HINDUISM

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HINDUISM
SHIVA
VISHNU
BRAHMA
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Hindu Gods
GENESHA
KALI
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Hindu Gods
RAMA
KRISHNA
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Location of Hinduism
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Hinduism World Status

• Hinduism 900 million
• 15 of world population
• Third largest world religion
• Christianity 32
• Islam 22
• Secular/Non-religious 14

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Origins of Hindu Culture

• Indo-Aryans began to invade the India
  sub-continent about 1800 to 1500 B.C.
• Source of Greek, Latin, Celts, German, Slav
  language
• Early tribal people, Dasas, described as dark
  skinned, thick lipped, possessing cattle and
  speaking a strange language
• Began to become acclimated to new environment and
  become agriculturists
• Ruler (rajahrex), private army, priests

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Origins of Hindu Culture

• The term Hindu had its origin from the Muslims
  conquerors who used it to describe the
  inhabitants of Northern India.
• Hinduism was use by the British for the diverse
  religious traditions of the people of India.
• Today it is used popularly to describe the
  religious life distinct from Christianity and
  Islam.
• There is no unified religious entity so it is
  best to talk of Hindu traditions.

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Hinduism World Status

• Third largest Religion 13.5
• Christianity largest 32.5
• Islam second largest 21.1
• Non-religious/secular more numerous than Hinduism
  15.5
• 900 million Hindus
• Located primarily in India

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Hindu Religion

• We venture to predict that Hinduism is not a
  religion at all, but a series of loosely strung
  and infinitely varied sacerdotal and sociological
  artificial conventions to which a religious
  verisimilitude has been imparted by the ancient
  law-givers, but which is nevertheless daily
  undergoing endless fluctuations, not only in any
  given locality, but throughout the Hindu world.
  (V. N. Narasimmiyengar True Hinduism, 5)

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Hindu Culture Religion

• Extremely varied personal beliefs allowed
• Cannot separate from the culture
• To be Hindu, a religion has to
• Regard the Vedas as divinely expired and
  authoritative
• Accept the caste system
• Respect the veneration of the various levels of
  deities and spirits, including the protection of
  cows
• Recognizing them as authoritative does not mean
  accepting them as literally true or practicing
  them as commanded
• Winfried Corduan

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Hindu Religion

• Not a creedal religion
• Both Christianity and Islam are creedal religion
  where people may come to faith in God through
  belief and conviction
• Islam anyone can become a Muslim by saying the
  Kalima
• Christianity through faith in Christ
• A non-Hindu can hold the same beliefs as a
  Brahman friend but is still considered an outcast
• Let him live a pious life and then, after many
  transmigrations, his soul may be at least reborn
  into a Hindu family.

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History of Hinduism

• Two Early Periods
• The Vedic Period (1500 B.C. 500 B.C.)
• The Philosophic Period (500 B.C. A.D. 500)
• Vedas literally means knowledge but basically
  refers to the four sacred scriptures, often
  includes the Upanishads and their commentaries
  (sometimes used to refer to all the Hindu sacred
  writings).
• Originally revealed to holy men who wrote them
  down.

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History of Hinduism
By Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths, p. 192
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History of Hinduism

• Vedic Period (1500 B.C. 500 B.C.)
• Aryans, speaking Sanskrit, authors of the
  Rig-Veda (lit. knowledge enshrined in verses)
• Rig-Veda oldest collection of 1,028 prayerful
  Sanskirt hymns prayers addressed devas (gods)
  shinning ones who dwell on earth, the heavens,
  and intermediate air (as early as 1500)
• Like Greeks, practiced ancestor worship,
  worshipped nature gods or devas (Lat. deus).
  Devas invested with personal attributes, bright
  beings with superhuman powers dwelling in
  celestial regions.

