Despite such differences, both are considered to be Hindus. One of the main values of the Hindu culture is known as Dharma. Hindus value their gods and worship a variety of gods and goddesses. When the jiva exhausts its sattvika karmas in swarga, it gets a human birth on earth. Some of the ten main avatars (Dashavatara) of the Puranas are mentioned in the Vedic literature. In Vedic times, the Indian rishis worshipped the forces of nature, namely, Varunadeva (sea-god), Indradeva (rain-god), Suryadeva (sun-god), Agnideva (fire-god), Vayudeva (wind-god) and others. Introduction to Buddhism. The fruits of these karmas are being experienced or yet to be experienced. Inclusion; acknowledging people for what they are, not what they should be; unity in diversity. Your email address will not be published. But, principally many Hindus believe that the different forms of God are manifestations of the one Supreme Bhagwan. Environmental issues. Paraphrased from "Dancing with S'iva" , … Ahimsa does not mean nonviolence in action alone, but also in thought and speech. One Supreme Bhagwan or God – First in the list of the core Hindu beliefs is the principle of ‘One Supreme Divine Reality’ or ‘Paramatma’ who manifests in various forms. Proprietorship. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 Karma. Here are some core beliefs that all Hindus share: 1. A sampradaya is defined as guru-shishya tradition – ‘Sampradayaha Guru Kramaha’, this means- ‘Succession of gurus is called a sampradaya’. Protection of dependants. Core values. Love, non-violence, good conduct and the law of dharma define the Hindu path. There are many variations to Hindu values with the following common threads, truth, dharma (DAR-muh), karma (KAR-muh) and the belief in a supreme being. Search for the natural self is of utmost importance. Hindus believe in Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture. Sometimes, the enlightened person (a mukta) takes birth by God’s wish to carry out a special mission. Rebirth is a direct consequence of one’s karmas. The ‘God-realized’ guru represents God, but he is not God. The consequences or fruits of these karmas may be attained in this, the next or future births. To experience the fruits of one’s karmas – This is the main reason for rebirth. ii. Since Upanishadic times the guru has played the role of imparting spiritual (Para) and mundane (a Para) knowledge (vidya) to the disciple. Many Hindu traditions put great emphasis on two factors for transmission of knowledge: Hindus believe in and practice the principle of ahimsa or nonviolence and non-killing. The variety of traditions that together are called Hinduism has a final goal for adherents as well. Material scientific progress. He is also known as Parabrahman, Paramatma, Parmeshwara and by other names. Firstly, it is based on the Hindu beliefs that all living and non-living things are created by God and pervaded by him –‘Isbauasyam idam sarvam’, i.e. There is no one way to be a Hindu. Guru-shishya Parampara: This tradition is very significant for the majority of Hindus. Abortion is unacceptable to those Hindus who believe that the soul enters the womb (again) at the time of conception and is clearly an autonomous living being, even though it is physically connected to the mother. To fulfil a debt – When a jiva is indebted to another jiva, it gets a human birth to fulfill its debt and receive what is owed to it. Rights and responsibilities; common values and the notion of different values. The guru must be brahmanishtha (God-realized) and shrotriya (one who knows and has realized the true meaning of the shastras) in order to liberate the aspirant. Bhagwan has a divine, personal form (sakara), however he is also believed by a section of Hindus to be formless or impersonal (nirakara). The Guru and Guru-shishya (master-disciple) tradition is a unique feature of Hinduism. Hindus welcome Catholic Boston College showcasing Hindu dance-drama, Hindus welcome chanting by Montana elementary students linked to Hindu epic Ramayana, Its continuity or unbroken line of transmission and. the belief by many Hindus that God is totally divine, despite him assuming a living form and exhibiting all the traits of a living being. According to the Advaita philosophy of Shankaracharya a jiva is in bondage, goes through transmigration, and when free from maya, it is identical to Brahman (Ultimate Reality). Equality and diversity. iv. Karma means action or deed. This unending craving to satisfy one’s desires causes the jiva to assume new physical bodies. To satisfy one’s desires – When a person indulges in material pleasures, he or she subsequently develops a stronger desire to enjoy more of it (vasanas). As Hinduism is the oldest religion on the earth, there are a lot of Hindu customs and traditions observed in India. Such values should be based on knowledge and a clear and objective perception of reality. Should one follow or believe what one’s mind says or take the word of any person? Furthermore, it is important to note that the bhakti schools do not differentiate between jiva and atman as Shankaracharya does. Therefore, everything is believed to be sacred. Abortion.The sanctity of life. This gives them spiritual legitimacy and provides cohesion to sustain their schools of philosophy and religious traditions. Hindus believe that nothing in our world is merely accidental or a chance happening. Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma ("eternal spiritual path") began about 4000 years ago in India. Through spiritual disciplines he aids the disciple in realizing the Divine and in fulfilling the four purusharthas of human life. The Heart of Hinduism text book is produced by ISKCON Educational Services, UK. Purpose of life; without mind and sense control, no real morality. Furthermore, as long as Hindus accept the belief in one supreme God and the authority of the Vedas, even if they reject some of the other core beliefs, they can still traditionally be considered Hindus. Sanatana-dharma supports the ideal of shared values, the spiritual virtues that are recognised by all authoritative religious traditions. For example, the Shatapatha Brahmana mentions the descent of God as Matsya (fish) and its story of liberation in 1.8.1.1-16, Kurma (tortoise) in 1.8.5.15, Varaha (boar) 14.1.2.1-11 and Varnana (dwarf) 1.2.5.1. The soul gets different life forms according to its karmas. The Authority of the Vedas – The Vedas are the ancient shastras revealed by Paramatma or Bhagwan to the enlightened rishis of India. The goal of the individual soul is moksha. Hinduism follows iconographical beliefs and practices related to Karma. For example, belief in reincarnation significantly influences Hindu attitudes towards animals, and issues on the sanctity of life, such as abortion. Hinduism is a religion that has fused many different traditions and practices. Add to this the fact that most of the terms we're going to use are completely foreign to the Western tongue, and it's not hard to see how this lesson could get a bit hairy. Hindus believe that God gives the fruits of one’s good and bad karmas, that is, he is the karma phala pradata. Over time, they developed elaborate rituals of devotional worship for those devas and for the supreme God. Understanding punarjanma eliminates the fear of death. Exploring the main values of Hinduism, it can make a welcome addition to your RE lesson. The values inherent within the other three varnas, although desirable for members of that varna, are influenced by political, economic, and sensual expediency respectively, and cannot be the leading values in society. We shall now try to understand in some detail each of the eleven core beliefs that generally qualify a Hindu. In today's lesson, we're going to tackle the four permissible goals of Hindu life. There is naturally a close connection between the values of any tradition and its underlying beliefs or concepts. As mentioned earlier, kriyamana karma, that is doing karma every moment, is a part of the karma principle. The EVOLUTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL MIND AND PERSONALITY is more important in Hindu value system than the just faith or religion one adheres to. For Hindus there is no higher scriptural authority than the Vedas. All orthodox Hindu texts derive their source and authority from the Vedas. Avataravada is the principle that God assumes human or other forms to liberate countless jivas from material bondage and the cycle of births and deaths. Issues regarding one’s true identity. It is because of the many manifestations and forms of God in Hinduism that others have come to believe it to be polytheistic. He comes on earth in human and other forms to liberate the pious souls, fulfill their devotional wishes and faith, and to destroy evil. They are all minor deities who do their duties in accordance with the authority and instructions of the supreme God. Avatar literally means ‘one who descends.’ The term incarnation, is considered to be an English equivalent of avatar. As long as the jiva is enveloped in ignorance, it remains attached to material desires and subject to the cycle of births and deaths. Death destroys the physical body, but not the jiva. It gives less importance to the image of God in your mind than to what VALUES ONE CARRIES and how the individual evolves. Protection of dependants. Thus, truth and truthfulness form the core values of Hindu religious and spiritual practice. Karma is the literal meaning of the deeds to our actions. Required fields are marked *. The atman is invisible, unthinkable and unchanging. Service. The Hindu religion has two core values. Prejudice and negative discrimination. Hindus revere all living creatures and consider … Dharma means striving for righteousness an… elevates one’s soul. One may ask as to why God should assume an avatar? Many Hindus believe in one Supreme Parmatma or