Summary Paragraphs

Achieving Salvation:

The goal in Hinduism is to achieve moksh. Moksha is liberation from the cycle of reincarnation and rebirth, called samsara. This is achieved by developing the ability to see past maya, which is the illusion of the physical world. Upon achieving moksha, and dying, the ataman of a person is reunited with the Supreme Being and is no longer subject to samsara.

Important figures / deities and/or Concept of God(s):

The Hindus have many concepts of God, and each sect of Hinduism concentrates on a different representation of the Supreme Being in the form of the main gods like Krishna, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Goal of Hinduism is to have each ataman reconnect with the Supreme Being. This is done with the help of the sacred texts and the Gurus. Gurus are people who have achieved a close proximity to the Supreme Being through an entire lifetime of focused worship. Other tools to aide in the search for moksha, are the yogas. There are four yogas which each focus on an aspect of life and possible ways to achieve moksha.

Goal for Humans:

The goal for Humans in Hinduism is to be released from Samsara, which is the eternal cycle of reincarnation and rebirth. The release or liberation from this cycle is called moksha. Moksha is achieved by overcoming the desires of the physical world and seeing through the illusion of the physical world, which is called maya. Hindus believe to do this a person must respect and abide by the law of Karma.

Sacred Texts / Doctrines

Possible Vocab to use: Shruti, Smirti, Upanishads, Varna

The Hindus have the one of the largest collections of holy texts of any religions. One of their most important texts is the Vedas. The Vedas are the basics of Hinduism and are the foundations for the rest of the religion. The Hindus have two types of religious text. One that has been remembered, which is a Smriti, and that which has been heard, which is Shruti. These tell different things about the religion and both are essential to the worship and following of the religion.