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Understanding the Hindu Worldview Prepared by Josh Ellis Union Baptist Association History Aryans Dravidians How did Hinduism begin? • Aryan culture: • • • • Polytheism and extensive oral religious traditions Vedic (Sanskrit) linguistic roots though illiterate Class system Reverence for cattle and livestock • Dravidian culture: • Pantheistic • Tamil linguistic roots; literate culture • Temple worship, fire sacrifices Sanatana dharma: eternal truth Country Hindus % of Population India 909,542,254 80.5 Nepal 23,410,450 80.6 Bangladesh 15,797,076 10.5 Mauritius 625,441 50 Fiji 303,163 33 Guyana 253,801 33 Concept of God Henotheism • “God” has one nature and essence, but millions of representations or forms existing simultaneously • “God” has many names: • “Brahman” o Nirguna Brahman (without qualities) o Saguna Brahman (with qualities) • Supreme One • Absolute Reality • Hindus resent being called polytheists “There is one Supreme Controller, who is the Inner Self of all beings. He projects Himself outward, creating infinity from the One. Everlasting joy comes to those wise beings who perceive this great Being within themselves.” -Katha Upanishad God and Man Brahman • eternal being that created, preserves world • all-encompassing • human mind incapable of understanding Atman • each person has atman, soul, a literally a part of Brahman • Atman shapes personality, cannot be destroyed, even by death Evil • There is no concept of Satan, but there is evil in the world and evil spirits of sorts • There is no concept of Hell, a place that eternally separates a soul from God- God is omnipresent • There is a place similar to purgatory- there a soul temporarily undergoes purification and expiation before rebirth • There is continual battle between good (devas) and evil (asuras), also defined selflessness vs. egotism • “avidya”- Sanskrit meaning “ignorance” or “lack of knowledge” is the root of all evil Brahma Lord Brahma symbolizes the aspect of the Supreme Reality that brings forth the creation. For this very reason, Hindus call Lord Brahma the Creator of the universe. His divine consort is Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and knowledge. Goddess Saraswati provides Lord Brahma with knowledge that is necessary for the process of creation. Vishnu • Preserves and sustains the universe • Commonly seen as having blue body indicating his nature is infinite like the sky, and four arms representing omnipotence and omnipresence • Father of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles Vishnu Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including: • Rama • Sri Krishna • Buddha: Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and accept his teachings, but do not directly worship him. • Kalkin (a man on a white horse): this incarnation is yet to come and will mark the end of Kali Yuga, the current period of time The Mahabarata records the Vishnu sahasranama ("Vishnu's thousand names"); Apart from the ten principal avatars, another 22 avatars are also given in the Bhagavata Purana Shiva (Siva) • The destroyer; the transformer • Protector of devotees, from both external and internal dangers • Commonly seen in yogic positions • The River Ganges is said to flow from his feet, making the river important to Hinduism • Reabsorbs the universe into his pure awareness to start the reincarnation process over again Practices The Vedas • • • Directly revealed religious text called shruti (heard) Hymns written in the Vedic language- ancient Sanskrit Many are written in metric verse to ease memorization and recitation Four canonical Samhitas or “compositions” (the Vedas): • • • • • • Rig Veda Sama Veda- hymns noted with melodies from Rig Veda Yajur Veda- focuses mainly on certain sacrifices Atharva Veda Three compendiums: 1. 2. 3. The Brahmanas The Aranyakas The Upanishads Smriti (remembered) texts • Two Great Epics • Mahabarata o Bhagavad Gita- the story of Krishna, teaches about dharma • Ramayana o the story of Rama (and wife, Sita) o Good triumphs over evil o Love conquers all • Puranas • Continually added to over time • “the people’s Vedas” What are the four aims? Hindus organize their lives around certain activities or "purusharthas." These are called the "four aims of Hinduism.” • Dharma: righteousness in their religious life • Artha: success in their economic life; material prosperity • Kama: gratification of the senses; pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment • Moksha: Liberation from "samsara“ Karma The law of action and reaction- every thought, word and action produces an effect that leads to progression or regression Good karma helps