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Hinduism
Unit Four
The Name
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Hindu is universally accepted as word that refers to the religion
of India. Hindu’s call their religion Sanatana Dharma.
The word is of Persian origin, used to describe people who lived
on the other side of the Sindu river.
There are many sects within Hinduism, but they all share a
common sacred literature, a history of religious thought and a
world view that place spiritual matters above earthly concerns.
Elements of the faith such as reincarnation, Karma (deeds in
this life that determine our place in the next), meditation and
yoga are elements of Hinduism that many Canadians are familiar
with.
Today Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, about 837
million followers or 13% of the world’s population.
At The End Of This Unit You
Should Be Able To ……
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Describe the role of faith in Hinduism.
Describe the use of symbols to represent Hindu beliefs.
Identify significant sacred writings and their importance.
Explain the origin of Hinduism.
Describe the role of woman in Hinduism.
Show how Hinduism is reflected in Canada.
Describe an individual’s role in Hinduism.
Explain the importance of Mahatma Gandhi.
Understand the characteristics and functions of a guru.
Evaluate Hinduism’s place in the modern world.
The Origins of Hinduism
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Unlike other religions, Hinduism was not
founded by a particular individual. It is the
product of the various peoples that have
occupied the region of India through time.
Some have described it as more of a way of life
than a religion.
Two groups of people laid the foundation for
Hinduism, the Indus Valley civilization and the
Aryans.
The Indus Valley Civilization
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Excavations along the banks of the Indus river
provided the first evidence of religious thought
in India.
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a
civilization that rose in the Indus Valley between
3000 and 2500 BCE.
Two ancient cities, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa,
were the heart of this civilization, also referred
to as the Harappa Culture.
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The people of this civilization were impressive builders
and town planners. Houses contained drainage and
sewer systems and some included bathrooms on the
first and second floors.
Some of the buildings have been identified as worship
houses, where archaeologists discovered stone
sculptures that may be early depictions of the Hindu
goddesses Parvati and Kali.
Other discoveries included charms against evil,
thousands of flat seals and fire altars that suggest
religious activity such as animal sacrifice.
One seal depicts a man wearing a head-dress seated in a
yoga position, surrounded by animals. It may be an
early representation of the Hindu god Shiva.
The Arrival Of The Aryans
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Around 1500 BCE, thousands of people, known as
Aryans, migrated into India from the northwest,
destroying the Indus Valley civilization.
They came from central Asia, spoke an early form of
Sanskrit and settled near the river Sindhu and later, the
Ganges river.
Aryan religious thought flourished between 1500 and
500 BCE. It was contained in a collection of hymns,
ritual texts and philosophical works called Vedas, and
are considered Hinduism’s earliest sacred writings.
The earliest Veda is Rig-Veda, which constitutes the
earliest record of sacred knowledge on Hinduism.
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The Vedas were written in verse, and their translation
into prose interpretations were called Brahmanas.
Other mystical texts on human existence, called
Upanishads, also came from the Vedas.
The Aryans worshipped the forces of nature in the
form of gods. Agni, god of fire, is an example.
Worship and prayer to honor these forces formed the
core of early Hinduism.
The Upanishads combined prayer with philosophical
inquiry about atman, the human soul. The atman was
considered to be the breath of human life and became
one of the fundamental principles of Hindu
philosophy.
Hindu Beliefs
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The Hindu concept of god is hard for non-Hindus to
understand. It has been described as;
Polytheistic – a religion of many gods
Monotheistic – belief in only one god.
Monistic – god as an impersonal and unknowable
entity.
Scholars refer to this confusion as Hinduism’s tolerant
characteristic. It allows its members to follow their
own conscience and does not impose its beliefs on
others, nor does it believe in conversion.
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The early hymns of the Rig-Veda praise the spirits of
natural forces such as fire, thunder, dawn, water, earth
and the sun. However, it is believed that they all
represent different aspects of the same supreme being.
The Upanishads refers to this supreme being as
Brahman, the soul of the universe from which all
existing things arise and into which they all return. It is
everything and everywhere!
