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Hinduism
The Trimurti (or Trinity) and the
Caste System
Hinduism
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It is said that Hinduism has taught the world
both tolerance and universal acceptance.
Most Hindus not only believe in universal
tolerance of others, but they accept all
religions as true.
It is said, “As different streams having different
sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so
different paths which men take through
different tendencies various though they
appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.”
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Hinduism offers its devotees many paths.
Individuals may find release from life
(samsara) through devotion to one or
more of the Indian gods.
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One may give full religious attention to
each of these gods or goddesses by
worshipping at their temples, offering
sacrifices, praying, supporting the priests
of the temple, and so on.
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By doing the above, the gods or goddesses
may look with favor upon the devotees,
support the believers in life, and help in the
struggles of life.
Brahman, who is the ultimate reality, is at the
core of Hindu thought.
He is one and undivided, yet Hinduism sees
him in terms of three forms or a trinity of
functions called Trimurti: creation,
destruction, and preservation.
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Of the three leading deities in the Hindu
pantheon (all parts of the Brahman), the
creator, Brahma receives the least
attention.
Even though Brahma is widely respected
and recognized as the creator of the world,
only two temples are specifically dedicated
to him in all of India.
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Brahma is usually
shown with four
bearded faces and
four arms.
His chief wife
(Sarasvati) is the
goddess of
knowledge, wisdom,
speech, and poetry.
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Among the most popular gods in Hinduism
is Shiva, known as “the destroyer.”
Shiva is the god of death, destruction,
disease, and decay.
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Shiva is complex because not only is he the
god of death and destruction, he is the god
of dance.
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Probably the most important reason for
Shiva’s popularity is he is also the god of
vegetable, animal, and human
reproduction.
In Hindu thought, death is but a prelude to
rebirth…so it follows that the god of death
is also the god of reproduction and
sexuality.
So Shiva paves the way for renewal in the
endless cosmic process of samsara.
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Often associated with Shiva (and as
popular) are many of the goddesses that
are his companions.
The most important and popular of these
goddesses are Kali (means “She who is
black” or “She who is death”) and Paravati.
Mythology connects Kali to the founding of
the modern city of Calcutta.
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Kali is the goddess
of time, doomsday,
and death.
She is more
terrifying than Shiva
because she wears
a necklace of
human skulls, tears
away the flesh of
sacrificed victims,
and drinks blood.
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Paravati is nearly
the opposite of Kali.
She is the daughter
of the Himalayas
and the female
element of the
perfect loving
couple when paired
with the gentler
aspect of Shiva.
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Paravati is usually
depicted as the perfect
wife and mother.
She is also a fertility
goddess and a
goddess of love and
devotion.
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The son of Shiva and
Paravati is Ganesha,
the elephant-headed
god of the arts and
sciences, of intellect
and wisdom.
He is the Lord of
success and wealth,
and the destroyer of
obstacles.
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Ganesha's head
symbolizes the
Atman or the soul,
which is the ultimate
reality of human
existence, and his
human body signifies
Maya or the earthly
existence of human
beings.
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The third god of the Hindu triad of
Brahman is Vishnu, “the preserver”.
In contrast to Shiva, he is not complex.
Always benevolent, Vishnu appears as the
expression of divine love, peace, and
forgiveness.
He is also a prankster and he loves to play
games and tricks.
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The chief feature of
Vishnu is his
overwhelming concern
for humanity.
In times when the
Earth has been in
great peril, Vishnu has
appeared in various
forms known as
Avatars.
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Vishnu supports the moral
order and moral balance of the
world, but sometimes evil over
takes the Earth.
God, in the form of Vishnu, then
comes to Earth to relay some
message or to accomplish an
important task (like saving
humanity).
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To restore the natural
balance, Vishnu
appears as an avatar,
sometimes as a man,
sometimes as an
animal, and sometimes
as a mythical creature.
Here he is Matsya, the
fish that saved humanity
from the great flood.
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Tradition states that there
are ten avatars and that nine
have already appeared.
One incarnation was Krishna
(former Beatle George
Harrison was a devotee of
Krishna).
According to this tradition,
Krishna was divine and also
heroic. He killed demons,
monsters, dragons, and
tyrannical rulers.
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The Buddha was one of the nine avatars to
come to earth.
In some Hindu traditions, Jesus and
Muhammad were also avatars.
