Lesson 3 - Origins And Beliefs Of Hinduism

Question 1

What is a guru?

Answer 1

Thinkers and teachers

Question 2

What is Brahman?

Answer 2

One supreme cosmic consciousness, spiritual force, or God.

Question 3

What is reincarnation?

Answer 3

The rebirth of a soul in a new body.

Question 4

What is karma?

Answer 4

The effect of a persons actions in this and in previous lives.

Question 5

What is dharma?

Answer 5

A persons duty or what is right.

Question 6

What is ahimsa?

Answer 6

Avoiding doing harm to any living thing, truthfulness, and moderation and self control.

Question 7

What is moksha?

Answer 7

Liberation from reincarnation.

Question 8

List facts about Hinduism.

Answer 8

1. Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religion and the third largest.
2. Hinduism has elements of both polytheism and monotheism.
   3.Hinduism is based on the word Hindu which is what early Persian traders called the people they encountered in India.
3. Around 500 BCE, Hindu beliefs began to change.

Question 9

What was early Hinduism like?

Answer 9

Hinduism was based on the principle of the Brahman. Much of the ritual authority was given to priests, or Brahmans.

Question 10

How did Hindu beliefs begin to change?

Answer 10

Around 500 BCE some thinkers emphasized and built on top of the concept of Brahman. People began asking questions such as: Why are we born? How should we live? What happens to us when we die?

Question 11

How were ideas of teachers passed down?

Answer 11

They were passed down orally at first, later, they were written down.

Question 12

What are Upanishads?

Answer 12

Writings which made connections between heavenly forces and peoples lives.

Question 13

What are epic poems?

Answer 13

A long story of heroes told in verse.

Question 14

What are the two epic poems which emerged during this period?

Answer 14

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata. They helped explain religious ideals and how people should liver their lives.

Question 15

Describe the Ramayana.

Answer 15

This is the story of a king named Rama and his wife Sita. Sita is kidnapped by the demon king, Ravana. Rama, his brother, and the monkey God, Hanuman, together rescue Sita. This story shows the importance of dharma.

Question 16

Describe the Mahabharata.

Answer 16

It is the worlds longest poem. It is 200,000 lines long. It tells the story of two families at war for control of a kingdom. It deals with moral issues. These include the conflict between loyalty to family and duty.

Question 17

What are Hindu;s beliefs about God?

Answer 17

The Upanishads contain two beliefs that lie at the heart of HInduism. The first is the Brahman, they also believe in individual Gods or Goddesses as forms of Brahman. The second Hindu belief is that every person is born with a soul, which is also a form of Brahman.

Question 18

What are Hinduisms four goals?

Answer 18

1. Dharma
2. Striving for well-being
3. Pleasure
4. Moksha

Question 19

What are the paths to moksha?

Answer 19

1. The way of knowledge
2. The way of works
3. The way of devotion
4. The way of meditation

Question 20

What things helped the growth of Hinduism in India?

Answer 20

.Hinduisms flexibility helped because Hinduism views all Gods as forms of a single supreme God.
.Hinduism doesnt require regular attendance at religious services.
.Hinduism is the only major religion which God is thought as having a female as well male form.

Question 21

Describe how gurus helped Hinduism to grow.

Answer 21

Gurus built off of early Hindu beliefs and started asking important questions which made people learn more about the subject which contributed to the growth of the religion.

Question 22

Use the terms, Brahman, karma, and moksha to describe Hindu beliefs.

Answer 22

Hindu’s have goals in life and the last one is moksha which means liberation from reincarnation and when people reach moksha they believe they became one with the Brahman, and Hindus have to make sure that on their journey to reach moksha they don’t get bad karma for their next life.