HINDUISM

An Introduction to Hindu Philosophy

 Four stages of
Religion Life
Main religion of India Student stage to Sannyasin
which includes the worship or wondering ascetic
of many gods

Traditions
It is a collective term
applied to the many
philosophical and religious
traditions native to India
Example
Reincarnation - The belief that
after you die you return to life
in a different form
 Hinduism as Philosophy
Hindu philosophy from the Puranas revolves around the following five concepts. These have become the
cornerstones of Hindu traditions and beliefs

KARMA – LAWS OF ACTION

BHAKTI – LAWS OF DEVOTION

JYANA – LAWS OF KNOWLEDGE

DHARMA – LAWS OF CONDUCT

MOKSHA – LIBERATION / NIRVANA

Ways of Life as a member of Hinduism

God- centered rather Experience based Beyond any historical

than prophet-centered rather than belief- date of founding
based

The process of Inherent in, and

growth, which comes inclusive of all
from the seed.
 Four Stages of Life

Student stage Forest-dweller—after the

Stage One birth of first grandchild
Stage Three

Annyasin –
Householder wondering ascetic
Stage Two Stage Four
 3 Golden Rule

Who is helping you, Who is loving you, Who is trusting you,

do not forget them. do not hate them do not cheat them
Example
Reincarnation
 Samsara is the wheel of rebirth which
means the soul is reborn from one life
form to another.
 People may be reincarnated at a higher
or lower level of existence depending
on their karma from their present life.
 People may be reborn as plants or
animals or they may be elevated to a
higher caste as a human.
 Death is not final for Hindus as they
expect to be reborn many times.
Festivals and Holy Days
 no set day of the week is holy-each days
has its possibilities
 Religious festivals may be solar or lunar-
lunar is preferred
 In order to keep festivals consistent, an
additional lunar month is added to the
calendar about every three years.
 Some numbered days of the month are
more important than others. There are
125 special days in the Hindu year.
 Sacred Texts
Rig Veda: Hinduism’s oldest
text- nearly 4000 years.

Bhagavad Gita: Hinduism’s

most popular sacred text
 Sacred Cow of
India
According to Indologist
Madeleine
Biardeau, Kamadhenu or
Kamaduh is the generic name of
the sacred cow, who is regarded
as the source of all prosperity in
Hinduism.
The Caste
system of
India
The paradigmatic ethnographic instance
of social classification based on castes. It
has its origins in ancient India, and was
transformed by various ruling elites in
medieval, early-modern, and modern
India, especially the Mughal Empire and
the British Raj.
Commencement of
Education – Buddhist
System
- In the Buddhist system of education, a child
commenced his education at the age of eight after an
initiation ceremony called PABBAJJA.

- After the initiation ceremony, the child left his

home to live in a monastery under the guidance and
supervision of his preceptor (monk).

- The child now is called SRAMANA, which means

“one who performs acts of austerity”. He used to
wear a yellow robe.
 Goal of Hinduism

Moksha: “release or liberation United forever with the divine Infinite bliss and awareness
 Types of Teachers
ACHARYA A type of teacher who taught his pupils
without charging free.
UPADHYAYA Adopted teaching as a profession to earn
his livelihood.
CHARAKAS Known as wandering scholars; toured the
country in quest of higher knowledge.
GURU Earned his livelihood after imparting
education to his disciples and maintain
his family
SIKSHAKA Gave instruction in arts like dancing
Gandhi: The Father of
India
For Gandhi, social concern was deeply rooted in
his conviction of the
Sacredness of life.

Gandhi believed that human beings should strive

to live as simply as possible since
overindulgence often meant that others may
have to do without their basic needs.

Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on

January 30, l948 as India was gaining its
independence.