into careers that avoid the harming of animals, and to avoid worldly possessions. VID

11. HW:
Finish preparing your group presentation for Monday (3- ish minutes each)
Get caught up on any other homework you may need to do.
Good Luck!