Download SOUTH ASIAN RELIGIONS

SOUTH ASIAN RELIGIONS
ORIGINS
SOUTH ASIAN RELIGIONS
HINDUISM: DESCRIPTION
•
Hinduism refers to numerous religious
movements, philosophies, teachings, and
practices that originated in India over the
course of thousands of years and is part and
parcel with the cultures of the Indian subcontinent.
• Any indigenous Indian religious practices or
beliefs may be considered Hindu unless
there is a perception of a distinction by those
who hold such practices and beliefs
(Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism)
Hinduism: General
Observations (1)
 No founder (the religion tends to grow
organically by an unfolding of Truth)
 No agreed upon scriptures (except perhaps for
the Vedas)
 No clear agreement on the number of divinities
 No agreement on doctrine
Hinduism: General
Observations (2)
 Religious practices are more important than beliefs
 Main points of agreement
• ‘worship’ (p jÁ) either communally or within the household
• life-cycle rituals (marriage, birth rituals, funeral rituals)
• Performance of festivals that involve most or the entire
community
• Certain doctrines that are accepted by many: reincarnation and
karma
Hinduism: Divisions
 Vi
u or one of his ten Incarnations on
earth (ex. R ma, K
a) [Vai
avism]
 Śiva [Śaivism]
 The Goddess in any of her forms
[
ktism]
Jainism
 Founder: perhaps P r van tha (?b.
872); Reformer: Mah v ra (? c. 598526 BCE)
 Motivation: The world (including living
beings) is in a state of disharmony or
suffering
Jainism: Teachings
 a moral code which includes he
centerpiece of Jainism: non-violence
(ahi s )
 The belief in the existence of souls in all
living beings
 No Supreme Being
 The emphasis on getting of karma in
order to be delivered from karma
Jainism: Scriptures
• There is no agreement
• Digambara Jains reject the
Śvet mbaras scriptures
• About 45 books are recognized
by the Śvet mbaras
• 32 are recognized by the
Sth nakavav sis and Ter panth s
Sikhism
• Founder: Guru N nak (1469 – 1539)
• Origins: from the Sant Mat Hindu
tradition (emphasis on God as Supreme
and Personal)
Sikhism: God-Centered
Religion
• God is
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
One
Absolute
Creator
Without Fear or Hatred
Timeless
Unborn
Self-Existent
Omnipresent
Supreme Truth
Sikhism as a Middle Path
• The Middle Path between
– The fanaticism of Islam
– The ritual and caste in Hinduism
• Both existed in the homeland of
Guru N nak: the Panjab
Sikhism: Teachings and
Practices
• Acceptance of some basic Hindu teachings
such as reincarnation and karma.
• Purpose of human life is to dispel
ignorance,egoism and suffering and to
achieve purity and illumination of mind.
• God’s Grace and constant repetition of the
name of God brings about the previous goal.
Sikhism: Teachings and
Practices (cont.)
• Although a person cannot become God,
there is ultimately no difference
between God and a God-Conscious
soul
• Kh lsa Sikhs (those who recognize all
ten Gurus) practice the 5 Ks after
initiations
The Five Ks
• Leaving the hair uncut (over which a turban is
worn
• Keeping a comb within the hair
• Carrying a steel dagger
• Wearing a steel bracelet
• Wearing a white knee-length undergarment
Sikhism: Scripture
• The Guru Granth Sahib
• 5894 hymns comprise the Guru Granth
Sahib.
–
–
–
–
–
–
974 hymns are written by the first Guru
62 by the second Guru
907 by the third Guru
679 by the fourth
2218 by the fifth, and
115 by the ninth. Among the remaining 922 the largest
number of hymns (541) is by Kabir (1398-1518)