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
VEDIC TEXTS

• Hinduism based on Vedic Texts written between
  1500 500 BC
• Shruti that which is heard distinguish from
  later writings
• Smriti that which is remembered also
  considered by some as authoritative (considered
  less sacred and non-Vedic)
• Four parts of the Vedic texts
• Samhitas (1500 900 BC) collection of hymns
• Brahmanas (850 BC) Caste
• Aranyakas Later part of Brahmanas
• Upanishads (500 BC) Philosophical Brahman,
  Atman, Maya, Yoga, Nirvana

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion

• Other Vedas basically dependent on Rig-Veda
• Yajur-Veda mostly in prose, meant to supply
  dedication, prayers, and litanies recited by
  priests in the course of their duties in
  sacrifices
• Sama-Veda Chants for worship by priests derived
  from Rig-Veda
• Atharva-Veda Charms, incantations and spells
  (considered somewhat inferior and associated with
  folk religion)

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion

• Over time the sacrificial system developed to
  compel the gods to grant appropriate rewards.
• Brahmans (priests) alone knew how to offer
  sacrifice aright and extract favors from the gods
  and they took on a sacred position.
• Aryans kept a distinction between themselves and
  the darker skin indigenous population the Sudras
  (serfs) and they as Dvija (twice born).
• Varna (color) distinction between races source
  of caste system

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Philosophic Period

• Caste system
• Based on dharma (religious duty)
• Each person born into a caste community
• Each person has his/her duty with community
• Every community has its own religion/god
• Preservation of social and ceremonial purity

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion

• Aryans four castes (1st three twice born)
• Kshatriyas warriors and princes
• Brahmins priests and instructors
• Vaishyas Agriculturalists and merchants
• Shudras Workers (surfs)
• Hundreds of subcastes (jati)
• Twice born have full participation in Hindu life
• Study of Vedas, puberty initiation, social
  leadership
• Aryans controlled study of Vedas
• Aryans brought all of India under their control
  and people assimilated their beliefs with Aryan
  beliefs

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion

• Brahmins (priests) until recently were sole
  custodians of study of the Vedic texts
• Different brahmans
• Brahman the impersonal pantheistic god
• Brahma the personal creator god
• Brahmin the priest priestly caste
• Brahmanas priestly commentaries on the Vedas

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Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion

• Development of deities per Corduan, p. 193

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Periods of Hinduism Beliefs

• Three Paths (Margas) to Moksha
• Karma Marga (Way of Action or works)
• Vedic period
• Dependent on priests and rituals
• Jnana Marga (Way of Knowledge) by Yoga
• 500 B.C.
• System of mystical contemplation
• Bhakti Marga (Way of Devotion)
• 200 B.C. to A.D. 800
• From south India Tamil
• Love of a god or goddess provides salvation

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Philosophic Period

• Inana Way of Knowledge
• Belief system with mystical contemplation
• Reaction against priests and rituals controlled
  by priests
• Recorded in Upanishads
• Vedas focused on priestly ritual
• Upanishads seek a deeper spiritual reality
• Yoga
• Form of Sankhya system
• Perfect pose by which desire is subdued
• No fresh round of karma set in motion

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Philosophic Period

• Two philosophic schools of thought
• Sankhya source of Buddhism
• Vedanta
• Sankhya
• Dualistic and atheistic
• Denies any beginning or a creator
• Two eternal realities praakriti and purushas
  which are both considered real
• Matter (Western categories)
• Spirit

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Philosophic Period

• Vedanta
• Non-dualistic
• Atman the only reality, all else is illusion
  (maya)

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Philosophic Period

• Way of Knowledge
• Vendata or Vedantic philosophy
• Search for ultimate secret of all existence
• Search for release from transmigration of the
  soul
• Epics literature legends of gods and heroes
• Rise of Buddhism

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Philosophic Period

• Ultimate Reality
• What is behind the changing phenomena?
• Brahman pantheistic impersonal god
• Atman true self
• Brahman one true reality
• Unchanging something reality
• Impersonal, all-pervasive being
• English referred to as world soul
• Only true reality
• Maya besides Brahman all else maya (illusion)
• Gods and worship are manifestations of Brahman

