World Religions: Hinduism: The Persian version of “Sindhu”, the Sanskrit word for River
Dec 25, 2015
World Religions:Hinduism: The Persian version of “Sindhu”, the Sanskrit word for River
Basics of Hinduism Founder: None (So ancient that it can’t be traced back) When: 2500 BCE
1500 BCE written Where: IndiaGod: Brahma (One great reality) Text: Vedas; Upanishads; Mahabharata; Gita – Written
in Sanskrit Tradition: Considered a Religious Tradition more than a
religion, because there many Hinduisms. Sects: NoneStructures: Temples
Basics of Hinduism Beliefs:
Everything is part of BrahmaLife results from karma (previous life and deeds); Reincarnation (moksha) ends through dharma.
Practices: Follow dharma; puja (worship); yoga; meditation.
Life Purpose: Follow dharma; do not harm living things.
Clergy: Brahman priesthood Vegetarianism is personal choice.
Origins of Hinduism: 15,000– 800BCE
Developed in the Indus River Valley, where settlements date back to 15,000 BC (Modern day Pakistan)
Began as a pagan religion 5,000-8,000 years ago: Worshipped a pantheon of Spirits who controlled nature.
This period brought: Vedas (the holy books which describe proper rituals) and Priests (who enacted the rituals)
Vedas: Guides to ritual worship (not historical books) Thought to be complete texts by 1200BC
Origins of Hinduism: 800BCE – 100 CE
800BC: increasing abuse by Brahmin priests triggered a reformation of Vedic Hinduism.
Reforms included: Shift from emphasis on rituals to a meditative style
of worshipNew form of literature: Upanishads (highlighted
oneness with spirit world) Focus on Brahman: the unity of all existence.
Origins of Hinduism: 800BCE – 100 CE
Focus on Maya: the mental prison that prevents people from encountering the underlying reality of Brahman. For Hindus, sin is not immoral behavior, but
ignorance of the real nature of existence. Focus on Yoga: A way to release oneself from the
world to glimpse BrahmanTwo types of Hindu monasticism develop: Jainism
and Buddhism
Origins of Hinduism: 100 CE –Present
With Buddhism and Jainism becoming religions in their own right, Hinduism experienced a period of decline around the turn of the millennia.
100CE: The start of “Classical Hinduism”: what is practiced today
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, 2 epic poems were written
Worshippers began expressing loyalty to particular incarnations of Brahman, known as bhakti (gods and goddesses)
Brahman has no gender associations, is never represented in human terms, and is not the object of bhakti.
Three ways to unite with Brahman through: 1. knowledge from study and contemplation 2. Action known as Karma 3. Acts of devotion and self-surrender to a particular
incarnation of Brahman (bhakti). In Bhagavid Gita, Krishna shows preference to #3, because
people of accessibility to all classes.
Origins of Hinduism: 100 CE –Present
Familiar Hindu ConceptsGuru: Someone with specialized knowledge. From
Sanskrit, meaning destroyer of darkness
Karma: The universe’s way of teaching us to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. Result is not felt in this lifetime: doing good deeds helps you attain a higher spiritual form in the next reincarnation
Reincarnation: Each human has a core entity: atman (individual self) that undergoes a series of incarnations before finally rejoining Brahman or Universal Self.
What are the Sacred Texts?
Shruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative: Four Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals, chants Upanishads - metaphysical speculation Plus other texts
Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics: Ramayana Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita) Plus others
Four Goals of Human LifeKama – fulfillment of
desires
Artha – accumulation of wealth
Dharma – performance of social and religious duties
Moksha – freedom from want, salvation
Life in this worldRespect for all life – vegetarianism
Human life as supreme:Four “stations” of life (Caste) - priests &
teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant class, servant class
Four stages of life – student, householder, retired, yogi
Four duties of life – pleasure, success, social responsibilities, religious responsibilities (moksha)
Spiritual PracticesThe Four Yogas - seeking union with the
divine: Karma Yoga – the path of righteous action through
selfless service (releases built up karma without building up new karma)
Jnana Yoga – the path of rational inquiry/knowledge (understanding the true nature of reality and the self)
Raja Yoga – the path of meditation Bhakti Yoga – the path of selfless devotion
Guru – a spiritual teacher, especially helpful for Jnana and Raja yoga
WorshipBhakti Yoga is seeking union with the divine
through loving devotion to manifest deities In the Home (household shrines) In the Temples (priests officiate).
Puja: making offerings to and decorating the deity images
Darsan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship)
Prasad – taking the divine within your own being through eating of food shared with the deity
Hindu Concept of GodNirguna Brahman - God
without attributes
Saguna Brahman - God with attributes
Saguna Brahman can be worshipped in any shape or form, human or otherwise.
Vishnu, the preserver and protector god
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:• Rama (featured in the
Ramayana)• Krishna (featured in the
Mahabharata)
Hindu’s Major Gods
Shiva, god of constructive destruction(the transformer)Appears as Shiva Nataraj, Lord of
the dance of creation and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha ( the elephant-headed remover of obstacles)
Hindu’s Major Gods
Hindu Goddesses (Devi)
Saraswati - goddess of wisdom• consort of Brahma
Parvati, divine mother• wife of Shiva
Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune• Consort of Vishnu
Durga: The protectress
Kali, the destroyer of demons
Plus about 330 million other deities
Hindu Goddesses (Devi)
All these deities are but Manifest forms (attributes and functions) of the impersonal Brahman.
We are manifest forms of God!
“We are not human beingshaving spiritual experiences;We are spiritual beingshaving a human experience!”
Hinduism is about recognizing the all-pervasiveness of the divine.
Cows! Vegetarianism stems from principle of ahimsa: do no harm
The wish to avoid bad karma by killing a defenseless creature
Tradition: Childhood story of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu: Young Krishna appealed to cow herders to stop eating cows because they provided their livelihood.
Great Respect for Mothers and Milk. Dairy Products are considered to promote spiritual, intellectual
and physical health
In Daily Life, Cow Provides: labor for pulling carts, fertilizer, fuel, cooking (thru droppings)
Temple Worshipan atmosphere
conducive for spiritual progress
Centers of social and cultural activities
a place for collective worship and prayers