HinduismMr. Johnson

Hinduism 15.1

India’s first major religion

No single person founded it

Began before written history

dharma – basic belief that stands for law, obligation & duty

Ramayana – an ancient Hindu text that tells about life in ancient India and offers models for dharma

Hinduism 15.2

Vedism was the name of the early Hindu religion

Vedas – collection of sacred texts, including verses, hymns, prayers and teachings that lay out the basic beliefs of Hinduism

Sanskrit – Indian ancient form of writing

Brahmins – priests an religious scholars who formed dominant social class in India

Later Vedism is often called Brahmanism

Hinduism 15.3

Caste is a class or group in Hindu society

The Vedas describe four main social classes who each have their own duty

Brahmins – priests and religious scholars

Kshatriyas – rulers and warriors

Vaishyas – herders and merchants

Shudras - servants

Eventually 5th class developed called the untouchables

Could not change caste

Hinduism 15.4

Brahman is the name for the supreme power

Hinduism sees time going around in a circle

Hindus believe Brahman is constantly creating, destroying and re-creating the universe

Hinduism 15.5

3 most important deities who control the universe:Brahma – creates it

Vishnu – preserves it

Shiva – destroys it

Hinduism 15.6

Basic valuesDharma – law, obligation and duty

Value marriage

Sharing food with others

Caring for one’s soul

Nonviolence (believe all forms of life have a soul)

Hinduism 15.7

Karma was made up of all the good and evil a person had done in his past life

Live good to be reborn into a higher class or live badly and be reborn into a lower class or even animal

Hinduism 15.8

Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth (called reincarnation)

Samsara ends when the soul escapes and is united with Brahman