Ancient Indian Religion
Published on Nov 23, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Hinduism was the most common religion in ancient India. It originated out of Brahmanism, where the Aryans migrated into. Hindus, people who had this belief, worshiped many deities. Deities are gods or goddesses in polytheistic religions. Three of the most important are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma was believed to create the universe, Vishnu protects it, and Shiva attempts to destroy it to make it anew.
Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that people have many lives. They believed that when they died, they would be reborn as another human or animal. For this reason, they are vegetarian.
In India, cows are sacred animals. According to Indians, cows are signs of abundance, wealth, strength, and earthly life. One misconception made by people is that cows are worshipped. Cows are not worshiped in India, just honored because of the many resources cattle provide. Beef is believed to be taboo, meaning not edible for religious meanings, like all meat to Indians. In the Hindu and Buddhist religion, all meat is taboo due to beliefs in reincarnation.
Textual Sources
- Page 230, 238, McDougal Littel World History: Ancient Civilizations
- http://www.nhsf.org.uk/2007/05/why-do-hindus-worship-the-cow/
