Belief systems A study in spiritual life and moral codes

1. Essential Questions How do people make sense of their world? Why do belief systems bring people together or pull them apart? Are the world’s belief systems more similar than different? What impact do belief systems have on society? How do belief systems shape the society and culture? How do belief systems influence people’s ideas and in turn actions? Belief systemsA study in spiritual life and moral codes

2. Warm-up Journal: • What’s going on in this image? • What do you SEE that makes you say that? • What MORE can you find?

3. The Origins of Hinduism • No one person founded Hinduism. Hinduism developed over time from ancient Indian traditions. • One of the oldest religions in the world. • The world’s third largest religion (after Christianity and Islam) with 837 million followers (13% of the world’s population).

4. The Origins of Hinduism • Hinduism began on the subcontinent of India. • 82% of people in India currently identify as Hindu. • The religions is found predominantly in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Bali. With 1.1 million Hindus in the U.S.

5. The Origins of Hinduism • Around 2000 B.C.E., nomadic people speaking Indo-European languages migrated to northern India along the banks of the Indus River. • These nomads, sometimes called Aryans, mixed with the native people. • The Aryans brought to India their gods and rituals, which mixed with local cultural traditions and this became Hinduism. • These traditions were passed down orally until India had a written form for Sanskrit.

6. The Origins of Hinduism • Hinduism came from the Vedic religion, named for early Indian texts. • The Vedas are a collection of sacred texts, including verses, hymns, prayers, and teachings composed in Sanskrit (Veda is Sanskrit for knowledge). • Vedic rituals and sacrifices honored a number of deities (gods and goddesses) associated with nature and social order. • A class of priests and religious scholars, called Brahmins, grew increasingly important because they were responsible for correctly interpreting the Vedas and performing the rituals. These Brahmins later became a class in India. • The Vedic religions was also called Brahmanism, but was not called Hinduism until much later. Aspects of Hinduism differ from place to place, but the Vedas is accepted as a sacred text with the basic beliefs of the religion.

7. The Ramayana • The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic narrative that is sacred to many Hindus. It is said to be written by the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu beliefs. • Ramayana is a tatpurusha compound of Rāma and ayana ("going, advancing”) • Rama and avana = “going, advancing” = translating to "Rama's Journey". • It shows Rama living by the rules of dharma. When Rama is a young boy, he is a loyal son. When he grows up, he is a loving husband and a responsible ruler. • It tells us about life in ancient India and offers role models in dharma. • It explores human values and shows the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.

8. The Ramayana • The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books and 500 cantos, which was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture. • It tells the story of Rama (an avatar of the Hindu preserver-God Vishnu), whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. • Like the Mahābhārata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages (Vedas). The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India and Nepal.

9. The Mahabharata • The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. • The Mahabharata contains much philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or purusharthas. • The four goals are: • dharma (right action) • artha (purpose) • kama (pleasure) • moksha (liberation) • Among the principal works and stories that are a part of the Mahabharata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, an abbreviated version of the Ramayana, and the Rishyasringa, often considered as works in their own right.

10. Movie version of the Ramayana • What does this teach us about Hinduism? • What questions do you have about Hinduism?

11. Exit Ticket: Intro to Belief Systems 1. How did Hinduism originate? • The Vedas • A prophet was spoken to by gods • Oral traditions passed down between nomads and local people in India • A man began the religion based on his personal beliefs 2. What language are Hindu sacred texts written in? • English • Arabic • Spanish • Sanskrit 3. What is the early name for the religion of Hinduism? • Vedic • Brahmanism • Ramayana • Buddhism 4. What does the Ramayana teach Hindus? • Monotheism • Polytheism • Rama’s life • Dharma 5. Which of these is NOT one of the four goals expressed in the Mahabarata? • Artha (purpose) • Moksha (liberation) • Samsara (reincarnation) • Kama (pleasure)

12. Homework • Mahabharata Reading & Questions • Flashcards: Hinduism vocab

13. Warm-up Journal: • What’s going on in this image? • What do you SEE that makes you say that? • What MORE can you find?

14. STEP 1: Initial Background Research • Read the textbook section and additional documents on the belief system you are researching. As you read, complete the chart. • Belief system • Origins • Holy Texts • Beliefs • Rituals/Practices • Holy Places • Holy People • Other

15. STEP 1: Initial Background Research • Read the textbook section and additional documents on the belief system you are researching. As you read, complete the chart. • Belief system • Origins • Holy Texts • Beliefs • Rituals/Practices • Holy Places • Holy People • Other • Textbook Pages: • Judaism • 69, 111-127 • Catholicism • 377-393 • Protestantism • 377-393 • Eastern/Greek Orthodox • 377-393 • Buddhism • 133, 169-175, 177, 179-181, 262 • Confucisniam • 223, 226-7, 237, 245, 247 • Islam

16. Homework • Mahabharata Reading & Questions • Flashcards: Hinduism vocab