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Week 2 – Hinduism & Jainism
Review of Week 1
Why is it important to study other
religions?
– Global workplace
– People from other religions see the world
differently than you do
Overview of Week 2
Explain how Hinduism developed into a
religion.
Describe the major tenets of the Hindu
belief system.
Hinduism
The world’s oldest religion, has no beginning—it
precedes recorded history
Has no human founder
Is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to
personally experience the Truth within, finally
reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where
man and God are one
Development of Hinduism
Has been practiced in India since at least
3000 BCE
Originated around the Indus river valley
– ‘Hindu’ is derived from ‘Indus’
– Used by the British to describe a great variety
of religious practices
– Not a native term
Santana Dharma – Eternal Truth
Hinduism
It was not started as a system, like Islam or
Christianity
It is the product of the seers of the Vedas. It was
developed from age to age by the teachings of
Avataras, Rishis, Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita
and the Itihasas
Hinduism is also known by the names Sanatana
Dharma and Vaidika Dharma
– Sanatana Dharma means eternal religion, the
Ancient Law
– Vaidika Dharma means the religion of the
Vedas.
The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of
Hinduism.
Stages of Hinduism
Nature worshiping with prayers, chants, and sacred
formulas -- ~ time of the Aryan invasion and the blending
of religions
Priestly Hinduism with the Brahmanas and a focus on
sacrifice ~1000 – 800 BC(E)
Philosophic Hinduism with the development of the
Upanishads ~800 – 600 BC(E)
Legalistic Hinduism with the Code of Manu & stress
upon obedience to a law ~250 BC(E)
Devotional Hinduism as exemplified in the BhavagadVita 1st century AD (CE)
Popular Hinduism with temples, shrines, sacred places,
pilgrimages, belief in transmigration since 1st century
Comparison of World Religions. Heydt. 1967. (P. 18-19).
Background - Pantheon
The holy Hindu scriptures, the Veda, propound
the idea of 33 principal deities in the earlier
Hindu pantheon. Because of a mistranslation
this has sometimes been interpreted as 330
million – the word for ‘types or kinds’ and the
word for 10 million (crore) are the same.
This, naturally has lead to accusations of
rampant pantheism when it really means that
the One God had 33 distinct aspects, all with
separate images and functions.
The elements of World Religions. Flowers. 1997. (P. 71).
Historical Figures
Rishis – the ‘forest seers’
– Wrote down the Vedas
– Vyasa- mythical (?) compiler/author of Vedas
Shankara
‘All plurality and
differentiation is
nothing but an
Illusion.’
Mahatmas (Great-Souled One) Gandhi
Background – Central Tenets
Central tenets of Hinduism:
Everything in existence is an expression of
God
The proper aim of anyone’s life is to come
close, realize, and merge with God
World delights are temptations that divert the
person from pursuing his true purpose of
coming near to God
The elements of World Religions. Flowers. 1997.
Hinduism: Central Beliefs
Plurality of Beliefs
Cyclical nature of universe
– Creation and destruction
Brahman
Reincarnation (samsara)
Karma
Goal of human life: moksha
Commonalities
1. Have deep roots in the Vedas and other
scriptures but also in direct personal
experiences of the truth through meditation.
2. Hold ethics to be central to orderly social life.
They attribute suffering to the law of karma,
thereby suggesting incentives to more ethical
behavior.
3. Hold that the ultimate cause of suffering is
people’s ignorance of their true nature, the Self,
which is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent,
perfect, and eternal.
Hinduism
Who is a Hindu?
“Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence;
recognition of the fact that the means or
ways to salvation are diverse; and the
realization of the truth that the number
of gods to be worshiped is large, that
indeed is the distinguishing feature of
the Hindu religion.”
