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Hindu Scriptures
Promoting Dignity
Mutual Respect & Pluralism
Hindu Scriptures
Hinduism
consists…
of an extensive
collection of
ANCIENT
RELIGIOUS
WRITINGS
AND ORAL
ACCOUNTS
they
expound upon
what are
considered
ETERNAL
TRUTHS
And many
believe they
have been
D I V I N E LY
REVEALED &
REALIZED
by ancient
sages and
enlightened
individuals
A C C O U N T S PA S S E D O N F O R G E N E R AT I O N S
scriptures
epics
Assorted
the Vedas, Upanishads,
Agamas and Puranas
the Ramayana, the
Mahabharata and the
Bhagavad Gita – one
of the most widely read
scriptures in the world
law books and other
philosophical and
denominational texts
S C R I P T U R E S A R E O N E W AY T O L E A R N A B O U T G O D
sacred
writings
valid means
of knowledge
personal
experience
the two categories of scripture
T H E T W O C AT E G O R I E S O F H I N D U S C R I P T U R E S
Shruti
means “heard” and
consists of what Hindus
believe to be eternal truths
akin to natural law.
Smriti
means “memory” and
are designed to help
Hindus “remember” the
teachings of Shruti.
Shruti:
eternal truths akin
to natural law
believed to be
contained in
T H E V I B R AT I O N S
OF THE
UNIVERSE
realized by
ancient sages
through
M E D I TAT I O N
then transmitted
to others
O R A L LY
Smriti:
to help Hindus
remember Shruti
interpreted
based on
changing
circumstances
in TIME (KALA),
PLACE (DESHA)
& PERSONALITY
(GUNAS)
intended
to create
STRUCTURE
FOR SOCIETY
must be flexible
in response
to changing
H I S T O R Y,
GEOGRAPHY &
COMMUNITIES
shruti
Vedas
HINDU
SCRIPTURES
smriti
shruti
Vedas
HINDU
SCRIPTURES
smriti
shruti texts
Vedas
T h e wo r d Ve d a m e a n s
knowledge. There are four
V e d a s : R g , S a m a , Ya j u r
and Atharva, of which the
R g Ve d a i s t h e o l d e s t . I t
has over 10,000 mantras.
Some see the Vedas as texts expounding on
rituals and Gods, whereas others see them as
teaching metaphysical and spiritual truths about
God and the soul. There is general academic
agreement that the Vedas are at least over three
thousand years old. However, evidence is
scarce and estimates of their age vary widely,
from 1200 BCE to thousands of years earlier.
Hindus consider the Vedas to be ageless.
Students learning the Vedas in both the
traditional oral tradition and with books.
Upanishads
These texts contain
an extensive exploration
of the methods of
understanding the Self,
God, and the nature
of the world. There are
more than a hundred
Upanishads.
The Upanishads, along with the Bhagavad
Gita and Brahma Sutras, constitute the
primary basis for the practice of Jnana
Yoga, the path of knowledge.
HINDU
SCRIPTURES
shruti
Vedas
SAMA
RG
YA J U R
AT H A R V A
Krishna Shukla
Samhita (mantras)
Brahmana (explanations) and Aranyaka (interpretations)
Aitareyabrahmana
Kaushitakibrahmana
Upanishad* (philosophy)
Aitareya
Kaushitaki
Chandogya
Kena
Taittiriya, Katha,
Svetasvatara,
Maitrayani
Mundaka,
Mandukya,
Prashna
Brhadaranyaka,
Isha
* Depending on the region in India, it is believed that there are anywhere from 52 to 108 Upanishads. Many are believed
to be lost to history. Every Upanishad is associated with one of the four Vedas (including the bipartite of the Yajur Veda).
Those listed here are categorized as mukhya or major.
smriti texts
Upavedas
The Upavedas consist
of four main texts.
Ayurveda: the science of health
and life, and outlines how to cure
disease and prevent it
Dhanurveda: the science of warfare
Gandharvaveda: the study of
aesthetics, and delineates art forms
such as singing, dancing, writing
poetry, creating sculptures, etc
Arthashastra: the study of public
administration, governance, economy
and politics
Vedangas
There are a number
of auxiliary texts known
c o l l e c t i v e l y a s Ve d a n g a some of them are
considered Shruti, but
they fall under Smriti
for the most part.
They cover a range of topics: oral
chanting of scripture (shiksha), grammar
(vyakarana), prosody (chhandas),
etymology (nirukta), astronomy (jyotisha),
and obligatory rituals (kalpa).
Puranas
Stories in the Puranas
translate the meanings
of the ancient Shruti
scriptures by explaining
t h e t e a c h i n g s o f t h e Ve d a s
and Upanishads through
stories and parables.
There are 18 major Puranas (Mahapuranas)
and many minor ones (upapuranas), They cover
a wide range of sacred and secular topics.
Ancient, modern, and contemporary Hindu
beliefs and religious practices are derived
in large part from the Puranas.
Stories from the Pruanas are often presented through
dance, drama, and other devotional art forms.
Ramayana
This popular epic tells the life story of the
noble prince named Rama, whom Hindus
believe to be an incarnation of the Divine.
Prince Rama suffers years of exile and hardships while destroying powerful
demons before returning to rule his kingdom. This epic portrays several
characters who embody ideal qualities and conduct: Rama himself as the ideal
man; Sita as the ideal woman and emblem of strength; Hanuman as the ideal
devotee; and Lakshmana and Bharata as devoted brothers.
