HINDUISM

What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, and it is closely associated with other Indian religions,
such as Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and
Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific
founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion
but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.

SYMBOL:

Is a symbol made up of three Sanskrit letters, A, U, and M. It is the most important symbol in
Hinduism as it represents Brahman or god and is believed to be the sound heard at the time of the
creation of the universe. All of the major mantras start with aum/om.
BASIC FACTS:
Founders – Aryans (1500 B.C.)
Sacred Texts – Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita
Doctrines - Dharma,Karma,Artha,Moksha,Brahman,Atman, the Four Yogas
Gods - 33 million gods and goddesses
Sacred Space - Temple
Issues - Gender inequality, case system, poverty
Hindu Scriptures

The Vedas
These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus. They are considered among the
oldest, if not the oldest, religious works in the world. They are commonly referred to as “scripture”,
which is accurate in that they can be defined as holy writ concerning the nature of the Divine. Hindus
believe that the texts were received by scholars direct from God and passed on to the next generations by
word of mouth.

The Vedas are made up of four compositions, and each Veda in turn has four parts which are arranged
chronologically.

• The Samhitas are the most ancient parts of the Vedas, consisting of hymns or praise to God.
• The Brahmanas are rituals and prayers to guide the priests in their duties.
• The Aranyakas contain worship and meditation.
• The Upanishads consists of the mystical and philosophical teachings of Hinduism.

The Samhitas
• The Rig-Veda Samhita is the oldest of the four Vedas and consists of 1028 hymns praising the ancient
gods.
• Yajur-Veda Samhita is used as a handbook by priests performing the Vedic scriptures.
• Sama-Veda Samhita consists of hymns and tunes for singing at the sacrifices.
• Athava-Veda Samhita preserves many traditions which predate the Aryan influence and consists of
spells, charms and magical formulae.

The Upanishads
Upanishads are the philosophical-religious texts of Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharma meaning
“Eternal Order” or “Eternal Path”) which develop and explain the fundamental tenets of the religion. The
Upanishads are a collection of sacred texts that form one of the foundations of Hindu religious thought.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND MAHABHARATA

Bhagavadgita, (Sanskrit: “Song of God”) an episode recorded in the great Sanskrit poem of the Hindus,
the Mahabharata. It occupies chapters 23 to 40 of Book VI of the Mahabharata and is composed in the
form of a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna, an avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu.
Composed perhaps in the 1st or 2nd century CE, it is commonly known as the Gita.

RAMAYANA
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic which follows Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife
Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. It is traditionally attributed to the
authorship of the sage Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE. Many Hindus believes that
Ramayana is a story about Dharma or Duty.
THE STORY OF CREATION BASED ON HINDU
TRADITION
For Hindus the universe was created by Brahma, the creator who made the
universe out of himself. After Brahma created the world, it is the power of Vishnu
which preserves the world and human beings. As part of the cycle of birth, life and
death it is Shiva who will ultimately destroy the universe.

Major Hindu Deities

The three main Hindu gods are referred to as the Trimurti and are considered the three forms or faces of
Brahman, the ultimate reality. The names of these three gods are Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva, and each of
them has a distinct role and manifests different aspects of Brahman.

Brahman
Brahman is a Sanskrit word that refers to the highest universal principle, also called the ultimate or
absolute reality. It is a central concept in the Upanishads, ancient scriptures that make-up the doctrine of
Vedanta philosophy. In Sanskrit, Brahman is defined as satyam jnanam anantam brahma, which can be
translated as “that which never changes,” “knowledge,” and “infinity.”

Brahma
Brahma is the first god in the Hindu triumvirate, or trimurti. The triumvirate consists of three
gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. He is the creator
god in hindu belief and the least worshipped god in Hinduism.

Vishnu
Vishnu is the second god in the hindu triumvirate or trimurti. Vishnu is the god of
Preservation, the great maintainer who often appears in various incarnations (avatara) to provide
salvation for humanity. Some of his best-known avatars, who are tremendously popular and
beloved throughout Hindu India, are the gods Krishna and Rama.