Bhagwan (God) who manifests in many forms. The guru plays the role of a judge in interpreting those longstanding principles of Hinduism for new contexts and emerging conditions. Hindu customs and traditions are an important part of Hinduism. Along with the four Vedas (Samhitas) the revealed scriptures include their respective appendices, namely; Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishads. No living being can remain without performing actions for even a moment. An example of how concepts help to clarify stances on specific issues. Belief in soul (Aatma) All the Hindus believe that every living being has a soul (Aatma) and this soul … It emphasizes universal spiritual values such as social justice, peace and "the spiritual transformation of humanity". For example, the attributes and conditions of one’s physical body, mental capacities and circumstances are due to one’s prarabdha karmas. It is the mainstay of the basic moral law of Hinduism: people are rooted in Satya, the greatest truth, unity of all life. The Rig Veda says, ‘Ekam sat vipraha bahttdha vadanti’ means – ‘Truth is one, but the wise describe it in many ways’. To do this in such a short amount of time will require some serious oversimplification of a very deep topic. The other important principles are avataravada, atman, karma, punarjanma, murti-puja, guru-shishya tradition, ahimsa, four purusharthas and varnashrama dharma. Then the rishis regarded such a murti as God himself and not a statue. No weapons can split it, or fire burn it. The jiva comes in the form of a relative, friend or an enemy. When the aspirant reaches the pinnacle of his sadhana, he realizes God, and he sees, speaks with and touches him. While Hinduism is essentially diverse, it also has common threads or core beliefs which are generally accepted by many of its practitioners. The uniting belief systems of Hinduism, and there are many, include the conviction that Truth is knowable and can be directly experienced” (Rood, 1995-2011). Yes he can, but the two main reasons why he incarnates in human and other forms are: (1) To fulfill the wishes and accept the love and devotion of his devotees and countless other spiritually inclined souls, and. Punarjanma means rebirth. Avataravada: The principle that Bhagwan or God himself takes birth on earth in human and other forms. 2. Hindus believe in reincarnation -- the cycle of life, death and rebirth -- and karma is connected to this belief. His face is smiling. Hindu texts such as the Puranas teach that the regression of a soul into animal bodies is due to its base karmas; similarly, the progression of the soul into human and divine bodies is due to its meritorious karmas. Dharma is a central part of a Hindu’s daily life. It is also responsible for the disparities in life: rich and poor, high and low, intelligent or ordinary, good and bad. The Supreme Bhagwan is believed to reside in all atmans as antaryamin, inner-controller and guide. The Hindu shastras and traditions speak glowingly of the guru as the form of God. This tradition believes that God has a form, and the worship of God’s murti is essential for spiritual elevation of the self. Bhagwan is the giver of the fruits of karmas to all souls (karma phala pradata). The Rig Veda clearly states ‘Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti’ – “Truth is one, but the wise describe it in many ways’. Each slide will introduce a different value of Hinduism to your children. This is the ultimate value that governs the next two values. The first reason allows devotees to develop deep bonds of love and glory through their personal association with God. Hindus believe that all things are created by God and pervaded by him. Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and morality. Equality and diversity. Many Hindus, especially the Vaishnavas, believe that understanding the glory of Bhagwan and worshipping him with the belief and faith that he is supreme (sarvopari), the all-doer (sarva karta), always having a divine form (divya sakara) and is ever present (prakat) on earth through a God-realized guru, liberates one from the bondage of maya and blesses one with moksha. The ancient rishis of India turned their thoughts inward to discover their inner self. Hence, good deeds are the result of good and the bad ones are the result of evil action. Hinduism is one of the world’s most complex religion because of its countless gods and goddess and many forms of worship. The common wisdom, ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’ succinctly sums up the Hindu law of karma. He possesses infinite divine qualities, out of which six are prominent: gnana (knowledge), aishwarya (lordship), shakti (ability), virya (power), teja (brilliance) and bala (strength). The Indian caste system is a distortion of the varna system, as the caste system is purely based on one’s birth. The atman is sat (eternal), chitta (consciousness) and ananda (bliss).