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ANCIENT INDIA Section 2 : Origins of Hinduism

BIG IDEA

Hinduism, the largest

religion in India today,

developed out of

ancient Indian beliefs

and practices.

SECTION 2: ORIGINS OF HINDUISM

MAIN IDEA

Indian society

divided into

groups under the

Aryans.

Aryan society was divided into social classes

Caste System

- The division of

Indian society

into groups

based on rank,

wealth or

occupation

There were four main groups, called varnas. The Brahmins (BRAH-muhns)

were priests and were the highest ranking varna.

The Kshatriyas (KSHA-trr-uhs) were rulers or warriors.

The Vaisyas (VYSH-yuhs) were commoners, including farmers, craftspeople, and

traders.

The Sudras (SOO-drahs)

were laborers and servants.

The caste system became more complex, dividing Indian society into groups based on rank, wealth or occupation.

Castes were family based.

If you were born into a caste, you

would probably stay in it for your whole life.

UNTOUCHABLES

Untouchables could not enter temples, schools

and wells where higher castes drew water. In

some parts of southern India, they did not even

want to be able to see the untouchables. The

untouchables were forced to sleep during the

day and work at night (similar to our night

shift workers hours today). Many

untouchables left their social structure by

converting to Islam, Buddhism, or Christianity

where they were more accepted.

The Caste System has been illegal in India for

more almost 60 years, but it continues to

impact peoples lives today, even if illegal. The

Indian government has provided the Harijan a

term that is now used instead of untouchable.

The Harijan still have fewer educational and

employment opportunities than Indians from

higher castes.

Life for the lower castes was

difficult, but those who had no caste,

called untouchables,

were ostracized.

READING CHECK

How did a person become a member

of a caste? (DRAWING INFERENCE)

MAIN IDEA

The Aryans

practiced a

religion known as

Brahmanism.

BRAHMANISM

The religion practiced by the Brahmins

became known as Brahmanism.

Brahmanism was perhaps the most important part of ancient Indian life,

as shown by the high

status of the Priest caste.

The religion was based on the four Vedas, writings that contained ancient sacred hymns and poems.

Veda is derived from the Sanskrit root vid which means "to know." Since our religion follows the vedic injunctions, it is known as "Vedic Religion".

The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra The Sama Veda: The Book of Song The Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual

The Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell

Over time, Aryan Brahmins and scholars wrote their

thoughts about the Vedas.

These thoughts were compiled into Vedic texts.

The texts described rituals, explained how to perform sacrifices, and

offered reflections from religious scholars.

READING CHECK

What are the Vedic texts?

(FINDING MAIN IDEAS)

MAIN IDEA

Hinduism

developed out of

Brahmanism and

influences from

other cultures.

HINDUISM DEVELOPS

Hinduism

The main

religion of

India; it

teaches that

everything is

part of a

universal

spirit called

Brahman

Hinduism is India’s largest religion

today.

It developed from Brahmanism

and other influences.

http://westerlund11.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Emma+H.+Ancient+India+Wiki+Terms

http://flennoy11.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Luke+K.+india+wiki+terms

Hindus believe that there are many gods, but all gods are part of a universal spirit called Brahmin.

BRAHMA The Creator

He periodically creates everything in the universe. (The word periodically here refers to

the Hindu belief that time is cyclical; everything in the

universe — except for Brahman and certain Hindu scriptures —

is created, maintained for a certain amount of time, and

then destroyed in order to be renewed in ideal form again.)

VISHNU The

Preserver

The second member of the trinity. He maintains the order and

harmony of the universe, which is periodically created by Brahma and periodically destroyed by Shiva to

prepare for the next creation.

SHIVA The

Destroyer / Transformer

Shiva is the third member of the Hindu Trinity, tasked with destroying the universe in order to prepare for its renewal at the end of each cycle.