Hindus are free to imagine Brahman in any way that is
meaningful to them. Therefore, Hindus worship
different gods that they consider manifestations of
Brahman.
Hindu Deities
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The most prevalent manifestations of Brahman
are the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who are
often depicted together as one concept, called
the Hindu Trinity. They each have a female
counterpart, the most prominent one being
Parvati, Shiva’s main squeeze.
Brahma
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Creator of the universe.
Has four faces and sits on a lotus.
He holds a book, a rosary and a gourd.
Not as widely worshipped as Shiva and Vishnu.
His female counterpart is Saraswati. She is the
goddess of learning and the arts, often depicted
holding a book and a musical instrument called a
veena. She gets around on a peacock or a swan.
Vishnu
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Preserver of the universe, a loving and forgiving figure who
brings salvation.
Four arms in which he holds a conch shell, a discus, a lotus and a
mace. His vehicle is a divine eagle.
Vishnu has many avatars, incarnation or manifestation of a
deity in human form, and appears on earth in the form of an
animal or human to conquer evil.
Hindus believe that one of his incarnations was of Siddartha
Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
His companion is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth,
happiness and good fortune. She is often depicted
rewarding worshippers with gold.
Shiva
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He is the destroyer and restorer of the universe and is associated
with creative energy.
He is considered a great yogi, a spiritually involved individual
who practices meditation.
He holds a trident, a rosary and a gourd in his hands.
His vehicle is a bull.
He is also depicted as Nataraj, the god of dance and is shown
holding a drum, serpent and sacred fire in his hands while
performing the dance of creation.
He holds water in his hair from the sacred Ganges river.
Parvati, his wife, is the mother goddess. She is worshipped as
Shakti or female energy. She is portrayed riding a tiger with many
weapons in her hands.
Ganesha – son of Shiva and Parvati,
remover of all obstacles. Elephant
head, human body.
Subrahmanya – second son of Shiva
and Parvati. Worshipped by the
Tamil in southern India.
Hanuman – The Monkey God, he is
the model of devotion and
everyone’s protector.
Atman
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The human soul or spirit.
It is the part of ourselves that is identical to
Brahman, the universal soul.
A Hindu’s goal in life is to reunite the atman
with the Brahman.
The atman is eternal and immortal! When one
dies, the atman lives on, shedding one body to
enter a new one.
Reincarnation
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Hindus believe that the soul does not die with the body
but enters another body to carry on its existence.
This endless cycle of rebirth is called samsara.
Maya is a word used to describe the temporary and
imperfect nature of the physical world. Hindus believe
that all life is caught in this cycle of birth, death and
rebirth.
The goal of Hindus is to achieve moksha, liberation of
the soul from the endless cycle of rebirths into this
world , by uniting the atman with the Brahman.
Karma
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Karma is the totality of one’s actions in life, and it
determines the form the individual will take when he or
she is reborn.
Bad Karma will result in rebirth at a lower station in life
or as a lower form of life, such as an animal.
Good Karma will result in rebirth at a higher station in
life, which is closer to attaining salvation.
Therefore, in order to achieve salvation, Hindus must
work their way up the ladder of existence, by trying to
secure rebirth at a higher level. This is what led to the
caste system.
Four Paths to Salvation
Bhakti Yoga – The Path of Devotion
- Devotion and love towards a particular personal
deity. It’s popular among Hindus because it
provides the opportunity to worship Brahman in a
concrete way.
- Followers focus their devotion through prayer
and rituals.
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2. Karma Yoga – The Path of Action
- The key to this path is good deeds and thoughts, which
lead to the accumulation of good Karma. Good deeds
are considered unselfish actions that are not done for a
reward but because they are morally right.
3. Jnana Yoga – The Path of Wisdom
- This difficult path calls for the guidance of a guru or
teacher, a spiritual guide that can help one achieve
moksha or salvation.
- Followers learn about the relationship between
Brahman and atman and the nature of the universe as
explained in the scriptures. By knowing the scriptures,
following the guru’s teachings and meditating, followers
gain the insight necessary to achieve salvation.
4. Raja Yoga – The Path of Meditation
- Followers of this path achieve salvation through
meditation or deep contemplation on Brahman.
