Chapter 5 HinduismChapter 5 Hinduism

I. Hindu HistoryI. Hindu History• Unique in that there is no single Unique in that there is no single

founder or concrete datefounder or concrete date• It is a religion of IndiaIt is a religion of India

– It has grown for 4,000 years• A. The Indus Valley Civilization: A. The Indus Valley Civilization:

HarappansHarappans– Reaches its height around 2300 BC – Centrally Planned Cities– Major cities of Harrapa and Mohenjo-

Daro in modern-day Pakistan• Showed urban planning, grid system

for streets– Oven-baked brick homes with wood

roofs, some several stories high with at least one bathroom in every home, connected to a brick sewer

– Collapsed around 1500 BC,• They disappeared, no one really

knows why: floods, climate changes, or invaders

B. AryansB. Aryans

• 1. Culture1. Culture– Arrived through the Hindu Kush

around 1500 BC– Settled along the Ganges Plain– War mongers– Cattle very valuable– Eventually became sacred

• 2. Language and Traditions2. Language and Traditions– Sanskrit– Sang hymns and epic poems– Priests developed a written form– Collected epics to form the

Vedas– Aryans left no artifacts, only the

Vedas• 1200-500 BC: Vedic Age

B. Aryans cont.B. Aryans cont.

• 3. Social Structure3. Social Structure– Rigid social system– Varnas: classes– a. Brahmans: Priests– b. Kshatriyas: warriors– c. Vaisyas: merchants, farmers,

artisans– d. Sudras: unskilled workers– Pariahs: untouchables aren’t even

on the caste system• Perform unclean jobs

– Each varna has duties and lifestyles– Later divided further into

subcategories: jati– Collectively: the Caste System

• Very rigid, cannot change it

C. Origins of Hindu IndiaC. Origins of Hindu India

• 1. Concept of Duty1. Concept of Duty– Each person has

dharma: religious duty

• 2. India’s Two Epics2. India’s Two Epics– Mahabharata w/

Bhagavad-Gita 100,000 verses

• Outlines dharma

– Ramayana• 24,000 verses• Struggle of good and evil

D. Changes in HinduismD. Changes in Hinduism

• Hinduism continued to Hinduism continued to evolveevolve– Upanishads (religious

writings by priests)– Jainism

• Teachings of Mahavira

– Buddhism• Teachings of Buddha

– Emergence of Islam• 7-8th centuries

• Still evolving today after Still evolving today after European influencesEuropean influences

II. Hindu BeliefsII. Hindu Beliefs• Extremely diverse Extremely diverse

religionreligion• Difficult to identify any Difficult to identify any

doctrines with universal doctrines with universal acceptance among all acceptance among all denominations denominations

• Very open-minded Very open-minded religionreligion– "Truth is one; sages call it

by different names." – There are many paths to

the top of the mountain

A. GodsA. Gods

• Polytheistic, pantheistic, or Polytheistic, pantheistic, or perhaps even a monotheistic perhaps even a monotheistic religion?religion?

• Hundreds of godsHundreds of gods– Forces of nature

• Priests: elaborate rituals and Priests: elaborate rituals and sacrificessacrifices

• Three main godsThree main gods– Vishnu the Preserver– Siva the Destroyer– Shakti the Mother Goddess

• Brahma the Creator is often Brahma the Creator is often called “the One”called “the One”– All other gods are other forms of

Brahma

A. Gods cont.A. Gods cont.

• It is probably pantheisticIt is probably pantheistic– God is the universe and the

universe is God– It has polytheistic elements

• B. Universal SpiritB. Universal Spirit– In every living thing – All souls apart of one eternal

soul (atman: the self)– The self is identical to

Brahma– Self denial and meditation

(yoga) help one reunite with it• Done instead of worshiping a

divine being

C. Cycle of RebirthC. Cycle of Rebirth

• 1. Reincarnation (Samsara)1. Reincarnation (Samsara)– Karma: how one lives there life

determines what they take into the next life

• Good karma: reincarnated to a higher caste

• Bad karma: to a lower caste

– Karma creates desire for a good life

– Ahisma: Nonviolence– Escape the cycle after having

good karma as a Brahman priest– Reunited with Brahman Nerguna:

moksha (release)

D. Purpose of LifeD. Purpose of Life

• 1. Dharma:1. Dharma: fulfilling one's purpose or fulfilling one's purpose or destiny destiny – One's vocation or career

• Often defined by class and family • Paying the five debts

• 2. Artha:2. Artha: prosperity prosperity – Encouraged to make money within the

bounds of dharma

• 3. Kama:3. Kama: desire, sexuality, enjoyment desire, sexuality, enjoyment – The Kama Sutra, a manual for erotic

and other human pleasures (flower arranging)

• 4. Moksha:4. Moksha: enlightenment enlightenment – Liberation from rebirth, enlightenment,

Self-realization, or union with God – The highest purpose in life

III. Hindu PracticesIII. Hindu Practices

• A. Three Paths (A. Three Paths (margasmargas))• All are equally validAll are equally valid

– Devotion to god or many gods• Bhaktimarga (the path of

devotion) • Forms of rituals and scriptures• Many ignore this

– Many seek Realization of the Self through intense meditation

• Jnanamarga (the path of knowledge or philosophy)

– Others focus on the fulfilling one’s social and moral duties

• Karmamarga (the path of works and action)

