TREDONE

Fermo, Jed
S14
Esperanza, Rae
Go, Shaun
Lee, Bryce
Ty, Joey
Zulueta, Paolo

Hinduism

I. Origin

A. Founder
– There is no particular recorded founder of Hinduism, although its
roots are traced back to the inhabitants of the Indus Valley, who
were called Hindus.

A. Place
1. The word “Hinduism” came from Sindhu, which is a mighty river
flowing in the ancient Indus Valley.
2. Inhabitants of the valley were called Hindus.

A. Year
– Supposedly, the religion was founded somewhere around 3,200-
2,500 B.C.

I. Teachings

A. Beliefs
1. The belief in Brahman, which is the underlying universal life force
that encompasses and embodies existence, is the core of Hinduism.
2. The ignorance of the true nature or self (atman) as one with
Brahman leads to the entrapment in endless death and
reincarnation (samsara).
3. The highest goal of Hinduism is liberation (moksha) from the karmic
cycle of death and rebirth.
4. Siva is their god.
5. One's karma determines one's birth in the next life.
6. All phenomena are constant interplays between hot and cold, male
and female, light and dark.
7. Realization of one’s self, besides intense meditation, can be sought
through the three paths (margas) to liberation, namely bhaktimarga
(the path of devotion), jnanamarga (the path of knowledge or
philosophy) and karmamarga (the path of works and action).

A. Norms on Moral Life

1. Hinduism is a way of life that involves family, society, politics,
business, art and health behaviours.
 2. Instructions on the mentioned aspects of life are included in the
sacred scriptures, which also influences art and drama.
3. The practice of yoga and family life are considered to be sacred
duties.
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A. Worship: Rituals
1. To their gods
a. Most households have a shrine to a particular deity and a
household puja, or the offering of fruit, raw rice, flowers,
incense, and other items to the deity are conducted by women
regularly.
b. After a puja, the food which they believe to have been blessed
by the deity is redistributed and consumed by the participants.
1. Various occasions
a. Marriage
• The betrothal of a young couple and the exact date and time
of their wedding must be decided by the parents by
consulting astrologers.
• The groom and the bride represent the god and the goddess.
• The groom travels to the wedding site on a caparisoned
white horse or in an open limousine, accompanied by a
procession of relatives, musician, and bearers of ornate
electrified lamps.
• Orthodox Hindu marriages typically have at their center the
recitation of mantras by priests.
• The new couple takes seven steps northward a sacred
household fire, turn, and make offerings into the flames.
a. Death
• For most Hindus, cremation is the ideal method for dealing
with the dead, but infants are buried rather than burned.
• The closest relative of a deceased person, who is usually the
eldest son, takes charge of the final rites at a funeral site; but
in cremation, the closest relative is the one who lights the
funeral pyre.
• After a cremation, the remains are collected and immersed in
a holy river.
• After a funeral, everyone takes a purifying bath.
• The immediate family of a deceased person remains in a
state of intense pollution for a set number of days, after
which the close family members will meet for a ceremonial
meal and will often give gifts to the poor or to charities.
• The preparation of rice balls (pinda) to be offered to the spirit
of the dead person during memorial services is also a part of
the Hindu ritual, so that the soul will pass through the realm
of Yama, the god of death.

I. How they attain fullness of life

A. Hindus are expected to pass through four stages (ashramas) over the
course of their life.
 1. Brahmacharga takes place during school years. It is focused on the
acquisition of knowledge and development of character.
2. Grastha takes place during the middle years. It is focused on
worldy pursuits and pleasures.
3. Vanaprastha takes place when one’s children reach adulthood. It is
a time of increased focus on spiritual things.
4. Sanngasu takes place during the last years of life. It is the time
when one may abandon the world entirely for a life of
contemplation.
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A. The highest goal of Hinduism is for one to be free from the karmic
cycle of life and death through the recognition of the true nature of
one’s self as one with Brahman.

References:

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/hinduism/beliefs.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/practices.htm
http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/rites_rituals_4.htm
http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/rites_rituals_5.htm