The Hindu faith is unusual to Westerners and is a unique and novel religion. People are sometimes confused about its central beliefs and practices, and this is a session designed to help people better understand and interact with Hindus and the Hindu Religion. Written from an inquisitive point of view, it also explores questions about how Christians might engage Hindus for dialogue and discussion, while stretching their own faith. Listen to the podcast at: http://soapbox.network/series/digital-discipler-podcast/

1. Dr. Freddy Cardoza
HINDUISM

2. Hinduism is a Colorful Faith With
Familiar and Unusual Practices
cc: dumbskull - https://www.flickr.com/photos/12514104@N00

3. Unusual Hindu Facts
Common and Uncommon Practices
cc: phalinn - http://www.flickr.com/photos/17868205@N00

4. Mars, the red planet, is the planet of
marriage. Red is worn to represent
prosperity and fertility in Hinduism
cc: abrinsky - https://www.flickr.com/photos/12176100@N00

5. Henna designs on the
hands and feet are done as
expressions of beauty
cc: DarkLantern - https://www.flickr.com/photos/58371884@N05

6. Hindu Nose
Ring-Chains
Represent
"Coming of
Age" or of
'Married'
Status

7. Hindu Toe
Rings Also
Represent
'Married'
Status

8. Thookam Festival pierces skin with
hooks to please the gods to atone
one's sins

9. Lower castes roll over "Made Snana"
(food scraps) to gain the high caste's
health and remove bad karma

10. Firewalking originated as a
Hindu practice to reveal purity
cc: Paul S. Jenkins - https://www.flickr.com/photos/50943890@N00

11. Baby Throwing (50+ feet) is an
uncommon Hindu practice for fertility,
luck, and health

12. Self-flagellation to pay the price for
their immoral acts to remove bad
karma

13. Hindu Faithcc: williamcho - https://www.flickr.com/photos/84493444@N00

14. Sacred Literature
1. Vedas (Oldest, authorless)
2. Upanishads (philosophical)
3. Bhagavad Gita (ethics/morality)
4. Sutras (proverbs, sayings)
cc: Sri Vishwanath - https://www.flickr.com/photos/95504497@N06

15. Four Branches of Hinduism
• One Billion followers
• Four denominations:
• (1) Saivism (Shiva devotees)
• (2) Shaktism (Feminine Shakti
worship)
• (3) Vaishnavism (Vishnu devotee)
• (4) Smartism (philosophy, unity of
all), more liberal and they worship
the deity of heir choice
cc: TheTimeTraveler! - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30946741@N05

16. Three Primary Deities
1. Brahma: Creator
2. Vishnu: Preserver
3. Shiva: Destroyer (but have
"330 million" lower deities below
them and are not a trinity)
cc: Arch_Sam - https://www.flickr.com/photos/132084522@N05

17. Each movement has a multitude of guru lineages,
religious leaders, priesthoods, sacred literature,
monastic communities, schools, pilgrimage
centers and tens of thousands of temples. They
possess a wealth of art and architecture,
philosophy and scholarship.
cc: L. Allen Brewer - https://www.flickr.com/photos/13307692@N00

18. YOGA are "Yokes" Placed On Themselves
and are "Ways," or "Disciplines" Hindus
Believe Can Help Them Work to Perfection
cc: Jean Henrique Wichinoski - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36184923@N07

19. Four Paths to Ultimate Reality
1. Karma Yoga: Good deeds
2. Jnana Yoga: Study & Wisdom
3. Bhakti Yoga: Devotion to a god
4. Raja Yoga: Exercise (astanga- 8
parts) & Meditation on the god within
cc: Jean Henrique Wichinoski - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36184923@N07

20. Four Ways to Meaning in Life
Personal Goals in Hinduism
cc: brongaeh - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63848374@N04

21. 1. DHARMA
Pay the Five Karmic Debts
cc: ChrisGampat - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28581186@N02

22. Five Karmic Debts of Dharma
1. Debt to the gods for their blessings;
paid by rituals and offerings.
2. Debt to parents and teachers; paid by
supporting them and having children
3. Debt to guests; repaid by treating
them as if they were gods in one's
home.
4. Debt to others, repaid by respect.
5. Debt to all other living beings; repaid
by offering good will, food, etc.
cc: cobalt123 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/66606673@N00

23. 2. ARTHA
Achievement, Prosperity & Ease
cc: Artist in doing nothing. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/92095273@N00

24. 3. KAMA
Pleasure and Sexuality
cc: JPBennett1 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40026990@N07

25. 4. MOKSHA
Enlightenment, Union with God
cc: nabeel_yoosuf - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40387279@N03

26. Hindu Castes (career/social levels)
1. Brahmin: priests
2. Kshatriyas: soldiers
3. Vaishyas: governors, soldiers
4. Shudras: laborers
5. Dalits: untouchables
cc: The Advocacy Project - https://www.flickr.com/photos/42487558@N00

27. REINCARNATION
The endless cycle of life,
death, and rebirth as a
thing or being
cc: daliborlev - http://www.flickr.com/photos/10249607@N04

28. HINDU WORLDVIEW:
You have a duty (dharma) to
do right through devotion to
one of many religious paths
(yogas)
cc: ecstaticist - http://www.flickr.com/photos/41864721@N00

29. You have a duty (dharma) to
do right and balance the
scales (karma) for all times
or pay the price
(reincarnation)
cc: ecstaticist - http://www.flickr.com/photos/41864721@N00

30. Reincarnation results in
endless rebirths at higher
or lower life forms, castes,
or qualities of life until
perfection (moksha)
cc: ecstaticist - http://www.flickr.com/photos/41864721@N00

31. Q & A
Question and Answer Time
cc: Leo Reynolds - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00

32. Small Group Questions
1. Hinduism teaches 3 primary gods
(Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva). Compare
these to the Christian Trinity.
2. Hinduism teaches release from
reincarnation (moksha) as the ultimate
goal. Is this the equivalent of heaven?
3. Hinduism uses multiple holy books. Are
they authoritative like the Bible? Why or
why not?
cc: Binoy Bhushan - https://www.flickr.com/photos/90287687@N05

33. Small Group Questions
4. Hinduism has four branches that
teach wildly different views of
Hinduism. How are Christian
denominations different?
5. Hinduism's four ways (yogas) to
appease God all exclusively involve
human effort for ‘salvation.’ How is
salvation in Christianity different?
cc: Binoy Bhushan - https://www.flickr.com/photos/90287687@N05

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