Lesson 3. Hinduism (God(s)?)

• Levensbeschouwing
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

T2

Lesson goals 

I know that Hinduism is polytheistic;

I know the 3 Gods of the trimurti and their appearance and meaning

I know and can explain and connect the 6 most important concepts in Hinduism. 

The concept cyclical worldview is actually a description of the Sanskrit word samsara.

1. Agree
2. Disagree
3. I don't know
4. It's complicated

Atman is the divine (primary) source.

1. Agree
2. Disagree
3. I don't know
4. It's complicated

For Hindus, when you reincarnate the state of your next life depends upon:

1. Dharma
2. Karma
3. Moksha
4. I don't know 'cause it's complicated!

I

Birth

Death

SAMSARA

ATMAN

BRAHMAN

Continuous cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth

Divine spark/part in all living things that takes on a life form and reincarnates after that life form passes away.

Divine source of everything; atman is a part of brahman and will eventually return to it

KARMA

DHARMA

MOKSHA

Action. Can be good or bad. Has consequences but is not a consequence. It just is.

The natural law of life. The way it works. Behaviour that is in accord woth the natural way things work and should be done.

Liberation of samsara, when the atman has build up enough good karma to go back to brahman.

Lesson goals 

I know that Hinduism is polytheistic;

I know the 3 Gods of the trimurti and their appearance and meaning

I know and can explain and connect the 6 most important concepts in Hinduism. 

Images (in religion?)

What could be a problem with images?

Imagine a world without cameras on phones. Would that change the way you look at images?

Vragen

1. Are images of God allowed in religions?
2. Why is that?

Images?

Judaism

Christendom

Islam

Hindoeïsme

Ban on depicting God, because God is holy and cannot be compared to people. Also ban on worshipping other gods

Tenach:

• Ex. 32,1-10
• Ex. 33,18-23

No ban on depicting God in the New Testament, but there is a ban on worshipping other gods.

Ban on depicting God, because God is holy and cannot be compared to people. Also ban on workshipping other gods.

Quran:

• Al-An’aam, verse 103

No ban on depicting Gods. Through the image people can experience the beneficial effect of a god among people.

God(s)?

What to do? And how?

• Step 1. Search on internet for an image of these three Hindu gods: Brahma, Vishnu en Shiva.
• Step 2. Give a factual description of each God: looks, attributes, colours, other beings.
  
• Step 3. Choose 1 of these Gods to look up the meaning of all the things you wrote down with step 2 and write this down.
• 10 min.; work in pairs; loud whisper volume; uphold the phone usage rules; done? more!
  

Brahma

Vishnu

Shiva

Schepper van de wereld

Symbolen:

• Vier hoofden en armen: deze staan voor de overal aanwezige macht; in het noorden, oosten zuiden en westen.
• Lotusbloem: hierop mediteerde Brahma 290 miljoen jaar.

Beschermer van de wereld

Zal nog één keer naar de aarde komen om deze te redden van de ondergang. Negen keer is hij al geweest. De laatste keer zal hij als een ruiter op het witte paard verschijnen.

Vernietiger van de wereld

Bepaalt het moment van sterven en de bestaansvorm waarin atman weer terug op aarde komt.

Symbolen:

• Slang: een teken van de dood.

Lesson goals 

I know that Hinduism is monotheistic and polytheistic;

I know the 3 Gods of the trimurti and their appearance and meaning

I know and can explain the concept of varnashrama dharma (including the caste system)

Brahma

Vishnu

Shiva

Schepper van de wereld

Symbolen:

• Vier hoofden en armen: deze staan voor de overal aanwezige macht; in het noorden, oosten zuiden en westen.
• Lotusbloem: hierop mediteerde Brahma 290 miljoen jaar.

Beschermer van de wereld

Zal nog één keer naar de aarde komen om deze te redden van de ondergang. Negen keer is hij al geweest. De laatste keer zal hij als een ruiter op het witte paard verschijnen.

Vernietiger van de wereld

Bepaalt het moment van sterven en de bestaansvorm waarin atman weer terug op aarde komt.

Symbolen:

• Slang: een teken van de dood.

Three ways to moksha

1. Devotion (worshipping the God(s) aka bhakti

2. Do your duty (upholding all the (daily) rituals as described in the sacred texts; follow the fases of life) aka karma marga

3. Knowledge, insight, meditation aka jnana

Varnashrama Dharma

Stay in your caste, perform your duties in your caste and in your life, that's the natural way of living your life, doing your duties, in accordance with the religious and moral law;

this will help you get good karma and 'move up' your atman

At the end 

of the lesson ...  

I can explain what varnashramadharma is including the (abolished) caste system

I know the 3 Gods of the trimurti and their appearance and meaning and can explain why Hinduism is monoyheistic and/or polytheistic