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 The third largest organized religion in the world
after Christianity and Islam, Hinduism has been around
for at least past 5,000 years. We know that it
originated in India, from the various archaeological
and literary sources, but its beginning, evolution, and
development over such a long period of time, are still
obscure. This is primarily because, unlike several other
world religions, Hinduism does not have a designated
founder, teacher or prophet, and hence, it becomes
really difficult, if not impossible, to trace its roots.
 The oldest major world religion.
 It is 5000 years old and is the 3rd largest.
 It is a traditional religion of India,
originated in the Indus Valley.
 The religion is based on God-given truths
or laws,and is a way of life based on
universal principle.
 About 1000 years ago, the faith was
carried along trade routes to lands to
the east.
 Hindu influences remain in Thailand,
Malaysia and Bali, in Indonesia.
 It has no founder therefore it is not based on
the teachings of a person or group of people;
most likely the Indus Valley people.
 Archeologists have found many statues of a
female figure in the homes of Indus Valley
people.
 A collection of beliefs and practices
developed over thousands of years.
 Hinduism is a polytheistic religion
 Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs
that developed slowly over a long period of
time.
 Hindus believe that their religion helps you
free your soul from the sadness,
disappoinments, and mistakes of everyday life.
 Unlike other major religions like Buddhism,
Islam, Christianity, & Judaism, it cannot be
traced back to a single founder.
 The Vedas(1700-5000BC) and the Upanishads (750 to 550 BC) are
collections of writings that describe all the fundamental teachings
that are central to Hinduism –including the concepts of
‘Karma’(action), ‘samsara’(reincarnation), ‘moksha’ (nirva)
 In fact Upanishads are parts of Vedas Rig,Yajur,Sama, and Atharva
are fouir Vedas. A Veda is divided into four parts, namely, Samhita,
Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanishads. Hence the word ‘Vedanta’
means ‘tha end portion of a Veda’
 This is the concept that the soul is immortal, all life
forms reborn into a new entity after death. The key
word is entity: you do not have a guarantee of being
reborn as a human being.
 The soul travels from one body to the next
 Reincarnation, a major tenet
of Hinduism, is when the soul, which is
seen as eternal and part of a spiritual
realm, returns to the physical realm in a
new body. A soul will complete this cycle
many times, learning new things each time
and working through its karma. This cycle
of reincarnation is called ‘samsara’.
 Karma is the concept that if do good deed, good things
will happen in your life. If you do bad deeds, bad
things will happen to you in life.
 Further, if you live a good life(doing good deeds, being
a spiritual follower of Hinduism), you will be
reincarnated into a higher form, if you live a bad life,
you will be reincarnated into a lower form.
 "Karma" literally means "action," and
more broadly names the universal
principle of cause and effect, action and
reaction, whichHindus believe governs all
consciousness. Karma is not fate, for we
act with what can be described as a
conditioned free will creating our own
destinies.
 Moksha is when your soul becomes free from the cycle of rebirth,
and is no longer reincarnated. This happens after you reach the
highest level of rebirth, and you can can’t be born into a higher
form. When you reach Moksha, it means you have a bad all of life’s
experiences, learned all of life’s lessons, and reached a perfect
understanding of the universe. Instead of being reincarnated, your
soul becomes one with god.
 To understand moksha, which means
'liberation,' one must first understand
several other important ideas
in Hinduism - particularly, samsara.
Samsara is a Sanskrit word that refers
to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth,
to the passing of the soul from one life to
another.
1. Dharma
 In Hinduism, dharma signif
ies behaviors that are
considered to be in accord
with Ṛta, the order that
makes life and universe
possible, and includes duties,
rights, laws, conduct, virtues
and "right way of living". In
Buddhism, dharma means
"cosmic law and order", and
is also applied to the
teachings of Buddha.
Be a good,virtuous, and
moral person
2. Artha
 Artha (Sanskrit: अर्थ ) is one
of the four aims of human
life in Indian philosophy.
The word artha literally
translates as “meaning,
sense, goal, purpose or
essence” depending on the
context. Artha is also a
broader concept in the
scriptures of Hinduism.
Earn material prosperity:
money.(This allows you and your
family to live a secure life.
3. Kama
 Kama means "desire, wish,
longing" in Hindu and Buddhist
literature.Kama often connotes
sexual desire and longing in
contemporary literature, but the
concept more broadly refers to any
desire, wish, passion, longing,
pleasure of the senses, desire for,
longing to and after,
the aesthetic enjoyment of life,
affection, or love, enjoyment of
love is particularly with or without
enjoyment of sexual, sensual and
erotic desire, and may be without
sexual connotations.
Seek happiness,pleasure,emotional
fulfilment(love, friendship and
community).
4 . Moksha
 it is striving for salvation; for
release from the cycle of births and
deaths. We are not born to just eat,
sleep, work and continue our
lineage. There is a higher purpose
to life – we need to find out from
where we have come and why and
how we can go back to our original
state. Moksha means total freedom.
It is freedom from limitations of
time and space, from our
dependence on artha and kama.
Practices for moksha lead us to
Enlightenment, the Supreme
Power.

