Hinduism

  • Brahmins:

    • Priests and teachers.

    • Responsible for religious rituals and spiritual education.

  • Kshatriyas:

    • Warriors and rulers.

    • Govern and protect society.

  • Vaishyas:

    • Merchants and landowners.

    • Engage in agriculture, commerce, and trade.

  • Shudras:

    • Servants and laborers.

    • Perform manual work and support other three castes.

  • Dalits (Previously known as Untouchables):

    • Outside the four main castes.

    • Historically marginalized and subjected to discrimination.


  • Rituals

    • Mantra: Sacred phrases.

    • Puja: Most common form of worship, it is a form of thanksgiving to deities.

    • Meditation: A necessary step into a union with God, this type of meditation requires you to sit still for long periods of time. 


  • Hindu Trinity & Brahman

    • Brahma - Creator god

    • Shiva - Destroyer god

    • Vishnu - Preserver god


  • Indus Valley and Aryan Civilization

The earliest evidence of religious thought in India was uncovered in the Indus Valley Civilization.

  • Remarkable sewage systems on both floors, showcasing advanced technology for the time.

  • Infrastructure included large residential zones and areas designated for civic activities.

  • Worship houses and other advanced buildings were part of the civilization, housing early depictions of goddesses.

  • Artifacts found include amulets and flat seals, as well as fire altars and pits lined with bricks containing bones, indicating practices such as fire rituals and animal sacrifices. 

  • The Aryan civilization developed profound philosophical texts that are still used to this day:

  • Agni: The fire deity, viewed as a vital link between humans and gods.

  • Wind Worship: The wind was honored as the breath of life, fundamental to human existence.

  • They also created the Rig Veda, the earliest known collection of sacred Hindu texts, which encompassed:

  • Philosophical Inquiry: Prayers exploring the human soul while addressing the divine.

  • Religious Timeline: Their religious practices are believed to have existed between 500 and 1500 BCE.

  • Dharma, Samsara, Moksha

    • Dharma is the code of moral and righteous duty that all Hindus follow. There are 2 kinds: 

      • Sanatana Dharma: Means eternal religion, its values apply to all people no matter the differences, age, sex, etc… 

      • Varnasharma Dharma: Does not have any meaning, but its rules apply to certain people and apply to specific ages, sexes, etc… 

    • Samsara: This is the name that Hindu people call rebirth.

    • Moksha: Release from the cycle of rebirth.


  • Om 

    • is a Hindu sacred sound that is considered the greatest of all mantras.

    • The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o) and the symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning.


  • It represent several important triads:

    • the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven

    • the three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

    • the three sacred Vedic scriptures - Rg, Yajur, and Sama\

  • Atman

    • Atman is what hindu’s call the soul.


  • Reincarnation

    • Reincarnation is part of the main belief that Hindu’s follow, Hindus believe that everything gets reincarnated when they die, and if that being did good deeds they would be reincarnated into a better life and vice versa. 


  • Four Paths of Salvation and Four Stages of Life

    • Four Stages of Life

      • Brahmacharya
        The student stage, which is a period of formal education. 

      • Gṛhastha
        The householder stage, which involves marriage, having children, and supporting one's family. 

      • Vanaprastha
        The forest dweller stage, which involves withdrawing from material things and pursuing solitude. 

      • Sannyasa
        The renouncer stage, which involves giving up all possessions and wandering from place to place. 

    • Four Paths of Salvation

      • The Four Paths all lead to Moksha, freedom from the cycle of rebirth.

      • Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion, where a person devotes themselves to the gods of Hinduism, they need a physical representation of their deity to worship, devotees of Bhakti Yoga use singing and praising to show their devotion to the god. 

      • Karma Yoga, the path of action, is when a person does good deeds in order to achieve Moksha, a person must be morally righteous and be sincere in their actions. 

      • Jnana Yoga, the path of wisdom, requires guidance from a guru or teacher, they learn the relationship between Brahman and the universe, this insight allows them to achieve Moksha. 

      • Raja Yoga, the path of Meditation, practitioners go into deep concentration and Meditation which requires physical and mental discipline, this allows them to become closer with Brahman on a spiritual level which also reveals the truth of the universe.  

  • Gandhi

    • Gandhi studied law in England and practiced in South Africa. It is important as Gandhi studied the laws of England as they were under them since they were colonized.

    • Satya: Truth 

    • Ahimsa: Non-Violence

    • Gandhi returned to India in 1915 to end British rule, the purpose of using the theory Satyagraha was to change the governance of India and peoples’ lives at the same time. 

    • 1947: Gandhi negotiated the independence of India. 

    • 1948: Gandhi was assassinated. 

    • Gandhi also fought for the improvement of conditions for minority groups like women, Muslims, and “untouchables”. 

    • Gandhi accepted the caste system on a spiritual level but did not accept its social implications as it put certain people above others. 


  • Avatars

    • Matsya (The Fish) - saved mankind from a great flood by warning them of it.

    • Kurma (The Tortoise) - took the gods’ elixir of immortality which was lost in the depths of the ocean.

    • Varaha (The Boar) - hoisted the world out of the depths of the ocean after the demon Hiranyakashipu plunged it in.

    • Narasimha (The Man-Lion) - defeated Hiranyakashipu, this form was required because Hiranyakashipu could not be defeated by neither man nor lion.

    • Vamana (The Dwarf) - subdued the demon king Bali by requesting three pieces of land, where he turned into a giant and then stepped on the universe.

    • Parashurama (The Warrior with an Axe) - removed corrupt warrior class from power.

    • Rama (The Prince of Ayodhya) - exemplifies dharma through his actions, especially in the Ramayana.

    • Krishna - known for his divine play (lila), teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, and role in the Mahabharata.

    • Buddha - represented by some traditions as an incarnation to teach compassion.

    • Kalki - the future avatar, expected to arrive on a white horse to eradicate evil during the end of the world.


  • Four Goals of Life

    • Artha (Prosperity, Economic Values)

    • Kama (Pleasure, Love, Psychological Values) 

    • Moksha (Liberation, Spiritual Values, Self-realization) 

    • Dharma (Righteousness, Moral Values) 


  • Diwali & Holi 

    • Diwali 

      • Festival of Lights

      • Celebrated over 5 days at the end of October or beginning of November

      • Is celebrated by setting off fireworks, decorating houses with lights, giving gifts, and wearing new clothes.

      • They make vegetarian meals.

      • The gods they honour are Lakshmi and Vishnu.

    • Holi

      • Holi is a spring festival, they celebrate it during a full-moon day of the last month of the Hindu calendar which usually lands in March.

      • The night before worshippers light a bonfire.

      • All Hindus squirt coloured water on friends and family to commemorate Prahalad winning over his aunt and dad.

      • They distribute food and sweets throughout.


  •  Women in Hinduism.

    • Women are Honoured and provided to by the men of the household.

    • Women are also subordinates to and dependent on men according to Hinduism.