1. Hinduism Beliefs – Part 1

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

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

4. Key Beliefs- Evil Evil and suffering – a natural part of life Source: Ignorance (first evil) Justified: by the law of karma suffering is the result of ones prior actions He (Brahman) causes him whom he wishes to lead up from these world to perform good actions. This one, indeed, also causes him whom he wishes to lead downward, to perform bad actions. Upanishad 3:8

5. 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

6. Key Beliefs Optimism – everyone will reach this goal (moksha) at some point. No damnation Tolerance – get there however you need to

7. 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

8. 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

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

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

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

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

13. 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

14. Hinduism Beliefs Part 2

15. Hinduism in Practice Shrines in homes are the focus of worship. The temple is the centre of the religious, social and cultural life of Hindus Are devoted to gurus (spiritual leaders) and often form Hindu communities called Ashrams

16. Paths to Salvation - Yoga Dharma - One’s moral and sacred duty as defined by: their stage in life (student / householder / retirement / renunciation) their caste – determines one’s occupation their gender Yoga – to yoke or bind together

17. 4 Paths to Salvation Bhakti Yoga – love and devotion (to be attracted to god) Karma Yoga – good deeds and thoughts Jnana Yoga – scripture and meditation Raja Yoga - meditation

18. Bhakti Yoga – love and devotion Most simple path to salvation Devotion and love towards a personal deity Provides an opportunity to worship Brahman in a concrete way, rather than as an abstract notion Images / statues of deity help followers focus their devotion Prayer / ritual

19. Karma Yoga – good deeds and thoughts Good deeds lead to the accumulation of good karma Unselfish actions done not for reward but because they are morally right Duty of an individual

20. Jnana Yoga – scripture and meditation Difficult path Guidance of a guru / teacher Learn about: the relationship between the Brahman and atman Nature of the universe Scriptures Meditate to gain the insight needed to achieve salvation / moksha

21. Raja Yoga - meditation Achieve salvation through intense mediation / contemplation on mediation on Brahman Trans like state Become one with Brahman Strict physical and spiritual discipline

25. Hindu Worship - Animals

26. The Sacred Cow Is revered as the source of food and symbol of life May never be killed or eaten (no beef) The Cow and Worship: Hindus do not worship the cow cows do not have especially charmed lives in India more accurate to say the cow is taboo in Hinduism, rather than sacred. Most rural Indian families have at least one dairy cow, a gentle spirit who is often treated as a member of the family.

27. The Sacred Cow

29. Cow Veneration Continued The five products: milk curds ghee butter urine dung — are all used in pujapuja The milk of the family cow nourishes children as they grow up cow dung (gobar) feul, building. Most Indians do not share the western revulsion at cow excrement, but instead consider it an earthy and useful natural product.

30. Monkey Veneration Animals depicted as helping the gods in Hindu mythology are venerated Monkey, or Monkey God ( Hanuman) is considered to be the God of power and strength Seen here helping Lord Rama

31. Elephant Veneration Elephants – symbol of success Ganesha Lord of Success and Destroyer of Evils and Obstacles Also god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth head symbolizes the paramatman (ultimate supreme reality) his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality.Om