HINDUISM

- “Sanatana Dharma”
- Hinduism as “Vedic Religion”
- Many Gods, One Divine Principle
- A Permanent Self (Soul): Atman
- Karma, Samsara and Moksha
I. WHAT I KNOW: PRE-TEST. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. “Sanatana Dharma,” the formal name of Hinduism, means_______.
A. Divine Light C. Way of Truth
B. Eternal Religion D. Holy Religion
2. Belief in the incarnation of a deity in different manifestation
and personalities is called_______.
A. Bhakti C. Avatara
B. Yogi D. Reincarnation
3. The______scripture is “that which is heard.”
A. Darshan C. Sruti
B. Smriti D. Yoga
4. The highest god in the Hindu pantheon and one of the Trimurthi is______.
A. Brahma C. Siva
B. Lakshmi D. Brahman
5. The Shudras caste was renamed_______by Mahatma Gandhi in protest of the
injustice of
the caste system.
A. Prasad C. Puja
B. Harijans D. Jati
6. The three powerful gods in Hinduism is called the_______.
A. Vedas C. Kali
B. Moksha D. Trimurthi
7. A type of yoga that encourages a worshiper to offer love and devotion to a god/goddess
is_______.
A. Atharva Yoga C. Bhakti Yoga
B. Karma Yoga D. Jnana Yoga
8. The highest and purest of all castes is the _______ caste.
A. Shudra C. Brahmin
B. Kshatriya D. Vaishya
9. The Hindu festival of Light is called_______.
A. Holi C. Kumbha Mela
B. Lohari D. Divali
10. The first receivers of Vedic knowledge who supposedly heard them from the gods were
the_______.
A. Sadhus C. Brahmins
B. Prophets D. Rishis
1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. C
9. D
10. D
PRIMING UP QUESTIONS

a. What insights do you know about

Hinduism?
b. What is a Vedic religion?
c. What are the two types of Vedic
scriptures in Hinduism?
d. In lights of the political and religious
conflict in the Middle East, what makes
Hinduism different from other world
religions?
e. Give examples of belief systems
practice by the Hindus.
Basic Concepts in Hinduism
- It is the accumulation of different

philosophies, devotional
practices, and religious teachers
spanning almost four thousand
years.
- Hindus refer to the “Sanatana
Dharma” or “Eternal Religion”,
which is believed to be one of the
oldest religions in the world.
- The beginnings of Hinduism date as

far back as 1500 B.C.E. among the

Indo-European speaking people of
South Asia, present-day India.
_ The name “Hinduism” is itself relatively recent: The term
was introduced by Persians in the 9th century B.C.E. to
refer to people residing near and beyond the eastern side of
the Sindhu (or Indus) River.
- Hinduism is the religion of the Dharma, which is the
timeless order of all life.
- Dharma, according to Hindu belief and practice, is what
holds the universe together. (Dharma means “duty”,
“correct practice”, and “truth”.)
- Dharma covers cosmic, personal, and social orders of
one’s life.
Hinduism as “Vedic Religion”
- Vedas are the sacred writings, for which reason Hinduism is

also referred to as Vaidika Dharma or “Religion of the

Vedas”.
- The term “veda” in Sanskrit means “knowledge”, and

has already been committed to memory by sages (rishis)

and passed on to disciples before it was recorded in writing.
- Vedas are contained in a single volume.
Two Types of Scriptures in Hinduism
1. Shruti Scripture (It means “that which is heard”)
- It contains fundamental elements of Hindu philosophy and

morality.
- Includes the primary four Vedas
Shruti and Its Four Vedas

1. Samhita – They are hymns dedicated to gods and

goddesses.
2. Brahmanas – Explications of the samhitas and other
ritual acts performed by priests.
3. Aranyakas – Philosophical interpretations of ritual acts
4. Upanishads – Explanations of general philosophical
knowledge.
2. Smriti Scripture – It means “that which is
remembered” are considered “second scriptures” and
mostly contain stories and advice from sages.
- Smriti are considered to be of human origin, and gives

ordinary people access to the teachings of the Vedas, as

the latter are only accessible to males of higher castes and
the Brahmins.
1. Mahabharata – Epic poem that is 15 times longer than the
Bible, narrates the story of an ongoing war among family
members. It highlights the importance of virtues and devotion to
the gods, particularly to Krishna.
2. Ramayana – Shorter epic poem about kingship and royal virtues,
tells the story of the battles that Rama had to fight in order to
save his wife Sita from the demon Ravana. It depict battles
between good and evil.
3. Dharma Shastra – Legal treaty that emphasize the importance
of practicing virtues.
4. Bhagavad Gita – Means “Song of the Lord”, one of the books
of Mahabharata. It is an important text that extols the power
and benevolence of Krishna and his instructions to Arjuna.
5. Puranas – Stories that depict the sectarian divisions within
Hinduism
 Major Spiritual Texts in Hinduism
The Sruti Scripturess The Smriti Scriptures
(“that which is heard”) (“that which is
remembered”)
Vedas Mahabharata
1. Rig Veda Ramayana
2. Sama Veda Sharma Shastras
3. Yajur Veda Bhagavad Gita
a.Sukla Yajur – Veda Puranas
b. Krishna Yajur – Veda
4. Atharva Veda
HINDUISM and its CHILDREN

From the word HINDUISM, learners will deduce it

into different words. Only LETTERS comprising
HINDUISM will be used. FIVE (5) MINUTES ONLY.

