The Divine
Source of the universe
What is Brahman?
The eternal self, the ultimate reality within
What is Atman?
Bhramin
Who are priests?
Amount of Life Stages
What is 4?
The creator God
Who is Brahma?
The standard for determining right/wrong actions
What is Dharma?
Kshatryia
Who are warriors and kings?
Intensive study of the Vedas/other sacred literature
What is the student?
The caretaker God
Who is Vishnu?
The moral law of cause and effect of actions, and determines reincarnation
What is Karma?
Vaishya
Who are merchants and landowners?
Begins with marriage; career and raising a family
What is the house holder?
The destroyer God
Who is Shiva?
The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and sometimes reincarnation
What is Samsara?
Sudra
Begins with the birth of the first grandchild; retreat from worldly bonds in orider to engage fully in a spiritual quest
What is the forest dweller?
Extensions of one ultimate reality, or many “masks” for one God
What is 330 million gods and goddesses?
The release from the bondage of samsara salvation
What is Moksha?
The untouchables
Who are street sweepers and latrine cleaners?
Ones who are ready to return to society but remind detached from the normal attractions and distractions of social life
What is Sannyasin?