Transcript HINDUISM
HINDUISM By Ted Eby, Derek Jager, Trent Josephson, Sadie Utter, Stephanie Wagstaff BEGINNINGS • Hinduism began in northern India • Diffused into southeast Asia without the caste system of northern India • Founders are the Aryan peoples of northern India • Basis was a prophet, fixed doctrine, single authoritative scripture or specific institutional organization PROMINENT FIGURES • Brahman– Teachers and priests • Devi – Deity of gentleness/fright • Shiva – Deity of creation/destruction • Vishnu – Deity of preservation BASIC TENETS AND COSMOLOGY • Four Stages of Life: – Student• Boys go to live with teacher and girls learn from the householder, or father, taking the place of the teacher – Householder• • • • Mandatory Marries Have children Household traditions/sacrifices – Forest Dweller• Grandchildren take over the household • Focus on nature and meaning of existence • Gives up home – Wandering Ascetic• • • • • ‘Dead’ in the eyes of his family Renounces the world entirely Abandons all identity An object of worship when in a Hindu Temple Liberation CONTINUED… • Manifestations of a single divine force that pervades the universe • Text shows underlying unity • Worship centers on the temple • Nature is viewed as sanctity • Religious duties depend on social standing, gender, and current stage of life • Moksha – Union of one’s soul with brahman; ‘release’ or ‘liberation’ from Samsara • Samsara – Cycle of birth, death, rebirth in which the soul works out Karma CONCEPT OF GOD • Henotheistic: devoted to one God expressed in millions of forms • Brahman- very essence of existence and knowledge which pervades entire universe and every being. – considered highest god to exist – entire universe, all galaxies, and more • People choose to worship one certain form of God • Devas- celestial entities – one certain Deva may be worshiped to attain a personal desire. HOLY WRITINGS • Bhagavad Gita (500 BCE): greatest single statement of Hindu beliefs; opposes evil in the world. First scripture devoted entirely to yoga. • Ramayana & Mahabharata: epics • Upanishads: considers nature of Brahman and Samsara • Suriti: filled with stories and histories • Veda: ‘sacred knowledge’. Consists of four collections of sacred hymns and prayers and supplementary writings • **VERY IMPORTANT**- Mimamasa-Sutra (300 BCE): Jaimini composed this, the first authoritative text of Hinduism. turning point of Hinduism. Shift from ancient Hinduism to modern Hinduism. SYMBOLS • • • • • • • • • • Nature was sacred Beauty/embellishment to receive deities Mantra: From the Vedas. A sacred formula repeated in meditation. Murtis: manifest form of the Divinity Sri Chakra Yantra: represents Shiva (masculine) and Shakti (feminine). Symbolic of creation and expresses non-duality Swastika: An Arya, or noble and auspicious symbol. A symbol of action of the Principle on Manifestation Aum (Om)- sacred symbol that represents God Tilaka- mark on forehead that was a sign of faith Vibhuti- holy ash used on the forehead to represent Shiva Ahimsa- advocated non-violence; respect for all forms of life – Vegetarianism – Abstain from beef PRACTICES • • • • • Pilgrimages – People would travel very long distances in order to worship. – Distance traveled was a sign of your faith. Festivals Duties – Duties to society were often based on personal characteristics, such as your caste rank, age, gender, and place in the four stages of life. Devotion to Statues – Worshipers would devote their worship to a specific statue. To show their worship, they would often bathe the statue or clothe it, to show an example of their faith. Yoga – Goal of Moksha – Seeking liberation through the disunion of the spirit and nature through meditation, physical, and spiritual practices and firm belief in God. GEOGRAPHY • Geography played an instrumental role in the development of Hinduism • The vast diversity of India allowed for a complex and varied religion • Due to the isolation of India because of the Kush and Himalayan mountains with the Khyber pass being the only point of contact, Hinduism evolved into a religion that catered to the inhabitants of the sub-continent CASTE SYSTEM (4) • Brahmanas- teachers/priests • Kshatriyas- warriors, kings, and administrators • Vaishayas- farmers, merchants, herdsmen, and businessmen • Shudras- servants and laborers INFLUENCED BY • Vedic religion • Islamic invaders • Buddhism SECTS • • • • Special knowledge of sacred truth Mental and physical discipline Extraordinary devotion to the deity 4 Divisions in Contemporary Hinduism