SAC

• Western societies perceive god

  As above
• Hindus believe


  Humans and god are one
• Final Goal of Hindus


  • Be freed from samsara cycle to achieve moksha
  • Achieved through good karma + following dharma
• Four Goals in Hindu Life

  • Dharma
  • Artha
  • Kama
  • Moksha
• Hindu philosophy asks for

  Shraddha (open mind)
• Common Hindu Beliefs


  • Scriptures of Hinduism are the ultimate authority
  • Brahman is one despite his many forms
  • All creation is tied to samsara
  • Yoga unites the individual soul with Brahman + leads towards moksha
  • 5 Daily Duties provide guidance for everyday life when followed correctly
• 5 Daily Duties/ Pañcha Mahã Yagñas

  • Worshipping the gods/ upasana
  • Study holy scriptures (Vedas, Laws of Manu)/ sadhana
  • Contemplate the teachings of scholars in the family
  • Serve guests with love + respect
  • Provide food for those in need
• Karma


  Cause + Effect/ your actions have effects
• Vedas states those who sow goodness will reap goodness, those who sow evil will reap evil
• Hindu adherents believe that not all karma is immediate, instead it builds in next reincarnation cycle
• Dharma


  • Brahmans divine law
  • When you follow dharma you align with the truth of the universe, therefore closer to god
• Adharma


  Opposite of divine law
• These beliefs impact Hindu adherents identity as it influences how they perceive themselves + interact with others
• Important Places


  • Temples
  • Shrines
  • Personal Shrines/ mandir
  • Varanasi
  • Ganges River
• Puja


  Praying at a temple
• Tirtha


  Thousands visited by millions each year
• Varanasi


  One of the most famous tirtha, one of the seven ancient holy towns, believed to be where Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati stood when time started ticking for the first time, believed those who die here would attain moksha
• Ganges River


  Lord Shiva agreed to channelise her flow so the river flowed from her hair, the only river that flows from all three worlds/ Swarga + Prithvi + Patala, person who has travelled to all three worlds is addressed as Tripathaga, Hindu adherents believe bathing in Ganga washes all sins therefore helping in achieving moksha
• Shrines


  Help Hindus think about God when they worship, by showing love towards murtis Hindus believe they are showing love to God, significance of prayer comes from Vedas + 5 Daily Duties
• Personal Shrines/ mandir


  In homes, family pray to them, strengthens family bonds through worship, allows Brahman to be present all throughout adherents lives
• Temples


  Dwelling place for deities, scared place to connect with god, symbol of hope + place of refuge
• Kashi Vishwanath temple had 335k pilgrims visit in 2023
• Important places are of momentous significance within the Hindu belief system and play a vital role in helping adherents of Hinduism connect to Brahman (God), their beliefs and with one another
• Important Texts


  • Vedas
  • Laws of Manu
  • Stories (Diwali, Lord Krishna and Hanuman)
• Vedas


  Oldest scriptures of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit, began with four texts that expanded over time (Rig - Sama - Yajur - Atharva Veda), mentions 5 Daily Duties
• Laws of Manu


  Specifies gender roles
• Texts play a momentous role within the Hindu belief system. Within Hinduism, the most sacred texts were given to the rishi (holy men) from Brahman (God) and they provide adherents with guidance, gender roles, myths and stories and dharma (god's law). Ultimately, by following the holy texts, Hindu adherents aim to achieve moksha, which is the ultimate goal for all Hindu persons
• Sanskrit


  • Original language of the Vedas
  • Language of Brahman
  • When the Vedas is read in Sanskrit, it means that adherents are reading the purest form of god's word/ no bias + human intervention + modification
• Om


  Visual + acoustic representations of Brahman, adherents aim to say om whenever god comes to their thoughts, during meditation + prayer, adherents aim to say om when they die/ help achieve moksha, reciting om regularly can help adherents develop their identity as adherents of Hinduism + strengthen their connection to Brahman + help connect them with other Hindu adherents
• Brahman, Samara, Moksha


  Words in Sanskrit that come directly from Brahman/ untranslated