Transcript document

By
Abbas Hussain
AREPP
Objectives
By the end of the presentation learners will be able
to
 Know about the origin of Hinduism as religion and
the origin of word it self.
 Understand the caste system in Hindu religion
 Discuss upon the 4 stages of life of a Hindu man
 Identify sacred texts and their importance with
Hindu teachings.
 Conceptualize the idea of rebirth and liberation
 List down different Hindu observances like ritual
purification, pilgrimage and festivals.
Origin
The Aryans noble man or land lords
 Civilization of 2500 BCE
 Areas of Indus valley
 Religion of aryan was arya-dharma
 Hindus consider them as their source and inspiration.
Cont….
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The term Hindu is corruption of word Sindhu
It is the Sanskrit name for Indus River
Today applied to members of Hindu religion
Some preferred to be called by caste or community.
Most common description is sanatana dharma the
eternal law
Social structure
Caste
Social stratification called varna (color)
Caste system develop due to multiracial society
others says
Imposed by lighter skin aryans when they conquered
darker ones
Highly complex system comprising of 3000 groups
Four major classes
 Brahmana or brahmin
 Kshatriya
 Vaisya
 Sudra
Brahmins
 Central place of power
 Priests, the spiritual and intellectual leaders
 Spent time in studying, teaching, performing sacrifices
and officiating religious services.
Kshtriyas
 Rulers
 Warriors
 Nobles protected
 Administrative
 Promote material welfare of soceity
Vaisyas
 Farmers
 Merchants
 Traders
 Contribute to economic well-being
Sudras
 Laborers
 Servants
 Supply service to first three groups
Chandalas
 The fifth category
 Untouchables
 Status is so low that does not belong to any class
 Excluded from communal rituals
 not permitted to draw water from public wells
Justification for social stratification
 Karma the action
 Samsara the reincarnation
 Birth in particular class determine past life karma
“Those who conduct here on earth has been good
will quickly attain some good birth-birth as
brahmin, birth as kshatriya, or birth as a vaisya.
But those whose conduct here has been evil will
quickly attain some evil birth- birth as dog,birth as
pig,or birth as chandala.” (Chandogya Upanishad
5.10.7)
The stages of life
 Ashrama the stages of life
 The specific set of duties and responsibilities of
male Hindu of three upper class
 The stages are
youth
adult hood
middle age
old age
Youth (brahmacarin)
 A student
 Age between eight and tweleve
 Disciplined and instructed by guru
 Serve guru with absolute humility
Adult hood (grishashta)
 A house holder
 Live an active married life
 Apply three ideals of social living like
observance of accepted religious duties
accumulation of wealth and enjoyment of sensual
pleasure
Middle age (Vanaprastha)
 Forest dweller
 Hairs turns grey or first grandson born
 Lead a life of reflection and meditation
 Expected for complete detachment from material life
Old age (sannyasin)
 Renouncer
 Life of wandering ascetic
 Goal is to attain liberation from rebirth or
reincarnation
Hindu sacred text
 No single definitive text
 Still classified in to two parts
Shruti
Smriti
Shruti (hearing)
 Group of writing having eternal and sacred knowledge
 Revealed to rishis or seers
 Transmitted orally to brhamin generations
 It has four major texts
the Vedas
the Brahmanas
the Aranyakas
the Upanishads
The Vedas (bodies of knowledge)
Rig Veda
Mostly prayers and praise
Collection of 1000 hymns
Sama- Veda
Rythmic chants from rig veda
Yajur- Veda
Prose passages on sacrificial rituals
Atharva- Veda
Magical spells, incantations and kingly
duties.
The Brahmanas
 Have mystical meanings of many rites
 Describe detail ritual
The Aranyaks (forest books)
 Written for religious aesthete
 Esoteric in content
 Express innermost nature of human kind and universe
The Upanishads
 Basic philosophy of hinduism
 Viewed as culmination of sacred knowledge
Smriti (memory)
 Represent tradition
 Examples are
The Epic
The Code of Manu
The Puranas
The Epic
Mahabharata
Longest epic : deals with law, religion and politics
Has three famous stories
bhagvad geeta (song of lord) dialogue between
warrior and blessed lord Krishna
Ramayana
Story of prince Ramam
The code of Manu
 Marriage laws
 Dietary regulations
 Duties of various caste
 Civil and criminal laws
 Daily rites and scarifies
 Ethical subjects
The Puranas
 Gnealogy of gods, sages and kings
 Description of creation, destruction and recreation of
universe
 Scriptures of the common folk
Hindu teachings
 Absolute reality
Female
Energetic, violent, emotional and
potentially destructive
e.g. goddess Kali
Male
Cool, dispassionate and serene.
e.g. devas like Varuna, Mitra and Vishnu
The Mantras
 Formulation of truth in sound
 Internalized speech of truth
Rebirth
 Every living form is subject to an indefinite series of
lives and existences
 Future existence is determine by law of karma
“well then…I shall tell you about this profound and
eternal Brahman and also about what happens to the
atman (soul) after meeting death. Some soul enter the
womb for the purpose of re embodiment and some
enter into stationary objects-according to their work
(karma) and according to their knowledge.” (Katha
Upanishads2.2.6-7;3.4).
Liberation
 Four basic needs of human life
 First two are pleasure and wealth (path of desire).
 Last two are moral duty and liberation (path of
renunciation)
 Ultimate satisfaction of their duty is moksha,
liberation from cycles of rebirth
Hindu observances
 Devotional obligations
a hindu should make five offering daily, to gods, to
ancestors, to seers, to animals and to the poor.
private devotion also consist of tending sacred house
hold fire, recitation of text, repetition of mantras,
meditation and yoga exercises.
ceremonial awakening and bathing of the deity and
invocation of name of deity.
Hindu observances
 Ritual purification
concepts of cleanliness and contamination.
two aspects of internal and external purification
 External: washing and bathing
 Internal: esoteric techniques by prescribed formulas or
yogic posture.
Pilgrimage
 Visiting holy places
 Many hope to die in the precincts of varansai
(benares).
Festivals
 Acts of worship, fasting vigils, bathing, recitation of
chants, taking of vows, lightening of lamp, fairs,
games, drinking, gambling and offering gifts to
Brahman.
 Divali or Dipavali: cluster of lights
 Holi or Hutashami
References:
 Nigosian.S.A. 2000. World religion a historical
approach, Hinduism. 3rd edition.
 Basu. D.A. 2002. The essence of Hinduism