WHY IS HINDUISM SUCH A COMPLEX RELIGION HINDUISM











- Slides: 11
WHY IS HINDUISM SUCH A COMPLEX RELIGION?
HINDUISM • GREW OUT OF OVERLAPPING BELIEFS OF DIVERSE GROUPS • _____ = SACRED TEXTS THAT LAY OUT THE BASIC BELIEFS OF HINDUISM • __________ (750 -550 B. C. ) – INTERPRETATIONS OF THE VEDAS
BRAHMAN • _______ = SUPREME POWER OR DIVINE FORCE THAT IS GREATER THAN ALL THE OTHER GODS • _____________CONSTANTLY CREATING, DESTROYING AND RECREATING THE UNIVERSE • NEVER ENDING ______ • ATMAN= ______ WHICH IS APART OF BRAHMAN • GODS & GODDESSES=VARIOUS FORMS OF BRAHMAN
DEITIES • DIFFERENT FACES OF BRAHMAN • EACH REPRESENTED A ______ OR QUALITY OF BRAHMAN • HINDU GODS – BRAHMA = THE _____ – VISHNU = THE ______ – SHIVA = THE ______ • TAKE MANY FORMS – HUMAN/ANIMAL • HAVE _________ VISHNU-EXTRA ARMS EQUAL STRENGTH
SAMSARA: GOAL OF LIFE • ___________ – REBIRTH OF THE SOUL IN ANOTHER BODILY FORM • ______ = EVERY PERSON HAS AN ESSENTIAL SELF • GOAL = _______ – UNION WITH BRAHMAN • MUST FREE THEMSELVES FROM SELFISH DESIRES • CANNOT ACHIEVE IN ONE LIFETIME
KARMA • ALL ACTIONS OF A PERSON’S LIFE THAT AFFECT HIS OR HER FATE IN THE NEXT LIFE • ____________ – HUMANS – ANIMALS, PLANTS, OBJECTS • REINCARNATION – DO EVIL = SUFFERING – DO GOOD = HIGHER LEVEL OF EXISTENCE – JUSTIFIES STATUS IN _____________ • SYMBOL – _____________
DHARMA • RELIGIOUS AND MORAL DUTIES • VARY ACCORDING TO _____, OCCUPATION, ________, OR AGE • OBEY DHARMA = MERIT FOR NEXT LIFE • ALL HINDUS BELIEVE LIFE IS CONNECTED = NO HARM TO ______ OR ___________
NEW RELIGIONS ARISE • MORAL PRINCIPLE – ______________ • 500 B. C. _________ – NEW RELIGION • EMPHASIZED MEDITATION AND SELF-DENIAL • BROOM TO AVOID KILLING • BUDDHISM – FOUNDER = _____________________
MANDALA • ANY OF VARIOUS GEOMETRIC DESIGNS (USUALLY CIRCULAR) • SYMBOLIZES THE UNIVERSE • USED CHIEFLY IN HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM AS AN AID TO MEDITATION
BRAINSTORM • 5 SYMBOLS FOR THE FIVE BASIC HINDU BELIEFS – – – BRAHMAN DEITIES DHARMA KARMA SAMSARA • CUT OUT CIRCLES • NEATLY DRAW ONE SYMBOL IN EACH CIRCLE • LABEL THE SYMBOLS ON THE BACK