Hinduism PDF

Hinduism  Ceremonies Diwali- Festival of Lights Holi- Festival of colors Durga Puja Raksha Bandhan  Diwali Festival of Lights Holi Festival of Colors Durga Puja Raksha Bandhan  Beliefs For...

Hinduism  Ceremonies Diwali- Festival of Lights Holi- Festival of colors Durga Puja Raksha Bandhan  Diwali Festival of Lights Holi Festival of Colors Durga Puja Raksha Bandhan  Beliefs For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs. (What you do rather than what you believe) Hindus believe in a universal soul/God called Brahman. There is a part of Brahman in everyone which is called Atman. Hindus also believe in reincarnation  Reincarnation A belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes in body after another. Sometimes these bodies would be human, animal, plant etc.  Beliefs Cont. This reincarnation cycle is referred to as Samsara. Hindus believe that the existence of Samsara is governed by Karma.  Hindu Way of Life There are four goals in human life: 1. Moksha- release of the soul (Atman) from the cycle of rebirth. 2. Dharma- the code for leading one’s life. 3. Artha- the pursuit of material gain by lawful means. 4. Karma- the pure acts, knowledge and devotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level.  Karma Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation depends on how the previous life was lived. Karma is the cause of a person’s particular destiny. Misfortunes in a person’s life are the result of acts that they committed in the past. Actions in a person’s present life will determine the fate of their next life.  Moksha The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become one with Brahma. This is referred to as Mosksha Until Moksha is achieved, a Hindu believes that he/she will be repeatedly reincarnated in order that he/she may work towards self-realization of the truth.  Achieving Moksha Four Paths to achieve Moksha – Path of Knowledge – Path of Meditation – Path of Devotion – Path of good works – A Hindu can take one or all four paths  Caste System Cont. As the Aryans migrated into India, they developed a system strict social classes. According to the Vedas, there were four main varnas, or social divisions. – Brahmins-priests – Kshatriyas- rulers and warriors – Vaisyas- Farmers, craftspeople, and traders – Sudras- Laborers and non-aryans – Untouchables- held the worst jobs in society Brahmins Kshatriyas Untouchables  Caste System Cont. The caste system was based on birth, wealth, and occupation. A person was born into a caste and most often could not move up to another one. There were also rules to govern the caste system such as: – A person could not marry a person from a different caste. – A person could not eat with a person from a different caste. – People who broke the caste rules could be banned from their homes and their castes, which would make them untouchables. Caste System