-India’s Supreme Court, 1995
Indian Supreme court definition of
Hinduism
The Indian Supreme court has formally defined Hindu beliefs in a
way that affirms universality rather than exclusiveness. According to
the Court’s definition, to be a Hindu means:
– 1. Acceptance and reverence for the Vedas as the foundation of
Hindu philosophy;
– 2. A spirit of tolerance, and willingness to understand and
appreciate others’ points of view, recognizing that truth has
many sides;
– 3. Acceptance of the belief that vast cosmic periods of creation,
maintenance, and dissolution continuously recur;
– 4. Acceptance of belief in reincarnation;
– 5. Recognition that paths to truth and salvation are many;
– 6. Recognition that there may be numerous gods and
goddesses to worship, without necessarily believing in worship
through idols;
– 7. Unlike other religions, absence of belief in a specific set of
philosophic concepts
Nature of the Divine
Brahman
– The ultimate reality behind all things
Impersonal and beyond description; without
attributes; indescribable
Or – manifest in a personal way, as in a particular
deity (such as Siva, Krishna, or Vishnu)
The Godhead
Upanishads first suggested the idea of a God (Brahman)
without form (akara) or quality (guna) around 6th century
AD (CE)
Therefore the godhead must be represented by aspects
The Trimurti (3 major aspects):
Brahma – creative aspect of Brahman
Consort is Sarawati goddess of Arts and Learning
Vishnu – preserver aspect of Brahman
Consort is Laxmi goddess of Good Fortune
Rama and Krishna are avatars of Vishnu
Shiva – destroyer aspect of Brahman, also fertility and regeneration
Consort is Parvati who is worshiped in two forms
Benign form worshiped as Shakti – Mother Goddess
Destructive form worshiped as Durga or Kali – who demands blood
sacrifice
Both aspects combined form the dualistic play of cosmic forces
Trimurti or Triad
Brahma, the Creator god
–Balance between Vishnu and
Shiva
Vishnu, the Protector god
Shiva, the Destroyer god
–Vishnu and Shiva represent
opposite forces
Brahma, the Creator
Brahma is depicted as red in
color with four heads, bearded
faces, and four arms
His hands hold a kamandalu, his
bow or a rosary, a sacrificial
ladle, and the Vedas.
Brahma is sometimes depicted
as sitting on a lotus.
The four Vedas are said to have
originated from his head.
The four castes (see Varna) are
also believed to have originated
from Brahma: the Brahmins from
his head, the Kshatriyas from his
arms, the Vaishyas from his
thighs, and the Shudras from his
feet.
Vishnu
Siva
Vedic gods
Surya, the Sun god
– Surya is linked with Agni and Vayu
Agni, the Fire god
– Was one of the most popular of the Vedic deities
– He acted as a mediator between gods and humans which
often involved aburning a sacrifice to the gods
Indra, the Warrior leader
– He would lead the Vedic gods in battles against demons
– He was strong, brave and a great eater and drinker
Vayu, the god of the air and wind
– Often linked with Indra and his chariot
– Involved in conflicts with Vishnu
Varuna, the god of the sky and water
– He is all-knowing and all-seeing and king of the Vedic gods
– He had the power to punish sins
– To please him one had to lead a virtuous life
Vishnu, the Protector
Vishnu, the Preserver God, is the
protector of dharma (righteousness)
and the guardian of humanity
His particular task is the
conservation or preservation of the
Divine Order in the world
Vishnu has had10 avatars or
incarnations
He assumes these and comes
down to earth in order to help
humanity
In reliefs, sculptures, and paintings
Vishnu is shown possessing 4 arms
and has a long and narrow sign in
the shape of a U inscribed on his
forehead
His followers wear the same sign.
Avatars of Vishnu
Matsya, the fish avatar
Kurma, the tortoise avatar
Varaha, the boar avatar
Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion avatar
Vamana, the dwarf avatar
Parashurama, “Rama with the axe” avatar
Rama, the Lord Rama avatar
Krishna, demon king Kamsa avatar
Buddha, ninth avatar
Kalki, the Final avatar
Shiva, the Destroyer
Shiva sits on Mount
Kailasa in silent meditation
He is the king of yogis and
the original teacher of
spiritual science
The message of Shiva for
the spiritual seeker is to
become one with Shiva's
consciousness by
meditating within to
experience the Absolute
Shakti, the Female Aspect of the
gods
Sarasvati, the consort of Brahma
Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu
Shiva’s consorts take on many forms
– Parvati, the benign
– Durga, the fearsome
Sarasvati
Sarasvati, the consort of Lord Brahma, is the
Hindu goddess of learning and the creative arts.
With two of her four hands, she plays upon a
stringed instrument called a veena; her third hand
holds a sacred book; and the fourth, which bears
a rosary, is raised in blessing. She is usually
depicted seated on a white swan or a peacock.
Sarasvati is the Hindu Goddess
of all arts: music, painting,
sculpture, dance, and writing.
She is credited with presenting
the gift of writing to mankind so
that her songs could be written
down and preserved.
Sarasvati is often depicted on
the back of a swan or peacock,
and with four arms, with which
she plays the lute or drum and
bestows jeweled blessings.
She is the Goddess of
eloquence, and words pour from
her like a sweetly flowing river.
One myth of this Goddess is
that She is a jealous rival of the
Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi,
and that pursuing wealth alone
will assure that Sarasvati's gifts
will desert you.
Sarasvati
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of
wealth. She is also called 'Sri' '
Money, grain, cattle, land,
gold, and silver are forms of
wealth. Everybody worships
Lakshmi because one gets
wealth if Lakshmi grants it.
Wife of Vishnu. In different
incarnations of Vishnu she
married Sri Rama as Sita, Sri
Krishna as Rukmini and Sri
Venkateshwara as Padmavati.
Devotees believe that Lakshmi
resides in a place where virtue,
righteousness, truth and
compassion prevail.