Hindus customarily invoke Shiva before the beginning of new

endeavor; they believe that any bad vibrations in the immediate vicinity

of worship are eliminated by the mere utterance of his praise or

name.

SARASWATI Goddess of knowledge, music, and

the arts

Students are encouraged to offer prayers to her during the

school/college term and especially before and during examinations.

LAKSHMI Goddess of wealth and prosperity

PARVATI The Divine

Mother

GANESH God of the

intellect and the remover of obstacles

Ganesha, is Shiva’s first son. who has an elephant head. He holds

very special place in the hearts of Hindus because they consider him the Remover of Obstacles. Most Hindu households have a picture

or statue of him. It’s also not uncommon to see small replicas

of him hanging from rearview mirrors of cars and trucks!

MURUGAN God of War

DURGA Fiercer form of

Parvati

KALI Goddess of time

and death

RAMA The 7th avatar (incarnation)

of Vishnu

The literal meaning of the word avatar is “descent,” and it’s usually understood to mean

divine descent. Avatars are savior forms of a god that descend to earth to intervene whenever

help is needed to restore dharma (moral order) and peace. Vishnu

has ten avatars.

KRISHNA The 8th Avatar

(Incarnation) of Vishnu

HANUMAN An ape-like god

known for assisting Rama

SURYA God of the

Sun

http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/main-hindu-gods-chart.html

CHART OF HINDUISM GODS and GODDESSES

Hindus believe everyone has a soul, or atman, and the soul longs to join with Brahman.

This happens when the soul recognizes that the world we live in is an illusion.

Hindus believe this understanding takes several lifetimes, so reincarnation, or rebirth, is necessary.

Reincarnation

A Hindu and

Buddhist belief

that souls are

born and reborn

many times,

each time into a

new body

How you are reborn depend upon your

karma, or your actions in life

Karma

- In Buddhism and Hinduism, the effects that

good and bad actions have on a person’s soul

In the caste system, those who have good

karma are born to higher castes

….. And those who are bad are born into

lower castes.

Those with bad karma are born into lower castes or maybe even animal.

MOKSHA *The ultimate for Hindus is Moksha. If you reach Moksha you no longer are reincarnated – your soul is FREE and you do not return to life. *Mokshat can only be attained when all desire and attachment, including the desire for moksha have been overcome. *Moksha is obtained through knowledge(getting smarter) and by overcoming ignorance (stupidity). The three main ways to get to moksha are through: 1.) Knowledge; 2) Devotion; and 3) karma - actions. Yoga is among the methods that modern Hindus turn to in their quest for it. *Moksha is not an easy thing to attain. It can take thousands even millions of lifetimes to achieve

Dharma = a spiritual duty, to fulfill.

Fulfilling your dharma requires accepting your

station in life. By teaching people to accept their station

in life, Hinduism helped preserve the

caste system.

Holi is one of the holidays celebrated by Hindus?

What do you think they do?

How do they celebrate?

Why do they celebrate this way?

Holi is the Hindu spring festival, celebrating the SPRING EQUINOX and the coming of Lord

Krishna, who played with the colors of life.

In parts of India, Holi is also the time of gather the fall

harvest.

A favorite among children, the holiday begins in the evening when bonfires are lit. These fires are meant to empower the sun as it moves into the warmer and longer hours of spring. All night the faithful sing and dance and pray around the bonfires. When dawn arrives, the fires are extinguished with water.

Now, instead of fire, water and color becomes the center of the festival. Colored with special dyes, people throw the water and color at each other in a playful spirit. The party

sometimes last for day, during which people spend leisure time together,

eating special holiday foods and sweets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh-o5g4tLVE

HINDU FLOOR PAINTINGS If you were to visit India, you would notice their

colorful floor paintings that decorate the entrance to many homes.

These designs ARE NOT permanent but instead made with chalk or rice flour.

They are meant to keep alive a spirit of blessing

and care for the home.

Sri Yantra = one of the designs They use this design as a focus for meditation.

