Transcript Hinduism

Hinduism
BRAHMAN (MONISM): ALL REALITY IS
ULTIMATELY ONE!
Hinduism in Canada
• The world is home to over 900 million Hindus.
• Most live in India, but large numbers live in Nepal, Bangladesh,
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Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.
Hinduism has spread with immigration to Canada and other countries.
It is the third largest religion in the world, after Christianity and Islam.
In Canada, the Hindu population is about 297 200, or just under 1%.
– This makes Hinduism Canada’s fourth most followed religion, after
Christianity (76%), Islam (2%), and Judaism (1.1%).
The majority of Hindus in Canada were born elsewhere.
Most live in Ontario, Québec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Hinduism is a tradition that means many things and has many variations.
– It is not a unified, centralized religion like Roman Catholicism.
– It has no formal church and no single authority.
– It has no founder and no fixed doctrines.
Origins
Veda: First Phase
 IN 1500 BCE, groups from Central Asia or Europe known
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as the Aryans came in to the Indus valley and brought
with them their religion that was combined with that of
the people who were there before.
Hinduism was used a term used by the British to
identify all the different religions in India that weren’t
Christian, Buddhist or Muslim
Their philosophy and rituals were written in texts called
the Veda.
These are considered the earliest Hindu scriptures
Hinduism has over 330 million Gods
Origins
Upanishads: Second Phase
 The second phase of the evolution of Hinduism began
with the sacred writings known as the Upanishads
(which means to “sit before a teacher”)
 They are teachings on the meanings of the Vedas
 It marks the beginning of a new focus. No longer did
they focus on the gods of nature but on an inner focus.
 It focused on the sacred truth behind all appearances, the
one reality….
BRAHMAN
Four key concepts of human nature
 Samsara: The endless cycle of birth, death and
rebirth
 Karma: Our actions govern the cycle of death and
rebirth
 Dharma: The law of right action in any lifetime (our
duty or path)
 Moksha: Liberation from samsara and the illusion
(Maya) of this world
Brahman is Atman
Atman is Brahman
 Atman: Is the Hindu equivalent of our soul. It is the
only REAL part of us. Therefore it is the connection
to Brahman. In fact it is Brahman since Brahman is
the only reality.
 Hindus describe Brahman as
 “Neti, Neti”
 Meaning: Not this, not this
Gods
The Triad
 Brahma: The creator of the universe
 Has four faces and is seated on a lotus
 Holds a book, a rosary and a gourd
 His female counterpart is Saraswati: Goddess of
learning and the arts
 She holds a book and a musical instrument
 Sits on a peacock or swan
Triad continued
 Vishnu: The preserver of the universe
 A loving and forgiving figure
 Has four arms holding a conch shell, a discus, a lotus
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and a mace
He rides on an eagle
Has many avatars (he has come as a human)
His companion is Lakshmi: Goddess of wealth and
happiness
Holds gold coins
Often surrounded by elephants
Triad continued….
 Shiva: The destroyer god he holds a trident, a rosary
and a gourd in his hands, he rides a bull
 He is also depicted as the god of the dance called
 Nataraj who holds a drum, serpent and a sacred fire
in his hands while performing the dance of creation
 Holds water from the river Ganges in his hair
Shiva’s complicated wife
 Shiva’s wife is Parvati also known as Shakti or female
energy
 She takes on many forms including Durga: “the
unapproachable” she is the warrior goddess
 Devi: “the goddess "and Kali “The Black One” the
destroyer.
Other Gods
 Ganesh: is the son of Shiva and Parvati
 He has the head of an elephant with only one tusk
 His other tusk is used as a pen for writing wise
sayings from scriptures
 He is the remover of all obstacles
Hanuman
 He is the monkey god a model of devotion and
everyone’s protector
Avatars
 Avatars: Incarnations of gods (Gods coming as
humans)
 The two most important avatars of Vishnu are
 Rama and Krishna
Important Poems
 Ramayana
 Written around 1500 CE
 Contains 24000 verses and is the story of Rama
 Rama’s wife Sita is abducted by Ravana
 Rama beats Ravana in battle with the help of
Hanuman and he and his wife live happily ever after
Poems continued
 Mahabharata
 The longest poem in the world at 100 000 verses
 Probably compiled between 400 BCE and 400 CE
 It is the story of the Pandavas (the good guys)
 And the Kauravas (the bad guys)
 In the end the good guys win and rule for many years
Bhagavad-Gita
 A very important component of the Mahabharata
 Is considered by some to be the Hindu Bible
 Is in the form of a dialogue between Krishna and his
friend Arjuna
Salvation: Moksha
 “How do I get out of Here?”
 For Hindus There are many ways or Paths to
Salvation so that there is hope for all!
 Let us examine the 4 ways or paths to Salvation
Paths to salvation
 #1
 The Path of Devotion
 A simple path which involves devotion to a personal
deity as well as
 Puja: Acts of worship and offerings paid to a god or
goddess
Paths…..
 #2
 Path of Action
 To do good deeds, to follow one’s dharma
 To live in harmony with the Eternal Dharma or
design of things
 It is from this path that the caste system gets its
strong following
Paths…..
 #3
 Path of Wisdom
 This is a much more difficult path that is for those
who like philosophy
 Followers learn about the relationship between the
Brahman and atman
 And the nature of the universe
Paths…..
 #4
 The Path of Meditation
 What is involved here is meditation and deep
contemplation on Brahman
 Leads to a trance-like state
 If one can get in to this state they can acquire
knowledge of the Truth
 They can become one with Brahman
The Caste System
The Caste System
• In traditional Hindu society, all life was arranged as a hierarchy.
• Performing good deeds and following the assigned code of behaviour
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determined whether people earned the right to be reborn at a higher
level.
These beliefs were expressed in Hindu society’s division into castes.
Roles, jobs, social standing, and religious structures were organized
according to the hierarchy of castes.
The caste system is said to have come to ancient India around 1500
BCE with the Aryans, however, this caste system is not part of the
philosophy of Hinduism.
Following one’s dharma means strictly following the rules of caste.
Acting above one’s caste is ignoring dharma and generates bad karma.
Today in India, discrimination based on caste or occupation is illegal,
but some division among caste lines remains.
Many Hindu teachers argue that the Hindu sacred writings never
intended the social and occupational discrimination of the caste
system.
Caste system continued
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Brahmins: they are the priestly caste. They are well educated and
considered the highest caste. They are the Hindu intellectuals.
Kshatriya: they are the warrior class. They are also the political
leaders and police. They are courageous, and strong in governing
Vaishya: they are the merchants and farmers. They are also the
entrepreneurs of the society (in modern day, the middle class)
Sudras: they are the servants and labourers. They must serve the
top three above.
Untouchables (or Outcastes): Because of their jobs they are
considered so low, you do not associate with them at all. They
often times are the poorest of the poor. Gandhi called them
Harijans (children of God)
The Four Hindu Stages of life
Student: Duty is to gain knowledge, learn rules and rituals of
Hinduism and show respect for elders
2. Householder: Time to get married, have children and
provide for one’s family. Also, must give to those in need
and practice faith
3. Forest Dweller: This stage is traditionally marked by the
birth of the first grandchild. The person at this stage, goes
on a spiritual quest, leaving behind all worldly bonds
4. Sannyasin (or ascetic): this stage is for those forest dwellers
who are able to enter society again but detached from all that
is normal life. They even give up their names and their past.
If a person can reach this level, they are often called
Mahatma (meaning great soul). It is only from this level that
one can achieve Moksha after death.
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The Four goals of life
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Kama: Sensual pleasure. This is seen as a good not a bad, but it is
the lowest goal and a true sign one is not prepared for a “higher”
life let alone Moksha. One is truly caught up in the illusion of the
world.
