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Hinduism
World Religions 3101
Some terms we’ve heard so far:
Indus
Valley Civilization and the
Aryans
Monotheistic/polytheistic/monistic
Brahman
Dharma
Sacred Cow
Hindu Milk Miracle
Considering Miracles:
How do you define a miracle?
Hinduism: An Inclusive Religion
 Many
ways to pray and worship
 Many different representations of gods
 Adherence to sacred text not necessary
 Path to the truth is determined by the individual
 As a result, Hinduism abosrbed ideas and
practices that suited its social and cultural
framework as the religion evolved over
thousands of years
Origins of Indian Civilizations
Origins of Indian Civilizations
Indus Valley
Civilization

Archaeologists found
evidence of religious
thought in India along the
Indus River in 1926

Originated 3000-2500 BC

Located in modern-day
Pakistan and northwest
India

Lived in large cities
representing modern
civilizations, homes had
drainage and sewage
systems and even
bathrooms on the first and
second floors
Evidence of Religious Thought
 Some
of the buildings in the
central and residential areas of
Mohenjo-Daro have been
identified as places of worship
 Archaeologists have uncovered
stone sculptures that are early
depictions of goddesses in these
buildings
 Figures and seals show early
representations of the Hindu god
Shiva
 Evidence of fire and animal
rituals
Urban Civilization
 Granaries
Harappa
at
Early writing
 Clay
seals
from
Harappa
 From
approx.
1500 BC
Arrival of the Aryans
 Arrived
in Indus Valley around 1500 BC
Aryans
Thousands of people migrated into India from the
Northwest and destroyed the Indus Valley
Civilization
 Believed to be from Central Asia
 Spoke “Sanskrit” (ancient language related to
Persian, and European languages: Romance,
Greek, Slavic, Germanic)

Aryans
 Arrived
as conquerors, imposed their
language and culture
 Aryan thought dominated between 1500-500
BCE and was embodied in a collection of
hymns, ritual texts and philosophical works
called the Vedas


Means “knowledge”
To this day the authoritive scripture (although
not followed by all Hindus)
The Vedas: Aryan Religious Thought
 Hinduism’s
 Rig
Veda
 1500
BC
holiest writings: hymns, rituals, philosophy
Aryan Gods and Religious Impulse

Worshipped nature, personified as gods.

Similar to Greek, Roman and Norse pantheon

They also worshipped Agni, a Fire god
 Worshipped and seen as link between gods and
humans; he was acceptor of sacrifices; immortal
and ever-young because fire is lit every day.
 Worship and prayer rituals to honour and please
these gods formed the core of early Hindu
practice

Atman: The human soul, the “breath” of human life
and is a fundamental principle of Hindu philosophy
Agni
Agni is represented as red
and two-faced,
suggesting both his
destructive and
beneficent qualities, with
black eyes and hair, three
legs and seven arms.
India Today
 1.1
billion people compared to Canada’s 0.3
billion
 India
has 800-900 million Hindus, 150-200 million
Muslims
Hinduism: Beliefs






Dogmatic means one who is inclined to lay down
principles as being absolutely true. Hinduism has been
described as non-dogmatic.
Does not seek to impose its views others; does not
believe in conversion
Seen as the most tolerant of all religions - Hindus are
free to worship any set of doctrines or rules as he or she
sees fit.
Many rules for living and rituals to follow for every stage
of life
Many diverse beliefs held together by mutual
tolerance and respect.
The Hindu view of the “unreal” world, varied views of
god and unique outlook on reality is a challenging
concept for many Canadians to understand.
Handout: “Hinduism – Main Beliefs”
Concept of God
 Hinduism
can be thought of as embracing
these three views at once:
1. Polytheistic: Many different gods
2. Monotheistic: One god with many
aspects
3. Monistic: God is impersonal and
unknowable
Concept of God
The fact that Hinduism includes and is
open to these three different concepts of
God is described as their “tolerant
characteristic”.
 Early hymns of the Rig-Veda praise the
spirits of natural forces such as Fire,
Thunder, Dawn, Water, Earth etc. as all
separate deities, however some sages
believe they represent different forms of
the same supreme being - Brahman

Brahman
 The
supreme being and the
soul of the universe, from
which all living things begin
and to where they return
 An entity without form and
quality
 Hindus worship him/it in
different manifestations, they
are free to worship Him or
Her in anyway that is
meaningful to them
Hindu Deities
 The
most common
forms of Brahman are
the gods Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva
 They are sometimes
depicted as one
concept, known as the
Hindu Trinity
 Each of these gods has
a female counterpart
Brahma

The creator of the universe

Depicted with four faces
and seated on a lotus

Holds a book, a rosary and
a gourd

Wife is Saraswati (learning
and arts)

Least worshipped of the
three
Vishnu






Preserver of the universe
Loving and forgiving figure
who brings salvation
Has avatars
(incarnations)—born in
human form to conquer
evil
Four arms and hold a
conch shell, a discus, a
lotus and a mace
Wife is Lakshmi (wealth,
happiness, luck)
Some Hindus believe one
of his forms is that of
Siddartha Guatama, the
founder of Buddhism
The Girl with Eight Limbs
 Daily
Mail article
 The
extraordinary eight-limbed baby was born
in a poverty-stricken region of Bihar, India - on
the day devoted to the celebration of the
four-armed Hindu deity Vishnu.
 Her
mother Poonam Tatma said she believed
her daughter was "a miracle, a reincarnation"
of Vishnu.
Shiva