Shiva
Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. Shiva’s role is to destroy the universe in order to
re-create it. Shiva is the quintessential destroyer, his duty is to destroy all the worlds at the end of
creation and dissolve them into nothingness.

Lakshmi
Lakshmi (or Laksmi) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, good fortune, youth, and beauty. She is the
wife of the great god Vishnu and the pair is often worshipped in tandem as Lakshmi-Narayana.
Lakshmi is commonly portrayed as a beautiful woman with four arms, standing on a lotus
flower. There is usually one, or sometimes two elephants behind her, anointing her with water.
She is often depicted sitting beneath Vishnu, massaging his feet.
Key Concepts of Hinduism
Concept of Atman - Atman is a Sanskrit word, defined in simple terms as an individual’s inner
self, spirit or soul.

Concept of Dharma - Dharma is cosmic order or law. Dharma can best be explained as conduct that
upholds universal natural laws, and when humankind follows these laws, it allows them to be happy and
prevent suffering. It's a combination of morality and spiritual discipline that guides one in living one's
life.

Concept of Varna – Varna defines the hereditary roots of a newborn, it indicates the colour, type, order
or class of people.
1. Brahmans or Brahmins – the intellectuals and the priestly class who perform religious rituals.
2. Kshatriya is the class of nobles or warriors who traditionally had power.
3. Vaishyas are the ordinary commoners and merchants who trade and produce commodities, tend
the farms and earn a living.
4. Shudras are the workers who traditionally served the higher classes including laborers, artists,
musicians and clerks.

Concept of Karma – Karma is a concept of Hinduism which describes a system in which beneficial
effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions, creating a
system of actions and reactions throughout a soul's (jivatman's) reincarnated lives, forming a cycle of
rebirth.

Concept of Samsara - This process of reincarnation is called samsara, a continuous cycle in which the
soul is reborn over and over again according to the law of action and reaction. At death many Hindus
believe the soul is carried by a subtle body into a new physical body which can be a human or non-human
form (an animal or divine being).

Concept of Moksha - Moksha is derived from the Sanskrit word, muc, which means to free. In Indian
culture, the term moksha literally means freedom from samsara. Moksha is achieved through meditation,
self-realization, and living according to the teachings of one's religion. Moksha is a symbol of hope and
spiritual perfection within the culture of Hinduism. Moksha can best be described as the freedom of the
soul to enter into a state of divine bliss with the Supreme Being. Moksha is achieved through meditation,
achieving one's dharma, detaching from the material world, and attaining a divine understanding.

THE FOUR YOGAS

 1. Jnana Yoga - Jnana is Sanskrit for “knowledge or wisdom” and Jnana Yoga is the path
of attaining knowledge of the true nature of reality through the practice of meditation,
self-inquiry, and contemplation. Jnana Yoga can be defined as the “awareness of absolute
consciousness,” and is a comprehensive practice of self-study (Svadhyaya).
2. Bhakti Yoga - Bhakti yoga is one of the four classical schools of yoga alongside Jnana
(knowledge or self-study), Karma (action) and Raja (meditation), each offering a path to
moksha (spiritual liberation) and self-realization.
3. Karma Yoga - Of the classical paths to spiritual liberation in Hinduism, karma yoga is
the path of unselfish action. It teaches that a spiritual seeker should act according to
dharma, without being attached to the fruits or personal consequences. Karma Yoga,
states the Bhagavad Gita, purifies the mind.
4. Raja Yoga - Raja yoga, is the royal path of meditation. As a king maintains control over
his kingdom, so can we maintain control over our own "kingdom"--the vast territory of
the mind. In raja yoga we use our mental powers to realize the Atman through the process
of psychological control.

GROUP REPORTERS:
LACARAN, GLAZEY MAE
COMMINADOR, NELIA
NICOLAN, NERO
LUCOB, XYBERT