- Intense meditation leads to a trance like state in
which the individual acquires knowledge of the
truth and becomes one with Brahman.
- Requires strict physical and spiritual discipline.
Dharma
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This is how Hindus refer to their religion. It means a
code of moral and religious duty.
The concept of Dharma is related to the duties and
obligations of the individual and is considered essential
to the welfare of the individual, family and society.
There are two kinds of Dharma: Sanatana dharma,
eternal religion, refers to universal values and principles
that apply to all people, regardless of religion,
nationality, age, sex or profession. Varnashrama
dharma, which concerns the specific duties of each
individual with respect to age, sex and status in society.
The Caste System
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Divides humanity into four classes or varnas,
which people are born into according to the
Karma they have accumulated in previous lives.
Brahmins – priests, religious teachers. Goals are
knowledge and education. Have duties such as
performance of rituals and sacrifices, pursuit of
the arts, sciences, ethics and religious study and
research and training. Must have highly
developed intellect and discipline.
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Kshatriya – warriors and rulers. Their goal is
political power and diplomacy. They work in
government, law and order and protection from
foreign invaders. They should possess physical
strength and courage, as well as governing skills.
Vaishya – merchants and farmers. Their goal is
wealth and commerce. They should manage
wealth and trade with other societies. They
should possess management and entrpreneurial
skills.
Sudra – servants and laborers. They have manual
skills, provide service to other castes and have
the ability to acquire particular skills.
The Untouchables
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A fifth group, outside of the four varnas, are called the
untouchables.
They engage in what is considered “unclean practices” such as
tanning leather, removing dead animals or washing toilets. They
were degraded by the nature of their work and lived separately
from those in the other castes.
Ghandi fought to have these people included in the mainstream
of Indian society.
Today, India’s charter of rights and freedoms bans discrimination
based on caste. President K.R. Narayanan is a member of this
fifth caste, popularly known as dalits.
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For some Indians, untouchables are less than
human.
Just over two years ago, five dalits were lynched
near New Delhi after a rumour spread that they
had killed and skinned a cow, revered as sacred
in India.
An autopsy was conducted on the cow - none
were done for the the dalits - which confirmed
the story their friends told - the cow had died of
other causes and they were skinning it legally.
The Four Stages of Life
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Student – discipline mind and body, gain knowledge,
learn rules and rituals, show respect towards elders.
Householder – marry and have a family, provide for
the family, give to charity, care for family elders, practice
social and religious traditions.
Forest Dweller – retire and transmit household duties
to wife or son, read and study, participate in religious
pilgrimages.
Ascetic – give up worldly life, wander, mediate, attain
salvation.
Four Goals of Life
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Dharma – conduct one’s duties with
compassion, no jealousy, cruelty or greed, be
good and pure.
Artha – earn an honest living, provide for
family, acquire wealth and power.
Kama – pursuing love and physical pleasures to
balance life and to sanctify marriage.
Moksha – leading the soul toward salvation
through honest and moral actions.
Hindu Women
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According to “The Laws of Manu” written 2000 years
ago, women are to be honored and provided for, while
at the same time subordinate and dependant on men.
Divorce is not encouraged but allowed.
More and more Hindu women are working outside the
home, changing tradtional gender roles.
Indira Ghandi was prime minister of India from 1966
to 1977 and again from 1980 until her death in 1984.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first woman
president of the United Nations in 1953.
Hindu Practices, Rituals Symbols
and Festivals
Practices and Rituals
Hindus usually practice their religion at home, first
purifying themselves with water, usually by taking a
bath.
The syllable OM, which represents the supremacy of
Brahman, is chanted at the beginning and end of
prayers and scripture readings. Called Japa, worshippers
chant the names of deities as well as sacred phrases
called mantras. This is a mantra that Hindu’s chant to
greet the sun……..
“ I meditate on the brilliance of the sun; may it
illumine my intellect.”
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Worship at home involves a shrine that serves as an
altar for worship. Called puja, it is a form of
thanksgiving in which offerings are made to deities. It
has 16 steps and ends with a lamp called an arati waved
around the altar while prayers and hymns are recited.
