Name of Deity origin Sacred Text Leadership Basic Beliefs Symbols/Icons Amount of followers Date Where largest started percentage of followers exist Brahman People in this religion generally Hinduism No one No single Guru, Holy The sound OM, – book; sacred the one believe that... founder Man, or AUM, is the texts: supreme The soul never dies, but it is Brahmin most sacred being continually reborn; this is called priests syllable for The Vedas: Today: Over 1 reincarnation. existed in Hindus. It is billion followers India Believed in Persons achieve happiness oral form for often used in other forms of mainly in India and enlightenment after they centuries prayers. the same free themselves from their and South East Famous before they god, such as earthly desires. were written Asia with smaller Teachers -- Uncertain, Vishnu and Freedom from earthly desires down. groups in Europe Gandhi but before Shiva, and The comes from a lifetime of and the US 1,500 BCE Shakti, are Puranas: worship, knowledge, and long stories worshipped virtuous acts. of Hindu separately Good deeds and thoughts will myths, gods, and treated result in later good results, goddess and almost as whereas bad deeds result in heroes. different bad outcomes... this is Karma. gods. Worship and praying to god(s) -Upanishads brings blessings and -Rig Veda to Don’t want -Laws of protections and expresses label their Manu devotion. religion as The relationships with favorite having one or gods/goddesses are very many gods. personal. Belief System Founder
Amount of followers Where largest percentage of followers exist Name of Deity origin Date started Sacred Text Leadership Basic Beliefs Symbols/Icons Hinduism Today: Over 1 billion followers mainly in India and South East Asia with smaller groups in Europe and the US Brahman – the one supreme being Believed in other forms of the same god, such as Vishnu and Shiva, and Shakti, are worshipped separately and treated almost as different gods. Don’t want to label their religion as having one or many gods. No one founder India Uncertain, but before 1,500 BCE No single book; sacred texts: The Vedas: existed in oral form for centuries before they were written down. The Puranas: long stories of Hindu myths, gods, goddess and heroes. -Upanishads -Rig Veda -Laws of Manu Guru, Holy Man, Brahmin priests Famous Teachers -- Gandhi People in this religion generally believe that... The soul never dies, but it is continually reborn; this is called reincarnation. Persons achieve happiness and enlightenment after they free themselves from their earthly desires. Freedom from earthly desires comes from a lifetime of worship, knowledge, and virtuous acts. Good deeds and thoughts will result in later good results, whereas bad deeds result in bad outcomes... this is Karma. Worship and praying to god(s) brings blessings and protections and expresses devotion. The relationships with favorite gods/goddesses are very personal. The sound OM, or AUM, is the most sacred syllable for Hindus. It is often used in prayers. Belief System Founder
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