Hinduism

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1964
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America's Gandhi Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr.
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1930
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Questions

• What do we know about other religions?
• Why are religions important?

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How is Hinduism different?

• No single founder
• No commonly agreed set of teachings
• Practices vary - it means different things to
  different people
• Way of life v. religion
• More about what you DO than what you believe

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Hinduism Beginnings

• Originated in India, near the Indus River Valley
• Traditions began about 4000 years ago

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Hinduism

• The worlds oldest religions
• Very connected with social, political, and
  cultural developments in India
• Today, there are 900 million followers worldwide
• population of U.S. - 300 million people
• population of India - over 1 billion people 80
  of them identify as Hindu

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Hindu Texts the Vedas

• Most ancient religious text in Hinduism
• For thousands of years, passed on orally
• Written down 1200 - 200 BCE
• In Sanskrit, veda means knowledge or wisdom

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Sanskrit

• Ancient language of India
• Language of Hinduism

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Hindu Texts The Upanishads

• Composed between 800 - 200 BCE
• Philosophical texts
• Introduce concept of BRAHMAN supreme power that
  informs reality

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Brahman Supreme Power

• Brahman takes on many forms (similar to water),
  yet is not worshiped as a god
• Sometimes represented as a human sometimes as a
  deity (god or goddess)

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Hindu Deities
Vishnu
Kali
Shiva
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Atman

• Hindus also believe that there is a piece of God
  in all of us
• Atman is a persons eternal soul, the piece of
  Brahman that exists within them
• Question
• If there is a piece of God in everyone, how
  should we treat people?

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Ahimsanonviolence

• Not injuring others in thought, words, or actions
• Mohandas Gandhi

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Other Hindu Texts

• The Mahabharata
• One of most popular Hindu texts
• Longest poem in the world!
• Ramayana
• Tells story of Prince Rama who was sent into
  exile in the forest with his wife, Sita, and his
  brother, Lakshamana.
• Story of good overcoming evil

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Ramayana Battle Scene
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Question

• What motivates people to be good?

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Dharmadutyvirtue morality

• Universal the power that upholds the universe
  and society
• Personal each person has their own right path,
  known as sva-dharma

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Karma

• Literal meaning in Sanskrit action
• Law of cause and effect good actions will have
  good responses bad actions will have the
  opposite effect
• What goes around comes around

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Samsaracontinuous life cycle reincarnation

• When people die, their soul is reborn in a new
  body based on KARMA
• The most important aspects of a persons
  character stays with them from one life to the
  next.

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Take 5 minutes to think and write about

• What are the most important aspects of your
  character? (or, what makes you unique?)
• Imagine what you might have been in a previous
  life, or what you might be reincarnated as in a
  future life.

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Moksha

• Moksha is liberation of a persons soul (atman)
  from the cycle of rebirth (samsara)
• The individual soul (atman) is reunited with the
  universal soul (Brahman)

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Moksha - how do we get there?

• Four ways to achieve moksha
• Path of knowledge
• Path of meditation
• Path of devotion
• Path of good works (karma)

Moksha
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The Caste System

• Division of society based on occupation and
  family it is hereditary
• In Hinduism, there are four main castes
• Brahmins - intellectuals and the priests
• Kshatriya - nobles or warriors
• Vaishyas - commoners or merchants ordinary
  people who produce, farm, trade and earn a living
• Shudras - workers, usually served the higher
  classes, including laborers, artists, musicians,
  and clerks

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and below all of these

• The untouchables
• Caste system reinforced by religious beliefs -
  role of Karma
• No social mobility reborn into same caste, no
  inter-marriage
• Gandhi

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Quotes

• Interpret the four quotes into your own words.
• Discuss with the people at your table which
  principles in Hinduism are being referred to in
  these quotes

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Ben Harper the Innocent Criminals

• Album Title Fight for your Mind
• Songs Oppression, One road to freedom,
  People lead, Fight for your home

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Seventeen Magazine

• The Hair Issue, get your perfect style now!
• Find your best look inside
• 100 hair ideas
• Is your best friend flirting with your boyfriend??

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Activity Hinduism Album Cover / Magazine Cover

• Choose a principle moksha, karma, samsara,
  dharma, atman, ahimsa
• Brainstorm related words/ideas
• Think of Band name, album name, song titles OR
  magazine title, headlines
• Draw a cover

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Example
Karma Kids
What Goes Around Comes Around

• Principle Karma
• Band name The Karma Kids
• Album What goes around comes around
• Hit song Getting good by giving good