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1. Three Approaches to Religious
Pluralism
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Exclusivism
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Inclusivism
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Intolerant of other faiths
JWs, Born-Agains, Fundamentalists
Tolerant of other faiths, but there is only one
true religion
Roman Catholic and other Mainline Christian
Churches
Pluralism
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All religions are equal and true: Hinduism
Intro to Hinduism
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World’s oldest literate religion
c. 3,000 BCE
Predominately in India…85% of the
population
In US & Western cultures, the Krishna
Consciousness of the 70s and the Yoga
influx of the 90s have popularized
Hinduism creating a watered-down version
Because Hinduism has many paths
itself, it tends to present itself as a
pluralistic religion
 It is, in reality, a collection of similar
religious traditions
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Ancient Hinduism
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The Vedic Age: 3000 BCE-600 BCE
No clear beginning/no founder
Sacred scriptures: the Vedas, the
Upanishads
Main god: Indra: storm god: like ancient
gods, took on characteristics of nature
Brahamism: very formal, ritualistic
Many people cut off from ritual practice
Protest Religions and Hindu
Renaissance
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Rise of Buddhism and Jainism led to a
refashioning and reform by Hindu scholars
Hinduism adopted some (but not all) of
Buddhist and Jainist concepts
Accepted Buddhist concepts of karma and
reincarnation
Rejected Buddhist concepts of no-self
(anatman) and enlightenment in single
lifetime
Hinduism Refashioned
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Sacred Scriptures: Mahabaratas (epic
poems)
Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord)
Arjuna and Krishna dialogue on the nature
of existence
Idea of self (atman) dharma (duty to
one’s caste) and karma reaffirmed
Advaita
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Hindu philosopher Shankara (4th century
BCE) developed key Hindu (and eastern
religions/philosophies) idea of advaita
Not two/not one (nondualism)
Meant to highlight our relationship
between self (atman) and Brahman (the
Divine One, the Ground of Being)
Advaita continued
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Advaita challenges our assumptions on the
nature of the relationship between
self/God; I/you; Mind/body; life/death;
reason/emotion; male/female
Similar in nature to Christian doctrines of
Incarnation and Trinity a they too
challenge our assumptions on the nature
of God/Christ/self
2. Life Goals
 Kama
(sensual pleasure)…desire
 Artha (wealth, fame,
power)….desire
 Dharma (Call to
Service)…renunciation
 Moksha
(Liberation)….renunciation
 Are these not typical life-stages?
A. Kama
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Pursuit of pleasure within the constraints
of appropriate morality
Kama Sutra…tantrism
The end result proves dissatisfying b/c the
individual seeks only to fill the self
Youth, Childhood
B. Artha
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Worldly success…fame, wealth, power
Like pleasure, worldly success proves to
be unfulfilling b/c the self is insatiable
Young Adulthood
C. Dharma
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Call to Service…the individual has left the
stage of the will-to-get (meaninglessness)
and entered the will-to-give (meaning)
Adulthood: Middle Age
Kama and artha focus on the self, while
dharma focuses on the community
The goals of each path progressively move
away from the self (ego) towards others.
D. Moksha
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Beyond the previous goals, eventually people
(not all) come to realize that they want
Absolute…
 Being: Problem?
 our physical bodies cease to exist
 Knowledge: Problem?
 our minds are finite
 Joy: Problem?
 we become bored, disappointed, and
experience pain
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Joy
 Pain…can be overcome through intense focus
 Disappointment…can be overcome if expectations
are lowered and perceptions are expanded to
others and not limited to the self
 Boredom…can be overcome if we take interest in
others
Knowledge
 There is so much more to our minds than we give
credit. Directed meditation can free the mind and
allow it to reach its potential
Being
 Our (B)being (not bodies) are infinite
 Similar to Aquinas’ view that all are interconnected
b/c they participate in God’s Being
3. Four Paths to Liberation
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Path = Yoga
Yoga…”method of training designed to lead to
integration or union of the human spirit with
God.”
God = Brahman: characteristics?
 Monistic…universal essence, Source and
Ground of Being
 Theistic…characterized by one of the many
Hindu deities
A. Jnana Yoga …the way to God through
knowledge
B. Bhakti Yoga …the way to God through
love (devotion) (Christianity often seen as a
Bhakti path to God
C. Karma Yoga …the way to God through
selfless works (Does Christianity fit here?)
D. Raja Yoga …the way to God through
meditation, contemplation and physical
exercises
Hinduism: Basic Tenets
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Respect for life: very incarnational
Ganges: giver of life, cleanser of karma
Samsara…wheel of rebirth. Also means worldly
and individual suffering
Karma…moral law of cause and effect. Our
thoughts, emotions, and actions in this life
determine our form in the next
Dharma…duty, or teaching leading to
Selflessness
Nirvana…This ultimately leads to nirvana..the
release and extinguishing of the self
Devotees flock to the banks of the Ganges
in the hopes of cleansing bad karma.
A. Jnana Yoga
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Knowledge
Shedding of the ego to realize the Eternal
Self (Atman) and be one with Brahman
Intense study of the sacred scriptures:
 Vedas
 Upanishads
 Mahabharata
 Bhagavad-Gita
B. Bhakti Yoga
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Devotion to the gods and goddesses
Each deity is an expression of Brahman
A family can worship a deity in their home
with a puja (act of worship or shrine)
 Ritual offerings
The community worships a deity in a
mandir (temple)
Prayers
 Ritual offerings
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A puja
A Mandir
Deities
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Brahma…creator
Vishnu…preserver
Shiva…destroyer
Trimurti
Kali…goddess of death and alleviator of fears
Ganesha…god of prosperity and remover of
obstacles
Durga…goddess of balance
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Krishna…avatar (incarnated divine being)
C. Karma Yoga
All work within one’s life is done for
selfless purposes
 The Blessed Lord said: “As the ignorant
men act from attachment to action, O
Arjuna, so should the wise act without
attachment, wishing the welfare of the
world.
-Bhagavad Gita, ch.3, Verse 25.
 Mother Theresa…Ghandi’s struggle to free
India and the harijan
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Dharma…live
according to
caste
The Caste
Brahmin…priests
Karma…dictated
into which caste
one was born
Kshatriya…Upper-class
Vaishya…working-class
Sudra…servants
Outcastes/Untouchables…harijan
D. Raja Yoga
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Stretching, bending, balancing and sitting
exercises. Breathing exercises that aim to
control the mind.
Withdrawing the attention from the body and
the senses by focusing on the body.
Concentration of the mind.
Meditation.
Uninterrupted contemplation of Reality.
Chakras (Seven Levels of Energy)
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Chakra comes from the Sanskrit, “circle”
The body is seen as an energy field w/ seven
levels, each representing a specific power
center
When chakra energy is blocked, spiritual
development is hindered and
emotional/physical difficulties germinate
A person can channel through the chakras
1. Muladhara …coccyx…material
security…physical base
2. Svadhisthana…sex organs…identity and
sexuality
3. Manipura…solar plexus…power-center
4. Anihata…heart…love…compassion
5. Vishudda…throat and vocal chords…finding
our true voice
6. Ajna…center of forehead…”Third
Eye”…vision…wisdom…no more duality
7. Soma…Thousand-Petaled Lotus
Flower…Crown Region…Spiritual Connection
Colors
1.Red
2.Orange
3.Yellow
4.Green
5.Blue
6.Purple
7.White