Hinduism

1
Hinduism

• Its origins

2
Hinduism

• Is not one religion but is a family of religions

3
Hinduism development

• India and Hindu derived from the same
  word--Indus.
• The Harappa cultured existed in the area.
• Some argue that the Dravidians lived in India
  before the invasion of the Aryans.
• Around 2000 B.C.E. The Aryans entered India.
• However, recent scholarship suggests that such an
  invasion never occurred.

4
The Vedic Period

• Sacrifices to nature gods
• Hereditary priesthood
• Outdoor fire altars
• Memorized Vedic chants
• Offering of food, drink, animals

5
The Vedas(knowledge or sacred lore)

• Sacred chants which made up the sacred literature
  of the early inhabitants. They were revealed to
  holy men called rishis. These poetic
  compositions are made up of history, ethical
  precepts, moral laws, social traditions and
  spiritual philosophy.

6
The Four Texts of the Vedas

• 1. Rig Veda - hymn of knowledge -- is a
  collection of more than a thousand prayers hymn-
  chants (mantras) to the Aryan Gods.

7
Origin of the Rig-Veda Gods

• Purusha is described as the All from which parts
  of the universe came. Gods come from Purusha

8
The Gods of the Rig-Veda

• Indra,
• he slays demons but preserves humans.

• Agni
• it is the fire used in the sacrifice.

9
More Gods

• Soma
• is a "deified plant" and is the most important
  god of the Rig-Veda.

• Mitra
• personifies an agreement or contract. People use
  the name as a way of validating an agreement.

10
More Gods

• Varuna
• is also an important deity in the Rig-Veda and
  is the protector of truth and "the main force in
  the universe is Rita, which orders all things and
  prevents Chaos.

11

• 2. Yajur Veda - ceremonial knowledge --contains
  those things that are chanted during sacrifice

12
Vedas

• 3. Sama Veda - chant knowledge-- is a handbook of
  musical elaboration of Vedic chants

• 4. Atharva Veda - knowledge from the teacher
  Artharva -- is made up of practical prayers and
  charms which protect adherents against snakes and
  sickness

13
Upanishads

• The four Vedas end with something even later
  known as Upanishads, "which express philosophical
  and religious ideas that arouse in introspective
  and meditative traditions."
• The Upanishads are a collection of about 100
  written works that record insights into external
  and internal reality. They are written in
  dialogue form and appear as both prose and poet
  forms.

14
Hinduism

• Belief in Brahman as the ultimate reality is what
  characterizes the adherents of this religion.
  The Brahman is omnipotent and impersonal.
  Attaining unity with the Brahman is a key
  characteristic. One wants the Atman (soul) to be
  one with Brahman.

15
Goals

• What do you want to do?

16
Goals in Life

• In Hinduism there are four goals in living
• kama
• artha
• dharma
• moksha

17
Kama

• It is the life of pleasures. It can be the
  pursuit of pleasure in literature or in love
  making (Kamasutra)

18
Artha

• It is pursuing politics or the materialism of
  commercial competition.

19
Dharma

• It is the goal for those who want to fulfill
  their duties with regard to their caste.

20
Moksha

• It is for those who have grown tired of the other
  pursuits and want to be released from the wheel
  of life.

21
The Stages in Life

• Where are you?

22
Four Stages of Life

• For the Hindu there are four stages in life.
• Brahmacarya or student.
• Gârhastya or householder.
• Vânaprastya or Renouncer or forest dweller.
• Sannyâsa or seeker.

23
Brahmacarya Student

• This stage is between 8 and 12 but no more than
  24. He studies the Vedas and he has a sacred
  cord which shows that he is a member of one of
  the 3 highest castes.

24
Gârhastya Householder

• At this stage a person is around 25 and usually
  married he lives as close to the ideals as he
  can. He tries to follow the rituals as
  prescribed for householders as closely as he can
  and he tries not to harm other creatures. Above
  all he tries to observe duties in marriage, in
  his occupation and in raising children.
• He is a spiritual man who observes his duties.

25
Vânaprastya Renouncer

• This person renounces everything including wife
  and go to the forest His wife can follow him if
  he desires. He leaves the village and goes to
  live in the wilderness. He offers the five
  great sacrifices with various sorts of pure food
  or hermits . . .

26
SannyâsaSeeker

• This person seeks release (Samadhi) of the soul
  so that it can unite with Brahman. This can be
  done through raya yoga where the body is trained
  to serve the soul.

27
Salvation

• In Hindu tradition one desires to be liberated
  from the cycle of birth and death samsara.

28
Paths to Salvation

• 1. The way of action (karma yoga)
• 2. The way of knowledge (jnana yoga)
• 3. The way of devotion (bhakti yoga)
• 4. The way of meditation (raja yoga)

29
Karma Yoga

• 1. karma yoga - the way of action is the path of
  unselfish action. One does ones duty but not
  for fear of punishment or hope of reward. The
  right action is done not for praise or blame.
  One does an act because it is ones duty dharma
  not because other people will praise you for it.
  Duties for men and women are prescribed. One
  performs the appropriate rituals every day. A
  persons whole day is filled with actions
  explained in the Vedas.

