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Hinduism
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Hinduism is a religion that began in
India.
The religion dates back past 1500
B.C., making it the world’s oldest
religion.
There are 750 million Hindus in the
world today.
Most Hindus still live in India.
Hindu
Some of the first visitors to come to India were the
ancient Persians. The ancient Persian language
had a quirk of replacing the ‘s’ sound with the ‘h’
sound when they spoke. In the North-West part of
ancient India flowed, a river called river Sindhu.
The ancient visitors mispronounced the name as
Hindu thus the word Hindu came into being and
the people living across this river acquired the
name Hindus. In days to come the name of the
river was again mispronounced and the river
became known as river Indus. Today the river is
still called river Indus and the people living in this
part of the world were called people of Indoi. This
word gave rise to the name of the country India.
What is Hinduism?
One of the oldest religions of humanity
The religion of the Indian people
Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
Strong acceptance of Tolerance and diversity:
"Truth is One, the paths are many"
Many gods but believe in a single, impersonal
Ultimate Reality or God
A philosophy and a way of life – focused both
on this world and beyond
How did Hinduism begin?
No particular single, known founder
Begins with the Indus River Valley Civilization
more than 5000 years ago
Aryans enter 4000 - 3500 years ago
Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:
rituals and many gods (polytheism)
sacred texts (Vedas) means “truth” or “to know”
social classes built in religion (caste system)
Upanishads more sacred books (metaphysical
philosophy) 2800 – 2400 years ago
Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism
Hinduism is unique in that it does not rely on the
spiritual experiences of just one prophet who lived in
ancient times. Instead, it has enlightened
people - called Rishis. They claim first hand
experience of God. These Rishis were male or female,
young or old. They continue to be born in Hindu
society and continue to refresh and revive the message
of Hinduism in different times. Some like Vashista &
Vishwamitra lived in ancient times. Some like
Shankaracharya (788 – 820), & Ramanujacharya
(1017 – 1137) lived in medieval times. Some like
Ramana Maharshi & Ramakrishna or
Vivekananda lived in modern times.
What are the Sacred Texts?
Shruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative
Scriptures of authority
The Shrutis are the books of authority.
The word Shruti literally means ‘that
which is heard’. These scriptures are so
called because they were passed on for
thousands of years by word of mouth.
They contain spiritual knowledge
acquired by the rishis in deep meditation.
Sacred Writings
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Four Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals,
chants The main set of Shruti texts is called
the Vedas.
The Vedas collections of Sanskrit hymns
(written down 1200-900BCE, but based
on older oral versions).
Upanishads - metaphysical speculation
Portions of the Vedas containing the Hindu
philosophy are called the Upanishads
The Upanishads which means the inner or
mystic teaching that were passed down from
guru (teacher) to disciple (student).
Plus other texts
Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics:
Ramayana
Mahabharata
Mahabharata, Sanskrit for Great Story, is one of
the great epic poems of ancient India.
It was written between 300 BC and AD. 300.
The story is about the battle of one family over
a kingdom in northern India.
The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God or Song of the
Divine) is contained in the Mahabharata. It is
dialogue between Krishna and the hero Arjuna
on the meaning of life. The Bhagavad Gita is the
central text of Hindus
The content of the Gita is the conversation
between Lord Krishna and the Pandava Prince
Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the
start of the Kurukshetra War. Responding to
Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about
fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to
Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince, and
elaborates on different philosophies, with
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examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita
often being described as a concise guide to Hindu
theology and also as a practical, self-contained
guide to life. During the conversation, Lord
Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being
Himself blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring
vision of His divine universal form.
“The power of God is with
you at all times; through the
activities of mind, senses,
breathing, and emotions; and is
constantly doing all the work using
you as a mere instrument.”
What do Hindus believe?
One impersonal Ultimate Reality – Brahman
This reality can manifest as many aspects of
Brahman
True essence of life – Atman, the soul, is Brahman
trapped in all living matter (“That art thou”)
Brahman and Atman
Hinduism refers to the cosmic reality God as Brahman.
The ultimate reality (God) appears in and as the
physical universe. This ultimate reality appears even
more clearly as living things. This is why all living
things are sacred, as they are intrinsically God. Mankind is
the most transparent manifestation of God on earth, hence
the most sacred. God as our true self is called Atman.
