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PRESENTATION

HinduismAum , is the most sacred symbol

in Hinduism, is l ike call ing god's name towards you. This name is generally said three times, before chanting any

prayers.

Hinduismसनातन धर्म र (Sanskrit(Sanskrit))

• It originated on the Indian It originated on the Indian subcontinent with foundations in the subcontinent with foundations in the Vedic civilizationVedic civilization, but has no known , but has no known founder, being itself a conglomerate founder, being itself a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions.of diverse beliefs and traditions.

• The world’s oldest living tradition

HinduismThe world’s third largest religion, Hinduism has no specific origin. It is polytheistic, characterized by wrathful gods, based around a caste system and primarily practiced in India. Hindus believe that the levels in this caste system are reflective of actions in previous lives, and that once a person reaches untouchable status they may then be able to attain a union with God.

World Religions by Percentage and Size of World Population--2009

David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.

Christians 2,271,727,000

Muslims 1,449,614,000

Hindus 913,455,000

Nonreligious 773,947,000

Chinese universists 388,609,000

Buddhists 387,872,000

Ethnoreligionists 266,281,000

Atheists 148,346,000

Other 228,306,000

World Religions by Population

The Trimūrti Sanskrit: िमूत्रिम ूर्तित

The Hindu Triad Brahma –the Creator

Vishnu- the Preserver

Shiva- the Destroyer

Brahma : Creation

Vishnu : Preservation

Shiva : Destruction Shiva : Destruction

Brahmā & Saraswati

• The first of the Trimurti.• He is the creator.• He has four heads and four faces

and four arms.• He is often pictured holding a holy

scripture.• Lord of Sacrifices• His consort is Saraswati,

goddess of wisdom music, arts, and speech

• Originated as a river goddess. Her name is Sanskrit for "she who has lakes or pools."

Vishnu & Lakshmi

• Vishnu one of the most important of the Hindu gods.

• Has four arms holding; conch shell, discus, lotus and mace.

• Peaceful, merciful, and compassionate

• Rides a bird called Garuda.• His consort is Lakshmi

• Goddess good fortune, wealth, light, wisdom and fortune, as well as luck, beauty, and fertility

The Ten Avatars of Vishnu

• Matsya (fish)• Kurma (turtle)• Varaha (boar)• Narasimha (man-lion)• Vamana (dwarf)• Parashurama (warrior-

priest)• Rama (prince)• Krishna (cow-herd)• Buddha (sage)• Kalki (horseman, who has

not yet appeared)

Śhiva & Parvati

• Shiva is the destroyer of evil

• He holds a trishul.

• Rides a white bull.

• Often seen wearing a tiger skin.

• His consort in parvati,

divine mother, also representation of Shakti

Durga….Kali

Durga, protectress

Kali, destroyer of demons

Lord Rama & Sita

• Principal characters in the Ramayana• Lord of Self-Control or Lord of Virtue • Sita, an avatar of Lakshmi, one of the forms of the Goddess or Shakti, is esteemed as the standard for wifely and womanly virtues for all Hindu women.

Lord Krishna & Radha

Krishna – one of 10 avatars of Vishnu; represents joy, freedom, and love

Radha – represents all that is great in womanhood; symbol of ideal woman, daughter, wife, and mother

Known for His pastoral childhood as well as His youth and life as a heroic warrior and teacher

Lord Ganesha

• God of knowledge• The elephant headed God• One of the most popular

Indian deities; is considered the “remover of obstacles”; patron of science and learning

Marriage

Eight types

1. Braham 2. Davia

3. Arsha 4. Prajapatya

5. Asura 6. Gandharva

7. Rakshasa 8. Paisacha

Castes in Hinduism

• System of social classes– Brahmans – Priests and

scholars– Kshatriyas – rulers and

warriors– Vaisyas – farmers and

merchants– Sudras – artisans and

workers

• Who is ? – The mouth?– The arms?– The legs?– The feet?

Brahmans, KshatriyasHighest class: Brahmans

priests and wise men of the society Origin: Mouth of Brahma

Second highest class: Kshatriyas

Soldiers/landowners

Origin: Arm of Brahma

Vaisyas, Sudras• Traders and businessmen, or

peasant farmers vaisyas– origin: thighs of Brahma

• Sudra were believed to be the lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy. Their duty was to serve the upper three communities as slaves

Puja

• Puja is an act of worship or veneration

• Hindus believe that God is everywhere so they can worship at home or in a temple called a mandir.

• Visiting temples is not required

• Hindus also do not claim to belong to any denomination

Durga puja

• Sharadiya (Autumnal) Durga Puja, is celebrated later in the year with the dates falling either in September or October

• It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi , Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Bijoya Dashami.