U I S H M N I
U H I U M H I S I D S
D I H S M N I U H U M
S
Many Gods, One Divine
Principle
- Ganesha (portrayed as an
elephant) and Shiva
(portrayed with more than
two arms);
- Images of gods and goddesses are enshrined in
the family shrine or altar in homes.
- A Hindu is not required to worship all gods
and goddesses nor obliged to worship any
particular deity exclusively.
- The three highest deities are Trimurthi (or
Trinity), of which Brahma is the creator
(Saraswati, the goddesses of speech, is the
consort of Brahma); Vishnu is the preserver
(Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth is his consort)
and Shiva is the destroyer (Parvati, as the
Mother of Goddess, is to Shiva).
A Permanent Self (Soul):
Atman
- Hinduism believes in the
Doctrine of the Atman,
which claims that there is a
“soul” (called Atman) in
each and every creature.
- It is the Atman that assumes

a physical body (through

reincarnation) depending on
the merits of one’s deeds.
bb

- Hinduism is against the killing of any kind of

living being (e.g. humans, animals, and plants).
This is Ahimsa, or non-violence to al beings.
Karma, Samsara and Moksha
- The origin of Karma is

Sanskrit.
- Karma means “action”, but

more so the consequences of

one’s action.
- The Law of Karma means that

the person’s action in the

present will have
consequences, and thus will
shape the person’s future.
- As an ethical principle, the Law of Karma is a
strong teaching: It says that there is nothing that
can prevent the consequences of one’s actions. (It
will affect the individual’s future, either in this life
or in the next).
- Reincarnation happens when the Atman (soul)
leaves its material receptacle (body) and
finds another material receptacle to reside
on in another life cycle (i.e. Transmigration of
Soul).
- This cycle, sometimes called wheel of birth-
death-rebirth, is called Samsara.
- The end of the wheel of Samsara is experienced
as momentous release or liberation from the
seemingly never-ending cycle of birth,
death, and rebirth.
- The experience is called Moksha, and it is the
aim of serious spiritual practitioner to
achieve Moksha within their lifetime.
APPLICATION
The learners will write a reflection paper
explaining how they want to be reincarnated
to somebody’s material receptacle. Students
will be randomly called to share their answer
before the class. (10 minutes)
RULES IN LONG QUIZ / 60 POINTS

1. ONE WHOLE YELLOW PAPER

2. KEEP YOUR NOTES INSIDE YOUR BAG
3. COVER YOUR PAPER
4. CHEATING MEANS ZERO AND CONFERENCE WITH
PARENT
I. Write TRUE or FALSE as deemed
appropriate.
_____1. The beginning of Hinduism date as far
back as 1500 B.C.E.
_____2. The name “Hinduism” was introduced by
Phoenicians in the 9th century B.C.E.
_____3. Dharma makes Hinduism more a religion
of belief rather than a religion of action.
_____4. The term “Veda” in Sanskrit means
learning.
_____5. The Vedas are contained in one single
volume.
I. Directions: Identify the correct answer based on
the given statement. (2 pts. each)

_____1. It is the formal name of Hinduism.

_____2. It is the belief in the incarnation of a deity
in different manifestations and personalities.
_____3. It is the scripture “that which is heard.”
_____4. It is the first receivers of Vedic knowledge
who supposedly heard them from the god.
_____5. It is the highest and purest of all castes.
_____6. The creator and one of the Trimurthies.
_____7. Liberation from the cycle of birth, death,
and
rebirth.
_____8. Worshipped as the “Mother of Goddesses”
by
most Hindus.
_____9. It refers to the three most powerful gods in
Hindusim.
_____10. It is the other term for “soul” in Hinduism.
_____11. The concept of soul leaving its material
receptacle and finds another material receptacle
to reside on in another life cycle.
_____12. Deity in Hinduism and portrayed as an
elephant.
_____13. It is the other term for “trinity” by Hindus.
_____14. Hindu scripture which is “remembered.”
_____15. the Goddess of Wealth.
_____16. It is the deity portrayed with more than
two arms.
_____17. The Goddess of Speech and consort
of Brahma.
_____18. It is the other name for a permanent
self for Hindus.
_____19. It means non-violence to all beings,
including humans, animals, and plants.
_____20. It is a Sanskrit word which means
action.
REFLECTIVE THINKING: Choose only
one to explain. Make your answer
meaningful (minimum of 45 - 50 words/
15 pts.)
a. What is Karma?
b. What is the Hindu principle of
reincarnation?
I. TRUE or FALSE
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. FALSE
5. TRUE
II. Identification
1. Eternal Religion / Sanatana Dharma
2. Reincarnation
3. Shruti
4. Brahmins
5. Brahmins
6. Brahma 16. Shiva
7. Moksha 17. Saraswati
8. Parvati 18. Atman
9. Trimurthi 19. Ahimsa
10. Atman 20. Karma
11. Transmigration of Soul
12. Ganesha
13. Trimurthi
14. Shruti
15. Lakshmi
ASSIGNMENT
1. Define the meaning of caste system by making
a visual representation ( Long bond paper/multi
color)
- Submission is next meeting. No late submissions.

REFLECTIVE THINKING: Use yellow paper / 1 whole

a. Who are the three highest deities in Hinduism?
b. What is Karma?
c. What is the Hindu principle of reincarnation?
 Thank You
And
God bless!!!