Worldview Beliefs of the Hindus
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About Brahman:
The Hindus believe in 'brahman', a single, supreme force uniting everything thing in the universe. Brahma, without the "n", is also the name of the 'creator' or the main god in the Hindu religion. When the Hindu's soul, 'atman', is united with Brahman, then they have reached their ultimate goal of 'moksha'.
About Reincarnation:
Hindus believe that the soul never dies, and when the body dies, the soul is reborn into a different form of life in accordance to the rule of Karma. The ultimate goal for Hindus is to achieve moksha or union with Brahman. Every person has an 'atman' or "essential self" within him/herself and the person wants to join his or her atman with Brahman. The process of union with Brahman usually takes more than one lifetime, so reincarnation allows Hindus to get closer to reaching moksha. For this reason, many Hindus venerate both living and the dead.
About Karma:
The Hindus believe that the concept of Karma ultimately influences the cycle of reincarnation. The concept of karma suggests that every action will affect the next cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, how good or evil the person has been in their life would be revealed by the condition of his/his next life. For example, a person could be reincarnated as a worm if his / her actions were considered evil.
The Hindus believe in 'brahman', a single, supreme force uniting everything thing in the universe. Brahma, without the "n", is also the name of the 'creator' or the main god in the Hindu religion. When the Hindu's soul, 'atman', is united with Brahman, then they have reached their ultimate goal of 'moksha'.
About Reincarnation:
Hindus believe that the soul never dies, and when the body dies, the soul is reborn into a different form of life in accordance to the rule of Karma. The ultimate goal for Hindus is to achieve moksha or union with Brahman. Every person has an 'atman' or "essential self" within him/herself and the person wants to join his or her atman with Brahman. The process of union with Brahman usually takes more than one lifetime, so reincarnation allows Hindus to get closer to reaching moksha. For this reason, many Hindus venerate both living and the dead.
About Karma:
The Hindus believe that the concept of Karma ultimately influences the cycle of reincarnation. The concept of karma suggests that every action will affect the next cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, how good or evil the person has been in their life would be revealed by the condition of his/his next life. For example, a person could be reincarnated as a worm if his / her actions were considered evil.
Purpose of Life
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The Hindus believe that there are four main purposes of life.
1. Dharma: Living up to one's role in society.
2. Artha: Prosperity; working hard for wealth, but maintaining their social status according to Dharma.
3. Kama: Pleasure; enjoying love or any desire.
4. Moksha: Enlightenment; union with God- the final goal of every Hindu's life. Through cycles of rebirth, one can reach enlightenment.
sacred animals
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The cow, in the Hindu religion, is considered the representative of Mother Earth-the mother of all Gods. The Cow is more specifically associated with Lord Krishna; the protector of the cows. In India, the killing or eating of the 'divine' cow is forbidden. Other animals such as; bulls, monkeys, Indian tree squirrels, and snakes are also sacred because they are associated with the Hindu god; Shiva. Fish are sometimes considered sacred because Lord Vishnu took the form of matsya; the upper torso of a man and the lower part of a fish. The frog is a symbol of reincarnation, since it goes through different forms until it reaches its final adult state. Elephants are sacred to the Hindus. On many Hindu temples there are sculptures of elephants carrying the deities during festivals in the temples. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of wisdom, is one of the most worshiped Hindu deities in India.
caste system
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The Aryans were the first to bring the caste system into Hindu society. Their social structure was divided into: warriors, priests, and commoners. The Hindus later made it more rigid. The social caste was divided into Brahmans (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (merchants and landowners), Sudras (servants and peasants) and finally the Dalits or Untouchables; people who were outside of the caste system and considered unpure. The Untouchables were assigned to certain jobs like butchers, funeral workers and tanners; they worked with dead animals and humans.
Hindus believe that the caste that they are born in is the caste that they are destined for. Karma affects this destiny fully.
Hindus believe that the caste that they are born in is the caste that they are destined for. Karma affects this destiny fully.