Chap5 Sec2 Origins of Hinduism

reincarnation

A Hindu and Buddhist belief that souls are born and reborn many times, each time into a new body.

Life and Rebirth

According to Hindu teachings everyone has a soul or atman inside them. This soul holds the persons personality or the qualities that make them who they are. Hindus believe that a persons ultimate goal should be to reunite that soul with Brahman. Hindus believe that their souls will eventually join Brahman because the world we live in is an illusion. They also believed that Brahman is the only reality.

Jainism

An Indian religion based on the teachings of Mahavira that teaches all life is sacred.

3. c.How does Hinduism reinforce followers' willingness to remain within their castes?

Different castes had different religions.

The Varnas

There were four main varnas in Aryan society. They are the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and the Sudras. At the top of the society was the Brahmins, after them it was the Kshatriyas, then the Vaisyas, and at the bottom was the Sudras. The Brahmins were the highest ranking because they performed rituals for their gods. The Brahmins had much influence over the other varnas. The Kshatriyas were rulers and warriors, the Vaisyas were farmers, craftspeople, and traders and the Sudras were workers and servants.

Reading Check What determined how a person would be reborn?

Weather or not they had good karma or bad karma

Reading Check What are the Vedic texts?

The thoughts about the Vedas.

The Vedas

Aryan religion was based on the Vedas. There are four Vedas. Each of them containse sacred hymns and poems. The oldest of the Vedas was the Rigveda witch was probably written before 1000 BC. It includes hymns of praise to many gods.

Summary

Hinduism was developed by Bruhmins and other ideas of religion. The Jain religion was made by the nonfollowers of Hinduism.

2. a.What does the Rigveda include?

Hyms of praise to many gods.

3. a.What is karma

In Buddhism and Hinduism, the effects that good or bad actions have on a person's soul.

karma

In Buddhism and Hinduism, the effects that good or bad actions have on a person's soul.

Jains React to Hinduism

Although Hinduism was widely followed in India not everyone agreed with its beliefs. Some unsatisfied people and groups looked for new religious ideas. One such group was the Jains that are believers in a religion called Jainism. Jainism was based on the teachings of a man named Mahavira. Born into the Kshatriya varna around 599 BC he was unhappy with the control of religion by the Brahmins who he thought put to much emphasis on rituals.

The Caste System

As time past the four varnas in Aryan society were divided into many castes. This caste system divided people by their birth, wealth, or occupation. At one point about 3,000 separate castes were in India. The caste that a person belonged was decided by his or her place in society. But it did not last for ever.

4. a.What are the four main teachings of Jainism?

Injure no life, tell the truth, do not steal, and own no property.

4. b.How do you think the idea of nonviolence affected the daily lives of Jains in ancient India?

It change the way people ate.

Reading Ceack Why do Jains avoid eating meat?

It would go against the Injure no Life principle.

Later Vedic Texts

Over time Aryan Brahmins wrote down what they thoughts about the Vedas. These thoughts were made into collections called Vedic texts. One collection of Vedic texts is of Aryan religious rituals. It describes how sacrifices should be performed. Priests placed animals, food, or drinks to be sacrificed in a fire.

3. b.How did Brahmanism develop into Hinduism?

People brought their thoughts from other cultures and they blended with the thoughts of the Brahmans.

Hindu Beliefs

The Hindus believe in many gods. There are three major gods. Brahma the Creator, Siva the Destroyer, and Vishnu the Preserver. At the same time Hindus believed that each god is part of a single universal spirit called Brahman. They believe that Brahman created the world and preserves it.

Hinduism Develops

The Vedas, the Upanishads, and the other Vedic texts remained the basis of Indian religion for centuries. However the ideas of these sacred texts began to blend with ideas from other cultures. People from Persia and other kingdoms in Central Asia brought their ideas to India. This blending of ideas created a religion called Hinduism. this is the largest religion in India today.

nonvilence

The avoidance of violent actions.

1. b.Why did strict caste rules develop?

The castes were so different.

Section Assesment 1. a.What is the caste system?

The devision of the four varnas.

caste system

The division of Indian society into groups based on rank, wealth, or occupation.

Hinduism

The main religion of India; it teaches that everything is part of a universal spirit called Brahman.

Reading Check How did a person become a member of a caste?

They did the things that those people of a caste did.

2. b.What role did sacrifice play in Aryan society?

They thought that the sacrifices went o the gods.

Caste Rules

To make sure their classes were distinct the Aryans developed guides which told all the rules for the caste system. a person was not allowed to marry anyone from a different class. It was even forbidden for people from one class to eat with people from another. People who broke the rules could be banned from their homes and their castes. This would make them untouchables.

Hinduism and the Caste System

To the traditional Hindu view of reincarnation a person who has died is reborn in a new physical form. The type of form depends upon his or her karma. Evil actions during someones life will build bad karma. A person with bad karma will be reborn into a lower caste or life form. Good actions build good karma.