HINDUISM

Prepared by: Reyes, Paragoso, Jagonia, Ibanez, Guarin

 Table of contents

01 History 05 Festivals

02 Founder of Hinduism
06 Religious Symbols

03 Doctrines 07 Texts

04 Rituals and ceremonies

01

HISTORY
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to
many scholars, with roots and customs dating back
more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million
followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion
behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of
the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion
has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins
and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a
single religion but a compilation of many traditions
and philosophies.
Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere
between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus
Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. But many
Hindus argue that their faith is timeless and has
always existed.

Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder

but is instead a fusion of various beliefs.
In the early 21st century, Hinduism had nearly one
billion adherents worldwide and was the religion of
about 80 percent of India’s population. Despite its
global presence, however, it is best understood
through its many distinctive regional manifestations.
 02

DOCTRINES
Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this
reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or
a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single,
organized religion.

Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means

they worship a single deity, known as “Brahman,” but
still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers
believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god.
Hindus believe in the doctrines of:

1. Samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and

reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause
and effect).

One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the

belief in soul. This philosophy holds that living
creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the
supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or
salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become
part of the absolute soul.
2. Artha (livelihood, wealth)

Artha is earning wealth. Wealth, that is needed for

living, to discharge responsibilities and prosperity.
The meaning of Artha includes wealth, career and
financial security. The proper pursuit of artha (money,
influence and security) is considered an important
aim of human life in Hinduism.
3. Dharma (righteousness, ethics)

Dharma is considered the most important goal of a

human being. It means behaviors that are considered
to be in accord with the order that makes life and
universe possible, and includes duties, rights, laws,
conduct, virtues and “right way of living”. Hindu
Dharma includes the religious duties, moral rights and
duties of each individual.
4. Kāma (sensual pleasure)

Kāma means desire, wish, passion, longing, pleasure

of the senses, enjoyment of life, affection, or love,
with or without sexual connotations. In Hinduism,
Kama is considered an essential and healthy goal of
human life when pursued without sacrificing Dharma,
Artha and Moksha.
5. Mokṣa (liberation, freedom from samsara)

Moksha is the ultimate goal of a Hindu. It means

liberation from sorrow, suffering and saṃsāra (birth-
rebirth cycle). Hindus believe that after death, a being
is reborn and this cycle of birth-death-rebirth is a
suffering. A release from this cycle is called moksha.
 03
RITUALS AND
CEREMONIES
Rituals are not only celebrated during life but
continue after death, including burial and cremation
practices. For Hindus, it is the Vedas - the oldest
spiritual scriptures in the world - that have shaped
and influenced their rituals. The Vedas are a
collection of hymns and rituals that date back
thousands of years. These priceless texts were
passed on to several generations through oral
narration.
1. Devotion (Bhakti)

Devotion (bhakti) refers to both a practice and a path

(mārga) towards salvation. Devotion entails total and
unconditional surrender and selfless love towards a
personal or chosen deity.
2. Worship (Pūjā)

Worship (pūjā) is one of the most central practices in

Hinduism. Every form of worship consists of making
offerings and receiving blessings, from elaborate
temple rituals to simple home practices.
3. Fire Sacrifice

The term ‘yajña’ or ‘homa’ refers to a ritual sacrifice

wherein symbolic materials such as ghee, grains and
incense are thrown into a special fire pit. A priest is
usually required to help facilitate the fire sacrifice
4. Mantra

The term ‘mantra’ broadly refers to sentences,

phrases or words (typically in Sanskrit) that are
composed in verse or prose. Mantras are chanted or
recited, usually as part of a ritual.
5. Service (Sevā)

Service (sevā) is the respectful and regular attention

of the needs of someone or something, in
acknowledgement of the divine (related to the
concept of brahman and ātman).
6. Life Cycle Rites (Saṃskāra)

The term ‘saṃskāra’ refers to important life-cycle rites,

beginning with one’s conception and ending with
one’s cremation. Though Hindu texts have some
prescribed ceremonies and rituals to mark various
specific stages of life, the practices of the saṃskāra
are diverse. Some families may practise each rite,
while others may choose to celebrate the rites most
important to them.
7. Pilgrimage (Tīrthayātrā)

Undertaking pilgrimages is a common practice

throughout Hinduism. A pilgrimage can be as simple
as a family visiting a major shrine dedicated to their
personal deity or as large as thousands of people
travelling to multiple places of religious significance.
8. Yoga

The term ‘yoga’ refers to a wide variety of religious

practice. In its broadest sense, ‘yoga’ refers to a
particular method or set of techniques for
transforming the individual. It is also used to refer to
the practice of controlling the body, senses or breath.
 04

FESTIVALS
There are three main yearly festivals. All major festival
celebrations include visiting a temple, eating special
foods and exchanging gifts.

