1. Unit 2 Hinduism
Beliefs

2. Key Beliefs Brahman is the only ultimate reality
Monism
the cosmic spirit that underlies everything, all experience, all phenomena.
The paramatman (universal soul).

3. Key Beliefs
Everything is temporary and illusionary  maya (all forms, including the present world)

4. 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

5. Key Beliefs
Optimism – everyone will reach this goal (moksha) at some point.
No damnation

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. Key Beliefs - Key Gods Brahma – The creator god
Wife – Saraswati (goddess of learning and the arts)

10. Key Beliefs - Key Gods Vishnu – Preserver god (4 arms)
Wife – Lakshmi (goddess of wealth, happiness and good fortune)

11. Key Beliefs - Key Gods
Shiva - Destroyer and restorer god (rides on a dancing bull)
Wife – Parvati (mother goddess / Durga/ Kali
Shakti female energy)

12. The Destroyer and Restorer god
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.
Brahma
The creator god
Vishnu
The Preserver god
Avatars – Reincarnates as needed: Rama, Krishna, Buddha….
Shiva
The Destroyer and Restorer god