wr 4th

• Hinduism

  • "river"
  • People of the Indus Valley
  • Third Largest Religion
  • Oldest and Most Complex
  • No identifiable founder
• Dharma - appropriate behavior/duty
• sacred scriptures 


  The sacred texts of Hinduism have been principally passed down throughout generations by way of music, recitation, dance, and drama, literature.
• Sanskrit - language used
• Two earliest writings 


  Shruti and Smriti
• Shruti - Heard/Orally
• Smriti - remembered/reinforce shruti
• Ramayana - Story of Rama / Rama's Journey
• Mahabharata - 100000 Verses / Longest poem
• Bhagavad Gita - The Lord's Songs
• Vedas - oldest writings
• Rig Veda - important and oldest
• Yajur Veda - rituals and sacrifices (knowledge of rites)
• Sama Veda - hymns (knowledge of chants)
• Atharva Veda - medicinal (knowledge given by the sage Atharva)
• Mantras - hymns and chants
• Brahmanas - explaination of mantras
• Aranyakas - meditation
• Upanishads - human's connectedness
• Brahma (The Creator) - supreme presence
• Vishnu (The Preserver) - balance between good and evil
• Shiva (The Destroyer) - destroyer or reproducer
• Mandir/Temple - place of worship
• Dharma - moral balance (all aspects)
• Karma - actions have consequences
• Samsara - reincarnation
• Moksha - "heaven"
• Atman - Soul in every living creature
• Doctrine of the Atman - one’s present life in the

  earthly realm is connected to all previous lives until

  liberation
• yoga - spiritual calm, virtue, joy
• Raja Yoga (meditation) - bodily exercise
• Jnana Yoga (knowledge) - clear mind
• Karma Yoga (work) - betterment of society
• Bhakti Yoga (love) - devotion and love to divine
• Caste System - social divisions
• Brahmins - priests and scholars
• Kshatriyas - soldiers and warriors
• Vaishyas - merchants and professionals
• Shundras - laborers and servants
• Outcastes/Untouchables - menial jobs, dalits, no group