Hinduism

Origin of Hinduism Hinduism developed thousands of years ago in Ancient India There is no single founder or single sacred text for Hinduism Hinduism traces its beginnings back to the Aryans conquering the Indus River Valley Civilization The Aryans added the gods and goddesses of the Indus River Valley to their own gods and goddesses

Brahman Brahman is the all powerful spiritual force that controls all things The gods and goddesses of Hinduism are used to explain and represent the force of Brahman Important Gods are: Brahma, The Creator Vishnu, The Preserver Shiva, the Destroyer The sacred texts of Hinduism are referred to as Vedas.

Important Terms of Hinduism Atman is the term used to describe the inner-self or soul of an individual The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to achieve moksha which is the union with the spiritual force, Brahman. In order to achieve moksha, a person has to free themselves of selfish wants and desires

Achieving Moksha Moksha is believed to be difficult to achieve in a single lifetime. Hindus believe in reincarnation or rebirth. They believe that a person can be reborn into another bodily form to continue their quest for moksha. In order to achieve moksha, people must obey the laws of Karma. Karma is all of the actions of a person’s life that affect their fate in the next life Hindus also believe strongly in ahimsa or nonviolence. This was important because those who were violent would have bad Karma.

Reincarnation Karma influences what a person will come back as in their next life. Those who are bad come back as a lower form. Those who are good come back as a higher form. HUMANS ANIMALS PLANTS OBJECTS

Achieving Moksha In order to achieve moksha, Hindus must perform their religious and moral duties which is known as dharma. The Aryans introduced the caste system where each person in society served a different role in life. The actions required for dharma was dependent on a person’s position in the caste system. Karma was believed not only to determine your reincarnated form, but also your position in the caste system.

Castes – social stratification

REVIEW What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism? What is the Hindu word for the inner-self or soul? What are the collection of sacred texts called? What does reincarnation mean? What is the record of all good/bad things a person has done called? What is the Hindu term for nonviolence?