Hinduism By: Joe Othman, Jacob Zak, Gabe Dattilo, Ben Johnson
Sacred Texts: Rig Veda There are four Vedas, Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas known to be the first of Indian writing going as far back as 1500 BCE Consists of 1,000 hymns Hymns tell the creation of earth and pay praise to a pantheon of divinities Most mentioned goddess was Ushas, goddess of dawn Comes from the word vid or, to know, this is because the Vedas are a composition of knowledge
Sacred Texts: Key Ideas The collection of all the hymns from all Vedas is majorly about Indra, King Of Gods Indra was the ruler of gods, the gods of the sky and earth. He was a warrior god. He protected the people and animals of the land. And he provides water to the land. In later text he loses some of his warrior attributes and power.
Original Hinduism Originally formed around Indra. Indra was the all-powerful king of gods and he had a lot of power over earth. The king was originally presumed to hold a lightning bolt in his hand.
Hindu Beliefs There is a small amount of the divine spirit in all of us and all things which is all joy, peace, wisdom, and unity with god. This part can be unleashed, enriched, and or sharpened through the four types of training known as yoga. The fundamentals of Hinduism is that the basics of human nature exceed the human body and mind. You will be reincarnated and have a life of ease or torture depending on your previous life and how you acted.
Hinduism Practices: Karma Yoga Karma Yoga is to discipline your moral compass, your right and wrong. It is believed that to discipline and generally choose the right side of moral outputs and you shall cultivate sympathy and see the divine reality. The discipline is to be unselfish and eliminate all possibilities of selfishness.
Hinduism Practices :Bhakti Yoga Bhakti Yoga is to utterly and completely devote yourself to the Divine. To subjugate yourself to Bhakti yoga you can feel the divine presence in every single thing The ways of worship is in a picture or any thought/art of god in a temple or aiding someone or volunteering to help the ones in need of help.
Hinduism Practices: Jnana Yoga Jnana Yoga is more commonly accepted to the thinkers people alike to thinking people. The end goal of this form of yoga is to find and visualize the divine in all things. This is done by trying to avoid seeing the obvious like trees and all things that are near and surround it in order to actually try to visualize the divine.
Hinduism Practices: Raja Yoga Raja Yoga is to have total control of your mind. Through this your mind will be pure, calm, and quiet through meditation. By involving yourself in Raja yoga, you will be able to find the "divine light" through the ultimate quiet that you've created in your mind.
The sects of Hinduism The sects of Hinduism fall on their interpretations and manifestations of the main god and possibly the subsequent gods and goddesses below it. One sect can just focus on the gods while all others could purely focus on the teachings of the vedas and other Aryan texts. Examples include Vaishnavism, Saivism, Saktism which follow thee Vedas teachings.
The laws of Manu Written in 200 B.C. It was a hybrid moral-religious-law code Was one of the first written law codes of Asia Has sustained paramountcy in the Hindu culture The code of conduct for inter-caste relationship in India https://archive.org/stream/lawsofmanu00bh /lawsofmanu00bh_djvu.txt Primary source
Key Turning Points The start of Hinduism can be traced all the way back to 4000 BCE in an era known now as the Paleolithic Hinduism Era It started as a belief to cremate the dead so they can make it to the next life It lasted all the way to 2000 BCE but ended when the Indus valley civilizations adopted such beliefs. The Indus Valley peoples subjected it too much change when they added their own beliefs of gods and the afterlife (reincarnation)
Key turning points (continued) In 1990's-2000's Inter-religious violence at Ayodhyā and in Gujarat. New reforms ignoring the religious reforms and beliefs of the mass of Hindus by British colonial administrations. This lead to religious confusion on where people thought they were both Hindu and Mohammedan". People of Hindi belief then focused on the upper caste systemmale opinions, while ignoring the lower class and women religious opinions.
