Hinduism

Beliefs – Part 1

Key Beliefs

Brahman is the only ultimate reality the cosmic spirit that

underlies everything, all experience, all phenomena.

The paramatman (universal soul).

The atman (your individual soul)

Key Beliefs

Everything is temporary and illusionary maya (all forms, including the present world)

Like the matrix

Key Beliefs- Evil

Evil and suffering – a natural part of life Source: Ignorance (first evil) Justified: by the law of karma

suffering is the result of ones prior actions

He (Brahman) causes him whom he wishes to lead up from these world to perform good actions. This one, indeed, also causes him whom he wishes to lead downward, to perform bad actions.

Upanishad 3:8

Key Beliefs

The goal of every Hindu is to break free of this imperfect world (maya) and achieve moksha

Moksha - a blissful union with Brahman.

To have one’s individual soul, the atman reunite with the paramatman

Key Beliefs

Optimism – everyone will reach this goal (moksha) at some point.

No damnation

Tolerance – get there however you need to

Key Beliefs – Human Life

Human life has no significance. It is part of an unending and essentially meaningless cycle of life, death and rebirth.

It is through this cycle of successive rebirths – reincarnation, that one reaches upwards to its ultimate goal of moksha

Key Beliefs - Karma

Humans are further up the ladder of reincarnation than other organism.

Because of karma, (the totality of one’s actions in life that determines the form that same soul takes in their next life) humans are the creators of their own fate

Key Beliefs

330 Million gods → all different expressions of the one universal god / essence, Brahman

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Brahma – The creator god

Wife – Saraswati (goddess of learning and the arts)

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Vishnu – Preserver god (4 arms)

Wife – Lakshmi (goddess of wealth, happiness and good fortune)

Key Beliefs - Key Gods

Shiva - Destroyer and restorer god (rides on a dancing bull)

Wife – Parvati (mother goddess / Durga/ Kali Shakti female energy)

Key Beliefs - Trimurti

The Trimurti – Hinduism’s holy trinity

Time is cyclical – this cycle repeats itself every 4,320,000,000 years vs Western time which is linear.

BrahmaThe creator

god

VishnuThe Preserver god

Avatars – Reincarnates as needed: Rama, Krishna, Buddha….

ShivaThe Destroyer and Restorer

god

Hinduism

Beliefs Part 2

Hinduism in Practice

Shrines in homes are the focus of worship.

The temple is the centre of the religious, social and cultural life of Hindus

Are devoted to gurus (spiritual leaders) and often form Hindu communities called Ashrams

Paths to Salvation - Yoga

Dharma - One’s moral and sacred duty as defined by: their stage in life (student / householder /

retirement / renunciation) their caste – determines one’s occupation their gender

Yoga – to yoke or bind together

4 Paths to Salvation

Bhakti Yoga – love and devotion (to be attracted to god)

Karma Yoga – good deeds and thoughts

Jnana Yoga – scripture and meditation

Raja Yoga - meditation

Bhakti Yoga – love and devotion

Most simple path to salvation

Devotion and love towards a personal deity

Provides an opportunity to worship Brahman in a concrete way, rather than as an abstract notion

Images / statues of deity help followers focus their devotion

Prayer / ritual

Karma Yoga – good deeds and thoughts Good deeds lead to the

accumulation of good karma

Unselfish actions done not for reward but because they are morally right

Duty of an individual

Jnana Yoga – scripture and meditation

Difficult path

Guidance of a guru / teacher

Learn about: the relationship between the

Brahman and atman Nature of the universe Scriptures

Meditate to gain the insight needed to achieve salvation / moksha

Raja Yoga - meditation

Achieve salvation through intense mediation / contemplation on mediation on Brahman

Trans like state

Become one with Brahman

Strict physical and spiritual discipline

Hindu Worship - Animals

The Sacred Cow

Is revered as the source of food and symbol of life May never be killed or eaten (no beef)

The Cow and Worship: Hindus do not worship the cow cows do not have especially charmed lives in India more accurate to say the cow is taboo in Hinduism, rather

than sacred.

Most rural Indian families have at least one dairy cow, a gentle spirit who is often treated as a member of the family.

The Sacred Cow

The Sacred Cow

Cow Veneration Continued The five products:

milkcurdsghee butterurine dung — are all used in puja

The milk of the family cow nourishes children as they grow up

cow dung (gobar) feul, building.

Most Indians do not share the western revulsion at cow excrement, but instead consider it an earthy and useful natural product.

Monkey Veneration Animals depicted as helping the gods in

Hindu mythology are venerated

Monkey, or Monkey God ( Hanuman) is considered to be the God of power and strength

Seen here helping Lord Rama

Elephant Veneration Elephants – symbol of success

Ganesha Lord of Success and Destroyer of Evils

and Obstacles

Also god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth

head symbolizes the paramatman (ultimate supreme reality)

his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence

The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality.