Transcript Hinduism - Ezellbible8

Hinduism
The World’s “Oldest” Religion?
Hinduism History
2600 BC - evidence of Prehistoric Religion Found in INDIA
1500 BC - Rig Veda written in Sanskrit (Ancient Indian Language)
600 BC - Buddhism branches From Hinduism
200 AD - 4 Hindu Schools founded and theology defined
700 AD - Hinduism struggles to grow with the advent of Islam surrounding India
1700 AD - English Term “Hindu” used to describe any Pagan religious Group originating in India /
British Domination of India
1900 AD - ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Conscienceness) promoted in Modern culture
1930 AD - Political Activist Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Hindu Holy Books
AUthors - Unknown (most likely Priests)
Vedas - “book of Knowledge”;
Oldest - Rig Veda - book of Hymns (1500 BC)
Over 1000 hymns
Each Hymn celebrates a different God or Goddess
Indra - king of the Gods (weather)
Agni - God of Fire
Soma - God of Hallucinogenic Plants (mushrooms)
Upanishads - teacher commenting on the Vedas
Theological Development (move from Polytheism to Pantheism)
Pantheism - concept that God is everything and Everything is God
Development of the Concept of Brahman (pure spiritual Reality of all things)
Mahabharata and Bhagavad-GitA - “the SOng of the Lord”
Arjuna - Prince who desires to Go to War, but he is confused
Krishna - chariot driver and secretly an Avatar of Vishnu
Avatar - a visual representation of someone or something
“Hindu Trinity”
Images/Icons/Idols - Critical to Hinduism
Idols are not the God in Hinduism, however the God can “live In” the Idol
Idols are cared for with utmost respect
Items are brought to the Idols as an offering to the god represented by the idol
Main Hindu Gods
Hinduism has over 3,000,000 gods and goddesses
Most Hindu homes have a household deity
Temples are built to honor one main deity
Brahma - CREATES - oldest god and the least worshipped (married to Sarasvati - goddess of Arts)
Vishnu - PRESERVES - god of love, has 9 Known Avatars (married to Lakshmi - Goddess of wealth)
Shiva - DESTROYS - (married to Kali - goddess of death; has a son named Ganesha - god of new beginnings)
Life Stages of A Man
Female Life Stages = Child and Wife (and, if need be, Widow)
4 Main Stages for a Man in Hinduism
Student Stage - 8-12 years old, learning how to live out one’s dharma within the caste
Householder Stage - marries and runs one’s household; a time to enjoy the sensual
pleasure of life
Forest Dweller Stage - First Grey Hair/First Grandchild - retire to the forest to meditate and
focus on the important things in life
Renouncer Stage - at the end of life, a man renounces everything and becomes a
wandering nomad
Nomad - one who travels with no home
Basic Beliefs
Atman - personal soul essence that it actually a part of Brahman
Karma - the eternal link between deeds and consequences
Temporary Karma - some things will be repaid “quickly” in life
Eternal Karma - some things are so severe for good and bad that they are passed on to
successive lives
Dharma - the specific and chosen role one plays throughout life
“In order to gain good karma, one must practice his or her dharma”
Samsara - the eternal cycle of reincarnation
Moksha - the release from the cycle of reincarnation into the flow of Brahman (the Main Goal of
Hinduism)
Reincarnation
Reincarnation - the idea that one’s atman transfers between bodies after death of the previous
body
One does not consistently remember previous lives
One may have flashes of previous lives (i.e. feeling like you have been somewhere
before, instant knowledge of a newly met person, etc.)
