Hinduism

I.  How do we know?

A. Aryan Sanskrit

B. Sacred Texts

1.  Veda (i.e. Rigveda)

2.  Brahmanas & Upanishads

3.  Ramayana & Mahabharata

4. Puranas

II.  What do we know?

A.  Central Beliefs

1. castes:  brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra

2. "wheel of life" concept

a) Brahman & atman

b) dharma & karma

c) samsara & moksha

3. Gods: Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, etc.

4. Bhagavad Gita

a) Arjuna (human hero)

b) Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu)

5. lifecycle

a) study & celibacy

b) "householding"

c) renunciation of the world

-- forest hermit

-- asceticism

III.  "Break away"  Religions

A. Buddhism

B. Jainism

1.  Founder = Vardhamana (540-468 B.C.E.)

a) Mahavira = "great hero"

b) Jina = "conqueror" or "winner over passions"

2.  Beliefs

a) hierarchy of souls

b) matter (karma) clings to souls

c) nonviolence