1. Do Now… In your opinion what is the purpose of religion?
What the benefits to belonging to a religion?
What are some aspects that all religions share and have in common?

2. Enter the Aryans
Approximately 1500 B.C.E. a nomadic and pastoral people who spoke the Indo-European language passed through the Hindu Kush mountains.
They called themselves “Aryans” or “noble people.”
They established small herding and agricultural communities throughout northern India.
Their migrations took place over several centuries.
Intermarried and laid social and cultural foundations that influenced Indian society to present day

3. Two Cultures Combine
The Aryans brought with them their own language, called Sanskrit and religious and cultural beliefs.
The Indus Valley people eventually became intermixed with the Aryan people and the two cultures together make up what is now much of the culture of modern India.
Hinduism, the major religion of India, was a mixture of Aryan and Indus Valley beliefs.
The caste system, which keeps people in strict social classes, was brought to India by the Aryans.

4. Verdic AGe Early texts Hymns and Poems Religious Prayers Magic Spells
Gods and Goddesses

5. Origins of Hinduism
Aryans brought their religious beliefs with them. Their early religious books- the Vedas- tell about their many nature gods
As they conquered different people, they included conquered religious beliefs with their old beliefs.

6. This is why Hinduism is so different from the other major world religions.
Hinduism is the only major world religion that does not have a starting point. It just developed out of ancient polytheism, combining many belief systems as time went on.
With this background, Hindus have many different beliefs and many different religious practices. (There is not one way to “be Hindu.”

7. “God in Hinduism”
Hindus worship many gods and goddesses, but they believe all the gods and goddesses are part of the single all-powerful force (God) called Brahman.
Brahman is a spirit and is too complicated for humans to understand.
The many gods and goddesses help us understand things about Brahman (God).

8. Main Gods/Goddesses
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva

9. Brahma- the Creator BRAHMA
Brahma created the world and it is destined to last for 2,160, 000, 000 years before it falls to ruin at which time Brahma will recreate it. The passage of this cycle represents a single day in Brahma’s life.

10. Vishnu- Preserver- a kind god who cares about people
Vishnu- Preserver- a kind god who cares about people. He sometimes visits Earth in different forms to help humans.

11. SHIVA
Shiva- Destroyer doesn’t care about people. Sometimes destroys, but creates again.

12. Reincarnation
Samsara is the wheel of rebirth which means the soul is reborn from one life form to another.
People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma from their present life.
People may be reborn as plants or animals or they may be elevated to a higher caste as a human.
Death is not final for Hindus as they expect to be reborn many times

13. Karma & Dharma Karma: “action” or “deeds”
Every action produces a Justified effect based on its moral worthiness.
Karma determines all the particular circumstances and Situations of one’s life.
Dharma: ethical duty based on the divine order of reality. The word is the closest equivalent to “religion.”

14. Four Stages of Life Stage One: Student stage Stage Two: Householder
Stage Three: Forest-dweller --after the birth of
first grandchild
Stage Four: Sannyasin - wondering ascetic

15. What do the Mouth, Arms, Thighs, and Feet Represent?

16. Herders, Farmers, Artisans, Merchants
Brahmins
Priests
Kshatriyas
Warriors
Vaishyas
Herders, Farmers, Artisans, Merchants
Sudras
(Non-Aryan)
Farm Workers, Servants, Laborers
Dalits (Outside the Caste System)
Did work others did not want

17. The Life of Buddha
Much of what is known about life of the Buddha from accounts in Buddhist literature
Gautama born 500s BC
Prince of small kingdom in what is now Nepal
Led sheltered life
Unaware of hardship
Life changed when learned people got old, sick, died

18. Buddha’s Enlightenment
Gautama resolved to find way to overcome age, sickness, keep people from suffering
Gave up possessions, left palace
Sought enlightenment, spiritual understanding for six years
Studied with gurus, monks but decided they could not teach way to enlightenment
Sat under tree, no teachers, no companions, determined not to arise until he found way
Stories say he meditated all night
Resolve tested by violent storms, earthly temptations
At daybreak, had been transformed, found enlightenment, became the Buddha, Enlightened One
Temple built where he meditated, Bodh Gaya, one of Buddhism’s most sacred places

19. The Four Noble Truths There is suffering in the world
The cause of self suffering is self centered desire
The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments
To reach nirvana you must follow the Eightfold Path

20. Beliefs of Buddhism
A major change in Gautama’s thinking was when he decided to stop looking outwardly to understand the cause of suffering. Instead, he decided to look within his own mind.
Instead of worshipping gods or a god, Buddha taught his followers that the answer to human suffering was in right thinking and self-denial.
A big difference between Buddhism and other major religions is that in Buddhism you do not worship many gods or even one god.

21. Giving up desires
According to Buddha, human suffering happens because of our selfish desires for things like power, wealth, and pleasure. The way to be happy was to give up those selfish desires.
He called this path to happiness the Middle Way = MODERATION
In Buddhism, people are to act unselfishly, treat people fairly, tell the truth all the time, avoid violence and the killing of any living thing
When people learned to follow this Buddhist Middle Path, they would find lasting peace, called nirvana. Once a person reached this point, that person would no longer need to go through reincarnation

22. The Eightfold Path

23. Spread of Buddhism