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Philosophic Period

• Brahman
• Since not by speech and no by thought,
• Not by the eye can it be reached,
• How else may it be understood,
• But only when one says, it is?
• Katha Upansishad
• Tat, the All, Brahman without attributes
• Tat tvam asi that art thou
• Key is to transcend world of experience

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Philosophic Period

• Maya Lit. play
• Related to the word magic
• Daily life is just magic play
• Life seen as illusion
• Mayaa reality is derived from Brahman
• No reality within itself
• E.g. image created by a projector
• Everything we experience rationally belongs to
  maya
• Feelings, emotions, thoughts

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Philosophic Period

• Atman
• Reality inside a person that is not maya
• True self
• Atman is Brahman message of Upanishads
• God resides in the depth of person
• Soul of the Universe
• Beyond thought and distinction

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Philosophic Period

• Life of sannyasin
• Leave ones previous environment and renounce
  worldly attachments discipline
• Seek ones true identity apart from the world
• Attain moksha, the release from samsara and maya
• If attained, at death will return to
  Atman-Brahman (reenters Brahman as a drop of
  water in the ocean)
• Nirvana a state of supreme bliss is accomplished

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Philosophic Period

• Bhakti (loving attachment) Way of Devotion
• Mid-second millennium A.D.
• Bhakti is at the heart of most contemporary
  Hinduism
• Popular in southern India (non-Aryan or
  dravidians) today are Tamil people
• Not through impossible works nor secret knowledge
  not easily attainable but through a loving
  relationship with a god or goddess
• Devotion to a god need not exclude serving others
• Roots of Bhakti is found in the Bhagavad Gita
  (200 B.C.) where Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu
  tells heroic warrior, Arjuna to attach to him and
  do his caste duty

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Philosophic Period

• Two influential Hindu Philosophers
• Sankara (8th century)
• World is totally illusion
• Only reality is brahman
• Religion was the pursuit deliverance from
  deception
• Ramanuja (12th century)
• Absolute reality of this world
• Human soul was separate from the godhead and
  could relate itself to god not by absorption but
  by devotion.

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The Gods

• Brahman manifests itself in three gods.
• Rise of three gods above the pantheon of gods.
• Brahma Creator of visible things since work is
  done there is no need to worship (what Brahma
  creates, Sheva destroys so new universe can be
  made
• Vishnu Lord of protection (avatars)
• Shiva Lord of destruction
• It is said that there are 330,000,000 gods
• Exaggerated
• Many gods and go by different names

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The Gods
Primary Hindu Gods Bhakti Hinduism Schools
Brahman
Brahma ---------------- Vishnu ----------------
Shiva ---------------- Goddess (devi) Sarasvati
Lakshmi Parvati
Durga, Kali -------- -------
Draupadi Avatars of Vishnu
Genesha Periachi and Lakshimi
Skandar Mariamman
Vaishnavite School
Shaivite School
Shaktite School
Vertical Marks
Horizontal Marks
Adapted from Corduan, Neighboring Faith p. 201
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The Gods

• Each male god is associated with a female deity,
  his shakti which means source of power
• Generally a consort or broadly a wife
• Goddess infuses the god with energy to do his
  work
• Each god has also has a certain symbolic
  representation and a riding animal.
• Multiple arms represents power

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The Gods

• Brahma
• Creator
• Represented by four heads
• Originally had five but Shiva cut it off
• Images in many temples but not many temples
  dedicated to him
• Not a major Bhakti god
• His shakti, Sarasvati is a popular goddess
• Receives a lot of veneration
• Her representation is a musical instrument, e.g.
  sitar

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The Gods

• Vishnu
• People look to him for salvation
• Also look to one of his avatars
• Vertical line(s) on forehead
• Known as the preserver
• Emphasis on chanting, dancing, meditation
• Recognized by having four arms with a conch
  shell, lotus blossom, a discus, and a mace.
• Riding animal is a bird but also shown reclining
  on a snake
• Most concern for maintaining dharma, duty
• Born into the world as heroic person or animal to
  put world on right track then dies to reincarnate
  again (avatar)