30
Jnana Yoga

• jnana yoga - the way of knowledge is the path of
  scriptural knowledge.
• A persons ignorance keeps one in illusion. If
  the bondage of illusion can be broken one can
  experience liberation. One attempts to identify
  with the universal soul instead transient
  material things or the world. Salvation lies in
  a persons recognizing that his or her identity
  is ground not in the world but in Brahman-Atman.
  One will attach oneself to a gurusomeone who is
  very knowledgeable

31
Bhakti Yoga

• Bhakti Yoga - the way of devotion. It is the path
  of devotion and it is emphasized in the Bhagavad
  Gita. One serves a god wholeheartedly with no
  reservations. One embraces god in love. One
  commits oneself to one of the Hindu gods.

32
Raja Yoga

• Raja Yoga - the Way of Physical Discipline. One
  wants to train the physical body so that the
  soul can be free. There are 8 steps to training
  the body.

33
The Eight Steps of Raja Yoga

• 1. Restraint - no killing, lying, stealing,
  unchastity, coveting
• 2. Spiritual Discipline - calm, austerity, study,
  devotion, purity
• 3. Posture (lotus best)
• 4. Controlled breathing

• 5. Withdrawal of the senses from all
  sense-objects
• 6. Concentration
• 7. Meditation
• 8. Union with god

34
Key Terms

• The most important concepts in the Upanishads,
  which are still in Hinduism today, are Brahman,
  Atman, maya, karma and moksha.

35
Brahman

• Brahman originally meant cosmic power in the
  Vedic system. In the Upanishads the word was
  expanded to mean a divine reality at the heart
  of things. To know Brahman cannot be put in
  words. Brahman is sat, reality itself chit,
  pure consciousness, and ananda, bliss. Brahman
  is beyond time and space.

36
Relationship of the Gods
37
Hindu Deities

• The major gods.
• There are three major gods, which are the center
  of devotion because they are interlinked with
  the forces of creation, preservation, and
  destruction. The three gods are Brahma, Vishnu,
  and Shiva, sometimes together they are called the
  Trimurti, which means triple form.

38
Brahma

• Brahma is the creative force that made the
  universe. Brahma is usually worshiped
  collectively along with Vishnu and Shiva than
  alone. He is depicted as ancient, thoughtful
  king, with four faces that look in all four
  directions and four arms.

39
Vishnu

• Vishnu is the force of preservation in the
  universe. He is thought of light and warmth that
  destroys darkness, Vishnu grew in stature until
  finally becoming a major god of Hinduism. He is
  associated with loving-kindness and can appear
  on earth at different times and various physical
  forms to help those in need.

40
Krishna

• Krishna is another incarnation of Vishnu and may
  have started as the object of fertility worship.

41
Shiva

• Shiva is linked with destruction and is the most
  complicated of the gods. Shiva is expressed as
  threatening and benevolent, creator but
  destroyer, exuberant dancer but austere yogi.
  Shivas creative energy is symbolized or
  manifested, sometimes more abstractly and
  sometimes more explicitly, in sexual terms.

42
Four Major Castes

• Some historians believe that the Aryans were
  responsible for the caste system in India. Four
  major caste systems emerged.
• Brahmins
• Kshatriya
• Vaisyas
• Shudras

http//nisus.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/Class_C
aste.html
43
Four Major Castes

• Brahmins - intellectual and spiritual leaders,
  priests - They perform the Vedic rituals and
  counsels. They are in demands a cooks because of
  the association with fire and sacrifice.
  Furthermore, they can prepare food for other
  castes as well as their own.

44

• Kshatriya - warrior-noble - has the role of
  protecting society. This is the traditional
  caste of the aristocracy.

http//nisus.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/Class_C
aste.html
45

• Vaisyas the merchants, landowners,
  moneylenders, and sometimes artisans. Males of
  the thee upper castes receive a sacred cord
  during a ceremony in their youth and afterward
  are called twice-born.

http//nisus.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/Class_C
aste.html
46

• Shudras - the unskilled laborers - do manual
  labor and is expected to serve the higher castes.
  The origin probably goes back the Aryan
  subjection of native people, who were forced to
  do the work of servants. The peasant is called
  once-born.

http//nisus.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/Class_C
aste.html
47
Untouchables

• mlechcha - outcastes, untouchables - are
  considered so low as to be outside the caste
  system. Untouchables do the dirtiest
  workcleaning toilets, sweeping streets,
  collecting animal carcasses, and tanning animal
  hides.

48
Subcaste

• There is subcaste system which developed over the
  years from the simple four caste and is quite
  large. Although the caste system is outlawed it
  is still practiced to some extent.

49
Sources

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50
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51
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