1. World Religious Beliefs, Common Symbols & Imagery: Hinduism
Bill Strickland
East Grand Rapids HS
East Grand Rapids, MI

2. “Major” World Religions
Buddhism
Christianity
Confucianism
Daoism
Greco-Roman Philosophy & Gods
Hinduism(s)
Islam
Judaism
Zoroastrianism

3. What is Hinduism?
A range of traditions / beliefs / practices with a common basis in the Vedic scriptures.
Concept of “Hinduism” as a unified “religion” comes from Greek and Persian visitors who called India “Hindustan” (land of the Hindus) Om

4. Why Hinduisms?
Malleable faith, adapting to 100s of local religions & customs
Greater local acceptance
Tolerant of co-existing customs
Many gods exist in >1 form / incarnation
No specific dogma (teachings)
No single founder

5. “There are an infinite number of paths to, and manifestations of, the limitless One.” Upanishad

6. Is Hinduism Polytheistic? Monotheistic? Pantheistic? What?
Henotheism – devotion to a single god while
accepting the existence of others
Monotheism – only 1 deity/god exists
Polytheism – many gods
Panentheism – God exists and interpenetrates
every part of nature
Pantheism – God is synonymous with the
material universe

7. Hinduism 101: Brahman Brahma the Creator Shiva (Siva) the Destroyer
Vishnu the Preserver
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are not three independent Gods. They represent the same power as the Supreme Being, but are entitled with three different aspects.

8. Brahman The one supreme force, creator who is in all things
The ultimate, both transcendent and imminent
The absolute infinite existence
The sum total of all that ever is, was, or ever shall be.
Lies outside the realm of human description, can only be sensed as a presence within oneself and the rest of the universe
The universe is the manifes-tation, rather than the creation of God
Individuals – Atman
Goal of one’s life is to merge with Brahman.

9. Brahma
the Creator
Close parallel to Divine Force of Universe

10. Shiva
Usually labeled
“the Destroyer,” Shiva could also be called “the Transformer”
Lord of Dance, Shiva as Nataraja.

11. Other images of Shiva

12. Other images of Shiva

13. Vishnu Preserver, Benevolent Concern for the world brings
him to earth as an “avatar”
10 avatars – including:
Rama – the Just King
Krishna – (Bhagavad Gita)
Buddha – the teacher
Kalkin – horseman who will bring an end to evil at the end of the age.

14. Vishnu (rescuing the Earth goddess)

15. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
Hindu gods are manifestations of Brahman, notably:
Brahma – Creator
Vishnu – Preserver
Shiva – Destroyer
trimurti
Everything in the Universe is in a state of creation, maintenance or destruction 15

16. Other Deities
Ganesh – God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune, remover of obstacles

17. Lakshmi – goddess of wealth, prosperity

18. Devi, the Mother Goddess

19. Upanishads Sample:
Fetch me a fruit of the banyan tree.
Here is one, sir.
Break it.
I have broken it, sir.
What do you see?
Very tiny seeds, sir.
Break one.
What do you see now?
Nothing, sir.
Continue story with salt & water – taste the top of the water- salty; middle- salty; bottom- salty. What does this say about Caste system.
My son, … what you do not perceive is the essence, and in that essence the mighty banyon tree exists. Believe me, my son, in that essence is the self of all that is. That is the True, that is the self. 19

20. Sacred Texts
Vedas = “wisdom” or “knowledge,” most ancient oral traditions. (Vedic age = BCE)
Upanishads = works of religious teach- ings ( BCE) literally “sitting at the feet of” stories
Bhagavad Gita = “Song of the Lord” is read in the form of a dialogue between two characters and is considered to be the 6th book of the epic Mahabharata poem
“Upanishads” literally means “a sitting in front of,” referring to the practice of disciples gathering before a sage for discussion of religious issues.

21. Upanishads
Anti-Shallowness: Forget worldly concerns – riches & health

22. Common Beliefs Dharma = moral path Brahman = Universal soul
Moksha = permanent liberation from cycle of incarnation (Hinduism’s Moksha = Buddhism’s Nirvana)
Samsara = reincarnation

23. Hinduism Today

24. Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India
Hindu Temple
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India

25. Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India
Hindu Temple
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India

26. Detail of
Temple

27. Social Castes (varna)

28. Relevant Vocabulary (you need to know)
ascetic (-ism)
atman
avatar (no, not the movie)
bakhti
dharma
karma
moksha
samsara
sanskrit & prakrit
varna & jati