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The Gods

• Avatars of Vishnu incarnations of Vishnu in
  various forms which veil rather than reveal the
  god within. Usually ten avatars from myths
• Matsya Fish
• Kurma Turtle
• Varaha Boar
• Narasimba Man-Lion
• Vamana Dwarf
• Parashu-Rama Rama with an ax
• Rama Hero of Ramayana (wife sita, Hanuman)
• Krishna Teacher of Bhagavad Gita (wife Rada)
• Buddha (9th avatar) Founder of Buddhism
• Balarama Alernate, brother of Krishna
• Kalki Horse , future avatar (period when dharma
  supreme)

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The Gods

• Rama (avatar of Vishnu)
• Hero of epic Ramayana
• His wife, Sita
• Abducted by demon king, Ravana
• Rescues wife with help of friends
• Brother Lakshman
• Monkey god, Hanuman
• Usually hold a long bow
• Color green dominant
• Rama Bhakti emphasizes Ramas love and grace to
  grant salvation
• Baby monkey school (believer clings to mother)
• Cat school (believer carried by mother, all Rama)

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The Gods

• Krishna
• 8the avatar of Vishnu
• Very popular god to worship
• Color is usually dark or blue
• Play a flute
• Usually seen with his wife, Radha
• Appears in the Bhagavad-Gita as a profound
  teacher
• Myth
• Victorious over demon king
• Another view is a mischievous and amorous
  wonder-worker in folklore with amorous and erotic
  adventures

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The Gods

• Hare Krishna Movement
• International Society for Krishna Consciousness
  (ISKON), form of Vaishnavite Bhakti
• Krishna is the supreme form of a personal god
• ISKON followers are basically monotheistic
• Source is 16th century teacher, Caitanya
• A. C. Bhktivedanta Prabhupada popularized it in
  U.S.
• In 1960s at age 70, retired pharmaceuticals
  salesman
• Popular in U.S. in early 70s but has declined

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The Gods

• Krishna - Five Essential Teachings
• Krishna is the supreme personal god
• Salvation can be obtained by chanting the mantra,
  Hare Krishna
• 1000 time a day
• Special worship of singing and dancing
• The Bhagavad-Gita is inspired scripture
• Devotee must live a pure life devoted to Krishna
• Abstaining from meat, caffeine, sweets, and sex
  for pleasure
• Distributing literature to raise the
  consciousness of the message

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The Gods

• Shiva
• Followed by most Bhakti Hindus
• Highest god
• Called the destroyer (of evil)
• Can cause harm
• connected to early days being Rudra
• Horizontal lines on forehead (tilaka)
• Worship more austere
• self-inflicted extremes of devotion
• Represented in various ways
• Phallic symbol (lingam) with yoni (vagina
  representation)
• Rides a bull
• Trident is main symbol

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The Gods

• Ganesha
• Older son of Shiva Parvati
• Myth Shiva severs head but after calms down
  vows to replace it with head he see, an elephant
• Known as remover of obsticles
• therefore his followers seek him to overcome
  difficulties in life
• Learned in Hindu writings wise

• Skandar
• Younger brother of Ganesha
• God of war

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The Goddesses

• Shaktism goddess is the principle object of
  worship
• Two most popular, Durga or Kali
• Unfaithful consorts of Shiva
• Use of sexual motifs
• Durga
• Conquering poses
• Overcame buffalo-headed demon
• One of ten arms hold trident and other war
  implements
• Given blood as worship items

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The Goddesses

• Kali goddess of violence
• Directed toward evil demons
• Black Gruesome look
• Necklace of sculls
• Belt of severed arms
• Stands on a tiger or Shivas body
• Given blood in worship
• Thagis cult of Kali that practiced human
  sacrifices
• Outlawed by Britain in late 19th century
• Tantrism sexual emulation to release energy

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Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

• Transmigration of the soul
• Samasara (reincarnation) lit. means wandering,
  chains of finite existence that holds the soul to
  this world
• An individual is transmigrated from one existence
  to another according to ones behavior (karma) or
  merit or lack of merit
• Not mention in Vedas
• Important source for caste system - hope
• Possibly assimilated from indigenous people
• Negative being in world is suffering