There are numerous versions of the Ramayana, of which the most well-known
are those by the original author Sage Valmiki, as well as one by the poet-saint
Tulsidas. These texts are recited at home and in devotional gatherings, and are
also the basis for popular children's stories, dances, and dramatic performances.
Additionally, many consult the scripture for guidance on everyday life. Homages
to the Ramayana can be seen all around Southeast Asia.
Many Hindu Epics have been animated or made into TV serials as a contemporary
means of telling the stories and teaching values in an engaging and entertaining fashion.
Mahabharata
With over 100,000
verses, the Mahabharata
is a historical epic, and
is the longest poem the
world has known.
The Mahabharata is a trove of stories and
discourses on the practice of Dharma.
Its primary messages are the importance of
truth, justice, self sacrifice, the upholding
of Dharma, the need for complete devotion to
God and the futility of war.
Embedded in the Mahabharata is a text of
special significance – the Bhagavad Gita.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita
divulges a number of truths
and life
lessons by Krishna, who
Hindus believe to be an
incarnation of the Divine.
Krishna is speaking to Arjuna, a warrior
prince trying to decide whether it is dharmic
or not to fight in a war. Krishna describes to
Arjuna why he must pick up arms in his
particular situation. Though fighting goes
against the idea of ahimsa, or non-violence,
Arjuna’s dharma as a prince and warrior is to
use his skills to fight injustice.
The Bhagavad Gita helps one understand
that upholding dharma can be challenging.
It is traditionally accorded the rank
of an Upanishad.
Dharma Shastras
This class of texts
explains how Dharma is
maintained in daily life.
The texts deal with a wide range of
topics: the responsibilities of each
ashrama (stage of life), civil and
criminal law, dietary rules, festivals,
pilgrimages, charity, etc.
Since these texts are part of smriti,
not shruti, their teachings are subject
to re-interpretation to suit changing
circumstances, and time and place.
There are numerous texts composed by
various authors over many centuries.
Darshana Shastras
These are six
philosophical texts
that are the basis for
the six major schools
o f H i n d u p h i l o s o p h y.
Two of the most widely studied are the
Brahma Sutras by Sage Vyasa and the
Yoga Sutras by Sage Patanjali.
Agama Shastras
Ancient and numerous,
including many that
have been lost over
the centuries. These
texts deal with practical
aspects of devotion
and worship, including
personal and temple
rituals and practices.
Bhakti Texts
From ancient to
contemporary times
the teachings, poems,
and songs composed
by saints in regional
languages have been
a major source of
inspiration.
They convey simple messages of
devotion, dharma, and spiritual practice
through the language of the local people
throughout all parts of India and beyond.
Mirabai was a Rajasthani princess in the 16th century, who became
one of the most prolific and well known bhakti saints of that time.
HINDU
SCRIPTURES
shruti
smriti
Vedas
SAMA
RG
YA J U R
AT H A R V A
Krishna Shukla
Ayurveda
Brahmana (explanations) and Aranyaka (interpretations)
Aitareyabrahmana
Kaushitakibrahmana
Upanishad* (philosophy)
Chandogya
Kena
Taittiriya, Katha,
Svetasvatara,
Maitrayani
PURANIC
Itihasa
Ramayana
Mahabharata
science of health
and life
Samhita (mantras)
Aitareya
Kaushitaki
U PAV E D A S
Mundaka,
Mandukya,
Prashna
Brhadaranyaka,
Isha
* Depending on the region in India, it is believed that there are anywhere from 52 to 108 Upanishads. Many are believed
to be lost to history. Every Upanishad is associated with one of the four Vedas (including the bipartite of the Yajur Veda).
Those listed here are categorized as mukhya or major.
Dhanurveda
Gandharvaveda
Sthapatyaveda
DARSHANA
SHASTRAS
Bhagavad Gita
Puranas
Mahapuranas**
Upapuranas**
Nyaya
Vaisheshika
Sankhya
Yoga
Mimamsa
Vedanta
VEDANGAS
AGAMAS
Nirukta - etymology
Vyakarana - grammar
Siksha - phoenetics
Chandas - meters
Jyotisha - astronomy,
Vaisnava
Saiva
Sakta
DEVOTIONAL
& BHAKTI
TEXTS
DHARMA
SHASTRAS
astrology, gemology
Kalpa - ritual time & space
** There are believed to be 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. The Puranas cover a vast range of topics, including
but not limited to stories of gods and goddesses, genealogies of kings and sages, history of holy sites, creation
stories, folktales, science, cosmology, astronomy, theology, and philosophy.
THE
SCRIPTURES
D O N ’ T S TA N D
ALONE
Most Hindus receive
their religious education
from family traditions and
discourses by spiritual leaders
VA R I E D
BELIEFS
Individual Hindus follow
the prayers & teachings
of the sect to which they
belong, and possibly also the
more specific teachings of
a guru (spiritual teacher)
FEW READ THE
SCRIPTURES
D I R E C T LY
Many read commentaries
about these scriptures
instead. The stories from the
Puranas and epics and
songs composed by saints
are amongst the
most commonly read.
K E Y TA K E A W AY S
the Vedas
are the foundational
texts of Hinduism
Hindu
Scriptures
are numerous
and diverse
the Scriptures
are meant to provide
a guide to each
individual on
their unique path
THANK YOU