Hinduism
The largest polytheistic religion in
the world with between 800 and
900 million followers.
Major Symbol of Hinduism
• Sanskrit for a-u-m
(pronounced om).
• The three letters
represent the three
worlds (earth,
atmosphere, and heaven)
• 3 major gods (Brahma,
Vishnu, Siva)
• 3 Vedas (Rig, Yajur,
Sama)
Who is the Founder?
• Hinduism has no founder.
• Hinduism’s beginnings cannot be traced to
a specific point in time. It developed in
what is now India over the course of
several centuries.
• However, Hinduism is the world’s largest
polytheistic religion with it pantheon of
gods and goddesses seen as part of a
universal spirit known as the Brahman.
Major Concepts
• Brahman – the universal spirit in which all
gods and goddesses are different parts.
• One major concept is reincarnation, a
belief in a cycle of life, death, rebirth that is
repeated by the soul many times until it
(the soul) reaches the state of Nirvana and
unites with the Brahman.
• Nirvana - a state of wisdom and freedom
from the cycle of rebirth.
Karma
• Karma – the good or bad energy a person
builds up based upon whether he or she
lives a good or bad life.
• If a person has good Karma, he or she will
be reborn into a better life.
• If a person has bad Karma, he or she will
be reborn into a worse life.
• A person builds up good Karma by
performing their required duty in a correct
manner.
Dharma
• Dharma – the divine law that requires
people to perform the duties of their caste.
• It’s basically a person’s duty and the need
to fulfill that duty.
• All of these ideas made the Indians more
accepting of their role in life.
• Along with other social reasons, the ideas
of Karma & Dharma combined to help
create the Caste System.
Hindu Holy Books
• There are several holy texts that are
important in Hinduism.
• Vedas
• Upanishads
• Puranas
• Bhagavad-Gita (part of the Mahabharata)
The Vedas
The Ultimate Goal
• The ultimate goal is to eventually merge
with the Brahman after a series of
reincarnations.
• This salvation and can be obtained in one
of four ways:
• 1. the way of action
• 2. the way of knowledge
• 3. the way of devotion
• 4. the royal road (monks only)
The Way of Action
• The Way of Action:
• This involves carrying out certain religious
ceremonies, duties and rites.
• The objective is to perform works without
regard for personal gain.
The Way of Knowledge
• The Way of Knowledge:
• This requires using your mind and
philosophy to come to a complete
comprehension of the universe.
The Way of Devotion
• The Way of Devotion:
• Salvation is reached through acts of
worship, based upon the love for a God
(there are thousands of gods in Hinduism).
The Royal Road
• The Royal Road:
• The use of meditation and yoga
techniques.
• This method of reaching salvation is
typically only used by wandering monks.
Hindu Salvation
• Each of these ways (action, knowledge,
devotion, royal) to salvation in Hinduism
requires that a person do certain things.
• Salvation is through what a Hindu does.
• It is through human works.
The Spread of Hinduism
• Hinduism spread throughout the Indian
subcontinent and to SE Asia through
trade, education, and the teaching of
priests.
• In Southeast Asia it co-existed with
Buddhism but ultimately Hinduism lost its
influence there.
The Hindu Trinity
• Brahma – the creator of the entire
universe (earth, life, etc.)
• Vishnu – the preserver and sustainer of
life (during bad times Vishnu restores
peace and order on earth)
• Shiva – the destroyer and most powerful
of the gods (however, what he destroys,
he recreates = reincarnation)
Hindu Trinity
Lord Brahma
Lord Vishnu
Lord Shiva
Other Major Gods
• Ganesha – god of success, remover of
obstacles
• Krishna – eighth avatar of Vishnu that
destroys all pain and sin and starts all
forms of knowledge
• Buddha – ninth avatar of Vishnu, god of
peace
• There are thousands, if not millions, or
more gods worshipped in Hinduism.
Lord Ganesha
Lord Krishna
Lord Buddha
Hinduism Overview
• Hinduism is the world’s largest polytheistic
religion with many gods that are part of the
universal spirit (Brahman).
• The soul is reborn (reincarnation) many
times until the soul reaches the state of
Nirvana and reunites with the Brahman.
• Many Hindu teachings led to the creation
of the caste system.