The destroyer and restorer of
the universe

Associated with creative
energy

A great Yogi (spiritually
evolved individual)

Holds a trident, a rosary and
a gourd

Also depicted as god of
dance

Wife is Parvati (goddess
Hindus worship as Shakti or
female energy, and Kali,
destroyer of evil)
The Girl with Two Faces
 YouTube
Video
 Baby
named Lali was born with a rare
condition where a single head has two faces.
 She
was believed to be the reincarnation of
the Hindu goddess Durga, also known as
Parvati, the wife of Shiva
Handout: “The Baby With Two Faces”
Female Counterparts to Hindu
Gods
Brahma
Saraswati – Goddess of
learning and arts, often
portrayed alone
Vishnu
Lakshmi – Goddess of
wealth, happiness and
good fortune
Shiva
Parvati – worshipped as
female energy, or “Shakti”.
Also takes the form of Durga
and Kali
Hindu Concepts
 Atman:
the eternal soul, identical to
Brahman, the universal soul
 Samsara: an endless cycle of birth and
rebirth. Hindus believe the physical world
is temporary, ever changing and
artificial.
 Maya: this imperfect world – life within it
is meaningless. Hindus believe that the
universe moves through endless cycles
of millions of years, subject to the
constant themes of creation and
destruction
Hindu Concepts
 Moksha:
the goal of Hinduism - unites your
Atman with Brahman
 Karma: actions which determine your next
reincarnation,



Bad karma = lower station in next life, or lower form
such as an animal
Good karma = higher station in next life
In order to achieve salvation, Hindus attempt to
work their way up the ladder of existence by
securing rebirth at a higher level (Caste system)
 Dharma:
how Hindus refer to their religion, a
code of moral and righteous duty
The Caste System
The Caste System
 Dates
back to the Aryan conquerors
 You are born into a caste based upon actions
in your previous life (karma)
 People of different castes live very different lives
 Can only marry someone of the same caste
 Can only share meals with someone of the
same caste
 Discrimination based on caste has been illegal
in India for 60 years, but difficulties and
prejudice continues
 Caste still strongly effects marriage and politics
Dalits: “Untouchables”

Oppressed people at the bottom of society

170 000 000 people in India

Treated as less than human

Believed that they deserve this because of their
previous lives (karma)

Still face extreme difficulty and discrimination in
modern India, yet making progress. (Ex) previous
president came from this caste

India: The Dalit Story 6:00 minutes
Practices and Rituals
Many
different ways to worship, no
standard
Daily worship mainly at home
Not necessary to go to temple
Practices passed down through
generations – a child learns by
participating in rituals and festivals
at home (ex.) greeting the sun
Practices: Shrines
 Daily
practices take place at home, with a shrine,
with images of deities
 Most common – puja, giving thanks, providing
offerings such as flowers, fruit, water, milk, light
Other practices

Sacred Cows: peaceful beings



Handout: “Hinduism’s Sacred Animal”
Big Bang Theory Clip
Yoga and Meditation

Considered spiritual disciplines

Swamis: holy men who have dedicated their lives to
meditation

Pilgrimages: Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges
River, bathe in the river to purify


Varanasi video
Tilak: symbol on the forehead of the deity they worship
The Hindu Symbol “Om”
 Hindus
use this
symbol to evoke the
essence of Brahman
 Chanted at the
beginning of prayers,
blessings and
meditation
 Believed to contain
the secrets of the
universe
Festivals
 Diwali:
Festival of lights (3 min) , like the
Hindu Christmas
 Fireworks, lights, decorations, gift giving,
wear new clothes
 Celebrate the triumph of good and
knowledge over evil and ignorance
 Lavish vegetarian dishes served
 Honours Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and
good fortune
Milestones
 Each
milestone is celebrated in certain ways,
naming, first haircut, marriage, death
(cremation)

Read textbook p. 136-140 (skip article)
 Arranged
marriages: “First comes marriage,
then comes love.” 4 minutes
Marriage
 Extends
beyond life (if husband dies wife cannot
mention name of another man)
 Woman
moves into husband’s house and has
minimal relationship with own parents
 Marriages
 Dowry
can be arranged between cousins
(property, money, goods, etc. that bride
brings to the marriage) is important and is costly
to brides family; a bride bringing less than
expected can often be treated harshly by
husband and in-laws
Arranged Marriages

Parents scrutinize other family to ensure prospective
mate is worthy socially, culturally and financially

Several meetings and then engagement arranged

Father of groom formally asks for girls hand in
presence of elders

Wedding ceremony takes 3 hours and 2 priests with
as many as 15 rituals

Bidai Ceremony takes place – called the “handing
over” ceremony where girl is given to groom’s family
and must live there forever
Task
 Journal
Entry on Arranged Marriages
(Handout)
Texts
 The



Composed around 1500BCE
Topics range rom science to medicine to divine
spirit
Includes things such as hymns, priest’s “handbook”
for performance of fire sacrifices, melodies for
hymns, magical chants, spells and charms
 The



4 Vedas (oldest)
200+Upanishads
Concluding sections of the Vedas
Basis of Hindu life and thought for 3000 years
Discuss topics such as the mind, senses, worship and
meditation
Groups and Institutions
 Shaivism:
Shiva
3
devotion to
marks on the
forehead, ashes on
the body
Hinduism Around the World