Download Hinduism and Buddhism: Origins, Beliefs, and Practices and more Cheat Sheet Religious studies in PDF only on Docsity! Hinduism is a religion that originated in India. It is not founded by a particular person, but rather arose from various peoples who occupied the region of India over time. Archaeologists discovered the remains of a civilization which originated in the valley approximately 3000 BC and disappeared mysteriously around 1500 BC. The Aryans arrived from Iran and brought with them a religion based on sacrifices and on the oral transmission of the Vedas. The Vedas indicate the practices, the social rules and that each human action is in accordance with the divine order - dharma. The gods in Hinduism are very numerous, around 33 million, but Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva form the trimurti (the triad). The heart of Hinduism is located in the law of karma. The cycle of rebirth is infinite (reincarnation). The atman (the individual and eternal soul) must free itself to merge into the soul of the world, the Brahman and stop the cycle of reincarnations. The caste system (jati) is an integral part of Hinduism. The Brahmins (the priests), the Kshatriya (the warriors), the Vaishya (the traders and the peasants), the shudra (the servants) and the untouchables (the out-castes) are the five castes. The objectives of the life of a Hindu are the dharma (order), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure) and moksha (liberation). Hinduism is a religion that originated in India. It is not founded by a particular person, but rather arose from various peoples who occupied the region of India over time. Archaeologists discovered the remains of a civilization which originated in the valley approximately 3000 BC and disappeared mysteriously around 1500 BC. The Aryans arrived from Iran and brought with them a religion based on sacrifices and on the oral transmission of the Vedas. The Vedas indicate the practices, the social rules and that each human action is in accordance with the divine order - dharma. The gods in Hinduism are very numerous, around 33 million, but Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva form the trimurti (the triad). The heart of Hinduism is located in the law of karma. The cycle of rebirth is infinite (reincarnation). The atman (the individual and eternal soul) must free itself to merge into the soul of the world, the Brahman and stop the cycle of reincarnations. The caste system (jati) is an integral part of Hinduism. The Brahmins (the priests), the Kshatriya (the warriors), the Vaishya (the traders and the peasants), the shudra (the servants) and the untouchables (the out-castes) are the five castes. The objectives of the life of a Hindu are the dharma (order), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure) and moksha (liberation). Moksha is possible following three paths: knowledge, devotion, and moksha. Hinduism is all the means to achieve the stop of reincarnations. Hindus worship in temples, which contain a sanctuary that shelters the worship of the main deity. The rites of life and death are important in Hinduism. After birth, a name ceremony is performed by a priest 10 days later. Marriage is arranged by the parents. After death, the body is cremated before sunset on the same day, and the ashes are thrown into a stream, preferably the Ganges. There is also a ritual of Sati. Hindus celebrate many festivals, including Diwali (festival of lights) and Holi (festival of fires). The Vedas are the main sacred texts of Hinduism, with more than 200 books written from 1500 BC to 1500.