Parvati, the Benign
Consort of Lord Shiva.
By rigorous penance she won over Shiva,
himself a great ascetic.
Mother of Shanmukha and Ganesha.
By becoming the wife of Shiva she paved
the way for the spread of peace
and felicity in the world.
Ganesha
Ganesha is the son of
Shiva and Parvati
He is the god of good
luck
People pray to him to
remove any obstacles
they might face,
especially before new
undertakings such as
moving, marriage or
exams
Hinduism
A.
Scriptures
1. Vedas
2. Upanishads
3. Bhagavad Gita
4. Puranas
Sacred Texts
Vedas
– Shruti and Smriti
Four collections of texts (Shruti)
– Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and ArthavaVeda
Mostly hymns and rituals
Upanishads – last of the Vedas
– a shift to a more internal and speculative religion with
the introduction of reincarnation and the importance
of moksha
Sacred Texts
Mahabharata, Ramayana & Code of Manu
– Epic poems
– Mahabharata is loooooong…
– Ramanya contains the Bhagavad Gita
Establishes Rama as the model for Hindu life
Grounds for Bhakti – intense personal devotion to a particular
deity
– Code of Manu: laws governing all aspects of life,
including the proper conduct of rulers, dietary
restrictions, marriage laws, daily rituals, purification
rites, social laws, and ethical guidance. [around 100
A.D.]
Ritual and Practice
Bhakti
– Great variety of expressions of devotion,
depending on which deity one is devoted to.
“The Hindu mind is averse to assigning an
unalterable or rigidly fixed form or name to the
deity. Hence it is that in Hinduism we have
innumerable god-forms and countless divine
names. And, it is a truth that is recognized by all
Hindus that obeisance offered to any of these
forms and names reaches the one supreme God.”
Devotional disciplines
Yoga – means ‘to yoke.’
– Spiritual seekers are generally encouraged to engage
in disciplines that clear the mind and support a state
of serene, detached awareness. This desired state of
balance, purity, wisdom, and peacefulness of mind is
described as sattvic, in contrast with active, restless
states or lethargic, dull states. The practices for
increasing sattvic qualities are known collectively as
yoga. There are four main yogic paths, suited to
different kinds of human personalities—raja, jnana,
karma, and bhakti.
4 types of yogic paths
Raja yoga
– Path of physical disciplines (Western or Hatha
yoga)
Jhana yoga
– Path of knowledge
Karma yoga
– Path of action
Bhakti yoga
– Path of devotion
Yogic practices
The sacred sound of creation
– ‘Om’
– The OM symbol,
representing the original
sound of creation, is
topped by the sun and
the moon, harmonized
opposites. To chant OM
is to commune with this
cosmic sound vibration.
Hindu practices
Purification
Pilgrimage
Holy Days
– Divali
– Holi
Asceticism
Hindu Ethics and Morality
Karma
– Our actions have consequences, good or bad
– Very strong moral teaching
Code of Manu
– describes the four basic goals that motivate humans:
pleasure, gain, righteousness and liberation.
– Although each goal has its rightful place, all but the
last (liberation) will exhaust themselves. To move
closer to liberation from the cycle of life and death,
individuals must follow the highest principle (dharma)
in themselves. They must hold the family sacred and
commit themselves to their community with
compassion and non-harmfulness.
4 Concepts of Morality
CODE OF MANU
4 Main reasons for all human actions:
– Dharma – to do what is right according to
religious and moral principles, age, education,
occupation, and social caste (varna) with
different obligations depending on social class
– Artha – acquisition of wealth to support your
family and to make their lives comfortable
– Kama – enjoyment of the physical pleasures
that life has to offer
– Moksha – aiming for liberation from the
endless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth
(samsara) and achieving oneness with God
Hindu practices
Cremation
– Since only the soul survives death, most
bodies are cremated, and the ashes are often
scattered on sacred rivers
Chanting
– Specified verbal formulas, sacred chants,
(called mantras) and sacred actions were to
be used by the priests to invoke the breath
behind all of existence
Caste System
There are 4 castes;
1. Brahmans – priestly and intellectual caste
2. Kshatriyas – governing and military caste
3. Vaisya – merchant and agricultural caste
4. Sudras – the artisan and laboring caste
A non-caste is the untouchables whose
primary duty is management of dead
animals and people
Hindu Ethics and Morality
Caste system
– Fought against by Gandhi
– Not formally recognized by Indian
Government
– Still very prevalent
Nine Beliefs of Hinduism
1.
In the divinity of the Vedas, the world’s most ancient
scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed.
These primordial hymns are God’s word and the bedrock
of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion which has
neither beginning nor end.
2.
In a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both
immanent and transcendent, both Creator and
Unmanifest Reality.
3.
That the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation,
preservation and dissolution.
4.
