Pd4Hinduism_A

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =__**Hinduism** __= = =
 * = =

= = =** The founder: **=



 * There is no single founder. It was created by the believer of all religions. It was created around 1500 B.C. It is the oldest religion in the world. **

=<span style="display: block; font-size: 150%; color: rgb(101, 46, 239); font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;"> = ====<span style="color: rgb(0, 48, 255);">**<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;"> The Religious Leader: ** **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Mohandas Gandhi was the leader of the Hindus. He was born in 1869. He gave India independence, and believed in non-violent protest. He gave a message of tolerance. One of his famous quotes is " hate the sin, love the sinner." He was assassinated in 1948, because of the many people who did not believe his ways. **====

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(191, 148, 249); font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block;">
<span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A Mandir or temple is where the Hindus pray. They mostly worship their Gods in their homes though. They pray around a picture or statue of the God of their choosing. They must ring a bell before they start their prayers. When they pray at Mandir they must take off their shoes and wash their feet before entering. They sometimes wash their arms and faces too. They do this to cleanse themselves of sin. . This is a Mandir **

**<span style="display: block; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Where it started, and is now today: **
**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> The Hindu religion began in India. Now it is practiced all over the world. Out of all the Hindus 80% live in India. It is 14% of the worlds population, 900 million people. The countries its in are India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and is spreading to the U.S, Canada, and the U.K. **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;"> **Main beliefs:**
. The Ganges river. **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> They believe in the unity of everything. They do not believe in a heaven. They believe in samsera, or reincarnation. Karma effects what they will be in their next life. If they have bad karma they could become a fly for example. If they have good karma they could become a something such as a king. Moksha is freedom of samsara. They go to a place of pure being, consciousness, and bliss. When they die their ashes are poured into the Ganges river; a place that gets rid of your sin. When you are alive you bath in the river to wash away your sins also.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;"> **Gods:**
<span style="display: block; text-align: left; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> **They worship many gods and goddesses. They call their Gods deities. Some of the Gods are: Ganesha- the Isha (lord) of everything** Saraswati- the Goddess of knowledge Shakti- goddess of divine force, and mother Goddess Brahmam- creator of everything Shiva- destroyer of everything Vishnu- preserver and protector of everything**
 * Annapurna- the Goddess of food and cooking

====<span style="display: block; text-align: left; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">This is Ganesha ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;">**Sacred Writings:** ==== <span style="display: block; text-align: left; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> **Shastras are holy books. They contain writings about the Gods.They have Vedas, ancient texts, written inside. They have three other texts too.**

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;"> **Religious Practice:**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;">** Hindus believe that certain Gods and Goddesses live in Mandirs. They pray to the Gods once in the morning, before sundown, and after sunset. When they are done praying they bathe. **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(185, 134, 249); text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;"> **Festivals:**

 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Three festivals are Dasera, Holi, and Diwali. Dasera is in honor of the mother Goddesses, Sakti. Diiwali is the most important holiday. It means "group or row of lights." It is celebrated for the return of Rama and Sita to their kingdom, Ayodhya, after fouhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/HinduismSymbol.PNGrteen years of exile. Wedding are the most important holiday. Holi is a spring festival. They splash people and buildings with colors. They use paint, and powder. They splash water too. **

<span style="color: rgb(185, 134, 249); font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center; display: block; font-size: 110%;"> **Symbols:**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> **Om is the main symbol. They say out of this sound everything was made. It is a sacred symbol used as a mantra in meditation. It symbolizes the 3 words, the 3 states of consciousness, and the past, the presents, and future.**

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The hindu symbol: Om **

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