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The tenth and final avatar has not yet
appeared, and it is said Vishnu will come
as an avatar riding a white horse bringing
time to an end.
He will then punish and destroy the wicked,
re-establish order, and reward the virtuous.
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Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu.
She arose from the ocean to ensure the
fertility and welfare of the world.
She is a goddess of fertility and wealth, and
also of victory.
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In some places,
Lakshmi is known as
Sri, and worshipped as
the goddess of rice.
She is often seen as
the mediator between
humans and Vishnu,
since it is hard for
humans to approach
Vishnu directly.
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The moral order and natural harmony of the
world is known as the Dharma (in Sanskrit
means duty, morality, and virtue).
Dharma is the power that maintains society,
makes the grass grow, makes the sun shine,
and makes us moral people or rather gives
humans the opportunity to act virtuously.
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But acting virtuously does not mean precisely
the same thing for everyone; different people
have different obligations and duties according
to their age, gender, and social position.
What is the correct Dharma for a woman might
not be for a man or what is correct for an adult
might not be for a child.
Correct action in accordance with Dharma is
also understood as service to humanity and to
God; and not to act according to one’s Dharma
is considered a moral transgression.
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One of the ways to achieve harmony and
maintain Dharma is through yogas.
Hindus’ believe that meditation is necessary if
one is ever to break free of the cycle of
samsara…it is even necessary for the gods.
Yogas (there are four different forms) stress
mental and physical discipline as a way to
free the mind of pain, anger, fear, hatred,
greed, lust, etc.
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Hindus’ try to live according to their Dharma,
which is their code of behavior or duty that
governs their life.
In the Hindu tradition, a person’s duty is
determined by their position in society and by
the stage of life they have reached.
It is from here that the Caste system
developed.
The Caste System
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The term caste—a social class of
hereditary and usually unchangeable
status—was first used in India by
Portuguese merchants and mariners
during the 16th century CE when they
observed sharp social distinctions among
the Indian people.
The Aryans used the term varna, a
Sanskrit word meaning “color,” to refer to
their social classes.
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By about 1000 BCE,
the Aryans
recognized four
major varnas and
explained them in
their creation myth
which revolved
around the father of
humankind, Purusha.
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The first Aryan epic, the Rig-Veda attributed the
rise of the caste system to the gods:
When they divided the original Man into how
many parts did they divide him?
What was his mouth, what were his arms, what
were his thighs and his feet called?
The Brahmin was his mouth, of his arms was
made the warrior.
His thighs became the vaishya, of his feet the
shudra was born.
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Brahmins: the highest social classes were the
priests and scholars, who sprang from Purusha’s
mouth, and represented intellect, knowledge,
and wisdom.
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Brahmins were the “lightest” in skin color.
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Next came the
Kshatriya—the
warrior-aristocracy,
the rulers and
government officials
who came from the
arms of Purusha.
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The third layer of people, the Vaishya,
came from Purusha’s thighs. They were
the landowners, merchants, artisans (or
skilled laborers).
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The fourth level, the Sudra (or Shudra), came
from Purusha’s feet. They were the common
peasants, (unskilled) laborers, and servants.
The Caste System
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During the classical era, the caste system
became much more complex with each caste
further subdivided into jati, or birth groups, each
with its own occupation, duties, and rituals.
Each jati had little contact with others, and its
members intermarried and followed the same
occupations as their ancestors.
Marriage between castes was forbidden, under
penalty of death
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A fifth group eventually developed, considered
so low, they didn’t even merit a caste
designation.
Called the Dalits (or untouchables), they were
relegated to the jobs considered the most
“polluted” or defiling (handling garbage, dead
bodies, animal skins, etc). Nearly 20% of all
Indians are a part of this group.
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Today, these people are known as the Harijan
(so named the “Children of God” by Gandhi).
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The Dalit were outside the caste system
(outcastes) because they were considered
too impure to be worthy human beings.
They are untouchable by the other four
castes; in some areas of India, even contact
with their shadow was considered polluting.
Prejudice and oppression defines their lives
and they are in constant danger of being
shunned, insulted, or humiliated in public.
Mark on the Forehead
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The colored mark on the forehead is a sign of
piety and reveals to others that the wearer is
a Hindu.
It symbolizes the “third eye”…the one
focused inwards towards God.
Both men and women wear the mark, but it is
generally falling out of favor with men.
Traditionally, unmarried women wear a black
mark and married women wear a red one.
Mark on the Forehead