WELCOME

to our
INTRODUCTION to
WORLD
RELIGIONS
and BELIEF
SYSTEMS CLASS
PRAYER BEFORE
CLASS
We pause in quiet reflection to
offer this prayer for a peaceful
world. In our individual and
personal ways, we call upon
the Holy One who sustains our
lives and who inspires us to
live with compassion
and kindness and peace. We
ask for daily guidance in all of
our personal relationships; in
our work and play, and in our
community involvement that
we might model the
possibilities of peace in
everything we say and in
everything we do.
 We pray for wisdom and
compassion within the hearts
and minds of all world leaders
who have the power and
the responsibility of making
decisions that impact the
presence of peace. We pray for
courage, dedication, and
integrity within the spirits of
all those who work for peace
around the world. We pray for
all those who harbor thoughts
and feelings of hatred, violence,
and greed that their hearts and
minds and souls will be
transformed into Your likeness
of compassion and kindness.
 We are thankful for Your
presence within our lives
and ask for your blessing as
we try to live peaceful
lives and seek ways for all
people to live in harmony
and peace.

AMEN.
CHECKING
OF
ATTENDAN
CE
CLASS
RULES
 1.We recommend that before you sign in to
your assigned class on the appropriate date
and time, please spend 30 minutes checking
that you have the correct system
requirements.

2. Please show up on time at the scheduled

time.

3. Find a quiet place, free from distractions.

4. Maintain respect in both speaking, writing

and appearance.

5. When you have joined the online class,

please ensure you have a working speaker so
that you can hear the presentation. To manage
your audio, please click on ‘Audio Settings’.
 6. As a pupil/student, the teacher cannot hear
you speaking into your microphone. If you wish
to speak to the teacher, you will need to Raise
your Hand to be recognized. Please note, if you
have a webcam connected, your video will also
be broadcasted to all the pupils/students.
Alternatively, you can use the chat button or
Q&A button to ask questions.

7. The Q & A button enables you to ask

questions to the teacher.
There will be ample opportunity given during the
class for all pupils/students to ask questions.
Once you have sent your question, the teacher
have the option to
either answer your question live or by message.

8. Please be informed that the Principal is

with you and recording all the online classes.
OBJECTIVES
After going through this module, I
can:

1.Understand the beliefs and

practices of Hinduism, and;

2.Draw a god or goddess of

Hinduism and explain its
teaching/s.
HINDUISM
 ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

This is the Holi Festival of Colors in India. During this festival,

people would toss and throw colorful powder to other
participants, to be followed by a generous drenching of water.
Based on its history and activities, answer the following questions
briefly.
 1. What are the similarities between
festivals such as Holi in India and our local
festivals in the Philippines?

2. What is the importance of celebrating

festivals?
 Hinduism is oftentimes considered as the oldest and
most complex of all world religions. While the most
active religions of the modern times may have started
around the sixth century B.C.E. onward, elements and
themes of Hindu belief may have begun around the third
millennium B.C.E. In addition, unlike other major
religions, Hinduism had no one identifiable founder
(Hopfe 1983). The term Hindu originated from the
Persian word hindu (in Sanskrit sindhu) which means
“river.” It also refers to the people of the Indus Valley—
the Indians (Bowker 1997). The name Hinduism was
given in the nineteenth century to describe the wide
array of belief systems in India. Hinduism was originally
known as “Arya Dharma” or the “Aryan Way.”
SACRED SCRIPTURES
 The sacred texts of Hinduism have
been principally passed down
throughout generations by way of
music, recitation, dance, and drama.
Sanskrit has been the language of the
earliest writings. The sacred writings
of the Hindus are categorized into two
classes, the shruti and smriti.
 Shruti
Shruti literally means “that which is heard.” They are
regarded as eternal truths that were passed orally
until the beginning of the present age wherein there
came the need to write them down (Bowker 1997).
The four collections of texts of the Vedas form the
shruti and are considered primary sources and the
most authoritative texts of the Hindu faith. Other
writings that form part of shruti include the Samhitas,
Brahmanas, Upanishads, and a few Sutras:

a. Samhitas, hymns dedicated to gods and goddesses;

b. Brahmanas, explications of the samhitas and other
ritual acts performed by priests;
c. Aranyakas, philosophical interpretations of ritual
acts; and
d. Upanishads, explanations of general philosophical
knowledge.
 SMRITI
Smriti literally means “that which has been
remembered.” These writings serve to reinforce shruti
and are interpreted by sages and scholars alike. Most
of these texts are sectarian in nature and considered
of lesser importance compared to shruti, such as
stories and legends, codes of conduct for the society,
and guidebooks for worship. The great epics
Ramayana and Mahabharata, which contains the
philosophical poem Bhagavad Gita, are part of smriti.
These are national epics of India and considered to be
the sacred texts of the masses where they draw their
values and ideals (Brown 1975). The Smriti scriptures
include the following:
a. Mahabharata, an epic poem that is 15 times longer than
the Bible, narrates the story of an ongoing war among
family members. It highlights the importance of virtues
and devotion to the gods, particularly to Krishna.

