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Brahma - the Creator Vishnu - the Preserver of life. Shiva - the Destroyer and Regenerator. The images are an aid to worship and are not worshipped themselves. |
The Vedas - these existed in oral
form for centuries before they were written down.
The Puranas - long verse stories of Hindu myths, gods, goddess and heroes. Dharma-Shastra (ancient law and customs) Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (philosophical writings) |
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Hindus have worshipped many gods representing the powers of nature. |
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No Human Founder. The beliefs developed gradually over thousands of years. There are many different groups within Hinduism, each with its own specific philosophy. |
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| Reincarnation - Karma means that your birth, length of life and life experiences are based on your previous acts. Rebirth means that your soul passes on from one body to another. |
| Hindus must practice truth and avoid all physical, mental, emotional and moral hurt to any living creature. Hindus have a special reverence for cows, who represent the 'mother'. They must respect other people's property. |
| You can follow more than one path to reach Nirvana. |
| Hindus have four main aims in life.
Dharma - religious and social duties - is the most important Artha - earning a livlihood by honest means; Kama - enjoying the good things in life in moderation; Moksha - leading the soul towards God and gaining release from the cycle of rebirths. |
| Caste System - Society was divided into 5 groups - Brahmins (priests...) at the top and Panchamas or Untouchables at the bottom. This used to strongly control things like the work that you did, and who you could marry. With education, the caste system has weakened but does still influence Indian life. |
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| Mandir - these can be a large building
or a small shrine in a home.
Inside a mandir there are murtis (statues or pictures) to help you think about God in different ways. |
Take off your shoes as a sign of respect
for the murti.
Ring a bell. Make an offering like water, flowers, food or incense. Kneel, bow and say prayers. Dance, music and chanting are other ways to worship in a mandir. As you leave the mandir, you are given prashad (food that has been offered to the Gods.) |
Puja - the typical form of daily
worship might involve stopping at one or more shrines to make an offering,
a visit to a temple and worship in your own home.
Hindus do not often meet as part of a large group (congregation). Home - offering food flowers or incense along with saying sacred words. Temples - are especially important on special ceremony days with pilgrimages and processions. |
rites