1. Hinduism
Chapter 6, Section 3 Pg

2. Key Terms
Brahmanism- religion of the Vedic Age, based on priests and rituals, sacrifices
Guru- thinker/teacher that leaves their home to live in nature and talk about religious ideas
Brahman- the one supreme consciousness, spiritual force, or God of Upanishads
Reincarnation- rebirth of a soul into a new body
Karma- the effect of a person’s actions in this and in previous lives.
Dharma- a person’s duty or what is right for him or her
Ahimsa- avoiding doing any harm to any living thing
Moksha- liberation(freedom) from reincarnation

3. The Roots of Hinduism Began in a form called Brahmanism
Vedas= India’s oldest religious texts
Hymns to many gods
Describe rituals and sacrifices
Brahmins= priests
Only ones allowed to perform rituals
Mistake in ritual would anger the gods

4. The Evolution of Hinduism
People began pondering deeper questions:
Why are we born?
How should we live?
What happens to us when we die?
Gurus’ ideas were written down--Upanishads
More accessible to common people b/c only Brahmins could read Vedas

5. The Evolution of Hinduism- Epic Poems
Epic poem- a long story about heroes written in verse
“Ramayana”
Queen Sita is kidnapped by demon, King Rama rescues her
“Mahabharata”
Includes a section called “Bhagavad-Gita” that is most important text in Hinduism
Moral lessons about duty, loyalty, right and wrong

6. Beliefs About God All gods are a form of Brahman
People worship different gods as forms of Brahman
Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Shakti
Every person is born with a soul

7. Beliefs About Life
Most people are reborn, karma can lift or lower your caste in next life
Four goals:
Dharma
Livelihood with dignity
Pleasure
Moksha
Knowledge, moral actions, and religious devotion can lead one to moksha