The clearest sight of God on earth is men and women.
Service to mankind is the most comprehensive and
highest worship of God, teaches Hinduism.
Thus the Ultimate Energy Force we call God is Brahman
and a piece or part of that energy (God) is within ALL
living things (think of it as the soul)
The Cycle of Life
Reincarnation – rebirth of the soul Reincarnation is the belief
that the soul repeatedly goes through a cycle of being
born into a body, dying, and being reborn again in a new
body
Hindus believe that after we die, we are reborn. Even
though we do not remember our past lives we have had
many past lives. All of us started off as lesser life form and
then evolved into human form. This theory of being
reborn is called theory of reincarnation. The character we
all possess has been formed in previous lives and that keeps
coming with us when we are reborn. That is why we have to
take great care to form a good character as that is the only
thing that comes with us when we die. Once we are born as
human beings it is highly unlikely that we will be reborn as
lower life forms though it is possible.
Karma – our actions keeps us bound to
this world (good and bad) and determine
our next life form a force that determines
the quality of each life, depending on how
well one behaved in a past life. Hinduism
says we create karma by our actions on
earth. If you live a good life, you create
good karma. If you live a bad life, you
create bad karma
The Law of Karma
Karma means action and law of Karma is law of action
and its consequences. Hindus say that we have to take
responsibility for everything we do. Everything we do
will produce results we have to bear. For example if we
are careless with a knife and cut ourselves, we feel the
pain immediately. We are responsible for what
happens to us. Sometimes the results of our actions are
felt immediately sometimes we see them much later.
For example if we have not been studying hard in
school, we get bad grades at the end of the year. Hindus
say that in some cases the results of what we have done
or not done becomes visible only in future lives. Law of
Karma tells us to be very careful with every small thing
we do, as the results are bound to catch up with us
sooner or later. It makes us be very responsible and
puts us in charge of our destiny.
Atman is continually born into this world lifetime after
lifetime (Samsara)
We continue to be reborn as human beings until we find
God, merge in God. That is called moksha.
The body is born, lives, dies but the soul continues on and is
re born as another living thing and this cycle continues until
the soul is re united with God
Moksha
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Each time a Hindu soul is born into a better life,
it has the opportunity to improve itself further,
and get closer to ultimate liberation.
This liberation is called Moksha.
One attains Moksha when one has "overcome
ignorance", and no longer desires anything at
all.
The ones who reach this state no longer struggle
with the cycle of life and death.
The way to get to Moksha is to not create any
karma.
Ultimate goal of life – to release Atman and
reunite with the divine, becoming as one with
Brahman (Moksha)
How does Hinduism direct
life in this world?
Respect for all life as sacred – vegetarian
Human life as supreme:
Four “stations” of life (Caste) - priests &
teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant class,
servant class
Four stages of life – student, householder,
retired, renunciant
Four duties of life – pleasure, success, social
responsibilities, religious responsibilities
(moksha)
Ashramas:
The word Ashrama can mean hermitage. It
also means the division of life into different
stages. According to Hinduism, the aim of
life is to find God. In order to achieve this,
life is subdivided into four stages called
Ashramas. Though this practice has been
abandoned since the middle ages, most of
the values it promoted are still applicable
today.
Rites of passage ~ Samskaras:
Samskaras are rites of passage within Hinduism.
Sixteen such ceremonies are prescribed in the
scriptures. They can be classed as religious
ceremonies marking entry into the different stages
of life. The first samskara takes place before
conception has taken place and the last takes place
after death. Some of the earlier samskaras include:
naming ceremony, the first feeding of cooked food
and the first hair cut. We deal with four main
ceremonies: The naming ceremony, the sacred
thread ceremony, the marriage ceremony and the
final cremation ceremony.
Naming ceremony ~ Namakarana
The ‘naming ceremony’ is usually performed
around the eleventh day after birth. Sometimes the
paternal aunt is given the privilege of choosing the
name, sometimes a horoscope is consulted to
decide on the first letter of the name. It is believed
that the planetary configuration helps the child to
achieve his or her full potential. Sometimes the
name is chosen to inspire the child, and may be
the name of God, or a virtue to aspire towards.