Seek freedom from ignorance,
spiritually, and self-knowledge.
 Hindu Gods
Thre are hundreds of different Hindu gods, and
not all Hindus worship all the gods. Sometime
families have a certain favorite gad they
worship, or regions in India have favorite gods
 The Big 3

Hindus believe the spirit of the universe takes the form

of three main gods. Hindus can choose to pray all of
these forms, some of them, or none..
Brahma: The Creator
Vishnu: The Protector/Preserver (rain and fire)
Shiva: The Destroyer
 Brahma is the Creator. However, Brahma is not worshipped in
the same way as other gods because it is believed that his work -
that of creation - has been done.
 Hindus worship other expressions of Brahman (not Brahma),
which take a variety of forms.

 Hindus are often classified into three groups according to which

form of Brahman they worship:

• Those who worship Vishnu (the preserver) and Vishnu's

important incarnations Rama, Krishna and Narasimha;
• Those who worship Shiva (the destroyer)
• Those who worship the Mother Goddess, Shakti, also called
Parvati, Mahalakshmi, Durga or Kali.
 Vishnu, the preserver, is believed to be linked to a very early
sun god and is considered by his worshippers to be the greatest
among the gods. He is also referred to as Narayana.
 Vishnu preserves and protects the universe and has appeared
on the earth through his avatars (incarnations) to save
humankind from natural disasters or from tyranny.
 The most well-known avatars are Rama (see Ramayana),
Krishna, who destroyed the wicked and established a new
order, Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and Kalki.
 Vishnu is represented in sculpture and painting in human form,
often painted blue.
 Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu who has appeared as the
wife of each of Vishnu's incarnations, including Sita, wife of
Prince Rama, and Rukmini, wife of Krishna.
 She is the goddess of wealth and good fortune who is offered
special worship during the Divali festival.
 Shiva is the Detroyer and source of both good and evil.
 The god Shiva is part of the Hindu Trinity, along with Vishnu and
Brahma.
 He is considered to be everything by those who worship him: creator,
preserver and destroyer. In Shiva, the opposites meet.
 Shiva the destroyer is a necessary part of the trinity because, without
destruction, there can be no recreation.
 His city is Varanasi, and any Hindu who dies there is believed to go
straight to heaven.
 Shiva is the source of both good and evil who combines many
contradictory elements.
 In pictures and sculptures, Shiva is represented as Lord of the Dance
who controls the movement of the universe. He is also associated with
fertility.
 Shiva has many consorts, including Kali, often portrayed as wild and
violent, Parvati, reknowned for her gentleness, and Durga, a powerful
goddess created from the combined forces of the anger of several gods.
 Hindu Diet
Hindus do not eat beef because cows are considered
a holy animal in the religion. Cows are sacred because they
are so important to agriculture; they help plow the fields, they
carry heavy loads, they provide dairy products, and their
poop is used as fertilizer.
Most Hindus are vegetarian meaning they do not eat meat,
fish, poultry or eggs.
 Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to
Brahman, who is believed to be the supreme God force
present in all things.
 Some of the most prominent deities include:
 Brahma: the god responsible for the creation of the world
and all living things
 Vishnu: the god that preserves and protects the universe
 Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate
it
 Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma
 Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness and love
 Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
 Saraswati: the goddess of learning
 Hindu worship, which is known as “puja,” typically
takes place in the Mandir (temple). Followers of
Hinduism can visit the Mandir any time they please.
 Hindus can also worship at home, and many have a
special shrine dedicated to certain gods and goddesses.
The giving of offerings is an important part of Hindu
worship. It’s a common practice to present gifts, such
as flowers or oils, to a god or goddess.
 Additionally, many Hindus take pilgrimages to temples
and other sacred sites in India.
 Hinduism has many sects, and is sometimes divided
into the following:
 Shaiva (followers of Shiva)
 Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
 Shakta (followers of Devi)
 Smarta (followers of Brahman and all major deities)
 Some Hindus elevate the Hindu trinity, which consists
of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Others believe that all
the deities are a manifestation of one.
 The caste system is a system where people are born
into a certain social classes, and they CANNOT change
