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 Never have I not existed, nor you, nor these kings; and never in the future shall we cease to exist. Just as the embodied self enters childhood, youth, and old age, so does it enter another body; this does not confound a steadfast man. As a man discards worn-out clothes to put on new and different ones, so the embodied self discards its worn-out bodies to take on other new ones. Bhagavad-Gita 2:12-13, 22

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 “A wife must eat only after her husband has had his fill. If the latter fasts, she shall fast, too; if he touch not food, she also shall not touch it; if he be in affliction, she shall be so, too; if he be cheerful, she shall share his joy. She must on the death of her husband allow herself to be burnt alive on the same funeral pyre; then everybody will praise her virtue.”

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)