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Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

• Karma cause and effect
• A persons life consists of actions both good and
  bad (not sin or judgment)
• The amount of merit or demerit to be worked off
  will determine ones next status in life
• Could be a Brahman, an outcast, a woman, a dog, a
  plant, or a worm eaten by a fish
• Explains differences in human life
• Good or bad health or poverty and riches due to
  karma

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Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

• Highest goal of Hinduism
• Find release from the samasara cycle
• Moksha release from action and rebirth
• Find nirvana by knowledge of the supreme Truth of
  the brahma-atman the soul is released from the
  life cycle
• Found by very few
• As rivers flow and disappear at last
• In oceans waters, name and form renouncing
• So too the sage, released from name and form,
• Is merged in the divine and ultimate existence.
• Mundaka Upanishad

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Hindu Worship

• Temple (jagopuram)
• Usually dedicated to one god
• Has images to other god in separate rooms or
  inset in walls
• Gods live in their statues so statues must be
  washed and cared for
• Daily worship person removes shoes and places
  money before god, can chant, color mark on head
• Temple service (puja sacrifice)
• Procession of gods with music, ring bells, no
  chanting

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Hindu Worship

• Daily Worship
• Dependent on caste
• High caste Hindu men pray three times a day,
  sunrise most practiced
• Household that house a god must perform puja,
  washed, dressed, decorated, and given food at
  every meal.
• Usually performed by father of the household
  (wealthy families have their own Brahmin priest)

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Life Cycle Rites of Passage

• Code of Manu divides life into four stages
• First is student
• Rituals regarding birth
• Ritual to protect unborn from evil spirits
• Rituals to help new child to be a boy
• Rituals for god to protect child, goddess
  Periachi
• Ritual for males of Twice Born castes
• Cord over shoulder, renewed once a year
• Begins in theory to study Vedas
• Marriage (2nd stage with raising children)
• Arrange and within caste
• Walk around sacred fire
• Red dot on wifes forehead to indicate married

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Life Cycle Rites of Passage

• Withdrawal from earning living and devoting more
  time to prayer, meditation, and worship for the
  man 3rd stage
• Partial renunciation and withdrawal
• Complete renunciation (4th stage)
• Pursuit of the Vedantic ideal of seeking moksha
• Withdraw from family and live alone to achieve
  final goal
• Funeral rites
• Body bathed with water, milk, honey coconut
  milk
• Burned on funeral pyre
• Sati practiced primarily in past

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Festivals Special Days

• Each goddess has a day of descent or birthday
  which celebrated in the temple
• Holi celebration of Krishna
• Many festivals associated with various gods and
  goddesses
• New Years
• Homes are decorated with mango leaves
• Women draw auspicious diagrams on temple floor
• Festival of Lights
• Autumn to honor goddess Lakshmi usually
• Lights to guide goddess to bring proserity

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Hindu Worldview
gods
Universal Reality
Individual
Karma
Samsara
Material World
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Christianity Hinduism

• Both have a sense of transcendence
• Illusionary satisfaction (pleasure does not bring
  fulfillment)
• Bhakti worship and devotion to a supernatural
  being
• Self-knowledge know who we are
• Karma as sowing what you reap
• Self-denial
• Sacrifice

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Important Terms in Hinduism

• Dharma duty everyone in whatever place in life
  has his/her dharma
• Ahimsa doing no injury by word or deed
• Moksha transcend samsara get off the wheel of
  rebirth and redeath
• Maya conscious illusion making power
• Bhakti devotion
• Avataras alternate forms that gods take
• Samsara life cycle rebirth redeath

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Important Terms in Hinduism

• Shakti consort of god
• Tilaka decoration on the forehead to indicate
  god worshipped
• Karma cause and effect
• Brahman the impersonal pantheistic god
• Brahma the personal creator god
• Brahmin the priest priestly caste
• Brahmanas priestly commentaries on the Vedas