their social class. Your social class is determined by
Karma: if you are good person you will be born into a
higher social class in your next life.
 Under the Caste System, who you can marry, what jobs
you can have, and where you can live are restricted by
your social class.
 The system is less frequent than it was in the past, but
still exist in rural areas of Indian today.
 The caste system is a social hierarchy in India that
divides Hindus based on their karma and dharma.
Many scholars believe the system dates back more than
3,000 years.
 The four main castes (in order of prominence) include:
 1. Brahmin: the intellectual and spiritual leaders
 2. Kshatriyas: the protectors and public servants of
society
 3. Vaisyas: the skillful producers
 4. Shudras: the unskilled laborers
 Many subcategories also exist within each caste. The
“untouchables” are a class of citizens that are outside the
caste system and considered to be in the lowest level of the
societal hierarchy.
 For centuries, the caste system determined every aspect of a
person’s social, professional and religious status in India.
 When India became an independent nation, its constitution
banned discrimination based on caste.
 Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely
followed. Many of the old customs are overlooked, but
some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific
caste, are still embrace
 There are four castes in Hindu religion arranged in a hierarchy. The
highest caste is Brahman, and they are the priest caste of Hinduism.
After them are the Kshatria, who are the warrior castes. After them are
the Vaishya caste , who are business people. And after them are the
Sudra, who are the common peasants and workers. Below these four
castes there are casteless, the untouchables. The four castes were not
allowed to have any physical contact with the untouchables.
 Each caste is divided into many sub-castes. The religious word for
caste is Varna and for sub-caste Jat or Jati. But sometimes in English
the term caste is used in both cases. Religiously, people are born in a
caste and it cannot be changed. Each caste has some compulsory
duties, which its members must do. Each caste has professional limits
which decides what profession each caste can follow. Each caste
members can have social relations only with its caste members.
Religiously this includes marraige and even eating only with caste
members. Please note that socially the caste system is different from
the religious form of caste system.
 So, is Hinduism a religion or is it not? But, if it is not, then what is it?
While some Hindus might say that it is a culture, most others would
say that it is a way of life. In its early days, when Hinduism did not
have much competition from other faiths, it regarded all the individuals
it came across, as Hindus. The term 'Hindu', thus pertained to all the
people, living in a particular geographical area and forming part of the
same society. It is thus, that sects such as Buddhism and Jainism, which
were formed, initially as heterodox faiths, distinct from traditional
Hinduism, were gradually incorporated into the faith, and are today,
more or less considered to be the sub-sects of Hinduism itself (this does
not pertain to countries, where Buddhism is one of the major religions).
In fact, it is indeed interesting how Buddha himself got incorporated in
Hinduism as the ninth among the ten incarnations of Vishnu, after
Buddhism started declining in India, and Hinduism was revived. This
sheds light on the notion of 'acceptability' in Hinduism. In other words,
Hinduism has never been reluctant to absorb and accept outside/foreign
influences, provided they preach ethical values.
 Hinduism does not believe in religious conversions; proselytism one of
the most marginal concepts in the faith. On the contrary, whoever
(irrespective of his/her faith) wants to practice Hindu tenets, is
welcomed with an open heart. However, what makes Hinduism distinct
from most other faiths is that though anybody can be a Hindu, one can
enter the Hindu caste-class hierarchy only if he/she is born in a Hindu
family. That is to say that a person may become a Hindu at any point of
time, but the rules and regulations of 'born Hindus' do not apply to
him/her. This is because, though Hinduism focuses on the spiritual
liberation from the ongoing cycle of life and death, it also intends to
enhance one's quality of life on earth. Even day-to-day activities such
as cooking, bathing, cleaning, singing, dancing, planting trees, healing,
etc. are given sacred connotations. Thus, the western concept of the
boundary between religion and irreligion, does not apply to Hinduism.
 Hindus observe numerous sacred days, holidays and
festivals.
 Some of the most well-known include:
 Diwali: the festival of lights
 Navaratri: a celebration of fertility and harvest
 Holi: a spring festival
