Hinduism Origin of Hinduism Hinduism developed thousands of

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 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

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. HUMAN S 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 innerself 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?