Hindu Holy Place(s)

http://soulcurrymagazine.com/sc/temples-ghats-banaras-hindu-university.html

There are 4 holy places in India. Going to all 4 of them is called a

Pilgrimage.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/hinduism-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

Hinduism for

Dummies

http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/religion.html

http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1355&catid=55&subcatid=354

READING CHECK

What determines how a person would

be reborn? (SUMMARIZING)

MAIN IDEA

A few groups

reacted to

Hinduism by

breaking away to

form their own

religions.

GROUPS REACT TO HINDUISM

Although Hinduism was widely followed – not everybody agreed with its beliefs.

Some unsatisfied people and groups looked for new religious ideas. Two such groups were the Jains, believers in Jainism, and

Sikhs, believers in Sikhism.

The religion of Jainism

developed in reaction to Hinduism.

JAINISM

Please DO NOT confuse this symbol………

with this symbol.

Jainism

- An Indian

religion based

on the

teachings of

Mahavira that

teaches that

all life is

sacred

Jainism started by a Hindu (Mahavira – 599 B.C.) who felt that there was too much emphasis put on rituals. His teaching emphasized four basic principles:

- injure NO life - human, animal, insect, or even plants.

- tell the truth - do not steal - own no property

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPscKFV5yKU

Jainism is based upon the principle of nonviolence (the avoidance of violent actions) ,

or ahimsa.

Let me answer your question in short and sweet. Jainism does have Scriptures called Agamas (meaning Canonical texts). Jainism is not a revealed religion, but a religion of purely human origin. There are no commandments but the texts discusses the natural laws of the universe. Hence you will not find a single text like Bible or Quran in Jainism. Agamas are 45 (Canonical texts) in number. Some of them which are totally lost. These are accepted by Svetambara sect of Jainism. Check this link here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain_Agamas There is also a group of 14 prior texts called 14 Purvas that existed before Mahavira and are now considered as totally lost. Check this link here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purvas

nonviolence

The avoidance

of violent actions

Jains are vegetarians because they do not believe in hurting living creatures.

They do not eat any food that comes from animals.

http://www.slideshare.net/alexmacias/jainism-for-dummies

How many can you identify?

SIKHISM Founded centuries later 1400s AD. It’s a/the BABY Religion – one of

the newest ones..

Started by a man by the name of Guru Nanak. Guru means (in Sanskrit) “Teacher.”

He was dissatisfied

with the Hindu

religious teachings.

He began to travel and came into

contact with many other

religions.

Sikhism = ideas from

Hinduism + Islam + other

religions.

+ + = OTHER RELIGIONS

Sikhism is monotheistic. Believe in only ONE God, who has no physical form but can be sensed in the

creation.

Ultimate goal = to be reunited with God after death

HOW = They meditate to find enlightenment. However, because they believe that

enlightenment can take several lifetimes, they believe in reincarnation.

Believe: Live truthfully Treat people equally (regardless of gender social class, or any other factor)

1.) They pray several times each day. 2.) Expected to wear five items at all times as a sign of their religion: - long hair - a small comb - a steel bracelet - a sword - a special undergarment

Men wear turban, so do many women (not required For women)

Men are required to wear a turban, so do many women. (Not required for women.)

What is the Symbol of Sikhism? The symbol or emblem of Sikhism is known as the Khanda. It is made up of: The Khanda - a double edged sword. This represents the belief in one God. The Chakkar, like the Kara it is a circle representing God without beginning or end and reminding Sikhs to remain within the rule of God. Two crossed kirpans (swords) representing spiritual authority and political power.

The Sikh scripture

Guru Granth Sahib

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/06/a-dummy-s-guide-to-sikhism.html

Sikhism for

Dummies

http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/religion.html

READING CHECK

What are two religions that

developed out of Hinduism?

(FINDING MAIN IDEAS)

SUMMARY: Four religions developed in India – Hinduism, Jainism,

Sikhism, and Buddhism.