1. Hindu beliefs
Hinduism is best seen as a tradition- today a Hindu can be polytheistic, monotheistic, pantheistic, agnostic or atheistic and still claim to be a Hindu.
However, there are certain central concepts-reincarnation, merging with “Brahman" ultimate reality) and Moksha (the escape from the cycle of reincarnation.

2. Non-Dualism
Brahman is One & Eternal= no before or after, for everything is everywhere always.
Brahman is intrinsically dynamic= unformed, immortal, moving.
All things are mutually related –all of part of basic oneness.

3. Devas= Aspects
Shiva, the Cosmic Dancer, is the most perfect personification-through dance everything is sustained.

4. “That art thou”
Human nature is not just space/time body (samara) nor individual consciousness of mind (jiva)- in each of us is an immortal element, our true self, the Atman.
Brahman and Atman are the same-”Into Him I shall enter.”

5. Maya and Avidya
Maya is the human tendency to regard appearance as reality; that multiplicity is real; that Samsara is real.
Avidya= ignorance of the true nature of reality.
Nirvana (Moska)= experiential realization of oneness.

6. Cycle-Life and Rebirth
Samsara= world of relentless mutability= is illusion.
Reincarnation=all living things are besouled, become incarnate in different bodies; depends on kind of life lived previously = Karma.

7. Existence of Samsara
Why does samsara exist? –Upanishads=“lila” or “sport”- an expression of Brahman’s constitutive delight (“anada).
Will need to solve the problem of one and many and the relationship of Brahman to the world of multiplicity.

8. Problem of Karma
Is Karma false to the facts?-”the wicked often prosper at the expense of the good.”
Yet- reincarnation- we will inevitably reap what we sow.
Is this satisfactory?

9. Sankara ( A.D.)
Advaita (nondualistic) relation of Brahman and a self.
What is an individual self is in fact not essentially different from the one Self (Atman)-as space in individual jug not different from space as a whole.

10. Sankara ( A.D.)
Comprehend the world at two levels or from two points of view: lower knowledge and higher knowledge.
Sublatable things- (1)object of awareness of some subject; (2) distinguishability; (3) subject to time and change.