OCR A-level Religious Studies (H573) · Developments in religious thought (Hinduism, Option 07)
Mini-Lesson
Developments in Religious Thought: Hinduism
Component 03 · Option — study ONE religion
This is the Component 03 option in Hinduism: an overview of Hindu religious thought — its sources of authority, its understanding of ultimate reality (Brahman), the self and rebirth, its moral principles, and the challenges it faces.
Component 03 · optional route (Hinduism). For OCR H573 you study just ONE religion in depth for Component 03. Work through this lesson only if Hinduism is your chosen option; another student may study Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism or Hinduism instead.
Work through each screen, weigh the range of scholarly views, answer the questions as you go and collect ⭐ stars. Press Start when you are ready.
Sources of authority
Sources of authority
Hindu thought draws on a large body of sacred texts and living tradition:
The Vedas — the most ancient scriptures, regarded as shruti ('that which is heard', revealed).
The Upanishads — philosophical texts exploring ultimate reality and the self.
Smriti texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the great epics, together with the guidance of gurus.
Quick check
The Vedas
?How are the Vedas regarded within Hinduism?
Ultimate reality
Brahman and atman
The central concept is Brahman — the ultimate reality, the ground of all being.
The atman is the true self or soul. In Advaita (non-dualist) Vedanta, taught by Shankara, atman is Brahman — expressed in the Upanishadic saying 'that thou art' (tat tvam asi).
Other schools (such as Ramanuja) understand the relationship more as loving devotion between the self and a personal God.
The many deities (such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi) are understood as expressions of the one ultimate reality.
Quick check
Brahman and atman
?In Advaita (non-dualist) Hindu thought, what is the relationship between atman and Brahman?
Self and afterlife
The self and rebirth
Hindu thought teaches that the atman passes through many lives:
Samsara — the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation.
Karma — actions have consequences that shape future lives.
Moksha — liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth and union with, or nearness to, the ultimate reality.
Sort it
Belief or practice?
Tap an item, then whether it is mainly a belief or a practice.
💭 Belief
🙏 Practice
Moral principles
Moral principles
Hindu ethics centres on living rightly according to one place and stage in life:
Dharma — duty, righteousness and moral order, appropriate to one role and stage of life.
The four aims of life (purusharthas): dharma, artha (prosperity), kama (pleasure) and moksha (liberation).
Ahimsa — non-violence — is a key virtue. Different paths (yogas) lead toward liberation: action, devotion and knowledge.
Quick check
Moksha
?What is moksha in Hindu thought?
Identity and challenges
Identity and modern challenges
Expression of identity: Hindu life is expressed through puja (worship), temples, pilgrimage and festivals such as Diwali and Holi, within a very diverse tradition.
Challenges to Hindu thought today:
Secularism and science, and reform movements within Hinduism.
Debates over caste (varna) and social justice.
Sustaining identity in the diaspora, and Western appropriation of practices such as yoga.
Match it
Key terms
Tap a term, then its meaning.
Term
Means
Quick check
Dharma
?What does 'dharma' mean in Hindu ethics?
Recap
The big ideas to take into the exam
Sources of authority: the Vedas (shruti), the Upanishads, and smriti texts such as the Bhagavad Gita
Ultimate reality: Brahman is ultimate reality; atman is the self (in Advaita, atman is Brahman)
Self and afterlife: samsara (rebirth), karma, and moksha (liberation)
Moral principles: dharma, the four aims of life, ahimsa, and the yogas
Identity and challenges: puja, temples and festivals; secularism, caste debates and diaspora identity
This is the Hinduism option for Component 03. Press Finish for your score.
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