 Janmashtami: a tribute to Krishna’s birthday
 Raksha Bandhan: a celebration of the bond between
brother and sister
 Mahashivaratri: the great festival of Shiva
 Diwali
The festival of lights
 Navaratri
a celebration of fertility and harvest
 Holi
a spring festival
 Janmashtami
a tribute to Krishna’s birthday
 Raksha Bandhan
a celebration of the bond between
brother and sister
 Mahashivaratri
the great festival of Shiva
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world,
as well as the world's oldest religion. It is believed
that Hinduism dates back to 5000-10,000 BC. It is
India's major religion, but unlike many other religions
in the world, Hinduism has no founder. It is believed
that Hinduism originated in Northern India, and in
India today, more than 80% of the population are
followers. Although Hindus believe in one God,
Brahman, the Hindu faith has different gods that
represent Brahman's different forms.
 The word Hindu originates from the Indian Indus
River.There are more than one billion followers of
Hinduism in the world today.Hinduism is not a single
religion; rather it is practiced by many different religious
groups from India.Most of Hinduism's sacred texts were
written in Sanskrit in ancient times.The oldest ancient
sacred texts of Hinduism are called the Vedas. Vedah
means knowledge.Hindus are guided in their daily lives by
the Vedas scriptures, which were used to develop the Hindu
system of worship and beliefs.The Vedas include Rigveda,
Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and atharva-Veda.The Upanisads
are Hindu Holy Scriptures that encompasses both the
individual soul and the universal soul, and references
reincarnation.
 The Smrutis are the Hindu Holy Scriptures that contain
the Laws of Manu, created in about 250 BC.The
Ramayana are the Hindu Holy Scriptures containing a
story about how good will always triumph over evil. The
husband and wife in the story, Rama and Sita are considered
to be role models of the perfect marriage.The Mahabharata
are Hindu Holy Scriptures containing a poem about a war in
a family.The 18 Puranas are Hindu Holy Scriptures
containing ancient stories about the lives of saints and
different incarnations.Important Hindu festivals include
Diwali (festival of lights), Vijayadashami (victory of good
over evil), Gudhipadawa (Hindu New Year), Mahashivratri
(the day of the universe's creation), Makar Sankranti (Sun
in Makar Rashi's transmigration), Navratri (nine day
worship of Mother Goddess), Ramnavami (Lord Rama's
birthday), and Ganesh Festival (Festival of Lord Ganesha).
 Hindu restraints include Ahimsa (not to harm others), Satya
(truthfulness), Asteya (not to steal), Brahmacharya (no promiscuity
in word, deed or thought), Kshama (forgiveness), Dhriti
(steadfastness), Daya (compassion), and Arjaya (honesty).At
different stages in human life there are rituals performed, which are
called Samskaras.The Hindu philosophy is divided into six
Darshanas including Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika,
Mimamsa, and Vedanta.Hindus believe in Karma, which are a
person's deeds. They believe that a person's actions will determine
their fate, both in their current life and in the next.Hindus believe in
Reincarnation. They believe the soul is immortal and the body is
mortal, and when a person dies their soul will be reborn into another
body until that soul eventually achieves salvation and the cycle of
death and rebirth ends.In Hinduism salvation is called Moksha or
Nirvana. A person is able to achieve salvation when their soul
becomes one with God (or Brahman).
 Acupressure and acupuncture and vital
Hindu customs.Sanskrit, the language used
in ancient Hindu texts, is the oldest
language in the world.In Hinduism,
wasting food is considered very bad.The
holiest Hindu temple is the Kashi
Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh.
1.What is the oldest major world religion?
2.Which means the ‘end portion of a Veda’?
3. The cycle of reincarnation is called ?
4. Which the soul travels from one body to the
next?
5.It is the concept that if do good deed, good things
will happen in your life. If you do bad deeds,
bad things will happen to you in life, what it is?
6. What Karma literary means?
7. It is when your soul becomes free from the cycle of
rebirth, and is no longer reincarnated?
8 Moksha means?
9-10. What are the two collections of writings that
describe all the fundamental teachings that are central
to Hinduism?
11-14. Give the four goals of life in Hinduism.
15-17. Give the Big 3 gods of hinduism.
18-20. Give me 3 festivals of Hindu.
1. Hinduism
2. Vedanta
3. Samsara
4. Reincarnation
5. Karma
6. Action
7. Moksha
8. Liberation
11-14
 Dharma,Artha,Kama & Moksha
15-17
 Brahma,Vishnu & Shiva
18-20
 Diwali,Navaratri,Holi,Janmashtami,Raksha
Bandhan & Mahashivaratri.
 Estefanie Patacsil
 Laila Pictol
 Stella Varona
 Mary rose Bain