1. Hinduism

2. The Evolution of Hinduism
Vedic Religion – a) Vedas, b) Brahmins c) Agni – the god of fire, Indra – the storm god.
Axial age 800 BCE – 200BCE
2) Philosophical Hinduism – a) rebirth, b) moksha – liberation, c) Brahman – Absolute reality, c) Upanishads
3) Devotional Hinduism – Worship of the Hindu gods

3. The Medical Model of Religion
Williams James The Varieties of Religious experience (1902)
There is a problem
What the problem is
There is a solution
The Solution

4. The Hindu version of this Model
The Problem is rebirth (samsara). Our ignorance and selfish desires are why we keep getting reborn (Karma)
The solution is to stop being reborn by getting rid of our ignorance and selfish desires (Moksha)

5. Attempted solutions

6. The Way of Pleasure

7. The Way of Worldly Success

8. The Way of Moral Duty

9. Moksha
The Problem is the ego. We see ourselves as separate and finite beings
In reality we are not the finite, fragmented egos, we are “atman.” We are one with “Brahman”
Realizing our true nature is the key to genuine liberation from the cycle of “samsara.”

10. Brahman is reality itself at it's most fundamental and ultimate level.
Infinite Being (Sat), Infinite Consciousness (Chit), Infinite Bliss (ananda).
Brahman is reality itself at it's most fundamental and ultimate level.
Brahman

11. Paths to Brahman Jnana Yoga – Knowledge Bhakti Yoga – Love
Karma Yoga – Good works
Raja Yoga – Physical exercises

12. Hindu gods

13. Tridevi

14. Ganehsa

15. Bhakti Devotional Hinduism
Pick your favorite God and serve them with love and devotion (Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Rama, Shiva)
Puja – Take an image of the God, feed, bath, clothe, make an offering to, and finally engage in eye to eye contact with it.
Dances, poems, story-telling, and Holy-days (Diwali, Holi, Ganesa Chaturthi)

16. Great Bhakti Stories Mahabharata – 1b) Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna, Dharma (duty)
2) Ramayana – Diwali
Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Ravanna
3) Krishna’s stories