Hinduism, Lecture 1

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Hinduism, Lecture 1

• Circling the Banyan

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The Banyan Tree
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Hinduism Prototype

• No Historical Foundersanatana (eternal), no
  obvious unity
• Transcendent God, who can be worshipped in a
  variety of ways (one God/many gods).
• Bhakti (devotion) can help in a contingent way,
  but also may provide liberation (moksha) from
  actions (karma) and reincarnation (samsara).
• Veda Revere it or Supplant it, but its
  central.
• Dharma Law, Duty, Responsibility
  (varna-ashrama-dharma), but also renunciation
  (samnyasa).

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Hinduism Prototype, Continued The Four Fours
(31s)

• Four Castes (varna) Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya,
  Shudra (but dont forget Dalits)
• Four Stages of Life (ashrama) Student,
  householder, forest-dweller, renunciant
• Four Goals of Life dharma, artha, kama, moksha
• Four Great Gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi

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Hinduism Major Periods

• Formative Period, c. 2500-800 BCE
• Speculative Period, c. 800-400 BCE
• Epic Puranic Period, c. 400 BCE 600 CE
• Medieval Period, c. 600-1500 CE
• Modern Period, c. 1500 Present
• Mughals, British, Modern Nation-State

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Hindu Scriptures

• /ruti
• Veda sa9hit1s
• g Veda (hymns and prayers)
• S1ma Veda (hymns set to music)
• Yajur Veda (sacrificial rituals)
• Atharva (lesser rituals, local benefits)
• Br1hma7as Speculation on sacrifice
• !ra7yakas Upaniads Speculation on the ritual
  universe
• Sm4ti
• Epics Pur17as, e.g. Mah1bh1rata and R1m1yana
• S3tras /1stras, e.g. Laws of Manu
• Tantras other ritual texts

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The Integrative Vision of the Upaniads

• Correlation
• Emergence Resolution
• Hierarchy
• Paradox
• Cycles