Year 7 Hinduism Key beliefs Reincarnation Hindus believe

Year 7 - Hinduism Key beliefs Reincarnation • Hindus believe that after we die, we are reborn into a new life. This is the cycle or birth, death and rebirth. • The new life that we are born into depends on how we live this life, and the karma that we produce. • If we build up good karma, we will be reborn into a higher life form or another human life. If we build up bad karma, we will be reborn into a lower life for example a plant or an insect. • The main aim of human life is to be reborn into higher beings and humans that can finally escape the cycle of death and rebirth. God • There is one supreme God in Hinduism, he is called Brahman. • All other Gods are just forms and representations of Brahman. • The three main representations of Brahman are called the Trimurti. Key words Brahman – The one supreme God in Hinduism. All other gods are just different forms of Brahman. Deity – A god or goddess. Shiva – The god of destruction and a reproductive power. Brahma – The creator of the universe. Vishnu – The preserver of the universe. Trimurti – The 3 main forms of God (Brahman), Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. Mandir – Hindu temple of worship. Murtis – Images or statues of a Hindu deity. Arti – A Hindu form of worship where candles are lit. Bhagavad Gita – The Hindu holy book. Reincarnation – The belief that we are reborn into another life after we die. Karma – the result of our good or bad choices throughout our life. Key people -Trimurti: Shiva: • Shiva represents destruction, but he is also a reproductive power, Hindu’s believe he is the source of good and evil. • In image she is often seen with a tiger skin to show bravery and 3 eyes which enable him to see the past, present and the future. Vishnu: • Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, protecting it from evil. He represents goodness and mercy. • Vishnu is often shown as blue in pictures to show he is like the sky, everywhere and everlasting. • He also holds a white shell to show purity. Brahma: • Brahma represents creation of the universe, and all living beings are said to have evolved from him. • He is often shown in pictures with 4 arms to show God is all powerful, and also 4 heads to show he can see in every direction and God knows everything. Place of worship – Mandir The mandir is where hindu’s go to worship God. In the mandir there are lots of different murtis that might be of several different deities. Hindu’s worship different deities for different reasons. These are some features of a mandir: Bell: as they enter the mandir, hindu’s ring a bell that informs the gods that they are there to worship. Arti: this is a type of worship in Hinduism that involves lighting candles that represent god as light. Prayers: hindu’s will chant, sing and say prayers in the mandir. This might be individually or as a group. Bhagavad Gita: This is the holy book, and it can be found in a special closet to show it respect and keep it safe. Offering area: there is an area at the mandir, where Hindu’s will leave offerings including food, sweets and flowers for the gods. Building: some mandir buildings will have towers that look like mountains, to show that the gods are high up and powerful.