The name serves a religious purpose as it acts to
remind the family of higher values.
Student Stage of life ~
Brahmacharya ashrama
Brahmacharya is the first stage of life. It begins
at around the age of five when the child begins his
studies. The youngster is expected to lead a
celibate life until he finishes his studies; to stay
with his teacher and learn the scriptures, as
well as other skills that will help him earn his
living. Respect for the teachers and elders is
considered to be an important requirement
promoted at this stage of life. Need for discipline
and self-restraint are values still considered
relevant for modern times.
Sacred thread ceremony ~
Upanayana
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word ‘Upanayana’ literally means ‘getting
closer to God’, and marks the beginning of life as a
student. In ancient times, this used to be around
the age of eight. The child would undergo the
ritual, in which a ‘havan’ or sacred fire is lit, and a
priest recites hymns from the Vedas. The father or
the priest whispers the Gayatri mantra into the
child’s ear, which marks initiation into a religious
lifestyle. The child is then invested with a sacred
thread draped over the left shoulder. It consists of
three strands, representing his debts to God, his
forefathers and his spiritual teacher. The child is
then deemed fit to enter the Brahmacharya
Ashrama.
Householder stage of life ~
Grihastha ashrama
Grihasta, the second stage of life, begins with marriage.
The individual enters the householder’s stage and
starts a family. Earning money is called artha. He earns
a righteous living, and looks after all family members
including the elderly, guests and children. The
individual must work after the needs of society. He
leads a religious life called dharma. It is also a stage of
life when the individual can fulfill legitimate desires,
called kama. The Grihasta Ashrama provides the
financial support for the other three stages of life. Its
relevance today is in teaching the importance of
righteous living, performing one’s duties, and in
looking after the needs of the elderly and society.
Marriage ceremony ~ Vivah
Vivah is the marriage ceremony, which marks the individual’s
transition from a student to a householder. A suitable partner is found
after the individual has completed their studies. The vivah varies
considerably depending on local customs, but there are a few basic
guidelines that are observed at many ceremonies. The bride’s father
offers the hand of the bride to the groom, a gesture called
‘panigrahana’. A havan or sacred fire is lit, and a priest recites hymns
from Holy Scriptures. The bride and groom offer grains and clarified
butter, ‘ghee’ to the fire in order to obtain the blessings of higher
beings. Fire is considered the witness to the ritual. The bride and
groom walk around the fire four times, and after every turn, the bride
places her right foot on a piece of rock to symbolize her steadfastness
in her wifely duties. As a symbolic gesture, the couple takes seven
steps together, each representing health, wealth, strength, children,
happiness, life-long friendship, and God. The wife marks her forehead
(and hair parting) with red powder called ‘kum kum’. The couple is
showered with rice grains and petals to wish them well. The wife is
now addressed as the ‘sahadharmini’ or the companion in spiritual
progress.
Marriage ceremony
Retirement Stage of life ~
Vanaprastha ashrama
Vanaprastha is the third stage in life. The
scriptures say that one begins this stage ‘when the
skin becomes wrinkled’. The word
‘Vanaprastha’ literally means ‘the forest
dweller’; in ancient times, the householder
would retire and live in the forest to
contemplate and meditate. Today it can be taken
to simply mean the withdrawal of the individual
from family duties. The person becomes the
advisor to the family and passes on the household
duties to younger family members.
Life of a Monk ~ Sanyasa ashrama
Sanyasa is the sometimes seen as the final stage in life.
According to the scriptures, the individual can enter this
stage whenever he feels a strong urge to find God. The
word Sanyasa literally means renunciation. It is often
misunderstood to mean ‘giving up everything’,
however what it really means is ‘giving up the minor
things in order to achieve the major’ i.e. God. The
Sanyasi makes the whole world his family. The aim of this
stage is to find God, and also to work for the good of
mankind. He spends his time in meditation, worship,
pilgrimage, and whatever he sees fit to find God. The value
to be learnt from this stage is renunciation. At some stage
in our lifetimes we need to develop dispassion for
worldliness and give up worldly possessions and
passions in order to make spiritual progress.
