Transcript ch-3-hinduism-notesx

Chapter 3
Hinduism
Pg. 41-67
Hinduism
“There is only one God, but endless are his
aspects and endless are his names. Call him by
any name and worship him in any aspect that
pleases you, you are sure to see him.”
~ Shri Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886)
Hindu Holy Man
Many Rivers to One Ocean
– Shri Ramakrishna emphasizes the harmony and
tolerance that are characteristic of Hinduism.
– Harmony of many different beliefs and practices
all aiming for the common goal of salvation
– Hinduism is highly tolerant of other religions
– Ramakrishna also became a Muslim and a
Christian, which he believed made him a better
Hindu
Many Rivers to One Ocean
– The Rig Veda is Hinduisms oldest sacred text
(nearly 4000 years old)
– “God is one but men call him by many names.”
– “Even as a tree has a single trunk, but many
branches and leaves, so is there one true and
perfect religion, but it becomes many as it
passes through the human medium.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Liberation
– Salvation through liberation from the
constraints of the human condition is the
ultimate goal of all Hindus.
– For most, it will not be attained in this
lifetime
– Hindus believe in Reincarnation (rebirth
in new life forms) and thus plan on a
long series of lifetimes
Liberation
– The Hindu term for liberation is moksha, a
Sanskrit word that also means “release”
– Moksha is a release from this ordinary, finite,
limited realm of existence into infinite being,
awareness and bliss
– The Hindu who has attained moksha is
united forever with the divine, having
returned to the sacred source
The Divine
– Hindus believe that all reality (God, the
universe, humans, and all else) is essentially
one thing
– Most (though not all) Hindus believe in
monism, the doctrine that all reality is
ultimately one.
– Hindus worship many gods and goddesses,
which are thought of as the various masks of
God
Monism: All is Brahman
– Monists believe that all forms of reality (gods and
goddesses, plants and animals, the material
universe, and humans) share a common essence
– Hindus call this essence Brahman
– Infinite and eternal, Brahman is the ground of
existence and the source of the universe.
– Brahman can only be discovered through
profound contemplation
Monism: All is Brahman
– The Upanishads, the ancient philosophical texts that
form the basis of most Hindu doctrines, teach that
Brahman can be described only as neti neti, or “not
this, not that”
– Brahman is beyond the reach of human perception and
thought
– The Upanishads teach that ultimate reality can be
understood through inward contemplation of the self.
– The ultimate reality within is named atman, the
eternal self.
Polytheism: 330 Million Gods and
Goddesses
– The divine is thought ultimately to be
one essence and yet, Hindus
subscribe to polytheism, believing in
many gods and goddesses.
– Traditionally, 330 million
– The deities are extensions of one
ultimate reality; many “masks” for
one God
Polytheism: 330 Million Gods and
Goddesses
– Hindu deities provide contact between humans
and the divine (because Brahman or atman is
beyond the reach of the sense and of thought)
– Each deity has its own personal characteristics
– Hindus can freely worship whichever gods and
goddesses they like
Hindu Gods
and
Goddesses
Project
Hindu Cosmology
– All religious traditions set forth a
cosmology, or an explanation regarding
the nature of the universe
– Hinduism regards what and why the
universe is as a great mystery.
– The important thing for Hindus is to
deal with the universe as it is, to seek
salvation through liberation from the
world
Cycles of Creation
– Hinduism charts time and creation in
ongoing cycles
– This cyclical cosmology of Hinduism
declares that the universe undergoes
long periods of creation and
destruction, a rhythmic pattern that
repeats itself endlessly
Cycles of Creation
– As the end of the cycle approaches, the
destructive forces will become more
prominent
– At the end, the universe will be re-created:
the galaxies will be remade, souls will rise
again and come to inhabit the various life
forms, Hinduism will evolve all over again
Reincarnation
– Within the cyclical pattern of the universe, each
individual is also created and re-created repeatedly, until
finally attaining release from this realm through moksha.
– According to the doctrine of Samsara, or “wheel of
rebirth”, the individual is reincarnated from one life form
to the other
– The atman, the individual “self” or “soul” is what is
reincarnated
– Most aspects of the personality are generally not
thought to be transmitted to the next life form
Reincarnation
– Reincarnation occurs on a vast number of levels of
existence, including the various life forms (human,
animal, or plants) of this earth and other similar worlds,
gods and goddesses in the many Hindu heavens, and
demons in its many hells
– There are also semi-divine realms of “titans” just
below the heavens, and a realm of “ghosts” just above
the hells
– The Bhagavad-Gita, Hinduism’s most popular sacred text,
teaches about reincarnation
Reincarnation
Divine Principles in the World
– Two principles, karma and dharma
connect the divine with this world
– These principles form the link
between the realm of samsara and
the divine source
– Karma and dharma provide a basis
for a moral life
Divine Principles in the World
– Karma determined the nature of each
reincarnation
– Every action produces an outcome that is
justified by the action’s moral worthiness
– Individuals are automatically held to be
morally responsible for their actions
– An individual’s karmic record stays with
the self from reincarnation to
reincarnation
– Karma determined the life form into
which the atman is born
Divine Principles in the World
– Dharma is the standard for determining
the rightness or wrongness of actions
– For every activity, there is a way of
acting that conforms to dharma
– Hindus look to four sources when
seeking guidance about dharma in
particular situations
– Dharma curbs desires and shifts focus
from self-satisfaction to caring for other
Divine Principles in the World
– From highest to lowest level of authority:
– Divine Revelation, as expressed in the
Sacred Scriptures
– Sacred Tradition, as passed on from
generation to generation
– The practice and example of those who are
considered the wisest members of society
– Conscience
Hindu Society
– The basic principles of Hinduism are
interconnected
– Karma, the moral law of cause and effect, is
based in dharma, ethic duty
– Dharma, in turn, is connected to social
order
– A person’s particular dharma is
determined by gender, caste, and stage
of life
– Within this social order, Hindus are free to
choose from among four legitimate goals
– These circumstances map an individual’s
identity
Hindu Society
– Hinduism’s caste system incorporates a traditional division
of society into four distinct classes:
– Brahmin (priests)
– Kshatriya (warriors and administrators)
– Vaishya (producers: farmers, merchants, artisans)
– Shudra (servants and laborers)
– Within these four classes are 3000 distinct sub-categories
– Correspond to different occupations (for men) and for
women, pertains to whom they can marry
– Dharma provides specific rules regarding marriage with
respect to caste
Hindu Society
– An additional category consists of the “out
castes”, those who are considered to be
outside of society altogether
– Includes the Untouchables, who have only
recently begun to enjoy some legal rights
– Mahatma Gandhi renamed the outcastes
Harijan, “God’s children”
– The caste system is based on heredity
– One is born into a lifelong caste identity
– Karma justifies the caste system
Hindu Society
Hindu Society
– Hindu society distinguishes 4 stages of life, each with its
own set of specific duties
– Initiation ritual at puberty
– 1st Stage: Student
– Intensive study of the Vedas and other sacred literature
– Lasts until marriage
– Hindu marriages are traditionally arranged by the
parents
– Bride and groom do not know each other until the
time of the wedding
Hindu Society
– 2nd Stage: Householder
– Tasks of pursuing a career and raising a family
– 3rd Stage: Forest Dweller
– Beings with the birth of the first grandchild
– Retreat from worldly bonds in order to engage
fully in a spiritual quest
– 4th Stage: Sannyasin, or Wandering Ascetic
– Forest dwellers who are ready to return to
society, but remain detached from the normal
attractions and distractions of social life
– Husbands and wives live detached from each
other
Hindu Society
– Throughout Hindu life, each person looks
