1. What is the function of religion?
What does it do for the people who believe?
Day 1

2. Day 2

3. Basic Principle
(Philosophy) – General Statement
Founder
Sacred Texts
Ultimate Goal
How do followers need to live their lives to reach the ultimate goal? What do they believe in to help them get there?
How does the faith/philosophy affect the daily lives of followers and their societies?

4. What is Hinduism?
A philosophy and a way of life – focused both on this world and beyond
Emphasis on individuals carrying out their obligations/duties
Day 2
One of the oldest religions of humanity
The religion of the Indian people
Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
Tolerance and diversity: "Truth is one, paths are many"
Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate Reality

5. How did Hinduism begin?
No particular founder
Indus River Valley Civilization
Day 2
Indus River Valley Civilization >5000 years ago
Aryans enter years ago
Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:
rituals and many gods (polytheism)
sacred texts (Vedas)
social stratification (caste system)
Upanishads (metaphysical philosophy) 2800 – 2400 years ago
Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism

6. What are the Sacred Texts?
Shruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative:
Upanishads - metaphysical speculation
Plus others
Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics:
Ramayana
Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)
Day 2

7. What do Hindus believe? Ultimate goal of life (Moksha)
True essence of life – Atman
Reincarnation (Samsara)
Karma – spiritual impurity due to actions keeps us bound to this world (good and bad)
Day 2
– to release Atman and reunite with the divine, becoming one with Brahman
One impersonal Ultimate Reality – Brahman
Manifest as many personal deities
Atman, the soul, is Brahman trapped in matter (“That art thou”); person’s essential self
– atman is continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime

8. How does Hinduism direct life in this world?
Respect for all life – vegetarian; non-violent
Human life as supreme
Caste system – ensured spiritual purity & orderly society
The Four Yogas
Day 2
All living creature are part of the divine essence – all participate in it
- seeking union with the divine:
Karma Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Raja Yoga
Bhakti Yoga

9. Symbolism in Hinduism
Day 2

10. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Brahma, the creator god
Day 2

11. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Vishnu, the preserver god
Day 2
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:
Rama (featured in the Ramayana)
Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata)
(Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively)

12. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Shiva, god of constructive destruction (the transformer)
Appears as Shiva Nataraj, lord of the dance of creation…
Day 2
and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha (the elephant headed remover of obstacles)

13. What about the goddesses? Devi – the feminine divine
Saraswati, goddess of wisdom, consort of Brahma
Day 2

14. What about the goddesses? Devi – the feminine divine
Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune, consort of Vishnu
Day 2

15. What about the goddesses? Devi – the feminine divine
Parvati, divine mother, wife of Shiva
Day 2

16. What about the goddesses? Devi – the feminine divine
Durga, protectress
Day 2
Kali, destroyer of demons
Plus about 330 million other deities

17. All these deities are but
Manifest forms (attributes/functions) of the impersonal Brahman
Day 2

18. And we too are manifest forms of God!
“We are not human beings having spiritual experiences; We are spiritual beings having a human experience!”
Day 2
“That art Thou”
Hinduism is about recognizing the all pervasiveness of the divine