polytheism

belief in multiple or many gods .

vishnu

the preserver

brahma

creator god

shiva

destroyer god

reincarnation

the process in which a soul is born continuously .

caste system

a hindu social class that controlled every aspect of daily life .

karma

a belief that actions in this life whether god or bad , will decide your place in the next life .

meditation

focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas .

vedas

ancient sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of hinduism .

untochables

lowest class of people in the caste system of hinduism , do all the dirty work of society .

enlightenment

based on total awareness of a situation , in terms of the physical and spiritual centers of the body .

nirvana

the state of enlightenment for buddhists .

siddhartha quatama

most commonly referred to as the buddha was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in south asia .

buddha

the enlightened one .

nobel truths

a doctrine that means they are suffering in the world .

8 fold path

darhma

aseticism

rigorous self denial and self restraint

sanskrit

ancient language of india

ahimsa

hindu belief in nonviolonce and reverance for all life

torah

first five books of the hebrew bible

isreal

only jewish nation .

persecution

hostility and ill-treatment especially because of race or political religious belief .

holocaust

the nazi program of exterminating jews under hitler .

monotheisim

belief in one god

star of david

symbol of judaism

menorah

a candelabrum with nine branches

yarmulka

a skullcap worn by jewish men .

gentile

a non jewish person

messiah

savoir sent by god

disiples

followers of jesus

crusades

aserias of holy wars from 1096-1270 ad undertaken by european christians to free the holy land from muslim rule