Sacred Places A place of warship is called a Mandir it is dedicated to one god or goddess(deity) The temple is gods home on earth The most holy spot is the Garbhagriha it has a statue for a god or goddess The inner Shrine is underneath a towering roof The four corners all have smaller shrines The temple is entered through the ardhamandapa The temples are often decorated with figures of the god or goddess
Festivals and Celebrations There are three major yearly festivals all major festivals include visiting temples eating special food and exchanging gifts Diwali is the festival of lights, the light represents knowledge it is celebrated in late October. This is the Hindu new year. Holi is the festival that marks the coming of spring. It is held in march and April. There are processions and people light bonfires and cover each other with colored water and powders Dussehra is the festival that marks Rama's triumph over the evil Ravana. It is held in September. There are dances and plays with events in the life of the god Rama depicted
Popular Idols Of Hinduism Indra or the king of gods, like his name suggests he was the supreme ruler and decided what happened during one afterlife. Shiva was the destroyer commonly depicted with a spear or sword in hand would be related to pantheon in Greek myths Brahma was the creator of earth and determines what will go on during ones life Saraswati was the goddess of education and learning she guided students through life and was the most intelligent god
Upanishads quotes "He cannot be taught by one who has not reached him; and he cannot be reached by much thinking. The way to him is through a Teacher who has seen him: He is higher than the highest thoughts, in truth above all thought." Their Concealed in the heart of all beings is the Atman, the Spirit, the Self; smaller than the smallest atom, greater than the vast spaces. The man who surrenders his human will leaves sorrow behind, and beholds the glory of the Atman by the grace of the Creator. The whole universe comes from him and his life burns through the whole universe. In his power is the majesty of thunder. Those who know him have found immortality.
Bhagavad Gita Quotes "Who believes him a slayer And who thinks him slain, Both these understand not: He slays not, is not slain." The Blessed One said: 5. Behold My forms, son of Prtha, By hundreds and by thousands, Of various sorts, marvelous, Of various colors and shapes. But thou canst not see Me With this same eye of thine own; I give thee a supernatural eye: behold My mystic power as God!
Vedas Quotes Most humbly we bow to You, O Supreme Lord. At your command moves the mighty wheel of time. You are eternal, and beyond eternity. (Artharva Veda) this could mean we'd do anything for our god. The one who loves all intensely begins perceiving in all living beings a part of himself. He becomes a lover of all a part and parcel of the Universal joy. He flows with the stream of happiness, and is enriched by each soul. (Yajur Veda) By doing good you see the best in everyone and make the world just a little bit better.
The Religion now The Hinduism religion is now celebrated in their temples to their god and or goddess or multiple gods and or goddesses. Each sect is celebrated to different a deity and is interpreted differently from a version of Hinduism. There are three different celebrations Diwali, Holi, and Dussehra where they have bonfires, celebrate Rama's triumph over the evil Ravana, and give gifts to each other.
source Jones and Ryan, 2008, Facts on Files, Encyclopedia of Hinduism, New York NY Hinduism. URI Kids, www.uri.org/kids/world_hind.htm. Background Duhaime, Lloyd. 200 BC - Laws of Manu. Duhaime.org - Learn Law, www.duhaime.org/lawmuseum/lawarticle-297/200-bc--laws-of-manu.aspx The Evolution of Hinduism. Religious Literacy Project, https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/invention-traditions GCSE Bitesize: The Nature of the Hindu God. BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/god/hinduismrev1.shtml.
Source (continued) "The Laws of Manu", archive.org/stream/lawsofmanu00bh/lawsofmanu00bh_djvu.txt. Hinduism. Ancient History Encyclopedia, www.ancient.eu/hinduism/ Hindu History. Hinduism Facts Facts about Hindu Religion, 28 June 2017, www.hinduismfacts.org/hindu-history/
Main sources http://chaplaincyinstitute.org/library/blessings-and-prayers/quotes-ancientscriptures-of-hinduism/ http://urantia-book.org/archive/readers/upanishads_bhagavad_gita.htm