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Hinduism
Began in India about 3000 BC
No Individual began Hinduism
Christ = Christianity
Muhammad = Islam
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Sacred Writings
• Very important to the development of
Hinduism
• The Vedas
• (1500-700 BC)
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Vedas Contain
Hymns
• Ritual Works
• Sayings
• Philosophical Speculations
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The Upanishads
• (End of the Vedas)
• (800-300 BC)
• Most Philosophical Writings
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Major Philosophical Tradition:
• “Advaita Vedanta”
• Shankara (750 AD)
• “Advaita” = Non-Dualism
• “Vedanta” = Summation of the Vedas
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Summary:
• 1. Everything that exists is Brahman
• 2. Brahman can be interpreted as
• (God):
Impersonal Force
• Supreme Principle
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3. Creation is the Dance of Brahman
“Lila”
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4. Atman is the Soul of the Individual
5. Atman and Brahman
are One and the Same
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6. Brahman is not to be confused with
•
•
Brahma = a Hindu god
Brahmin = Hindu Priest or Caste
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•
7. Why do we not understand that
Brahman = Atman?
•
MAYA = Illusion
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8. Our goal in life is Liberation from the
cycle of Samsara
•
Samsara = Reincarnation
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9. And reach “Moksha”
•
Moksha = Nirvana (Buddhism)
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10. This is when the individual soul
(Atman) in absorbed into Brahman
• “Like a drop of rain being absorbed
into a lake”
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11. The Law of Karma
•
•
Governs the cycle of samara
Karma
The good and bad deeds that we do
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• Good deeds
• better rebirth into this world
• a god
• a human
• an animal
• an insect
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• Bad deeds
• worse rebirth into this world
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The Ethics of Hinduism
• 3 Ways or Paths to Good Karma
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The Way of Activity
“Karma Marga”
•
•
Emphasis upon “good works”
Offerings and sacrifices to gods
•
Helping the poor
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The Way of Knowledge
• “Jnana Marga”
• Study
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• Practicing Yoga
• Yoga
• Means to be “yoked”
• A discipline of in the Way of Knowledge
• Thru intense concentration, one
become yoked or attached to Brahman
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• Or according to the Laws of Manu
• Following the proper life path
• Four stages of Life
Student
• Householder
• Forest Dweller
• Ascetic
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The Way of Devotion (Bhakti)
• Personal devotion to a particular god
(Avatar)
• Avatar
• Manifestation of Brahman usually as a
god
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• Krishna
• Brahma = Creator
• Vishnu = Preserver
• Shiva = Destroyer
• Etc
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• Also other world religious leaders are
viewed as Hindu Avatars
• Christ
• Allah
• Tao
• Etc.
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The Caste System
• 5 Categories
• The Brahmin Caste
• (Priests)
• Warrior Caste
• (Governing Class)
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• Middle Class Caste
• (Workers)
• Sudra Caste
• (Farmers, peasants, manual laborers)
• Untouchable Caste
• (lowest class, beggars, aliens, lepers,
etc.)
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Sacred Cow
• The protection of the Cow is prescribed
by Hindu scripture in the Rig Veda
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• The Cow represents symbolically and
in reality, earthly terms the Hindu
reverence for the Divine in all life.
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Hindu Ethics
• Karma Marga = The Way of Activity
• Jnana Marga = The Way of Knowledge
• Bhakti Marga = The Way of Devotion
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