Unit 2 Hinduism

Beliefs

Key Beliefs

Brahman is the only ultimate reality Monism the cosmic spirit that

underlies everything, all experience, all phenomena.

The paramatman (universal soul).

Key Beliefs

Everything is temporary and illusionary maya (all forms, including the present world)

Key Beliefs

The goal of every Hindu is to break free of this imperfect world (maya) and achieve moksha

Moksha - a blissful union with Brahman.

To have one’s individual

soul, the atman reunite with the paramatman

Key Beliefs

Optimism – everyone will reach this goal (moksha) at some point.

No damnation

Key Beliefs – Human Life

Human life has no significance. It is part of an unending and essentially meaningless cycle of life, death and rebirth.

It is through this cycle of successive rebirths – reincarnation, that one reaches upwards to its ultimate goal of moksha

Key Beliefs - Karma

Humans are further up the ladder of reincarnation than other organism.

Because of karma, (the totality of one’s actions in life that determines the form that same soul takes in their next life) humans are the creators of their own fate

Key Beliefs

330 Million gods → all different expressions of the one universal god / essence, Brahman

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Brahma – The creator god

Wife – Saraswati (goddess of learning and the arts)

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Vishnu – Preserver god (4 arms)

Wife – Lakshmi (goddess of wealth, happiness and good fortune)

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Shiva - Destroyer and restorer god (rides on a dancing bull)

Wife – Parvati (mother goddess / Durga/ Kali Shakti female energy)

Key Beliefs - Trimurti

The Trimurti – Hinduism’s holy trinity

Time is cyclical – this cycle repeats itself every 4,320,000,000 years vs Western time which is linear.

BrahmaThe creator

god

VishnuThe Preserver god

Avatars – Reincarnates as needed: Rama, Krishna, Buddha….

ShivaThe Destroyer and Restorer

god