Hinduism

• Despite being a "destroyer", Shiva is viewed positively as creation is only achievable after annihilation
• Shiva is often depicted as being in deep meditation
• Shiva's body is smeared with cemetery ashes representing the fact that death is the ultimate reality of life
• Shiva has a third eye which represents his ability to look beyond the obvious
• Shiva has a third eye which represents his ability to look beyond the obvious
• Shiva wears tiger, deer, and elephant skins which indicate his control over lust, pride, and the mind
• Shiv Shakti - Shiva is inseparable from his consort Shakti
• Vishnu is the second god of the Hindu triad
• Vishnu is the preserver of the universe and represents mercy and goodness
• Vishnu is represented as a dark man with four arms
• Hinduism can be broken down into seven core beliefs:

  1. Belief in one universal soul, Brahman

  2. Belief in an immortal individual soul, Atma, which undergoes transmigration

  3. Belief in karma, where actions in the past affect the present and future

  4. Belief in moksha, the goal of Hindu life to be freed from the cycle of life and death

  5. Belief in the Vedas, Hindu sacred books of knowledge

  6. Belief in cyclical time, with no beginnings or endings

  7. Belief in Dharma, which maintains balance in the universe through proper behavior
• After the Vedas come the Upanishads, written down between 800 BC and 500 BC, focusing on philosophy and questioning life's difficult questions
• In Hinduism, there are four goals a person should aim for to have a good life:

  • Dharma: following moral and ethical duties
  • Artha: the pursuit of prosperity and good reputation
  • Kama: pleasure both in body and in mind
  • Moksha: release from the cycles of rebirth
• Hindus believe that Dharma keeps the balance in the universe, and divine intervention to restore Dharma is known as an avatar
• The caste system in Hinduism consists of four castes:

  • Brahmins: priests
  • Kshatriyas: warriors
  • Vaishyas: traders
  • Shudras: manual laborers