one to eventually break the cycle of samsara by receiving moksha Time is Cyclical Krita Yuga (1.7 million yrs) Kali Yuga (432,000 yrs) Treta Yuga (1.3 million yrs) February 18, 3102 BC Dvapara Yuga (864,000 yrs) Actions to Avoid: “yamas” • Violence (“ahimsa”) • Ghandi’s reference to his nonviolent protests • The origination of much of the vegetarianism for Hindus • • • • Lying: (“satya”) Stealing: (“asteya”) Overindulgence: (“brahmacharya”) Greed: (“aparigraha”) Actions to Practice: “niyamas” • • • • • • • • • “Saucha”: cleansing “Santosha”: contentment “Tapas”: discipline “Kshama”: patience “Daya”: compassion “Puja”: worship God “Svadhyaya”: study diligently “Japa”: repeating God’s name “Ishvara Pranidhana”: surrender to God What is yoga? • “Union with the Divine Consciousness.” • Method of keeping us in control of our body, mind and actions • Four types of yoga • Jnana yoga – the path of knowledge o The hardest, most dangerous path • Bhakti yoga – the path of devotion o Devotion to God personally; to gurus • Karma yoga – the path of action o Surrender blessings and ego to the Divine Will o Peace through action (dharma) • Raja yoga – the path based on control of one’s actions and thoughts: Hatha yoga (breathing/stretching) + meditation 5/24/2017 22 Vedanta theology • Advaita vedanta: “not two” • Spirit and matter do not exist separately • Pure consciousness is highest reality- moksha is achieved when Atman becomes fully unified with Brahman (since the two are of the same essence) • The world is an idea superimposed on reality: Is that a snake or rope in the road? • Vishishta vedanta: “not quite two” • Atman can have union with—but not unity with—Brahman • Identity is retained during union • Devotional (rituals and duty) rather than mental approach • Dvaita vedanta: “two, not one” • World, self and God are real and completely separate Hindu leadership Guru Sadhu Swami Hindu caste system • Varna and jatis: (type, order or color & subcastes) • 4 varna: • • • • Brahmins (scholars, teachers, priests) Kshatriyas (warriors, kings) Vaishyas (merchants, farmers) Shudras (laborers) “Twice born” • Outsiders • Dalits- “downtrodden” (outcaste, without Varna) o Ghandi referred to them as “Harijans”- the children of God • Panchamas- once excommunicated from Hindu orthodoxy • Mlecchas- foreigners, never Hindu to begin with What is “Om” and its importance? "Om" is a holy word often spoken during the practice of any Hindu rites. • Represents the trinity of three supreme Gods • Brahma – the creator • Vishnu – the preserver • Shiva – the destroyer Swastika • The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate items related to Hindu culture. • It is also seen as pointing in all four directions (north, east, south and west) and thus signifies grounded stability. It is sometimes used to represent the sun. • "Swastika" (স্বস্তিক Sbastik) is a common given name amongst Bengalis Tilaka and Bindi Divali (Diwali, Dipavali) The Festival of Lights Leicester, England Holi The Festival of Colors Kumbh Mela Festival of the Pot Murti • A physical form through which the power and grace of the divine can manifest • The idols are not being worshipped; they would be similar to icons being revered in orthodox Christianity • Idols are dressed, fed, fanned, washed and clothed as if they were real; they are also replaced if they fall into disrepair When visiting the temple… • • • • Dress modestly Schedule for the darshan (viewing the idols) Take off your shoes before entering Observe the arati BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir 1150 Brand Lane, Stafford, TX 77477 When visiting the temple… • There will be opportunities to purchase offerings • Someone might offer holy water to drink and run through your hair; tilaks might be offered as well • Prasad will be available Hinduism in Houston Specific Countries listed under South Central Asia are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan Top 2 Most Unreached Nationalities in Houston: 1. Pakistani (Urdu & English) 2. Asian Indian (Hindi & Gujurathi) Hare Krishna Dham Transformation • Administration Building • • • • Kitchen Guest Quarters Gift shop Dining Room North Elevation - Artist Rendering Bridges to reaching Hindus • Jesus Christ has offered a assured way to moksha, and defined what it is • Grace is a shared concept (hindus call it “kripa”), and many think Christians define grace too tightly • Jesus Christ is God incarnate and paid a price that only God could pay on our behalf • More details provided by the Lausanne Movement here: http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/lop-14.html#2 For more information: Josh Ellis [email protected] 731-957-2000