You can eat the offering, called prasad, as it is
considered a gift from the deity. Sometimes, on special
occasions, a priest, usually from the Brahmin caste,
performs a ceremony called Homa, which involves
burning the offering in a fire.
Worship in a temple is not a requirement nor is it
necessity. Usually they are for festivals and special
functions. Arati and prasad are shared and they treat
images of deities with baths, adornments and
processions. Temples also teach children classes on
Hindu prayers and hymns, called bhajans.
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The Sacred Cow
“Holy cow” is an expression that refers to Hinduism’s
reverence of cows. They see the cow as an
manifestation of all that is good and precious.
They see the docile way of a cow as the result of its
being a vegetarian. They aspire to the same lifestyle.
Yoga and Mediation
Yoga in the strict Hindu sense means yoke, or the
atman at union with the Brahman.
To achieve this union with God, meditation is
necessary. You control your breathing, concentrate on a
single object, sound or idea, until you are in a deep
meditative state and are experiencing the divine
presence.
The real experts are the swamis, or holy men of India,
who have dedicated their lives to meditation
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Pilgrimages or journeys to holy places are important
to Hinduism.
Hindus strive to visit, at least once in a lifetime, the holy
city of Varanasi.
It is believed that the holy Ganges River fell from
heaven to give life to people and provide food. Varanasi
is located along the west bank of the river and the first
thing pilgrims do is bathe in the river to cleanse
themselves of sin.
One of the holiest cities in the world, it is also sacred
because it is the birthplace of Tirthankara
Parsvanatha, a spiritual teacher of Jainism and Buddha
gave his first sermon their and started the sangha or
community of monks
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Some of the many symbols in Hinduism include the
swastika, which represents good luck and well being,
the lord of the dance which we have already seen and
forehead marks called tilak which represent the third
eye of wisdom.
Women wear red dots on their foreheads called bindi,
which shows they are married and should be treated as
such.
Festivals include:
Diwali, the festival of lights, from the end of October
to early November.
Holi, a spring festival celebrated in March.
Mahashivaratri, day before the new moon in February.
Navaratri, spring and autumn.
Sacred Writings
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Hindus have over 200 books that are considered sacred
texts. They were written between 15000BCE and
1500CE.
Scriptures are classified as either shruti or smriti.
Shruti is knowledge that is revealed or discovered by
the seers of Hinduism. This wisdom is contained in the
Vedas.
Smriti is human made literature or knowledge that is
remembered.
The four Vedas are considered the oldest and
most authoritative Hindu scriptures:
Rig-Veda – comprises 1028 hymns contained in
ten books, that praise the ancient deities.
Yajur-Veda – a priest’s handbook for the
performance of fire sacrifices.
Sama-Veda – melodies, chants and tunes for the
singing of hymns.
Atharva-Veda – magical formulas, chants, spells
and charms.
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Each Veda contains……..
Mantras, psalms of praise.
Brahmanas, prose manual for priests on
prayer and ritual.
Aranyakas, forest books for saints and
hermits.
Upanishads, philosophical commentaries that
appear at the end of each Veda.
Ramayana
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Written in Sanskrit about 200 BCE, there are about 26 different
versions, and 24,000 verses.
It is the story of prince Rama, who is worshipped as the
seventh avatar or incarnation of the god Vishnu.
Rama was exiled to the forest for 14 years so that his brother,
Bharata, could be king. His wife, Sita, and his other half-brother,
Lakshmana, followed the prince into exile.
Sita was kidnapped by the evil Ravana. A battle ensued where
Rama, assisted by Hanuman, king of the monkeys, defeated
Ravana, rescued his wife and returned triumphantly to his
kingdom.
The story represents the constant struggle between good and
evil, where good eventually wins.
Hinduism in Canada
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There are approx. 300,000 Hindus in Canada.
Most live in the greater Toronto area.
Came to Canada from India, Sri Lanka, Guyana,
Trinidad and England.
Most Hindu priests in Canada are from Guyana.
Sermons, lectures and other discourses are
delivered in the language particular to each
group.