Religions of the World: Hinduism

1. Explain at least two ways a typical Hindu might begin his/her religious day.

2. What are the Vedas? What role do they play in Hinduism today?

3. What is reincarnation?

4. What were Buddhism and Jainism reacting against within the Hindu faith?

5. What is the caste system?

6. In the period from 500 B.C.E. to 800 C.E., how did the Hindus deal with the challenges of the Buddhists and the Jains?

7. Who is Shankara and what is significant about his teachings? Is his position one that is commonly accepted by most Hindus today?

8. What important Hindu lesson does the warrior Arjuna learn from the god Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita?

9. What are the Hindu stages of life that a man should expect to pass through in his lifetime in the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment?

10. What is the role of astrology in Hinduism?

11. What is the significance of the Ganges River in Hinduism?

12. Which day of the week is traditionally considered the Hindu Sabbath?

13. Where did the term “Hinduism” originate and when?

14. What are some of the major contributions made to Hinduism by such modern thinkers as Ram Mohun Roy or Bal Gangadhar Tilah?

15. What are the most important effects that Gandhi had on modern Hinduism?

16. Why did Gandhi use the tactic of nonviolence against British rule in India?