Artha: Material Success. This is the desire for power and praise
from others. At this stage there is the need to be the boss, to be
popular, to be “rich and famous”. Again, this is seen as fine but a
lower goal. It is higher than Kama because it is a little less self
centered but again shows an attachment to the illusion.
Dharma: To conduct one’s duty with compassion toward all
beings. A higher goal because of the true concern for others.
There is a starting to understand the “silliness” of being concerned
with self…..illusion
Moksha: To want to achieve liberation from the world that is
Maya (illusion)
Women in Hinduism
 Traditionally a woman’s role was to follow her
husband (her dharma is to be obedient to her
husband and follow his lead).
 Divorce is frowned upon.
 An ancient practice was Sati: where a wife’s
responsibility was to jump on the funeral pyre of her
husband’s
 This practice has been outlawed for close to 100
years in India but there are still examples of it taking
place in some of the small villages from time to time
Symbols in Hinduism
OHM
The Ohm represents creation and is also a Mantra(repeated chant)
which is used to help one focus on Brahman; The ultimate reality.
Swastika
The Swastika is a Hindu symbol for Good Luck!
Holy Cow
 Hindus see the cow as “a manifestation of all that is
good and precious”
 They have put the cow in a place of importance for
the following reasons;
1. Milk
2. Transportation
3. Farming
4. Many uses of manure
Bonus Assignment
 For 25 marks Knowledge and 25 marks Communication
 In complete sentences/paragraph form work on and hand in by
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the end of class on Thursday Oct. 8 the following questions from
the Hinduism Chapter.
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Festivals
 Diwali (or Divali): The Hindu festival of lights is the
religion’s most popular holiday. Celebrated over five
days at the end of October or the beginning of
November. Hindus set off fireworks, decorate their
houses with lights, give gifts and wear new clothes to
celebrate the triumph of good and knowledge over
the dark forces of evil and ignorance.
Festivals continued
 Holi
 It is a spring festival that takes place sometime in
March
 Hindus of all ages join in the merriment of squirting
coloured water on friends and family members.
 They eat sweets and pretend to be of another caste
Festivals continued….still
 Mahashivaratri
 Takes place in February
 It is a special event dedicated to the devotion of
Shiva
 Devotees worship, keep vigil and fast for 24 hours
And still…..festivals…..
 Navaratri
 The word means “nine nights” and is held in the
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spring
The first three nights, Hindus worship Durga
The next three nights they offer puja to Lakshmi
The final three nights are dedicated to Saraswati
The next night (the tenth), they observe
Vijayadasami, or the Day of Victory
Marriages
 Marriages in Hinduism are arranged.
 Parents of the two (potential bride and groom) check
to see they are compatible socially (same caste),
culturally and financially.
 The ceremony last approximately three hours.
Funerals
 When a person dies, the body is cremated and
traditionally on the river bank of the Ganges
 The name of the Rama is chanted and holy songs are
sung.
 The family takes the ashes and scatters them in the
river.
Rituals: Puja
• Puja involves worshipping one or more Hindu
deities.
• The image of a deity is called a murti.
• Puja usually takes place in the home, but it can also
be conducted in a temple.
Rituals
Puja in a Hindu Home
• Most Hindu families have a place of worship in their home.
• Worshippers remove their shoes, ring a bell to summon the murti, light
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a lamp, and burn incense.
The murti is washed and decorated with garlands or flower petals.
A small amount of red paste is placed on the foreheads of the murti and
the worshippers.
Worshippers make an offering of fruit, light, flowers, or sweets to the
murti.
Any food that has been part of the puja is eaten by everyone present.
Temple Worship
• Hindus visit the mandir (temple) any time.
• A Hindu temple is a complex of shrines, each devoted to a different deity.
• As worshippers enter the temple, they remove their shoes and wash their
hands.
• They approach the shrine to make an offering as they approach, they ring
a bell to announce their arrival to the murti.
• In another important ritual, haven, a fire offering, the priest lights a fire,
then pours butterfat or oil into it while chanting from the Vedas.
• Guru, Swami or Priest (Hindu Religious Leaders)