1. Hinduism History & Beliefs

2. LG:
Like, seriously, what is Hinduism???

3. 1. Introduction to Hinduism ***All you need to know in 1 sentence.
A. “What is whole?”……. “This is….. What has come out of the whole is also whole. When the whole is taken out of the whole, the whole still remains whole.” *** Think about this statement from a physical and spiritual standpoint. i. *** Now write down your thoughts here.

4. 2. Indus River Valley (physical)
a. Modern day Pakistan (2500 to 1500 BCE)
b. Advanced cities with indoor plumbing
c. Agricultural society
d. Un-Deciphered writing

7. 3. Indus River Valley (spiritual)
a. Sites for ritual bathing (Ganges River?) b. Mother Goddess i. Shakti c. Water Ablutions… ceremonial act of washing ones self (Ganges River?) d. Phallic Gods i. Yes, worshiping… it... it. e. Sacred Bulls f. Yoga

10. Why are cows sacred in Hinduism
Why are cows sacred in Hinduism? Millions of Hindus revere and worship cows. Hinduism is a religion that raises the status of Mother to the level of Goddess. Therefore, the cow is considered a sacred animal, as it provides us life sustaining milk. ... The cow is a symbol of the divine bounty of earth.

11. 4. Shakti
a. The primordial (from the beginning of time) cosmic energy and represents the dynamic (constant change and activity) forces that are thought to move through the entire universe. b. Personification (through goddesses) of divine female power.

12. 5. Aryan Invaders? (physical)
a. Cultures merge. b. Aryans arrive from Asia (later Europe) c. Pastoral society (cattle herders) d. Sanskrit language: related to Early European languages e. Assimilated with Indus Culture i. This early assimilation of cultures is key to understanding Hinduism’s essence.

13. 6. Aryans (spiritual)
a. Veneration of ancestors b. Polytheistic belief c. Worship fire (Agni the god of fire; 4th in Hinduism) d. Singing of hymns ( Vedas; The Hindu holy books) e. Celebration of Brahman ( Ultimate Reality) i. Yup… also central to Hinduism.

14. 7. Lingam-Yoni Dynamic The Lingam: phallic symbol(male)
Male fertility… duh
The Yoni: oval base (female)
Female fertility… duh.
The Lingam and Yoni is a statue that symbolizes the balance of male and female, the power of creative energy, and fertility in the Hindu culture; LIFE.

16. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingam
Ellwood, R. S., and B. A. McGraw. Many peoples, many faiths, women and men in the world religions. Prentice Hall, Print.
Toropov, Brandon, and Luke Buckles. The Complete Idiot's Guide To World Religions. Third. New York, NY: Penguin, Print.