Page 192 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

Religious Objects The appearance of religious objects in Brahmin-
Hinduism are according to belief. Images are in different forms and
There are 4 main Brahmin-Hinduism denominations:
features, depending on the creators in each period, and depending on
1. Saivism, Saivite Hindus worship the Supreme God the type of animal worshiped by each God. Since early Vedic times,
as Shiva but also worship Vishnu, Brahman and other Deities. the original belief hasn’t changed; that “Brahman” was the Supreme

God, or Supreme Reality, who created all creatures, and determined
2. Vaishnavism, Vaishnavites worship the Supreme
the fate of humans. He is personified into 3 Gods:
Lord Vishnu but also worship Shiva, Brahman and other Deities.
3. Shaktism, Shaktas worship the Supreme Divine - Brahmā Thādā, The God of Creation
Mother, Adi or Para Shakti or Devi, but also worship Brahman, - Shiva or Ishvara, The God of Destruction and
Vishnu, Shiva and other Deities. Transformation and

4. Smartism, Smartas worship the Supreme in one of - Vishnu, the God of Preservation.
five forms: Ganesha, Divine Mother Bhavani or Adi Shakti, Brahma,
These three deities combined are the personified God
Vishnu and Shiva with no specific preference.
called the “Trimurti.” In addition to image of “Trimurti” and the

These 4 denominations believe in the Paramatman primary three Hindu Gods, icons of their relatives (including wife
or Paramātmā, the Absolute Atman or Supreme Soul as God. The and son) and icons of nature deity (protecting land, nature, mountain,
power of Paramatman is the Divine Mother, Shakti. In some texts, sea, ocean, sun, moon, goddess Ganga, and Phra Mae Thorani the
the Paramatman is called Ādi-puruṣa or Para Brahman. goddess, etc.) -- who have great spiritual powers and contribution
Besides, there are many different sects separated from to humankind -- were also built for worship.

these 4 denomination. Each sect worships different deities and have
their own founders. However, they all believe in the Supreme Soul
or Paramatman as the supreme God, and all have the character of
Aum or Om as the symbol of their denomination. In conclusion,
they may be in various denomination, but all of them belong to one
spiritual family.

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