b. Ramayana, a shorter epic poem about kingship and royal

virtues, tells the story of the battles that Rama had to fight in
order to save his wife Sita from the demon Ravana. It is one of
the epics that depicts the battle between gods and evil.

c. Dharma Shastras, legal treaties that emphasize the

importance of practicing virtue.

d. Bhagavad Gita, meaning “Song of the Lord,” is actually one

of the books in Mahabharata. It is considered by many Hindus
as an important religious text that extols the power and
benevolence of Krishna and his instructions to Arjuna.

e. Puranas, these are stories that depict the sectarian

divisions within Hinduism. These are stories that depicts the
sectarian divisions within Hinduism.
Central to Hinduism is the Brahman who is the ultimate reality, one
and undivided (Hopfe 1983). The Brahman is often seen in three
forms or functions. Called the Trimurti, these are creation,
preservation, and destruction. These functions are expressed in god
forms, namely, Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and
Shiva, the destroyer.

Though widely respected and recognized as the creator of the

universe, Brahma receives the least attention among the trimurti.
In fact, only two temples are dedicated to him in India and he has
no cult of devotees. He is not worshiped in the same way as other
gods because he has done his task and will not come into his own
until the next creation of the universe (Bowker 1997). When
depicted, Brahma has four heads and eight hands. His chief consort
is Saraswati, the goddess of science and wisdom. Brahma’s vehicle is
a swan or goose which symbolizes knowledge.
Known as a god of love, benevolence, and forgiveness, Vishnu’s
primary concern is humanity itself. As the preserver, the creation
is withdrawn to a seed whenever he sleeps but rises again as he
wakes up. He is worshiped in various forms of his incarnations or
avatars. Based on mythology, Vishnu has appeared on earth in
nine different forms and will come a tenth time to end the
present era or kalpa, to bring the world to an end, and then
recreate it. These manifestations of Vishnu are intended to help
humanity with his preserving, restoring, and protecting powers.

As the destroyer and the god of death, destruction, and disease,

Shiva is the third in the Trimurti. His functions are many. He is also
god of dance, vegetable, animal, and human reproduction. In
Hindu belief, death is but a prelude to birth, hence, the god of
death is also the god often revered through the lingam, the male
energy surrounded by the yoni, the female source of energy. In
mythology, he is described as having a constantly erect penis and
sexually alert at all times.
10 AVATARS
OF VISHNU
Z From the Upanishads one may
find the three principal and
inter-related doctrines within
the Indian religion. Firstly, every
soul dies and is reborn anew in
new form (this cycle is called
samsara). Second, one’s deeds
have an effect in this or a future
life. Lastly, one may escape the
weary round of death and birth
 Within every human is an eternal soul
or atman that is being reborn many
times and in various forms in
accordance with the moral law or karma
(Bowker 1997). A soul may escape the
cycle of rebirth and attain moksha. This
particular liberation can be achieved
through the four yogas that involve a
system of practices aimed at producing
spiritual enlightenment. The word yoga
is derived from the root word “yuj”
which translates as “to yoke” or “to
join.” The philosophy of yoga was
developed by the sage Patanjali who
lived in the second century B.C.E. He is
considered as the “father of modern
yoga” as he codified the teachings of
yoga in his Yoga Sutra
 Hindu scriptures state that there are 330
million gods or devas. These include
manifestations of natural phenomena, evil
forces, and even illnesses. Others are
venerated humans or town deities. Hindu
worship or puja involves images (murtis),
prayers (mantras), and diagrams of the
universe (yantras). Integral to Hindu worship
are the sacred images and temples believed to
house and represent the deities. These images
can be revered in homes or temples with a
host of intermediary priests, holy men, and
 The caste system is one major distinguishing feature of Indian culture
that still affects modern-day society. A system of social class composed
of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, opportunities are
based upon family origin. One person belongs to a caste by being born
to parents of that particular caste.

Despite the negative backlash on the caste system, India

has been receptive in enacting legislation aimed at
eradicating inherent social evils. For example,
untouchability has been banned and the caste system is
no longer rigid. The Indian constitution has provided
that it is unlawful to discriminate against lower castes.
Lower caste members are now being elected to key
government positions, including Kocherii R. Narayanan,
a Dalit who became the tenth president of India from
1997 to 2002.

CASTE
ASSESSMENT
 DIRECTIONS: Hinduism is
also known for its belief in
different gods and
goddesses. In a long bond
paper, draw or paste a
Hindu god or goddess.
Write a four-sentence
description of your chosen
Hindu god or goddess and
explain why you selected
that god or goddess.
(35 pts)
PRAYER AFTER CLASS
 Dear God, We humbly
come before you with
grateful
hearts, Praising You with
all our being, For we
know that every good
and perfect gift comes
from You- the One who
never changes. We
recognize those good
things, both large and
small, With which You've
blessed us.

AMEN.
Thank you!