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Hinduism Basic Data Christianity Hinduism Adherents 2 billion (32%) 900 million (15%) Leading Person Jesus None Holy Book Bible Veda Clergy Bishops, Priests Brahmin, Guru House of Worship Church Temple Theology Monotheistic-Trinitarian Henotheistic Soteriology Passion of Christ; Baptism Moksha Holidays Easter Christmas Pentecost Yugaadi/Ugaadi (new year) Vasanta Ritu (spring; new life) Sri Ramanavami (Rama birthday) Fasting Lent (Advent) Vegetarian Terms Important Terms Atman: Hindu concept of the eternal soul Avatar: Hindu concept of the incarnation or earthly manifestation of a deity Bhagavad-Gita: Sanskrit for 'Song of the Lord'; this text is regarded as the crowning achievement of Hindu sacred literature Brahma: Hindu god of creation Brahman: Hindu concept for the spiritual oneness of all reality Brahmin: Priestly caste of Indian society Important Terms Guru: Spiritual teacher Krishna: Incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu Henotheism: Belief in one god without denying the existence of others Moksha: release from the cycle of death and rebirth in Indian religions; liberation Samsara: Sanskrit for 'the cycle of rebirth‘ Shiva: Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation Important Terms Puja: a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests Karma: Action, deed; usually understood as cause and effect Dharma: behaviors that are considered to be in accord with the natural order Yoga: physical, mental and spiritual disciplines or practices Upanishad: Philosophical materials in the Vedic literature Vishnu: Hindu god of preservation and love; appears on earth on various forms (avatars) in times of crisis General Overview What is Hinduism The term “Hindu” Originally the name of the Indus River (Hindus => Indus) Used by the English to describe the religion of people who were not Muslim, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh Used primarily as a category in taking a census “Hinduism” includes a wide variety of practices and beliefs No central theological tradition Some practices and beliefs are contradictory Many core practices and beliefs have changed over time due to reactions against other religions, or influences by other religions What is Hinduism KEY: All religious paths honoring the Vedas are commonly gathered under the term Hinduism Preferred label is Sanatana Dharma Sanatana = ageless Dharma = behavior, way of life (religion) This label emphasizes that Hinduism is not so much a systematic set of beliefs as a way of life Legal Definition In 2002/2003, the Indian Supreme Court (2002/2003) stated that a Hindu: Accepts that the Vedas are the foundation of Hindu philosophy; Has a spirit of tolerance (truth has many sides); Accepts the belief that vast cosmic periods of creation, maintenance, and dissolution continuously recur; Accepts belief in reincarnation; Recognizes that paths to truth and salvation are many; Recognizes that there may be numerous gods and goddesses to worship [Henotheism]; Does not believe in a specific set of philosophic concepts. A Philosophical System Metaphysics: Monism Epistemology: Natural knowledge of the Supreme The Supreme is one (monotheism) The Supreme has many forms Moral: Ethics are central to an orderly social life Theodicy: Suffering occurs when karma is out of balance The ultimate cause of suffering is people’s ignorance of the Self (which is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, perfect, and eternal) Anthropology: The more a person understands the above, the more he will realize that he is god, and god is him. Gandhi: Not “god is truth” but “truth is god” Vedas The foundation for Hinduism are the Vedas Hindu “holy book” Consists of four parts Samhitas: hymns of praise in worship of deities. Brahmanas: directions about performances of the ritual sacrifices to the deities. The Brahmanas explain the symbolic correspondences between the microcosm of the ritual process and the “real world” in which rituals are performed. Aranyakas: meditations by recluses Upanishads: teaching from highly realized spiritual masters; they explain the personal transformation that results from psychic participation in the ritual process. Basic Beliefs Concept of God Nirguna Brahman - God without attributes Saguna Brahman - God with attributes Saguna Brahman can be worshipped in any shape or form, human or otherwise Hindu “Trinity” The Supreme God (Brahma) Paramatma=The Supreme Soul Three aspects, roles or powers of the same divine being Brahma - the Creator Vishnu/Krishna - the Preserver & Protector Shiva - the Destroyer Soteriology Hinduism teaches the cycle of life: birth, life, death, rebirth (reincarnation) All life is created by the Supreme God (Brahama) Every living thing has soul, called by Hindus, ATMA. Deeds (Karma) in this life determine life form in the next life. One can go through the cycle of birth and rebirth up to 84 million times as the belief is that there are 84 millions species on earth. Reincarnation: eternal soul traverses through different bodies till it finds liberation (moksha) Karma Karma - the law of cause and effect; “you reap what you sow” Bad karma is weighed against good karma Moksha The ultimate goal of existence is to achieve moksha Moksha is the release of your atma to become part of the paramatma, or great soul of the universe. Analogy: This is understood if we think of an eye-dropper of water squeezed out into the Atlantic thus ceasing to be a separate entity, but being absorbed into the ocean Four Goals of Human Life Kama – fulfillment of desires Artha – accumulation of wealth Dharma – performance of social and religious duties Moksha – freedom from want Four Paths to Moksha KarmaYoga - Path of righteous action BhaktiYoga - Path of selfless devotion Jnana Yoga - Path of rational inquiry RajaYoga - Path of renunciation Temple Worship Temples provide an atmosphere conducive for spiritual progress Centers of social and cultural activities Provide a place for collective worship and prayers Six Philosophical Schools Sankhya - Sage Kapila Yoga - Sage Patanjali Mimamsa - SageJaimini Vedanta – Sage Vyasa Nyaya - Sage Gautama Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada Brief History History of Hinduism Originated between 4000 and 2000 BC No single founder Vedas: the oldest scriptures of Hinduism Veda means “to know” Rig,Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda Upanishads explain the philosophical ideas in story and dialogue form Veda Vyasa 1500 BC classified the Vedas into the four traditional collections composed the 18 Puranas composed his great poetic work, the Mahabharata in a period of two and a half years Sankara Advaitha philosophy 7th century AD traveled all over India having public debates with other philosophers true happiness can be attained by removing avidya(ignorance) and maya (self deception) Ramanuja 10th Century AD Vishistadvaitha wanted everybody irrespective of social standing to enjoy the eternal bliss of Lord Narayana Bhakti - complete surrender to the Lord Madhva Dwaitha philosophy 12th Century AD the world is not an illusion. solitary study of the scriptures, performing one's duty without selfinterest, practical acts of devotion Vivekananda First Hindu leader to visit America Famous address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11,1893 Spent three years preaching the Vedanta philosophy in America and England Founded the Ramakrishna Mission Contemporary Hindu Leaders in America David Frawley Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Mahesh Yogi Satchidananda Mata Amritanandamayi