Hinduism

By: Luis Briseno, Diana Kinney, Brian Kan, Katelyn Loveridge, Alma Lopez

Alma Lopez

Hindu Origins

• Hinduism is a term that emerged only in the last century.

• It refers to a number of religions in India and Nepal.

• Approximately over 700 million people in India, over 1 million in the U.S. consider themselves Hindus.

• The roots of Hinduism date back to over 3000 years B.C.E. (2500-1500B.C.E.)

Luis Briseno

Hindu Terms

• Atman: Self; the eternal soul in every creature, which is divine.

• Suttee: Former Indian funeral practice in which the widow would sacrifice herself on her husbands pyre.

Alma Lopez

Ayurveda

• (Sanskrit) an ancient medical treatise summarizing the Hindu art of healing and prolonging life; sometimes regarded as a 5th Veda.

Alma Lopez

Chakras

• Chakra is a word from Sanskrit meaning a wheel and refers to 7 energy centers. They are said to bring energy into the body and remove old energy.

Alma Lopez

Hindu World View is Different • Belief in many gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Ganesha.

The first three, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, are considered the holy deity, some say they are manifestations of the Supreme Being while others believe they are independent.

• Brahma is considered the creator of each universe. Vishnu is the sustainer and defender and Shiva is the destroyer and re-creator.

• Hindu’s see the world as being cyclical, meaning that from the destruction of a previous universe.

• Brahma arises to create a new universe.• Vishnu sustains it through a cycle of birth, growth and decline; • Shiva destroys the universe and the cycle begins again.

Diana Kinney

Hindus believe that life is dividend into four stages

• The stages consist of:1. “student stage” 2. “householder stage” 3. “hermit stage” 4. “wandering stage.”

Diana Kinney

Dharma

• considered to be a path of righteousness and living ones life according to the codes of conduct described by the Hindu scriptures.

• It has also been described as the natural universal laws whose observance enable humans to be contented and happy.

• Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline; it is considered the foundation of life to the Hindus.

Diana Kinney

Ganesha

• considered the god of success and worldly wisdom.

• He removes obstacles and fulfills desires.

• He is not feared by people because he is gentle and calm.

Diana Kinney

Concept of Karma

• Principle of cause and effect• Law of action and reaction which governs

consciousness.• Every mental, emotional and physical act, no matter

how insignificant, is projected out into the psychic mind substance and eventually returns to the individual with equal impact.

• Impersonal law where the mutual exchange between action and consequences are as certain as the laws of gravity.

Katelyn Loveridge

Concept of Moksha• Moksha- release or liberation from the eternal cycles of birth, death

and rebirth. • One of the four goals of Hindu life.• Ways to achieve Moksha:

– The way of knowledge (jnana)– The way of action (karma)– The way of devotion (bhakti)• Is possible only when an individual becomes capable of detaching

her/himself from everything that links her/him to the world.• Achieves jivan mukta (freed souls).

Katelyn Loveridge

Concept of Maya

• “Not this”• Refers to illusion, where the eternal soul

identifies itself with temporary matter such as the body, material goods etc.

• Can mean power, which creates and maintains the universe’s apparent diversity, or,

• that which causes the ONE to appear as many. Katelyn Loveridge

Hinduism Concept of Divine Christian Concept of God

• Refer to an Ultimate Reality called, Brahman.

• Upanishads, texts of Hindu religion, teach “at the core of our being we are identical with this ultimate reality”.

• 330 Million gods and goddesses recognized and worshiped are simply just different ways of conceiving one reality behind all things, Brahman.

• Manifestations

• All-knowing, all-loving, all powerful.

• Holds properties of holiness, justice and immortality.

• God is a person, made of entirely spiritual elements.

• Exists in a sphere outside the normal physical universe.

Katelyn Loveridge

Rather than existing in another reality like Brahman, God exists of spiritual elements in the same universe

as humans.Katelyn Loveridge

Hindu Art• Hindu Sculptures and Temp:

• According to the Hindu view, there are four goals of life on earth, and each human being should aspire to all four.

a. Fordharma: righteous living

b. Artha: wealth acquired through the pursuit of a profession

c. Kama: human and sexual love

d. Moksha: spiritual salvation

Brian Kan

Hindu FestivalList of Hindu main Festival:• Jan:Lohri• Feb:Pongal• Mar:Holi and Shivaratri• April:Sri Vaishnavas • May:Rathyatra• August:Janmashtami• September:Ganesh Chaturthi• October: Diwali• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn2qk-

0ZHQs&feature=PlayList&p=2BAC0B184BB4E78C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

Brian Kan

Hindu Cuisines and Dietary Style

• The Hindu religion believes in caste system, traditionally the religion can be segregated into 4 main categories

1. Brahmins (they are priests who perform religious duties to God)2. Kshatriyas (warriors, nobles and kings)3. Vaishyas (farmers, merchants and businessmen) 4. Shrudras (servants and laborers)

Brian Kan

Quiz Questions

1. The Hindu Concept of Divine refers to an ultimate reality. What is the name of this ultimate reality?

2. What are the Four Goals of Hindu Life?a. Fordharmab. Arthac. Kamad. Mokshae. all of the above

Quiz Questions Cont.3. True or False: Yoga means “Union with the

Supreme Being”?4. What was the Act of 1965 called?5. What are the names of the 3 gods that make up the holy deity?

Works Cited• “What are Major Christian Beliefs?” Charles Hedrick, Jan. 15 2011• http://geneva.rutgers.edu/src/christianity/ma jor.html• “Hinduism” Rick Rood, Jan 15 2011

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/hi ndu.html• Hinduism Home Page• http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/re ligion.html• “Hinduism and Hindu Art”

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hind/hd_hind.htm• “Hindu Holidays 2011” http://festivals.iloveindia.com/hindu-festivals.html• www.about.com/dharma• www.teachingaboutreligion.org• www.about.com/ancientclassicalhistory • www.about.com/hinduism