1. By Div. 8 (Austin Karesa, Emily Bischoff, Kai Peterson, Paige Kim, Jason Park)

2. What Religious Texts do Hindus follow?  Hundreds of Hindu holy books written.  Important because some of last known books written in Sanskrit, the ancient Hindu language  Some praise gods.  Others outline and describe correct ways of worship.  Some describe Hindu beliefs  According to some holy books, world periodically ends and is reborn.  Some passed down orally, not through writing  Holy books divided into two groups.  First group is “Shruti” meaning “heard” because wise men first heard these words.  Two main groups of “Shruti” text are “Vedas” and “Upanishads”.  Vedas are the oldest of all the holy books.  Hindus believe the Vedas came from god and contain truths that never change.  The most important Veda is the “rig-veda”, contains over 1,000 hymns.  Most other “Vedas” contain instructions on the proper ways for priests to worship. By: Austin Keresa

3.  “Upanishads” are the last part of each Veda.  “Upanishads” means “sit down near”  “Upanishads” contain discussions about important Hindu beliefs like “atman” (the soul)  All “Upanishads” were written between 400 and 200 b.c.e.  Second group is “Smirti” meaning “remembered” because for a while when first heard they couldn’t be written down and had to be remembered to be passed down the generations.  “The laws of Manu” are important Hindu law books.  There are 2,685 verses in “the laws of Manu”, all containing instructions on how to live, or the importance of the Hindu teachings.  “The laws of Manu” also include crimes and punishments for them.  The “puranas” are a group of books that help explain the “Vedas”.  “Puranas” means olden times, and these books were written over a period of 1,000 years, starting in 500 c.e.  There are nearly 500,000 verses in the “Puranas”, containing mostly well known stories and worship the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti. By: Austin Karesa

4.  Offering stuff to Gods  Prasada = offering to Gods & Goddesses  to invite Gods to live in shrine  giving them clothing and food  Prasada placed frond of God & bless  kids sometimes make their own offerings  arti = offering of light Emily B.

5.  temple = Gods home on earth  prest pours liquid in to cupped hand and drink  the temple is called mandir  not made to visit temple or pray all the time  at temple worshipers chant mantras Emily B.

6.  no set time for worship  kids usually watch mom then join in  Puja = common worship  some families make shrines for worship  they go on pilgrimages  worship dynasty @ home and temple and religious places with statues of the dynasty  if they bathe in holy river, sins washed way  Dynasty = god and goddessesEmily B.

7.  They believe that gods are all part of one absolute power.  They think Braham can be translated into god.  They believe that nothing would exist if Braham wasn’t in it.  Some Hindus believe only in one god.  They believe that dairy products help with spirituality.  They believe that everybody's needs can be met if everyone performs specific duties.  They believe that when you die your souls are reborn in another body, human or animal.  They think meditating and yoga can help realize unity. What does this mean?  They believe that consuming alcohol, onions, and garlic makes it harder to find the spiritual truths.  Most Hindus believe in supreme spirit.  They think cows are sacred so they don’t eat them.  They believe that previous life affects their current life.  Many Hind-us believe in not killing human being for food.  They say universal spirit can be seen. By: Kai Peterson

8. How did this religion start? -Started at least 500years ago -Started in Northwest India -Developed slowly over thousand of years -Developed from their religious practices; literature and systems -No founder or the date the religion started in any of the holy books -Has many branches -way of life, not just a religion (no right or wrong) -Has many important leaders/teachers, but don’t follow one person -The name (Hinduism)-invented by western scholars in the 19 th century -Hindus call Hinduism “sanatana dharma” the “eternal teaching” or “law”

9. Each god is a different expression of one supreme being. God and Goddess have more than one arm and head. Arms symbolize their special powers They carry a sacred object. By Jason Park

10.  BRAHMA  VISHNU  SHIVA By Jason Park

11.  Creator of the universe and first member of the Hindu trinity.  Has 4 heads that point to each corner of the earth.  Has 4 arms  Wife is Sarawatsi the goddess of learning and the arts. By Jason Park

12.  Vishnu is the creator and preserver of the world and is very forgiving.  Vishnu preserves the universe and is shown riding on an eagle or sleeping on a giant serpent.  His wife is the goddess of beauty and wealth.  He also saved the world from evil and time of trouble. By Jason Park

13.  Shiva destroys the evil in the universe and carries a trident which is the symbol of destruction. (aka Shiva the Destroyer)  He has a 3 rd eye on his forehead that represents knowledge.  He rides on a huge bull called Nandi.  His wife is the goddess Parvarti. By Jason Park