Reincarnation always occurs within a living animal of some kind
The Placement of the new life is determined by the karma built up in previous lives
The hope is to “move Up” the caste system in order to have the best chance at moksha
THe Caste System
There are 4 Main Castes and 1 Unspoken Caste
Brahmins - the priests
Kshatriyas - nobles, warriors, and rulers
Vaisyas - farmers, merchants, and traders
Sudras - manual laborers
These four are in order of respect and ability to gain moksha
“Fifth Caste” - Untouchables
This group is made up of people with skin diseases, metal instabilities, and those born in
extreme poverty
in some countries, it is illegal to call this a caste
reformers have come to give respect for this group of people
The Paths/Ways to Moksha
The Way of Works - Kama Yoga
Focus on Mantras - saying the right words from the text of the Vedas
Puja - Hindu worship Service
Offerings given to the idols, hymns sung, prayers offered
Done as a family, a community, or (mostly) individually
No common Day of Public Worship
Kinds: Daily, Routine, or Special Occasions
The Way of Pleasure
Attain pleasure, things, and wealth to fulfill dharma
Goal - if enough is gained, the atman will not feel the desire to return
Kama Sutra - book about seeking pleasure in Sex
The Way of Knowledge
Learning and Studying Holy Books (Hindu and Others) to learn more about Life
Goal - in study and learning one may find the true path to moksha
The Way of Devotion
FUlly committing to the way of Hinduism in practice
Often, this path is marked by the entrance into Monastic Life
Hindu Monasticism
Ashrams - Hindu monastic Temples (also a term used to refer to the typical stages of life)
Sanyasa - those who choose to live a monastic way of life
Swami - term used for Hindu Monks
Monks distance themselves from “normal” life to live in seclusion
It is considered a respectable honor and highly meritorious to choose monastic life
Monks choose to live life treating all with respect regardless of wealth, status, morals, or
caste
Also, they are asked to be indifferent to pain, pleasure, and praise
Hindu Holy Days
Sarasvati - Puja that honors the goddess Sarasvati (patron of arts and learning)
Holi - celebrates the Indian grain harvest, and recalls the pranks Krishna played as a young
man
Rama Naumi - celebrates the birthday of the god Rama (an Avatar of Vishnu)
Rata Yatra - festival in which a hugh statue of Vishnu is placed on a chariot and pulled through
the streets to honor the God
Janmashtami - celebrates the birthday of Krishna (another avatar of Vishnu)
Divali - the most widely celebrated festival - celebrates the story of Rama’s return from exile
while on earth
Hindu Denominations
6 Generic “Types” of Hindu Movements
Folk Hinduism - based on worship of local deities at a community level; traces
history back to the Vedas
Vedic Hinduism - practiced by traditional Brahmins
Vedantic Hinduism - based on the philosophical approach found in the Upanishads
Yogic Hinduism - based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Dharmic Hinduism - based on daily morality on the concept of Karma and societal
norms
Bhakti - devotionalism
Unique Aspects
Devotion to Animals
A devout hindu does not eat or kill animals
Many Gods have Animalistic features
Belief in Reincarnation plays a role
Cows are given special respect (objects of economics, provision, and fertility)
Respect for multiplicity
multiple truths are expected
Multiple paths are respected
Multiple Answers are Understood
Bodies are often cremated after death (a release back to Brahman
Symbolism - pictures and images explain doctrine and theology
Mohandas (mahatma) Gandhi
Born during a time in which Britain controlled India
Indians were advocating violence
Gandhi learned and practiced non-violence and vegetarianism
After time studying Law in London, Gandhi learned many Western worldviews
Clothing, Manners, Christianity
Read Tolstoy, Thoreau’s “On Civil Disobedience”
He returned to India and vowed to call for Indian independence from Britain
Used many non-violent techniques: hunger strikes, talks, demonstrations, and publicity
Muslims became fearful that a Hindu India would be unkind to Islam, and they fought and formed the country of Pakistan
A Hindu militant blamed Gandhi’s movement for the Muslim violence
A Hindu militant assassinated Gandhi
Modern Day Problems
Current Problems
Subjugation of the untouchables
Abuse of the Caste System
The role of subservient Females
Hindus and Muslims still remain in conflicts
85% of India is Hindu, thus the government is also Hindu
Western Secularism in India
The Path’s leading
Hinduism is unique in the fact that
the majority of followers believe
that “All religions contain enough
truth”
It also claims that religions say
“generally the same thing”
And, rightly interpreted, all
religions lead to moksha