Hinduism

• EUGENIO • SOLOMON • LAZATIN

• DAR • PATAWARAN
Background
& founder
 HINDUISM
• Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many
scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than
4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers,
Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity
and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live
in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s
difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is
unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation
of many traditions and philosophies.
Most scholars believe Hinduism started
somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in
the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan.
But many Hindus argue that their faith is
timeless and has always existed. Unlike other
religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is
instead a fusion of various beliefs. Around 1500
B.C., the Indo-Aryan people migrated to the
Indus Valley, and their language and culture
blended with that of the indigenous people
The period when the Vedas were composed
became known as the “Vedic Period” and
lasted from about 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C.
Rituals, such as sacrifices and chanting, were
common in the Vedic Period. The Epic, Puranic
and Classic Periods took place between 500
B.C. and 500 A.D. Hindus began to emphasize
the worship of deities, especially Vishnu, Shiva
and Devi. The concept of dharma was
introduced in new texts, and other faiths, such
as Buddhism and Jainism, spread rapidly.
HINDUIS
M
The followers of Hinduism are referred to as Hindus.
According to the Constitution of India, the term Hindu refers
to anyone who follows any Indian religion, including
Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism or Jainism. Hinduism is a
relatively new term as of 2014. It was coined in the 19th
century by British writers, but it refers to a variety of rituals,
practices and beliefs. Hinduism is a major world religion and
believed by some scholars to be the world's oldest religious
belief system. The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit
word "Sindhu," a historic name for the Indus River in the
northwest of the Indian subcontinent.
HINDUISM
HOLY
Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy
book. The primary sacred texts, known as the Vedas, were
composed around 1500 B.C. This collection of verses and
hymns was written in Sanskrit and contains revelations received
by ancient saints and sages. The Vedas are made up of: The Rig
Veda The Samaveda Yajurveda Atharvaveda Hindus believe that
the Vedas transcend all time and don’t have a beginning or an
end. The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, 18 Puranas,
Ramayana and Mahabhar ata are also considered important texts
in Hinduism.
HINDUIS
M
• Followers believe there are multiple paths to
reaching their god.
• Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the
continuous cycle of life, death, and
reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of
cause and effect).
• One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is
“atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy
holds that living creatures have a soul, and
they’re all part of the supreme soul.
• The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation,
which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of
the absolute soul.
• One fundamental principle of the religion is the
idea that people’s actions and thoughts directly
determine their current life and future lives.
• Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code
of living that emphasizes good conduct and
morality.
•Hindus revere all living creatures and
consider the cow a sacred animal.
•Food is an important part of life for
Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork, and
many are vegetarians. Hinduism is
closely related to other Indian religions,
including Buddhism, Sikhism and
Jainism.
• Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For
this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a
“way of life” or a “family of religions,” as
opposed to a single, organized religion.
• Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic,
which means they worship a single deity,
known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other
gods and goddesses.
 ONE
UNIVERSAL
GOD
Many Hindus believe in Brahman as the ultimate reality – one 'Supreme
Spirit' in many forms. Brahman is male, female and even animal.
Brahman is also commonly understood as the Trimurti - three gods with three
key functions:
• Brahma - the source of all creation.
• Vishnu - responsible for keeping all good things on Earth and bringing
harmony when needed.
• Shiva – assists in the creation of new things – some things have to end for
others to begin.
However many Hindus believe in Vishnu or Shiva as the one Supreme Deity.
The atman of each of us may also hold a 'spark' of Brahman. For most
Hindus, Brahman is present in the lives of all living things.
The traditional Hindu greeting 'Namaste', usually performed with joined
palms and bowed head, may be translated as 'I bow to the divine spark within
you'.
PRAYER/
WORSHI
Hindu worship of gods and goddesses is called Puja. Puja is usually performed
every day and can take place either in the home or the Hindu temple, which is
called a Mandir.
 
A Hindu home usually has a shrine, which is a special place in a Hindu home
where they can go to pray. The shrine has pictures of the gods and goddesses
the family worship. The size of a home shrine differs greatly. In a large house,
the family may have a ‘shrine room’. In most homes, the shrine is likely to be a
special kitchen cupboard, a shelf or the top of a low cupboard or chest of
drawers – somewhere where it is clean.
 
During worship, Hindus use many items, which are kept on a Puja tray. The
items include a bell, a pot of water, a diva lamp, an incense burner, a pot of
kum kum powder, and a spoon. Puja involves offering light, incense, flowers
and food to the deities (the gods). During Puja the worshippers will chant
Holy
places
Hindus have many holy places. Badrinath,
Puri, Dwarkha and Rameshwaram are four
holiest places for the Hindus.
Other holy places are Varanasi, Rishikesh,
Nasik, Pushkar, Ujjain and other places.
Some rivers are also holy to them.
 Dwarkha

Badrinath

Rameshwaram

Puri
HINDUIS
M
• There are two primary symbols associated
with Hinduism, the om and the swastika.
The word swastika means "good fortune" or
"being happy" in Sanskrit, and the symbol
represents good luck. (A diagonal version of
the swastika later became associated with
Germany’s Nazi Party when they made it
their symbol in 1920.)
The om symbol is composed of
three Sanskrit letters and
represents three sounds (a, u and
m), which when combined are
considered a sacred sound. The
om symbol is often found at
family shrines and in Hindu
temples.
A swastika symbol
featured on a tile at Hindu
temple on Diu Island,
India. The symbol is one
of good luck and good
fortune.
THANK
YOU!
1) What do you call the followers of Hinduism?
2) It is their primary source of text?
3) They consider it as a sacred animal?
4) Is usually performed every day and can take
place either in the home or the Hindu temple.
5-6) What are the two symbols associated in
Hinduism?
7-10) Enumerate atleast 3 holy places of Hinduism