Namgyal Monastery

Hinduism: History, Beliefs, and Terms

 History of Hinduism

❖ Hinduism dates back to

3,000 or more years

❖ The word "Hindu" is

derived from the name of
River Indus, which flows
through northwestern
India
 Beliefs of Hinduism
❖ Hinduism is a diverse
religion practiced
primarily in India.

❖ There is variation in local

practices and the worship
of particular deities

❖ However, there are central

tenants that unify it as one
religion.
 Basic Beliefs
❖ The authority of the Vedas (the
oldest Indian sacred texts)

❖ Brahmans (priests);

❖ Existence of an enduring soul that

transmigrates from one body to
another at death (reincarnation);

❖ Law of karma that determines one's

destiny both in this life and the
next.
 Brahman: The Life Force

❖ Brahman - the underlying universal

life force that encompasses and
embodies existence.

❖ The highest goal of Hinduism is

liberation from the karmic cycle of
death and rebirth.

❖ Being stuck in the karmic cycle

means you are ignorant of your true
self as one with Brahman, according
to Hindu scriptures.
 Hindu Paradoxes
❖ Siva is simultaneously the
creator, maintainer, and
destroyer of life

❖ Vedic medicine teaches

that keeping these
opposing forces in balance
is central to the
maintenance of bodily,
social, and cosmic well-
being
A Way of Life

❖ Encompasses family, society,

politics, business, art, and health
behaviors

❖ Family life is considered a sacred

duty

❖ Most households have a shrine to a

particular deity

❖ Women conduct a household puja,

the offering of fruit, raw rice,
flowers, incense, and other items to
the deity, on a regular basis
A Way of Life

❖ After the food has been offered it is

considered to have been spiritually
consumed and blessed by the deity's
power

❖ It is then redistributed and

consumed by the participants as a
way of receiving the deity's
blessings

❖ Visitors may be invited to join the

puja on occasion
Caste System

❖ The belief that one's karma

determines one's birth in the next
life has supported the structure of
the caste system in India, made up
of four varnas that determine one's
occupation
Four Occupations

❖ Brahmins (priests)

❖ Kshatriyas (nobles and warriors)

❖ Vaishyas (commoners)

❖ Sudras (servants).
 Avatar:
Connection with Hinduism
 Avatar

❖ A term used in Hindu religion to indicate the incarnation of

a deity. Avatara is a Sanskrit word meaning "descent," and
the Hindu gods take on animal or human form in different
ages for the welfare of the world. In Hindu mythology, the
god Brahma (originally known as the creator Prajapati)
became successively incarnated as a boar, a tortoise, and a
fish, to assist the development of the world in prehistory.
"Avatar." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001.
Encyclopedia.com. 2 Mar. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
 Hindu Terms
❖ Brahman The Ultimate
Reality that underlies all of
existence.
❖ Dharma "Law," or "Truth"
that is eternal and all-
encompassing. The order
of the universe and the
way to maintain that order.  The cumulative effect of
❖ Karma "Action." The
universal law that every
deed has a consequence
that will come back to the
doer. Good actions will
reap good life
circumstances and bad
ones will do the opposite.
one's karma can influence
one's position in future
 Hindu Terms
❖ Pūjā "Respect, homage,
worship." The offering of
food, flowers, incense, and
other items to a deity.
Often the food will be
distributed and consumed
afterword and is thought
to impart the goodwill of
the deity.
❖ Yoga "Yoking, joining."
The path to liberation
from samsara through
focusing the mind to
experience higher states of
consciousness.