QUEZON MEMORIAL ACADEMY

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World Religion and
Belief System HUMMS 12
I. Title. WEEK 10

Lesson 8: DHARMIC RELIGIONS: HINDUISM (Beliefs and Doctrines)

II. Objectives
After going through this module, you are expected to:

 Classify the 10 avatars of Vishnu;

 Analyze the four yogas and its pratices; and
 Identify the Hindu concepts and philosophy.

III. Anticipatory Guide.

In this lesson, you have learned what Hinduism is all about, and how this world’s oldest religion is considered a
diverse and complex religion. We have also discussed how Hindus manifest their spirituality amidst the variety of their
traditions and freedom of beliefs. In this lesson, we will study the Incarnations of Avatars of Vishnu, recall the four
yogas ,Understand their worship and observances and identify the caste system and practices of the Hindu.

IV. Lesson Content.

Here are some of the key beliefs shared among Hindus:
Truth is eternal.
Hindus pursue knowledge and understanding of the Truth: the very essence of the universe and the only Reality.
According to the Vedas, Truth is One, but the wise express it in a variety of ways.
Brahman is Truth and Reality.
Hindus believe in Brahman as the one true God who is formless, limitless, all-inclusive, and eternal. Brahman is not an
abstract concept; it is a real entity that encompasses everything (seen and unseen) in the universe.
The Vedas are the ultimate authority.
The Vedas are Hindu scriptures that contain revelations received by ancient saints and sages. Hindus believe that the
Vedas are without beginning and without end; when everything else in the universe is destroyed (at the end of a cycle of
time), the Vedas remain.
Everyone should strive to achieve dharma.
Understanding the concept of dharma helps you understand the Hindu faith. Unfortunately, no single English word
adequately covers its meaning. Dharma can be described as right conduct, righteousness, moral law, and duty. Anyone
who makes dharma central to one’s life strives to do the right thing, according to one’s duty and abilities, at all times.
Individual souls are immortal.
A Hindu believes that the individual soul (atman) is neither created nor destroyed; it has been, it is, and it will be. Actions
of the soul while residing in a body require that it reap the consequences of those actions in the next life — the same soul
in a different body.
The process of movement of the atman from one body to another is known as transmigration. The kind of body the soul
inhabits next is determined by karma (actions accumulated in previous lives).
The goal of the individual soul is moksha.
Moksha is liberation: the soul’s release from the cycle of death and rebirth. It occurs when the soul unites with Brahman
by realizing its true nature. Several paths can lead to this realization and unity: the path of duty, the path of knowledge,
and the path of devotion (unconditional surrender to God).
10 avatars of Vishnu
INCARNATION FORM ATTRIBUTES
Matsya fish Saved humanity and the sacred Veda text from flood
Kuma turtle Helped create the world by supporting it on his back
Varaha boar Raised the earth and out of water with his tusk
Narasimha Half-man,half-lion Destroyed a tyrant king
Vamana dwarf Subdued king Bali, a powerful demon
Parshurama Brahmin Destroyed the warrior class
Rama Man Rescued his wife Sita and killed the demon Ravana
Krishna Man Told the epic poem Bhagavad Gita to the warrior Arjuna
Buddha Man The enlighten man
Kalki Horse Yet to come to earth

In Hindu thought, life is a cycle. People are born, die and then are reborn into another life. This cycle is
called samsara. To exist in samsara is to suffer. People get hurt. People get sick. People die and leave their loved
ones behind and grieving. The aim of devout Hindus, then, is to escape this cycle of pain and suffering.
Successfully escaping samsara is called moksha or “liberation.”
 Moksha is one of the four purusharthas or “goals” of a Hindu life. These goals are tied to a Hindu’s age and their
current place in life. The four goals are kama, artha, dharma and moksha. Moksha is the ultimate goal of any
Hindu’s life, but it is not meant to be pursued until all the other goals have been achieved. This is because
attaining moksha requires a great deal of time, effort and focus.

The first goal for Hindu’s is kama. The kama of this goal is the same kama found in the famous book the “Kama
Sutra.” Kama, unsurprisingly, means desire. Kama does not, however, always refer to sexual desire. Sexual
pleasure is a part of kama, but there is a great deal more to it. Kama, as a whole, is made up of all sorts of sensual
and aesthetic pleasures. Kama could mean a fierce enjoyment of such aesthetic pleasures as the arts, music, dance
and poetry. Sensual pleasures could include soft cloth, delicious food, and yes, good sex. Hindus emphasize,
however, that pursuit and enjoyment of these pleasures should always be done in a virtuous manner. Kama should
never be one sided, and a virtuous Hindu must both give and receive kama though actions such as creating works
of art, performing dances for others or singing.

Artha means “abundance” or “success.” It is largely this goal that keep a person from working to attain moksha when
they are in the prime of their life. Chasing after moksha generally means leaving behind a person’s loved ones which
does not mesh well with the goal of artha. 

It is during the Hindu’s time as a householder that artha is most important. During this stage, a person is supposed to
work to grow the material and monetary abundance of their family as well as the family’s power. So long as this is
done in an ethical manner, Hindus do not look down on such attempts to reach monetary success like Christians often
do.

 What are the Hindu festivals and their significance? List atleast (5)

Four principal denomination in Hindu Faith

 Shaivist theology ranges from Shiva being the creator, preserver, and destroyer to being the same as the
Atman (self, soul) within oneself and every living being. It is closely related to Shaktism, and some Shaiva
worship in Shiva and Shakti temples.
 Shaktism "doctrine of energy, power, the eternal goddess") is a major sect of Hinduism, wherein the
metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti is regarded as the supreme godhead. It
includes many goddesses, all considered aspects of the same supreme goddess.
 Vaishnavism Vaishnava theology includes the central beliefs of Hinduism such as pantheism, reincarnation,
samsara, karma, and the various Yoga systems, but with a particular emphasis on devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu
through the process of Bhakti yoga, often including singing Vishnu’s name’s (bhajan), meditating upon his
form (dharana) and performing deity worship (puja).
 Smartism is a different type of Hindu sect and is composed of only the upper-classes of the Hindu caste
system. These include the Vaishya (merchants), Kshatriya (rulers), and Brahmans (priests). The name comes
from Smriti, which is the body of texts about the history of the tradition that are composed by humans.
Four Yogas and their practices
The Four Yogas
Jnana Yoga (The way of Knowledge)
Bhakti Yoga ( The way of love)
Karma Yoga (The way of work)
Raja Yoga (The way of Meditation)

V. Activity. Critical Thinking: ½ sheet of paper

Choose one of the 4 Yogas and analyze its concept using your own idea.
VI. Assignment:Make a research about “Theravada Buddhism”
VII. Reflection: How did Hinduism strengthen the caste system? Do you think the caste system will exist in the
countries that embrace different religion? Why or why not?
Prepared by:
LORIELE P. LANTION
(Subject Teacher)