• Widely celebrated in West Bengal, Assam , Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura

Ramleela

• Dramatic folk representation of the life of Lord Ram, ending up in ten day battle between Lord Ram and Ravan

• victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravana

• UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of Ramlila a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.

Krishna Janmashtami

• Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of god Vishnu

• At midnight, the statue of infant Krishna is bathed and placed in a cradle, which is rocked, amidst the blowing of conch shells and the ringing of bells

Diwaali

• Festival of Lights

• It is the homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over the Ravana

• Spiritual meaning of diwaali is "the awareness of the inner light"

Holi• Known as Dolyatra (Doul

Jatra) or Basanta-Utsab (spring festival)

• Celebrated by people throwing colored powder and colored water at each other

• Celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day known as "Dol purnima".

Facets of A Hindu

• Namaste• Lighting a lamp• Prayer Room• Wear marks (Tilak) • Holy Ash• Fasting• Ring the bell in temple• Worship the kalasha• Worship the Tulsi• Blow the conch

Ten Great Observances• Patience, firmness and stability • Forgiveness• Self-control and contentment• Not to steal or conceal, or be selfish• Cleanliness, purity and honesty• Control over senses and compassion• Right knowledge of the scripture • Material and spiritual knowledge or

study • Truth• Absence of anger

Yoga• A path to self-knowledge and liberationA path to self-knowledge and liberation• Method of keeping us in control of

our body, mind and actions• One must master these four types of

yoga– Karma yoga – the path of action– Bhakti yoga – the path of devotion– Jnana yoga – the path of knowledge– Raja yoga – the path based on control of

one’s actions and thoughts• Having learnt these, the body can be

detached from the soul.• Achieve union with the supreme self or

God.

Hinduism as Philosophy

Hindu philosophy from the Puranas revolves around the following five concepts. These have become the cornerstones of Hindu traditions and beliefs.

KARMA LAWS OF ACTION

BHAKTI LAWS OF DEVOTION

JYANA LAWS OF KNOWLEDGE

DHARMA LAWS OF CONDUCT

MOKSHA LIBERATION / NIRVANA

Karma

• This denotes an action that brings back results This denotes an action that brings back results in this life or in the future life. The doctrine of in this life or in the future life. The doctrine of karma (karmavada) is based upon the theory of karma (karmavada) is based upon the theory of cause and effect. According to this doctrine, God cause and effect. According to this doctrine, God is not responsible for the pleasure or pain of His is not responsible for the pleasure or pain of His creatures. They suffer or enjoy owing to the creatures. They suffer or enjoy owing to the consequences of their own bad or good deedsconsequences of their own bad or good deeds

– As is his desire, so will his will (kratu) be; as is his will, so will he act (karma); as he acts, so will he attain.”

Bhakti

• Along with Dharma, Bhakti can also gain one salvation.

• By devoting yourself completely to the god you can attain Nirvana.

• However, you have to be a true devotee. Giving your entire life over to the god. This is called svadharma or “self-dharma”.

• You give up your caste and age dharma to spend your entire life with the deity.

Dharma

• Duties that each person must complete based on their status in society.

• The objectives of human life is known as Dharma

– Dharma Includes» Righteousness» Livelihood» Wealth» Sensual Pleasure» Liberation, Freedom

Ashrama

• The Hindu view of caste, ashramas, and family are inseparable

• Ashramas is the fourth stages of life

• When a man marries he pays three debts he owes to his ancestors, the gods, and his guru

Reincarnation-wheel of life

According to Hinduism a soul reincarnates again and again on earth till it becomes perfect and reunites with it Source. A being has to live many lives and undergo many experiences before it can attain perfection, becoming one with the Divine.

Man is mortal…the soul is immortal!

• Rebirth of the soul into another living thing

• Ultimate goal of Hindus is to live a perfect life (moksha) which will free them from the cycle of reincarnation

• To reach moksha a person must rid themselves of selfish desires

Nirvana / Moksha

• The end of the reincarnation cycle • The soul is free of all pain and

merges (comes together ) with Brahman.

• Similar to the idea of heaven.• Goal of all Hindus• It cannot be achieved in one

lifetime. One must go through reincarnation.

“Salvation” in Hinduism

“Hence the man who thus knows will be at peace, tamed, quietly contented, long-suffering,

recollected, for he will see the Self in self: he will see all things as the Self. Evil does not touch

him: all evil he shrugs off. Evil does not torment him: all evil he burns out. Free from evil, free

from doubt, immaculate, he becomes a Brahman (in very truth, for Brahman now

indwells him).” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV, iv, 23

The main Hindu scriptures

• Shruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative:• Four Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals, chants• Upanishads - metaphysical speculation

• Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics:• Ramayana• Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)

Chronology

1. The Pre-Protohistoric period,

The Ramayana Period 3000 B.C.

The Vedas 1500 B.C.

The Upanishads 1500 B.C.

The Mahabharat. 1500 B.C.

The Gita. 1500 B.C.

2. Protohistoric period

The Purana Period 300A.D. to 1300A.D.

Vedas

There are four VedasThey are the main source of all Hindu

knowledge and spiritual teachings.

RIG VEDA 10,589 VERSES deals with knowledge or JYANA

YAJUR VEDA 1,975 VERSES deals with the concept of KARMA

SAMA VEDA 1,875 VERSES deals with the practice of BHAKTI

ATHARVA VEDA 5,977 VERSES deals with the various sciences

Upanishads

One line summary of the 10 major Upanishads

ISHA : Karma without attachment.KENA : God exists behind natural process.KATHA : Immortality is simply union with God.

PRASNA: Discourse on Prana.AITAREYA: Creation and pure consciousness.MUNDAKA: Knowledge and WisdomTAITTIRIYA: Thou art Brahman.MANDUKYA: Meaning of AUM CHANDOGYA: Tat Tvam Asi.SWETASVATARA: Meditation the way to God

Bhagavad gitaSanskrit: भगवद् ‌गीता –

The "Song of God" is an ancient Sanskrit text The "Song of God" is an ancient Sanskrit text comprising 700 verses from the comprising 700 verses from the Mahabharata. Krishna, as the speaker of the Mahabharata. Krishna, as the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita is referred to within as Bhagavad Gita is referred to within as Bhagavan.Bhagavan.

Poem that represented new ethical teachings

Puranas

BRAHMA PURANA VISHNU PURANASHIVA PURANA BRAHMANDA PURANA BHAGAVATA PURANA LINGA PURANABRAHMAVAYVARTA PURANA NARADIYA PURANASKANDA PURANA MARKANDEYA PURANAGARUDA PURANA AGNI PURANA BHAVISHYA PURANA PADMA PURANAMATSYA PURANA VAMANA PURANAVARAHA PURANA KURMA PURANA

The puranic texts run into numerous volumes.However, only 18 Puranas have been thoroughly studied and translated. The Puranas are written in Sanskrit in the form of shlokas

Ramayana &Mahabharata

• Ramayan, written by Valmiki - Life history of Sita and Rama teaching ideal values

• Mahabharat, written by Ved Vyas - Story of Padavas, Kauravas and Sri Krishna

Ganges

• The Ganges River is considered sacred.

• The River Ganges in India is said to be holy. Hindus bath in the river to wash away their sins.

• The Ganges River is a goddess that agreed to come to earth to provide a means of salvation for the dead.

Common Hinduism Questions

1. Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?– Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who

created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers

1. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation? – Yes, Hindus believe the soul (without body) is

immortal and takes birth again and again.

1. What is Karma?– Karma is the universal principal of cause and effect.

Both good and bad karma not only decide our fate (sorrow and happiness) in the present life, but also in future life.

Common Hinduism Questions4. Why do Hindus worship the cow?

– By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, Hindus honor the creatures as well.

4. Are Hindus idol worshipers? – Hindus worship God through the image so

that they can commune with Him and receive His blessings.

4. Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat? – Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way of life to

not hurt living creatures. But it is not mandatory

7. Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

– It represents a divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu.

OM

• OM (ॐ) is the sacred symbol of Hinduism, and is prefixed and sometimes suffixed to all Hindu mantras and prayers. Its contains a deep symbolic message; which is considered as divine primordial vibration of the Universe which represents all existence, encompassing all of nature into the One Ultimate Reality.

• "Om" is a holy word often spoken during the practice of any Hindu riutals.

• Represents the trinity of three supreme Gods– Brahma – the creator– Vishnu – the preserver– Shiva – the destroyer

Symbols…

Swastika

The swastika is considered The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate all sorts of used to decorate all sorts of

items to do with Hindu culture.items to do with Hindu culture.

It symbolizes Peace and It symbolizes Peace and Harmony, Lord Ganesh has it Harmony, Lord Ganesh has it

on his right handon his right hand

Lotus

• Represents beauty and non-attachment – This symbolizes how one

should live in the world in order to gain release from rebirth: without attachment to one's surroundings.

Most Popular Hindu Temples…Pilgrim places

The Khajuraho Temple

The Cave (Badami) Temple

The Kailash Temple

The Kashi Vishwanath temple

The Birla temple

The Brihadishwara temple

The Kantajir temple

The Angkor Wat

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Prayer

O mighty God! we are yoursBless us always so we may do good, and never do bad,So we may die happily !! Whenever there is a rise in crimes, take care of us;Even when others do bad, we do good;We should never have feelings of revenge;All our efforts should be towards love,So there is no hatred around us !!