Download Hinduism

Introductory Questions:
Hinduism
• Hinduism has no founder. Explain.
• What did the Indus Valley and Aryan
cultures contribute to Hindu thought?
• What evidence is there of Hinduism’s
complex web of religious ideas? Is
Hinduism polytheistic or monotheistic?
Basics of Hinduism
• Originated in India (no specific
founder or text): oldest living
religion
• Dates back to 1500 BCE and
many consider it the oldest
religion in the world (Stevens 2011,
Merriam-Webster)
• Third largest religion with
approx 1 billion adherents
(adherents.com)
• Practiced by approx 80% of
India’s inhabitants (2011
Census)
• Derivative of word Hindu is the
geographical term (Sindu River
or Indus Valley)
Indus Valley
• 3300 – 1300 BCE (Most of
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modern-day Pakistan,
parts of northwestern
India, and Afghanistan)
Built houses for worship
Great Male God and Mother
Goddess
First identifier of Shiva?
Stone sculptures and
charms to ward off evil,
Fire altars & animal
sacrifices, as well as Baths
as spiritual worship (water
plays key role in society
and religion)
Aryans (Noble – Sanskrit)
• Entered Indus Valley from
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modern-day Russia 1500-322
BCE
Nomadic people with no
sophisticated government;
clans with chiefs (rajas)
Culture of story-telling:
1500 BCE Poems and ritual
texts called VEDAS (early
sacred writings) – see next
slide
 Agni – god of fire; messenger to
other gods (key figure of the
Vedas)
• Atman - human soul or inner self
(leads to liberation and return to
Brahman)
VEDAS
• Composed in Sanskrit
• Vedas literally means
“knowledge“
• Vedas called “Shruti” by the
Hindus
• RIG VEDA
• Upanishads – mystical texts on
human existence
EPICS
• Ramayana – Hindu Epic of
about 24000 verses including
hero story of Rama
• Mahabharata and Bhagavad
Gita
Legal Codes
• Laws of Manu
Hindu Beliefs & Deities
Categorizing the religion of Hinduism is somewhat confusing:
• POLYTHEISTIC= worships multiple deities: gods and goddesses
• MONOTHEISTIC = it recognizes only one supreme God: the
panentheistic principle of Brahman, that all reality is a unity. The
entire universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at
one with the universe and who transcends it as well
• TRINITARIAN= Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad -one God with three persons: Brahma (the Creator) Vishnu (the
Preserver, Shiva (the Destroyer)
• HENOTHEISTIC= recognize a single deity, and recognizes other
gods and goddesses as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of
that supreme God
Brahman
-is the supreme being
-entity without form
or quality
-soul of universe
-divine, invisible,
unlimited
Preserver
Destroyer
Creator
Brahma
(Saraswati)
Shiva
(Parvati)
Vishnu
(Lakshmi)
• Son of Shiva and Parvati
• Human body and an
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elephant’s head with only
one short tusk
Worshipped as the remover
of all obstacles
Milk Miracle – Sept. 25, 1995
 The ultimate aim of all Hindu thoughts is to
attain the universal soul or divine wisdom called
Brahman
Hindu’s believe in the freedom to individually worship
and guide own spiritual experience.
The goals of Hinduism consist of personal conduct and
righteous living which equals to dharma
Goal to achieve moksha, (liberation) from endless
cycle of rebirths called Samsara and reunite atman
with Brahman
• MAYA= all forms of existence are temporary and
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illusionary
SAMSARA = endless cycle of reincarnation
KARMA = Basic belief of cause and effect (all
actions have a consequence)
DHARMA =personal conduct and righteous living
MOKSHA= the liberation from samsara and the
uniting of ATMAN (human soul) with Brahman
(ultimate soul)
– ॐ । असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योततगगमय । मत्ृ योमागमत
ृ ं
गमय ।।
– OM Asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,
mrityormāmritam gamaya
– "OM (Lead me) from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light,
from death to immortality."
• Aum (also Om, ॐ) is the most sacred syllable in
Hinduism and Vedas
• Used in meditation and prayer as sound gives
supernatural power
• Represents the original sound of creation
• To chant “om” will steady and elevate the mind
• Good luck symbol
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representing “well being”
Usually illustrated in red
Used on wedding
invitations, drawings
Used in rituals to bring
good luck and protect
against evil
• 4 Paths to
Salvation
• 4 Stages of Life
• 4 Goals of Life
• Caste System
• Puja
• Upanayana
• Vegetarianism “holy
cow”
• Arranged Marriages
• Diwali – Festival of Lights
• Ahimsa – non-violence
• Yoga – philosophy and
exercise together – very
spiritual
• Best known Hindu in world
• Fought to end discrimination
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against Indians in South Africa
Tolerant of all religions
Religious ideals on duty, truth,
non-violence (ahimsa) and
spiritual liberation (moksha)
Negotiated independence of
India in 1947
Opposed social injustice of
Hindu society (ie.
untouchables)
Assassinated in 1948
Works Cited
• Stevens, Anthony (2001), Ariadne's Clue: A Guide to the Symbols of
Humankind, Princeton University Press
• The "oldest living major religion" in the world (Merriam-Webster
2000, p. 751; Klostermaier 2007, p. 1)