Final rites ~ Antima-Kriya
Antima Kriya is the final death rite, and involves the
cremation of the body. Hindu philosophy states that the
body is just the outer garment of the individual, and that
the real self never dies, but is reborn in a different body in
due course. The body is not considered important hence it
is cremated rather than buried. The body is bathed, clothed
and placed in a coffin to be taken to the crematorium. The
eldest son or male relative will set fire to the pyre. Verses
from the Bhagavad Gita which explain the immortality of
the soul, are recited to comfort relatives. The ashes are
collected and taken to be immersed in the river Ganges
Cremation
What are the spiritual
practices of Hinduism?
The Four Yogas - seeking union with the divine:
Karma Yoga – the path of action through
selfless service (releases built up karma
without building up new karma)
Jnana Yoga – the path of knowledge
(understanding the true nature of reality and
the self)
Raja Yoga – the path of meditation
Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion
Guru – a spiritual teacher, especially helpful for
Jnana and Raja yoga
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the ‘path of action’. Krishna
teaches in the Bhagavad Gita that action is better
than inaction. This forms the basis of Karma
Yoga. We should never stop working but then the
work we do must be self-less. If we work for the
benefit of others that helps us practise Karma
yoga. We must learn to offer the results of all our
actions to God. Thus we lead a God-centred life
rather than an ego-centred or selfish life. This is
the aim of Karma yoga. God lives in everyone so
when we do good to others we automatically come
closer to God.
Karma yoga means self-less activities
JNANA YOGA
Jnana Yoga is often described as the way to God through
reason and intellect. This path claims that to find God, we
need to clear our vision of reality. As our intellect
develops, our perception of the world becomes clearer. We
start seeing things in a different light. With the advance of
science we now view the world in a very different way
than the ancient man. Jnana Yoga says that this process
should be sharpened further. We require a far greater
understanding of the world in order to ‘really’ see what is
out there, and what we are all about. The tools needed are
‘discrimination’ and ‘dispassion’. First we need dispassion
towards the world in order to become less distracted. Then
we need to focus our minds on what is real and what is
unreal. This is called discrimination.
Though force of reason we can come close to God
Raja Yoga
Raja Yoga is essentially the path to God through
meditation. Many mistake the word ‘Yoga’ to mean
physical exercises. Hindus recognise that this shouldn’t be
an end in itself. Physical exercises, called Hatha Yoga
are only the first step to making spiritual progress. A
healthy body is necessary before one is able to find God
through meditation. Finding God through meditation is
difficult as it requires one-pointed concentration forcing
the mind to become absolutely still. When the mind
becomes still it is able to reflect God. So God can actually
be experienced. Hindus say that it is good to believe in
God but better still is to actually experience God in deep
meditation. Rishis, the founders of Hinduism, were able to
see God in meditation. If you could clear you all that space
in your mind, you would have a doorway. And you know
what the universe would do? Rush in."
Yoga requires control of the body and mind
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti means intense love for God. Yoga means to join
together. Bhakti yoga or bhakti marg is the path of
love. It is suited to those people who feel naturally
drawn towards God. The devotee spends his time in
prayers, worship, and constant remembrance of the deity of
his choice. He may read scriptures, sing devotional songs,
tell beads and socialise with people of a similar
temperament to himself. He does worship with great deal
of love and care, and develops a special, loving
relationship with the deity of his choice. Hindus have a
choice of way they can think about God. Some think of
God like their father in heaven and may call him Vishnu
or Shiva. Some like to think of God as their mother in
heaven like Parvati or Durga or Saraswati . Some
Hindus like to think of God as a little child and they
worship God as baby Krishna. or baby Rama.
How do Hindus worship?
Bhakti 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
Om (sometimes written Aum) is the most important
symbol for Hindus. Hindus claim that this is a sound
heard in the deepest of meditation when one experiences
God. Hence this sound and is said to be the most fitting
name of God. Many Hindu prayers and chants begin with
this word. This sound is extensively used during practice of
meditation.
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Hindus say that it is not enough to just believe in
God. We need to make the effort to find God while
we are alive. One of the best ways to find God is to
think of him/her as a person. This allows us to
build a relationship with God and allows us to
become closer to God. Many Hindus have
successfully found God by thinking of God as a
person. This is why we see God being portrayed in
so many different forms in Hindu temples. These
are all different ways used by different Hindus to
think of and reach the same one God.
