A basic overview of Hinduism according to the South Carolina social studies standards for 6th grade. The academic resource guide was used for this information. All images were found using google image search

1. The Circle of Life
HINDUISM
The largest religion in India today.

2. • Your are born. You live many years. You meet
people. And yet, you know them all.
• You feel as if you have done everything before
• You remember things you never did or ever
saw.
• You die…. and the process begins
over and over and over again.
IMAGINE…….
Over a billion people believe this happens

3. ORIGINS OF HINDUISM
• Aryan beliefs were held in the
Vedas
• Their priests were called
Brahmans
• Wrote new texts about the
Vedas
• The Vedas, Vedic texts, &
Upanishads and the Bhagaad-
Gita merged with other beliefs
to form the basis of Hinduism

4. • Oldest scriptures in the world
• Word means “knowledge”- those scriptures that we
aquire knowledge form are Vedas
• There are four Vedas:
• Rigveda: hymns that praise the gods; describes how to live a
proper life
• Samveda: musical form- Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa
• Yajurveda: scriptures used in pujas & Yagnas
• Artharvaveda: preach non-violence
VEDAS

5. • They are Hindu scriptures that tell
about the nature of God, reality,
and the individual soul.
• The word 'Upanishad' literally means
“sitting down beside”
• refers to the practice of disciples (or
students) sit on the ground next to the guru
(spiritual teacher) while he teaches.
UPANISHADS

6. • Long poem that teaches:
• Reincarnation
• Respect for creation
• Respect for life
• That you have a soul that is separate
and distinct from your physical body
BHAGAAD-GITA

7. Reincarnation is the belief that after you die,
you are reborn as a new life form. You could be
reborn as a person, animal, bug, plants… And
then you live & die again. And then you are
born again….. Live….die….rebirth…again and
again and again… get the picture?
The cycle keeps going and going
until the soul reaches a state of
Nirvana & reunites with Brahman,
the Universal soul.
REIN………WHAT?????
Born/reborn
Grow up
Live
Get old
Die
The Circle
of Life

8. Remember…. Hinduism is a polytheistic
religion
MANY GODS
Brahma is the
creator
Vishnu is the
preserver
(think duct tape)
Creation story
2:41

9. MANY GODS
Shiva is the
destroyer Kamadhenu is the
cow- grants wishes Yama is god of
death & the
underworld

10. CASTE SYSTEM
According
to Vedas,
there are
four main
varnas in
Aryan
society:
• Brahmins
• Kshatriya
s
• Vaisyas
Crash course (6
min)

11. • The Brahman (priest) was
his mouth,
• Of both his arms was the
Rajanya (warriors & Kings)
made;
• His thighs became the
Vaisya (merchants),
• From his feet the Sudra
(laborer) was produced.
ORIGINS OF CASTE

12. WHAT IS THE CASTE SYSTEM?
Caste is that division of human society whose basis is
occupation, ability and birth.
Your caste determines:
• Who is suitable for you to marry (arranged marriages)
• What food you eat
• How you dress
• What job you have
• Where you live
• Who you socialize with
• also, what caste you potentially will be reborn into in your
next life.

13. “UNTOUCHABLES”
CASTE SYSTEM

14. KARMA
Karma: the cause
/effect nature of
what happens in life
Dharma: the idea of
a person’s duty &
need to fulfill that
duty

15. • Moksha is the highest goal to achieve for all
Hindu
• It is the Sanskrit word for “liberation”- meaning
the process of being reincarnated through the
castes till you are united with Brahma.
• This is achieved by one of three ways:
1. Works
2. Knowledge
3. devotion
MOKSHA (SALVATION)

16. Origins Founder Principles Diffusion
Developed in what
is now India over
the course of
several centuries.
No traceable point
or person for
beginning
Holy books: Vedas,
Upanishads, &
Bhagaad-Gita
None • World’s largest
polytheistic
religion
• Universal deity
known as
Brahman
• Reincarnation-
belief in a cycle
of life, death, &
rebirth, till
Nirvana is
reached
• Karma-right
action
• Dharma- ethics
& duties in life to
achieve good
karma
• Moksha- 3 ways
to achieve:
works,
knowledge, or
Spread throughout
the Indian
subcontinent and,
eventually
Southeast Asia
through trade,
education, and the
teaching of priests.
Hinduism coexisted
with Buddhism in
Southeast Asia, but
ultimately lost its
influence