to attain 4 goals:
– Pleasure, or kama, is the first legitimate
aim of life
– However, the fulfillment of love will not
satisfy completely
– The second goal is artha, or material
success and the social power and prestige
that accompany it
– Also eventually proves unfulfilling
Hindu Society
– The third goal of life is dharma, or the
general principle of ethical duty
– A person in harmony with dharma
understands they are more blessed to give
than to receive
– All Hindus are destined to seek the four goal
of life: the infinite being, awareness and bliss
of moksha
Three Paths to Liberation
– Hinduism offers 3 great paths to moksha
– Based on individual talents and strengths,
the paths draw on one of the following
human tendencies: to be active, to gain
knowledge, and to experience emotional
attachment
– 1. Karma Marga
– 2. Jnana Marga
– 3. Bhakti Marga
Three Paths to Liberation
– Most people prefer to seek liberation
through Karma Marga, “the path of
works”
– Living in accordance with dharma
– Household rituals, public
ceremonies, and social requirements
such as dietary laws and marriage
restrictions
– Ongoing concern for the world and
attitude of unselfishness
Three Paths to Liberation
– The shortest path to liberation follows Jnana Marga, “the
path of knowledge”
– Intended for those with talent for philosophical
reflection
– Devote a great deal of time to learning and meditation
– Most people who choose this path are members of
the Brahmin class
– Emphasizes attaining knowledge over ignorance
– contemplation of the innermost self leads to a full
awareness of truth
Three Paths to Liberation
– 3 schools of Hindu philosophy:
Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yoga
– Yoga refers to any sort of spiritual
practice
– Acknowledges the connection
between the self and the other parts
of our human makeup: the body and
is sensations, and the mind and its
thinking, and the subconscious
– 8 steps of yoga (pg. 56-57)
Three Paths to Liberation
– Bhakti Marga, “the path of devotion”, is
most suitable for those to whom
emotional attachment comes naturally
– Directs spiritual energy outward in
worship of the deity
– Gods and goddesses favor their
devotees and answer their prayers
– Worship requires a focusing of
attention on the divine and away
from selfish concerns
Three Paths to Liberation
– A typical Hindu is devoted to more than one
deity, depending on the specific needs of
the day
– Brahma, the creator
– Vishnu, the preserver
– Shiva, the destroyer
– An avatar is an incarnation, or living
embodiment, of a deity, who is sent to earth
to accomplish a divine purpose
Three Paths to Liberation
– Daily devotion includes prayer,
visits to temples and shrines,
household and community rituals,
pilgrimages to holy places and
veneration of the sacred cow
– Households have masks of deities
and shrines that honor the deities
– Sacred fire and ritual bathing
Three Paths to Liberation
– Village ceremonies occur at the
local temple and are led by a priest
– Annual festivals that can last for
days
– One of the most sacred places for
pilgrimages is the Ganges River
– The water purify sins
– The cow represents life and is
worshipped life a deity
Mahatma Gandhi
– Social, political, and religious
reformer Mohandas K. Gandhi
earned the title Mahatma, or
“great souled”
– 1869-1948
– Nonviolence and civil disobedience
– Assassinated by a Hindu extremist
– Helped India gain independence
from Britain
Contemporary Issues
– The caste system and the idea of the outcastes
has been scrutinized in the 20th century
– 1948 – the government in India forbade
discrimination against outcastes
– Hindu society has also been scrutinized for its
patriarchy and treatment of women
– The practice of Sati, or the burning of a
widow
– Sati was officially forbidden in 1829, but
still, rarely, occurs
Contemporary Issues
Contemporary Issues
– Violence between Hindus and Muslims, or
practitioners of Islam
– 1947 – the Muslim community forced
the partitioning of India to form the
divided nation of Pakistan, thus
providing a Muslim homeland
– Many killed
– Gandhi assassinated
– 1992 – Hindus stormed a Muslim
mosque and tore it down
– India and Pakistan possess nuclear
capabilities
Chapter
Review
pg. 65-66
#1-21
Gandhi
(1982)