In karma, the law of cause and effect by which each
individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words
and deeds.
Nine Beliefs of Hinduism
5.
That the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until
all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, spiritual
knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained.
Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.
6.
That divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple
worship, rituals, sacraments as well as personal devotionals
create a communion with these devas and Gods.
7.
That a spiritually awakened master, or satguru, is essential to
know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline,
good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry and
meditation.
8.
That all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore
practice ahimsa, “noninjury.”
9.
That no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation
above all others, but that all genuine religious paths are facets
of God’s Pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and
understanding.
Four Facts of Hinduism
Karma
– Karma is what the soul undergoes in one of two
ways, according to whether its actions are virtuous
or not; but both kinds subsist until the end of
enjoyment in this world.
-Svayambu Agama
Reincarnation
– Through his past works he shall return once more
to birth, entering whatever form his heart is set on.
This mighty soul unborn grows not old, nor dies,
for the soul is immortal and fearless.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Four Facts of Hinduism
Dharma
– May noble wisdom come to us from all sides, undeceived,
unhindered, overflowing, so that the Devas may always help
us onward, unceasing is their care, our Guardians day by
day.
-Rig Veda
Worship
– Offering of perfumed substances, flowers, incense, lamps
and fresh fruit-these are the five elements of the traditional
puja which culminates with offering of the lamps.
-Kamika Agama
Another Indian Religion :
Jainism is one of the world's
oldest religions. Much of its
history is unknown.
Two main parts Ahimsa
(non-violence) and
Aparigtaha (self-control).
Jainism teaching remained predominantly in
India
Jainism
Not based on the Vedas
– Some say predate the Vedas
Doesn’t acknowledge castes
Approximately 6 million followers
worldwide
From the word ‘jina’ or winner – one who
has ‘won’ over the passions
Jain beliefs
Reincarnation
Karma
– Sees karma as ‘subtle matter’
– Something to avoid accumulating
Non-violence
Non-attachment
Non-absolutism
Asceticism (especially among monks)
Vegetarianism
No personal deity
Self is maya, an illusion
Background of JAINISM
Mahavira (Great Hero) was the teacher for
the current age and of Kshatriya clan like
Buddha
Lived in the mid 6th century BC(E) and was
contemporary of Buddha. Died ~527
Son of minor Raja and renounced life at 30.
Spent 12 years of meditation, silence, and
extreme deprivation to achieve moksha
Taught for 30 years before his death
Last in the line of 24 teachers or
Tirthankaras-ford-finders/makers, kevalinssingle ones, jinas-conquerors
The Human Cycles
Universe without beginning or end – like
Hinduism, but human progress is
cyclical
Humans are happy, long-lived, and
virtuous and do not need religion
Then humans look to elders for
guidance and direction as things begin
to deteriorate
Finally Tirthankaras must come to
establish religion and help guide
humanity away from growing evil
Tirthankaras
First Lord Rishabha who established social
institutions like marriage, family, law, justice,
government, arts of agriculture, crafts,
reading, writing, & mathematics
22nd cousin of Lord Krishna who refused to
marry because of the slaughter of so many
animals for the wedding celebration –
became an ascetic.
23rd lived ~877-777 BC(E) was an extreme
ascetic and great preacher
24th was Mahavira who is portrayed as sinless,
omniscient, pre-existent, and descended from
heaven
Split with the Religion
310 BC(E) ~12000 priests moved into southern India
where they discarded all clothing for the duration of
the 12 year famine
Upon returning the found 2 major changes that split
religion
– Loosening of requirements about nudity
– Convening of council to establish canon of 45 books
Digambaras (sky clad) do not accept changes
believe women can not reach highest heaven or
lowest hell
Svetambaras (white clad) believe women are able to
obtain liberation without being reborn male, also
believe 19th Tirthankaras was female
Islam invaded India and required Digambaras to wear
loin-clothes
Mahavira’s 5 Vows
Prohibition against:
1. Killing
2. Lying
3. Stealing
4. Sexual pleasures
5. Attachment to anything
Accumulating Karma
Karma – defined as subtle matter that we
acquire as we think and act –there are 3
approaches which help limit
accumulation
Ahimsa – principle of non-violence
Aparigraha – principle of non-attachment
Anekantwad – principle of relativism
Observations about Jain
Beliefs
Best practiced as priests/priestess (full time for best results)
Universe is eternal and run by certain specific natural
principles
Supernatural beings subject to same ignoble passions as
humans
Transmigration is instantaneous
Kevala is the state of liberation and the person exists with
boundless vision, infinite righteousness, perfect bliss,
existence without form
Jains have high ethical standards
Tirthankaras are elevated above the human plane and as
such are not available as helpers
Liberation from samsara is the result of personal effort
There are ~6,000,000 Jains
Jain scriptures consider all who practice Jain principles as Jains