Hindu's believe life is like a wheel turning = Samsara
It is the continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth which the atman passes until it achieves moksha.
Samsara is beginningless and endless
Rebirth --- Moksha, Birth --- Death --- Rebirth --- Birth --- Death ---
Reincarnation = belief that when the body dies, the atman moves on to another body
the atman in everything is the same
Hindu's believe the atman moves through steps: plants, animals, goes on to humans
the soul is trapped and can't break free
1 of 4
Atman and Brahman
the universal force is known as Brahman, it occurs within the atman
the soul is therefore part of Brahma and the atman is eternal
For some people, the two are identical: the atman is being maintained and dependent on Brahma, but when achieving Moksha, the atman doesn't fully merge with Brahman
when the body dies, the atman is not fully released from that life
the atman is capable of attaining Moksha when near to, part of or united with Brahman
2 of 4
Karma
karma = deed or action, implies the entire cycle of cause and its effects
Karma shapes the person's destiny
every person leads to results, good or bad, depending on the moral quality of their actions
Godd action is determined by a person's duty or dharma, if people follow their dharma, their karma will be positive
if they follow their dharma, they will be closer to moksha when they die
the negative karma can be overcome from past lives for a human to achieve good karma
if the karma is negative, it will take longer to achieve Moksha
3 of 4
Dharma or Duty
4 kinds of Dharma:
Universal dharma - natural laws such as science
Human dharma - the human actions maintaining the social, individual and environmental order
Individual dharma - individual actions associated with individual duties and responsibilities
Varnashramadharma ---> varna = roles in life, ashrama = stages in life, dharma = duties in life
Landmarks through life:
4 ashramas = stages in life
16 samskaras = specific rituals which recognise landmarks in life..eg..marriage
karma marga = a means of attaining Moksha - the path of Karma
Comments
No comments have yet been made