Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGIONV
SCHOOLSDIVISIONOFSORSOGONCITY
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`SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITY SHEET IN INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF

Grade Level: 12 Quarter: 2nd Lesson: 2

I. Objective: Analyze the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues of
Hinduism.
II. Learning Activity:
HINDUISM
Brief History
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Most scholars
believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near
modern-day Pakistan. The Epic, Puranic and Classic took place between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. Hinduism was
first attributed to the Aryans, who came to parts of Asia and Europe at around 1500 BCE. However, based on
more recent studies, the Aryans are no longer regarded as the founders of Hinduism. Instead, it is now simply
described as the product of spiritual, religious, and social practices of the people from a large portion of South
Asia, including the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Today, with about 1.25 billion followers,
or 15-16% of the global population, Hinduism is the third largest religion behind Christianity and Islam.
Core Teachings
Dharma. Hinduism is sometimes referred to as Sanatana Dharma, which translates to “eternal law.”
Dharma refers to the religious and moral laws governing all people’s action and lives. The dharma instructs
Hindus to follow a path of righteousness, proper conduct, morality, and justice. It also guides Hindus in ensuring
that all living beings are treated with kindness and respect. The Avatar is an incarnation of a Hindu deity on
earth in various forms, including animals and human beings. These avatars also exist in order to restore cosmic
order. Karma in Hinduism is the law of cause and effect. According to Karma, every action has a corresponding
consequence which will be experienced either in this current life or in future lives. Reincarnation is the Hindu
phenomenon of the atman’s immortality. Through reincarnation, the atman will repeatedly undergo birth and
rebirth until it finally attains liberation. Moksha can be regarded as the end of the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is
the stage in life where one has already attained the ultimate liberation of the soul. There are four Vedas, the Rig
Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They also had
a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
Beliefs and Practices
Brahman is regarded as the Supreme Being in Hinduism and is regarded by Hindus as a unifying existence and
the ultimate divine reality. Hindus believe that since Brahman exists in everything and everyone (omnipresence)
there is oneness and interconnectedness in all entities in the universe. Brahman is often seen in three forms or
functions called the Trimurti. These are creation, preservation and destruction which can be manifested in three
major gods of hindu such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahman is considered as the creator. Vishnu is the
preserver Vishnu is seen as a creator who uses the remains of Shiva’s destruction to regenerate what has been
destroyed. Hindus beliefs also include the four Purusarthas -goals or aims of human life; namely, dharma living
in an ethical and morally sound way, artha-pursuit of wealth and economic prosperity, kama-pursuit of
desires/passions/pleasure and affection), and moksha-liberation/freedom from the cycle of death and
rebirth/salvation. Hindus also believe in karma (action, intent and consequences) and samsara (the continuous
cycle of life and reincarnation or rebirth). Hindus believe in the four pathways, known as Yoga. Karma Yoga is
the path of selfless deeds and service. Bhakti Yoga is the path of vocally
 expressing one’s love and devotion towards the gods. It is taken primarily through the chanting of mantras and
hymns. Jnana Yoga is the path of learning more about one’s true self by studying and reflecting on the sacred
Hindu texts. Raja Yoga is the path of spiritual psychology. The omnipresence of Brahman gives rise to the Hindu
practice of ahimsa or non-violence and respect for all life forms, including plants and animals. Hindu practices
also include rituals such as puja (worship) and recitations, japa, (meditation) dhyana, family-oriented rites of
passage, annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages. Along with the practice of various Yogas, some Hindus
leave their social world and material possessions and engage in lifelong Sannyasa (monasticism) in order to
achieve Moksha. Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most do not eat beef or pork, and many are
vegetarian. They revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
Major Issues Faced by the Hindus
1. The Caste System and Social Inequality. The word caste comes from the Portuguese term casta, which
refers to the various classes of Hindu society. Brahmins constitute the highest class in the caste system and
are categorized as the society’s spiritual elite class. They are believed to have the highest knowledge of the
Vedas and are considered the custodians of these scriptures. Kshatriyas are traditionally ranked after the
Brahmins. It is their duty to protect and govern the people, and to lead the sacred rituals in Hindu society.
Vaishyas are traditionally composed of traders and merchants, and the economy of the ancient Hindu society
depended on them. Shudras constitute the lowest class in the system. The Shudra class is composed of the
laborers, commoners, peasants and servants. Untouchables, also referred to as the dalit are not members of
any of the four classes. They are generally considered to have a higher degree of impurity, prohibited from
entering temples of worship, and are discriminated upon by Hindu society.
2. Gender Inequality. Hindu texts place importance on honoring women and ensuring that they lead fulfilling
lives. However, there are scholars who claim that the Hindu scriptures also place emphasis on recognizing
women only in relation to men. However, child marriage is still practiced, and females are believed to have less
access to education. A few cases sati have also been publicized, and domestic abuse is said to be a widespread
issue in Hindu society, particularly in India.
III. Practice Task: My Reflections!
Directions: Create a reflection paper that emphasize on any of the core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices,
or related issues of Hinduism. Be guided by the rubrics below. You may focus on the following topics:
1. The Importance of Dharma on the lives of Hindus
2. Creating my own Dharma: A guide in pursuing my fulfillment in life
3. Hindu Beliefs and Practices: It’s Impact on Filipino Culture
4 Meditation, Fasting and the practice of Yoga
5. My Perspective on Caste System of India
Criteria 5 4 3 2
Quality of Writing The piece was written in an The piece was written in an The piece had little style/poorly Piece had no style/very poorly
extraordinary style/very well interesting style/somewhat organized organized
organized organized
Relevance/Organization Highly informative and it is easy Informative and was Somewhat informative/ Ideas Was not understood/ ideas
to understand/ Ideas are highly understood/ Ideas are are present, however not presented are irrelevant
organized organized organized
Mechanics Capitalization and punctuation There is 1 error in There are 2 errors in There are more than 2 errors
are correct capitalization and punctuation capitalization and punctuation in capitalization and
punctuation
Grammar There are no grammatical There is one grammatical There are two grammatical There are more than two
mistakes mistake mistakes grammatical mistakes
IV. Evaluation. Direction: Read and analyze the statements. Choose from the options given.
1. Aside from India, the second majority Hindu affiliates is found in the country of
A) Myamnar B) Nepal C) Bhutan
2. Most Hindus A) eat whatever they want B) are vegetarian and do not eat meat
C) are careless about what they eat.
3. Hinduism is also known as A) The Way B) Sanatana Dharma C) Sanatana Kharma
4. According to Hinduism, Brahman is A) The supreme power or force in the universe B) The continuous cycle
of life, death, and rebirth C) a person’s duty or purpose for being on earth
5. Reincarnation is the Hindu A) belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form.
B) method of training that is supposed to lead to oneness with Brahman.
C) must worship the leader as a god