Hinduism - Beliefs

1. Hindus believe that your spirit returns after death in a different form.

2. They believe that the way you live your life affects what you will come back as - karma.

3. Hindus follow four rules for a good life.

(1) to do their duty

(2) to earn money honestly and look after their families,

(3) to live their lives to the full, but in moderation

(4) to live in a way that will improve their reincarnation

4. Samsara means going through the cycle of a series of births, deaths and rebirths.

5. A Hindu aims to live in a way that will cause each of their lives to be better than the one before.

6. Moksha is the release from the circle of life that allows Hindus access to Nirvana.

7. There are four paths to moksha for Hindus

(1) Bhakti yoga - the way of devotion

(2) Karma yoga - the way of good works

(3) Jnana yoga - the way of knowledge

(4) Raja yoga - the way of meditation

8. Hindus rely on holy books to guide them in their lives, called Vedas, these were written in Sanskrit.

9. The Vedas are the most ancient religious texts for Hindus and were passed on by word of mouth for thousands of years.

10. The Vedas are made up of four parts.

11. Samhitas are hymns and praise to God.

12. Brahmanas are rituals and prayers.

13. Aranyakas are worship and meditation.

14. Upanishads are mystical and philosophical teachings.

15. Hindus believe in a supreme being, Brahman, who exists in everything.

16. Brahman acts in the world through the three principal gods, or Trimurti, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

17. Hindus believe that the cow is sacred and must not be harmed, therefore Hindus do not eat beef.

18. Many Hindus are vegetarian because they think that God has given life and it should not be taken away.

19. Cows are seen to represent motherhood because they give so much.

20. River Ganges is the holiest of India’s rivers.

21. Hindus believe it is important to bathe in the Ganges at least once in their lives to wash away their sins and be blessed by God.

22. Ghats can be found at the side of the river which are used by pilgrims to get into the water, or sometimes for cremation.

23. Hindus scatter the ashes of dead relatives into the Ganges.

24. Hindus are cremated and the soul passes on to another life.

25. Many Hindus still believe in a caste system.

26. This is the division of Hindu society into different groups.