Origins and Beliefs of Hinduism

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Origins and Beliefs of Hinduism p.142

VOCABULARY


Brahmanism

Religion of Vedic
India, based on priests
and rituals,
particularly sacrifices
to the gods

VOCABULARY


guru

thinker or teacher

VOCABULARY


Brahman

the supreme
cosmic
consciousness,
spiritual force, or
God

VOCABULARY


reincarnation

rebirth of a soul in
a new body

VOCABULARY


karma

the effect of a
person’s actions in
this and previous
lives

VOCABULARY


dharma

a person’s duty or
what is right for
him or her

VOCABULARY


ahimsa

avoid doing harm
to any living thing

VOCABULARY


moksha

liberation from
reincarnation

VOCABULARY


issue

to distribute,
publish, send out

VOCABULARY


devote

to set aside for a
purpose

Lesson 3 Origins and Beliefs of Hinduism
Lesson Summary

Hinduism is one of the world's
oldest and largest religions, with
about 1 billion followers.

Lesson 3 Origins and Beliefs of Hinduism
Lesson Summary

It began during the Vedic Age,
growing and changing slowly into
a more popular Hinduism

What Are the Roots of
Hinduism

For thousands of years, Hinduism
has been the main religion of
India 󰏝

.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

It is widely practiced in South and Southeast Asia.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

Hinduism’s roots lie in the Vedas and the religion of
the Indo-Aryans of the Vedic period.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

Gods and Goddesses praised in the Vedas later
became part of popular Hinduism.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

During the Vedic Age, early Hinduism was a religion
based on rituals, particularly sacrifices to the gods.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

This early Hinduism is also known as Brahmanism.

What Are the Roots of Hinduism

This name refers to Brahman, the all-powerful deity
that Hindus worship.

How Did Classical Hinduism
Develop?

Beginning about or before 500

BCE, Hindu beliefs began to change.
People focused less on ritual and
more on the concept of Brahman, a
single spiritual power that existed
beyond the Gods of the Vedas.

How Did Classical Hinduism Develop?

People increasingly sought answers to difficult
questions about life and death and right and wrong.

How Did Classical Hinduism Develop?

Thinkers’ and teachers’ attempts to answer these and
other questions survive in sacred writings called the
Upanishads.

How Did Classical Hinduism
Develop?

This period also produced two epic
poems called the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata.

How Did Classical Hinduism
Develop?

The most widely read section of the
Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita, or
“Song of the Lord,” which many
consider to be Hinduism’s most
important religious text.

How Did Classical Hinduism
Develop?

This text deals with key Hindu
beliefs about the nature of the
soul and its relationship to God,
and different ways to live a good
life. These ways are called yoga.

What Are Hindu Beliefs About
God?

The Upanishads contain two
beliefs that lie at the heart of
Hinduism. The first is that there is
one supreme spiritual force, or
God, known as Brahman.

What Are Hindu Beliefs About
God?

The Upanishads teach that all the
Gods that Indians worship are
forms of Brahman. The second
core Hindu belief is that every
person is born with a soul, which
is also a form of Brahman.

What Do Hindus Believe About Life?

Hinduism teaches that when people die,
most will undergo reincarnation.

What Do Hindus Believe About Life?

This is the rebirth of a soul in a new
body. The law of karma, the effect of a
person’s actions in this and in previous
lives, determines whether a person is
reborn to more suffering or on a path to
liberation.

What Do Hindus Believe About
Life?

Hindus also believe that people
have four basic goals: doing what
is right, striving to earn a
livelihood with dignity,
experiencing pleasure, and
moksha—liberation from
reincarnation.

What Do Hindus Believe About
Life?

Hindus try to achieve moksha by
gaining understanding of and
devotion to Brahman, performing
rituals and good deeds, and
practicing meditation.

What Is the Impact of
Hinduism?

How did Hinduism grow? Because
Hinduism views all Gods as forms
of a single, supreme God, it accepts
worship of new Gods. People did
not have to give up their old
religion when they became Hindus.

What Is the Impact of
Hinduism?

Hinduism also did not require
attendance at religious services, so
Hindus could pray or make
offerings at a local temple when it
was convenient.

What Is the Impact of
Hinduism?

Hindu traditions remain an
important part of Indian life, and
its openness to all religions has
shaped India’s political system.
Hinduism has also influenced
India’s art, music, dance, and
literature.

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