1. Hinduism Team Name: Hindus Team Members: Britnee Abbott, Julian Black, Stephanie Cruz, Jade Lum, and Hien Ngo

2. Early America Native People The Puritans Britnee Abbott

3. America as a Diverse Nation 1786 Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom Separation of Church and State and protection of religious freedom in the Bill of Rights in 1791 Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 Sense of Pluralism Britnee Abbott

4. General Background of Hinduism derived from hindu, Persian word several religions in India and Nepal 80% of people in India >1 million people in the U.S 30 million people in other places began around 2000-750 BCE one of the oldest faiths Hien Ngo

5. Hinduism Refer as “Sanatana Dharma”= eternal faith Concept of dharma is “to hold” Humans are taught to “hold” and internalize the laws which make humans able to transition from “ignorance to discovery of the truth” Hien Ngo

6. Historical Period Pre-Vedic Vedic (1500-500 BC) Upanishad (7th-5th centuries BC) Puranic (500 BC-500 CE) Medieval (500 CE-1500 CE) Modern (1500 CE-present) Hien Ngo

7. Hindu Terms atman Brahma Caste system, brahmin, untouchables chakras dharma four stages of life karma maya moksha suttee Julian Black

8. Hindu Gods Unlike religions such as Christianity, and Catholicism; the Hindu religion has many gods Polytheistic Within Hinduism a large number of gods are worshipped. These gods that they worship are aspects, or parts of one supreme being. Jade Lum

9. Ganesh Story: Father beheads him. (Shiva, Parvati) He is characterized with the head of a white elephant, and a red human body. He is the god of success, the remover of obstacles and failure. People receive Ganesh with tenderness and awe because blessings are to his bestow. It is said that he is the one who gave humans writing, wealth,and the universe. Jade Lum

10. Key Teachings The earliest Hindu texts are the Vedas which date back to 1200 B.C.E. There is the Rig Veda, the Atharva Veda, Sama, and the Yajur Vedas. Each veda is divided into sections: hymns, interpretations of hymns, explanations and interpretations, and metaphysical dialogs. Jade Lum

11. Key Teachings Continued Between 700 BCE and 300 BCE many philosophical works came in to being. The Aranyakas, or "Forest Books" deals with the proper performance of rituals. The Puranas, written by the sage Vyasa, describes the lives of the gods and their struggles to achieve moral perfection. The purpose of the Puranas is to teach devotion to god through myths, stories legends etc. The Puranas were intended for ordinary people who would not be able to understand high philosophy. Jade Lum

12. Worship Home –Shrines and offerings –Daily rituals: worshiping at dawn, reciting religious scriptures, personal meditation Temples –Icons (murtis): tangible link between worshiper and deity –Chants and prayers (mantra) Stephanie Cruz

13. Pilgrimages Long journey or search for moral significance Sites are either identified with gods/goddesses or associated with important events Example: Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameshwaram make up the Chardham. Pilgrimage to these destinations may lead to moksha, or release from the cycle of rebirths Stephanie Cruz Badrinath

14. Festivals Commemorate gods/goddesses or changes in the season, and are meant to serve as religious celebrations as well as personal enjoyment Main celebrations include: –Janmashtami –Ganesh Chaturthi –Diwali Stephanie Cruz Janmashtami Diwali Ganesh Chaturthi

15. Yoga Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, but comes from the word yuj, meaning “to unite” Yoga is practiced as a path to the inner self or Divine Different paths include: –Bhakti yoga (path of love and devotion) –Karma yoga (path of right action) –Raja yoga (path of meditation) –Jnana yoga (path of wisdom) Stephanie Cruz Statue of Shiva

16. Mehndi Ceremony Mehndi is the application of henna on hands, back, and feet as a temporary adornment Process –Ink made from ground henna leaves with added oil –Application Traditionally done on special occasions such as festivals and before weddings Stephanie Cruz

17. Christian/Western vs. Hindu Christian/Western “This is a world view that seems ready-made for America: one understanding of God, one ritual form or path...” Hindu “Rather, worship is multiform and simultaneous. One never forgets that there are divergent ways of worship, divergent understandings of the divine presence.” Britnee Abbott

18. Quiz What was Ganesh's father's name? a. Shiva b. Rama c. Krishna d. Vishnu What did the Puritans want? a. A nation of Hindus b. A diverse America c. A Christian nation d. A polytheistic nation

19. Quiz True or False? A pilgrimage is a long journey or spiritual search for moral significance, which may involve destinations to sites identified with gods, goddesses, or important events. What is Sanatana Dharma? What is Atman?

20. Citations Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America: How a “Christian Country” Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2001. "Hindu Gods and Hindu Goddesses." Sanatan Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct 2010..http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm "Hinduism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 03 Oct 2010. Web. 3 Oct 2010.. "Hinduism Culture." N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct 2010..http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hinduism5.html Hinduism Historical Background. 3 October 2010..http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hinduism2.html “Hinduism Stories of the Hindu Gods.” N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct 2010.. http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hindu_stories.html “Hinduism The Texts.” N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct 2010..http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hinduism4.html Hinduism The Tenets. 3 October 2010..http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hinduism3.html Hindu Terms. 3 October 2010..http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/hindu_terms.htm "Origins of Yoga." Google Videos. Web. 2 Oct 2010. "The Meditative State." Youtube. Web. 2 Oct 2010.. "Mehndi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 27 Sep 2010. Web. 3 Oct 2010.. "Mehndi Party." Youtube. Web. 2 Oct 2010..