Hinduism

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Hinduism
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Brahman

• Supreme God
• Everything part of Brahman
• Goal in life to unite atman (the soul) with
  Brahman
• Hindus build temples and shrines

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Multiple Gods

• Hindus believe in MANY gods- POLYTHEISTIC
• Gods and goddesses are part of Brahman
• Most important gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
• Holidays honor the many Gods

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Dharma

• Sacred duty
• Individual dharma determined by personality, age,
  gender,social class
• Each class has its own duties
• Nonviolence- no harm to animals

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Karma

• Sum of good and bad actions
• Good and bad actions affect future life-what form
  the soul will take
• Karma justifies the caste system

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Samsara

• Belief in reincarnation
• Continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth
• Goal in life is achieve moksha and be released
  from samsara
• People make pilgrimages and unite with Brahman to
  escape the cycle

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Sacred Texts

• Veda
• Written in Sanskrit
• Word Veda means knowledge
• Upanishads
• Earliest reference to reincarnation
• Originally in oral form

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Worship and Sacred Place

• Most Hindus worship every day at a home shrine
• Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a
  sacred statue of God or goddess
• Mandir- Hindu Temple

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Major festival- Divali

• New Year Festival/ Festival of Light
• Celebrated all over the world
• 5 days
• Usually celebrated in October/November

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Rituals-Sanskar

• Wedding- can take several hours
• Baby rituals-
• Ceremony during pregnancy
• Naming ceremony and many others

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What is the red dot?

• Known as a bindhi, tika or tilaka
• Third eye of Shiva-represents the center of
  knowledge or symbol of respect for ancestors
• Used to be worn only by married women and on
  holidays- now worn by men and women as fashion

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Other Practices

• Ganges River is holy place
• Pilgrimage to sacred places important
• Fasting
• Belief in reincarnation very important
• YOGA- form of physical and mental exercise -
  means Union- provides a path to Brahman