AQA GCSE R.E - Hinduism Beliefs key terms

Ahimsa

Non-violence

Dharma

Duty/path in life, The ethical and moral foundations of Hinduism; God's divine law

Three Guiding principals of Dharma

non-harming, truthfulness, and non-indulgence.

Karma yoga

The spiritual discipline of selfless action

Bhakti yoga

The spiritual discipline of devotion to a deity or guru

Jnana yoga

The spiritual discipline of knowledge and insight

Raja yoga

The path of meditation

Reincarnation

The belief that, after death, souls are reborn into a new body.

Resurrection

The belief that, after death, the body stays in the grave until the end of the world when it is then raised.

Sanctity of life

The belief that life is holy and belongs to God.

Creation

The act of creating the universe or the universe which has been created.

Stewardship

Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation.

Brahman

God or supreme being

nirguna Brahman

God as spiritual presence only

saguna Brahman

God being shown in form

Bhagavan

Supreme being existing in the world of spirits and deities

Om or Aum

sound and symbol of Brahman

Antaryami

Personal god, supreme being existing in the heart of all living beings

What is the non-personal Hindu idea of God?

Brahman (exists everywhere)

What do religious teachers use to help people understand difficult concepts about God?

Pictures, parables

Vaikuntha

spiritual realm where deities live

How can bhagavan be approached?

Through other deities living in Vaikuntha

Brahma

The creator

Vishnu

The preserver

Shiva

The destroyer

Tri-murti

three main aspects of God

What deities make up the tri-murti?

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva

Vedas

earliest Hindu scriptures

Mala

string of beads used to count mantras in meditation

Consort of Brahma

Saraswati

Saraswati

Goddess of music, knowledge, the arts, and learning

Consort of Vishnu

Lakshmi

Lakshmi

Goddess of wealth and love

What does Vishnu represent?

The soul of the whole universe

Who gave birth to Brahma?

Vishnu

How is Vishnu worshipped?

Through avatars (mainly Rama and Krishna)

Vaishnavas

Followers of Vishnu

Shakti

Means goddess. Used especially for Parvati

Parvati

Shiva's consort

Shaivites (or Shaivas)

Followers of Shiva

Ascetics

Those who practice self-denial for spiritual reasons

Avatars

ten animal/human forms Vishnu uses to appear on earth

Polytheists

People who believe in many different gods

Monotheists

People who believe in one God

Rama

Seventh avatar of Vishnu

Krishna

Eighth avatar of Vishnu

Ganesha

Son of Parvati and Shiva, elephant-head god

Hanuman

Monkey warrior remembered for devotion to duty to Rama and Sita

Cycle of Four Ages

the four yugas, divisions in circle of time

Enlightenment (Hindu)

gaining freedom from cycle of rebirth

Maya

iillusion

Tri-guna

goodness, passion and ignorance. Balance of them explains person's behavior

Atman

inner self, living force n all of nature

Beliefs about the atman

Eternal, part of or is Brahman,

Samsara

Continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth

Transmigration

Movement of Atman from one body to another

Moksha

freedom from Samara (cycle of rebirth), ultimate goal of Hindus

Salvation (Hindu)

saving the soul from rebirth => union with God

Karma

consequences of your actions

Artha

gaining wealth lawfully

What are the four aims of Hindu's lives?

Artha, Dharma, Kama and Moksha.

Kama

enjoying life's pleasures responsibly

Sanatana dharma

means 'eternal truth', ideal way of living

4 Important features of Sanatana dharma

- consider right and wrongs of all actions

- Caring for the needy

- Feeding animals and caring for plant life

- trying to reach moksha