1. Diwali is the festival of lights. Light represents

knowledge. It is celebrated in late October or early
November. This is the Hindu New Year.
2. Holi is the festival which marks the coming of spring.
It is held in March or April. There are processions and
people light bonfires and cover each other with colored
water and powders.
3. Dussehra is the festival which marks Rama's triumph
over the evil Ravana. It is held in September. There are
dances and plays with events in the life of the god Rama
depicted.
Every twelve years in January or February:

Kumbha Mela: This celebration is a huge bathing

affair. Millions of Hindu pilgrims go to the River
Ganges at Allahbad for this festival.
 05
RELIGIOUS
SYMBOLS
Hinduism is rich in symbolism. Many acts of worship,
such as puja, are symbolic, a form of visualisation in
which worshippers simulate activities normally
performed on higher planes of existence. Thus the
scope of symbolism is broad and includes physical
acts such as offering pranam (obeisances) with folded
hands. Such physical gestures tend to induce the
appropriate mood and awareness within the
practitioner. Many symbols are considered
auspicious, embodying the notion of inner purity.
1. Om (Aum) – the most important Hindu symbol, often
used as the emblem of Hinduism (see above).
2. Hands in prayer – a sign of respect for the sacred, that
which is dear to the heart (see above).
3. Lotus (padma) – symbol of purity/transcendence.
Growing out of the mud, it is beautiful, and though resting
on water, it does not touch it.
4. Conchshell – used during arati: one of the four symbols
of Vishnu. The others are the lotus, club and disc.
5. Swastika – an ancient solar sign considered to invoke
auspiciousnes.
7. Trident (trishul) – the symbol of Shiva; often carried by
Shaivite sannyasis (renunciates).
8. Kalasha – coconut circled by mango leaves on a pot. Often
used in rituals such as the fire sacrifice.
9. Cow – symbol of purity, motherhood and ahimsa (non-
violence).
10. Lotus feet (of guru or deity) – touching the feet of superiors
shows an attitude of submission and service.
11. Dipa/lamp – symbol of light.
 06

TEXTS
 Sacred Texts of Hinduism
● There is no single, authoritative text in Hinduism
that functions like the Bible for Christians, or the
Qur’an for Muslims. Instead, there are several
different collections of texts. The Vedas are the
oldest Hindu sacred texts, and have the most
wide-ranging authority. They are believed to
have been written anywhere from 1800 to 1200
BCE.
● The Upanishads describe a more
philosophical and theoretical approach
to the practice of Hinduism and were
written roughly between 800 and 400
BCE, around the same time that the
Buddha lived and taught.
● The Mahabharata is the longest epic
poem in the world, the most well-known
portion of which is the Bhagavad-Gita,
which is perhaps the best-known and
widely cited book in all of Hinduism; the
Ramayana is the other most important
epic poem in Hinduism.
The revealed texts constitute the Veda, divided into
four sections:

the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the
Atharva Veda. The Vedas are hymns that are also
accompanied in the total Veda by Brahmanas (ritual
texts) Aranyakas (“forest” or “wilderness” texts), and
Upanishads (philosophical texts). The Upanishads are
also called the Vedanta and come at the end of the total
Veda. Though less studied than later texts, the Veda is
the central scripture of Hinduism.
 Resources
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism#:~:text=texts%20in%20Hinduism.-
,Origins%20of%20Hinduism,a%20fusion%20of%20various%20beliefs.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism
https://hinducouncil.com.au/new/hinduism/hinduism-doctrine-and-beliefs/
https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/hindu-celebrations
https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/religious-spiritual-life/world-religions-101/what-is-
hinduism#:~:text=While%20there%20is%20no%20shortage,of%20origin%20for%20Hinduism%
2C%20either.