Download Traditional Stages of Life

Hinduism
Origins
•
Hinduism had its origins in the religious beliefs of the _____________________ people who
settled in India after 1500 B.C.
•
_____________________
•
–
collections of hymns and religious ceremonies that were passed down orally through
the centuries by Aryan priests and then eventually written down
–
Veda is revealed and as such does not originate at a particular time in history but is
eternal and of divine origin
The _____________________
–
a collection of Vedic texts which contain the earliest emergence of some of the central
religious concepts of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
–
They are also known as Vedanta ("the end of the Veda").
–
The Upanishads are considered by Hindus to contain revealed truths (Sruti) concerning
the nature of ultimate reality (_____________________) and describing the character
and form of human salvation (_____________________).
–
The Upanishads are found mostly in the concluding part of the Brahmanas and
Aranyakas and have been passed down in oral tradition.
God and the Soul
•
•
_____________________
–
Single force in the universe
–
a form of ultimate reality or God
_____________________
–
The individual self
–
The duty of the individual self is to seek Atman
–
By doing so, the self would merge with Brahman after death
Reincarnation
•
•
_____________________
–
The belief that the individual soul is
reborn in a different form after death
–
After a number of existences in the
earthly world, the soul reaches its
final goal in a union with Brahma
_____________________
–
•
The force generated by a person’s actions that determines how the person will be
reborn in the next life
_____________________
–
Divine law
–
The law requires people to do their duty (varies)
Samsara
•
Samsara
–
This cycle of action, reaction, birth, death and rebirth is a continuum
–
_____________________provides ephemeral pleasures, which lead people to desire
rebirth so as to enjoy the pleasures of a perishable body.
Moksha
•
Moksha (_____________________)
–
The ultimate goal of life
•
as the realization of one's union with God;
•
as the realization of one's eternal relationship with God;
•
realization of the unity of all existence;
•
perfect unselfishness and knowledge of the Self;
•
as the attainment of perfect mental peace; and
•
–
as detachment from worldly desires.
Such realization liberates one from _____________________ and ends the cycle of
rebirth.
Yoga
•
A method of training designed to lead to a union of _____________________ and
_____________________
•
The highest goal: to achieve oneness with Brahman
–
Seen as a kind of _____________________
“When all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, that, say the wise, is the highest state,”
Pantheon of Gods
•
Most ordinary Indians could not easily relate to these ideals and needed a more
_____________________ form of heavenly salvation
•
It was probably for this reason that Hindu religion came to have a number of
_____________________gods and goddesses
•
Many Hindus regard the multitude of gods as simply different expressions of the one ultimate
reality, _____________________.
•
The various gods and goddesses give ordinary Indians a way to express their religious feelings
Three Chief Gods
•
_____________________ – the Creator
•
_____________________ – the preserver
•
_____________________ – The Destroyer
Deities
•
_____________________
–
•
_____________________
–
•
"lord of creatures" is a group Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of
life.
is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu
_____________________
–
one of the most important of the Vedic gods.
–
He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices.
–
The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to
the other gods.
–
He is ever-young, because the fire is re-lit every day, and also immortal.
Worship
•
Worship in _____________________ or at home in front of small shrines or alters
•
_____________________
•
–
Ritual washing for purification
–
Many devotees perform morning ablutions at the bank of a sacred river (Ganges) while
chanting mantras
_____________________
–
invocations, praise and prayers that through their meaning, sound, and chanting style
help a devotee focus the mind on holy thoughts or express devotion to God/the deities.
Traditional Stages of Life
The novel is structured on three of the traditional stages of life for Hindu males:
–
_____________________ (brahmacarin)
•
The first stage is that of the student, during which a boy traditionally is expected
to go to live and study with a teacher (a guru) for several years. Today only a
few Brahmin families follow this tradition to the full extent. A boy enters into
student-hood at adolescence (ages 8-12), and spends most of his maturing years
studying.
–
_____________________ (grihastha)
•
–
usually entered into through an elaborate, many-day marriage ceremony. It is
during this stage that a man has children (with his wife), forms a family,
establishes himself in a career or job, and strives to be an active member of his
community. He will establish his own household, with its own worship.
_____________________/renunciate (vanaprastha)
•
When a man reaches old age and his son has a family and is ready to take over
the leadership of the household, he and his wife will retire.
•
On the one hand, their household responsibilities--both religious and secular-diminish significantly.
•
On the other hand, they become free to contemplate the meaning of their
coming death and rebirth. T
•
They may choose to withdraw into a secluded area--perhaps become a
"hermit"-- or they may involve themselves in more active worship (bakti) of
Hinduism's pantheon of gods and goddesses.
Rejecting Life: The Fourth Stage
•
The fourth stage of life breaks the progression of the other three
•
One completely _____________________and starts spiritual pursuits, the seeking of moksha,
and practicing meditation to that end.
•
Can chose to go into this stage _____________________
•
Samana – Wandering _____________________
–
a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various worldly pleasures, often with the
aim of pursuing spiritual goals.
–
refrain from sensual pleasures and the accumulation of material wealth
Hatha Yoga
•
Credited to Lord Siva
•
a kind of yoga focusing on physical and mental strength building exercises and postures
In your journal: Write a 3 paragraph essay reflecting on Hinduism and our yoga practice. Explain what
you found interesting about Hinduism, what you would like to know more about, and describe how the
practice of yoga is related to Hinduism.