B. Other PracticesB. Other Practices

• 1. Ayurveda 1. Ayurveda – The system of healing that follows

5,000 years of Hindu traditions– Finding popularity in the west

• 2. Hatha Yoga 2. Hatha Yoga – The purpose is to locate and activate

centers of energy to raise spiritual power

– Improves the body and clears the mind

• 3. Kundalini Yoga 3. Kundalini Yoga – Attempts to tap the dormant cosmic

and psychic powers in the body (coiled like a snake)

– Can result in the union of divine energy and an extreme sense of bliss, awareness, and peace

– Emphasized in Tantric Hinduism

B. Other Practices cont.B. Other Practices cont.• 4. Namaste: The Significance of a 4. Namaste: The Significance of a

Yogic Greeting Yogic Greeting – A simple greeting straight from the

heart – It recognizes the equality and

sacredness of all• 5. Puja (Pooja) 5. Puja (Pooja)

– Usually done after getting ready in the morning, but before eating

– Relating to the domain of the divine• Looking at an image, lighting

candles or incense, or offering flowers

• 6. The Sadhu (Holy Man) 6. The Sadhu (Holy Man) – Those who leave their home for

spiritual and physical disciplines– Many live as hermits or in

monasteries

IV. Hindu SectsIV. Hindu Sects• A. Vaishnavism A. Vaishnavism

– Vishnu is worshiped as the supreme god

• Also the incarnations of Krishna or Rama

• Vishnu is in everything and all things make up Vishnu

– Even other gods

– People have a personal relationship with Vishnu

• Six Qualities of God: all knowledge, all power, supreme majesty, supreme strength, unlimited energy and total self-sufficiency

– The largest denomination– They often mark their foreheads with a

large U, Y, or T for Vishnu, and a red dot for Lakshmi (another female form of god)

B. Shaivism B. Shaivism

• Worships Siva as the Worships Siva as the supreme godsupreme god– In a similar manner of

the Vaishnavists– Strong in southern India

and among the Tamils of Sri Lanka

• The oldest Hindu The oldest Hindu denominationdenomination

C. JainismC. Jainism

• Mahavira emphasized Mahavira emphasized ahismaahisma

• Developed in the 7Developed in the 7thth century ADcentury AD

• Jainism: extreme Jainism: extreme nonviolencenonviolence

• Sweep before they walk Sweep before they walk to not kill bugsto not kill bugs

• Won’t farm, plowing could Won’t farm, plowing could killkill

• Not actually Hinduism, Not actually Hinduism, but similar in many but similar in many aspectsaspects

D. OthersD. Others

• 1. Shaktism 1. Shaktism – Worships the Hindu Divine Mother

• Shakti or Devi

– Similar to Shaivism, but emphasize the female aspects of god

• 2. Smartism 2. Smartism – Those who adhere to the Vedas and

the Shastras (religious writings by scholars)

– A newly coined term

• 3. Six Philosophical Schools3. Six Philosophical Schools– Yoga – Purva Mimamsa (Mimamsa) – Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta) – Nyaya – Vaisheshika – Samkhya

V. Hindu FactsV. Hindu Facts• A. HolidaysA. Holidays

– It is said Hindus have a celebration for every day of the year

• That may be too low• Estimated to have over 1,000 festivals

– 1. Holi• Festival of colors and spring (February-

March) • Most attend a public bonfire, spray friends

and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild in the streets.

– 2. Mahashivaratri • Night sacred to Shiva (February-March) • A day of mediating, fasting, and singing of

mantras• Legend states Siva had to stay up all night

after drinking poison or to protect a hunter from a lion eating him

– 3. Diwali• Festival of lights and Laksmi (September-

October) • Five day celebration of New Year’s Eve• Lots of lights and gambling is encouraged

B. Other FactsB. Other Facts• Date founded : Date founded : Earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier • Place founded: Place founded: India • Founder: Founder: None• Adherents : Adherents : 900 million • Size rank: Size rank: Third largest in the world • Main location: Main location: India, also United Kingdom and United States • Major sects: Major sects: Saivism, Vaisnavism, Saktism • Sacred texts: Sacred texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Bhagavad Gita • Original language: Original language: Sanskrit • Spiritual leader: Spiritual leader: Guru or sage • Place of worship: Place of worship: Temple or home shrine • Ultimate reality: Ultimate reality: Brahman • Human nature: Human nature: In bondage to ignorance and illusion, but able to escape • Purpose of life: Purpose of life: To attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of reincarnation • How to live: How to live: Order life according to the dharma • Afterlife: Afterlife: If karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body; if karma

resolved, attain moksa (liberation)

B. Other Facts cont.B. Other Facts cont.

• Cows are sacredCows are sacred– A source of food– A symbol of life– Must never be killed– Jainism influenced this

development

• PilgrimagesPilgrimages– Many journey to shrines– Millions travel to the Ganges

to wash and bathe to purify themselves

C. Hindu SymbolsC. Hindu Symbols

• 1. Aum (Om)1. Aum (Om)– Greatest of the mantras– Three sounds a-u-m – Threefold symbolism

• The three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven

• The three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva

• 2. Bindi2. Bindi– Symbolizes female energy and the

third eye• Also shows marital status• Today it is more of a fashion

accessory

• 3. Linga3. Linga– Phallic symbol that represents

creative power and fertility

C. Hindu Symbols cont.C. Hindu Symbols cont.

• 4. Lotus4. Lotus– Beauty and non-

attachment

• 5. Pratik5. Pratik– Symbol of the Ananda

Marga ("path of bliss")

• 6. Swastika6. Swastika– Sanskrit for all is well – A charm to bring

good fortune