Hinduism Flashcards
How old is Hinduism
3500-5000 years
Was Hinduism founded by one person?
No, it was created gradually over thousands of years
Where do they come from? What were they known for?
They came from the Indus valley civilization, they were notably good planners and builders.
Who migrated into the Indus valley civilization in 1500bc
The Indo-Aryan people
Who were the aryans
Aryans were from central Asia and spoke Sanskrit, created collections of hymns, rituals and philosophical work named Vedas
They lived in awe of the magnificent and destructive forces of nature
What is the atman
Is considered the human soul
The breath of life and major principle
What is the equivalent of the human soul
The atman
How many Hindu gods are there
Hindus believe there is one great power who is not a person named Brahman, which is everywhere, everything all of the time
What is Brahman?
Brahman is over 3000 gods since Hinduism is polytheistic, Hindus believe each god represents a part of Brahman
Hinduism is a umbrella religion as it holds multiple other religions under it
Who are the three gods? What are they?
Brahma - not Brahman, the creator of the universe
Vishnu - preserver of the universe is a loving and forgiving god who brings salvation
Shiva - the Lord of dance playing the drum with his upper right hand, symbolizing destruction/death and the end of the cycle
What is reincarnation? What is karma?
Reincarnation - Where you go is dependent on how you have lived your life on earth
Karma - how you lived your life which is the good/bad balances of one’s actions, determines the form someone will take when reincarnated
What is the aim of a hindu
To become good enough to be able to stop being reborn and to become one with Brahma, this would mean perfect happiness moksha
What are the Hindu paths to salvation?
The path of devotion - showing their love to their different gods through proper worship
The path of actions- good deeds and good thoughts equal good karma
The path of wisdom- learning scripture from a guru or teacher of their faith
The path of meditation - leads to salvation
What was the caste system? How was it determined?
The caste system attempts to break people up into purity, it’s determined by your job
The system today bans discrimination based on gender, caste, race or religion
What are the castes?
Elite: priests/religious teachers
Upper class: warriors and rulers
Middle class: merchants and farmers
Lower class: servants and labourers
Untouchables: people who dealt with dead animals or in dirty environments
What are the 4 Hindu aims in life?
Dharma - a duty to be compassionate towards everyone & everything
Artha - earning a honest living and providing for your family
Karma - pursuing love and marriage
Moksha - leading soul towards salvation
What does dharma mean
Dharma -Hindus believe life is a series of duties called dharma, it’s not the same for every person and is based on your background, job and other entities, it includes things such as doing your job, not hurting other people or animals and being honest
What does moksha mean
Moksha - end of samsara, the should breaks out of the cycle of rebirth and joins Brahman, only possible once the soul is completely pure
What is atman
Atman - a drop of the divine Brahman, exists within a person
What is maya
Maya - Hindu word for illusion, Hindus believe everything we sense is a illusion and seeing this seperate from one (Brahman) is a result of maya
What is on or aum
The symbol is the visual or oral representation of god or brahmin
What is Sri yantra
The geometrical shape is used as a visual focus point in meditation, the many triangles represent the many gods in Hinduism
What is the swastika
Ancient symbol for auspiciousness, good fortune and protection
What is the lotus?
Symbolizes the sun