Brahma, the creator god
Brahma is God seen in
the role of the creator
of the universe. He is
shown with four heads
looking in all four
directions.
He
is
sometimes
shown
holding
scriptures,
beads, and a water pot.
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Vishnu, the preserver god
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:
Rama (featured in the Ramayana)
Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata)
(Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively)
Vishnu is God seen in
the role of the preserver
of the universe. He is
normally shown with
four arms holding lotus,
mace, discus and conch.
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)
Shiva is God seen in the role of the destroyer of the
universe. He is sometimes depicted as 'Nataraja', the
lord of the dance, holding a drum as a symbol of
creation and fire as a symbol of destruction. Hinduism
says that if God is the creator of the universe then God
is the only one who can be the destroyer of the
universe. Shiva is sometimes depicted in the posture of
meditation (Yogiraja) with a snake curled around his
neck. His body is smeared in ashes and he is shown
with a third eye (the eye of discrimination).
Shiva as the lord of the dance
What about the goddesses?
Devi – the feminine divine
Saraswati, goddess of wisdom, consort of Brahma
Saraswati is the Mother Goddess as the personification of learning, art, and
music. She is shown wearing a white sari, and playing the Veena instrument.
She holds the scriptures in one hand. She is considered to be the consort of
Brahma
Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune, consort
of Vishnu.
Lakshmi is the Mother Goddess as the personification of wealth
and beauty. She is shown wearing a red sari and offers gold coins
to her devotees. She is the consort of Vishnu. The English word
luck is derived from the Sanskrit word Lakshmi, meaning good
fortune
Parvati, divine mother, wife of Shiva
Shakti: God as Mother
Sometimes as Parvati / Sometimes as Durga / Sometimes as Kali
Mother Goddess: Some Hindus like to think of God as their mother
in heaven. There are several different forms of God as the mother in
Hinduism.
Parvati is the form of the Mother Goddess referred to as Shakti
(Force). She is the driving force behind the whole of creation. Parvati
in the role of the warrior is called Durga. She is shown sitting on a
tiger holding many divine weapons. Parvati as the all destroying
figure of the mother goddess is called Kali. Her role as the all
destroyer allows creation to come into being again. In the film Star
Wars, the term 'may the force be with you' was likely borrowed from
this Hindu idea of God as shakti power
Devi – the feminine divine
Durga, protectress
Kali, destroyer of demons
Plus about 330 million other deities
All these deities are but
Manifest forms (attributes
and functions) of the
One God Brahman
God can be thought of as a
personality but without shape
Some Hindus prefer to think of God without
form. The best way they can describe a
formless God is by calling (him) Love and
Truth. They say that if we try to discover
the real nature of these qualities, we can
find God. Two recent movements in India
that promoted this approach are the Arya
Samaj and the Brahmo Samaj, and also
brought about important social reforms
within Hinduism
How can God be both with
and without shape?
Ice has a shape, but water does not. In the
same way, God can be both with and
without shape. It is the love of the believer
who freezes a formless God into the form of
his/her choice. Any form of God we decide
to worship is fine. God is both with and
without form, and much more.
And we too are manifest forms
of God! Thus, we are divine.
“We are not human beings
having spiritual experiences;
We are spiritual beings
having a human experience!”
“That art Thou”
Hinduism is about recognizing the all aspects of the divine
including the human. “God dwells within me...as me”
Explore Hinduism on the Web:
The Hindu Universe: Lots of information on Hinduism and the
Hindu community on-line and around the world. Includes chat
rooms and message board forums - www.hindunet.org
The Virtual Hindu Temple: Contains some interesting and useful
pages including: Discover Hindu Gods & Goddesses and
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HINDUISM. Also
contains a gallery of deity images and a collection of links to
Hindu sacred texts online and other sites related to Hinduism www.rajdeepa.com/vmandir/vmandirindex.htm
Hinduism for Schools provides basic, introductory info to teach
primary and secondary level students about Hinduism www.btinternet.com/~vivekananda/schools1.htm