Hinduism

Hinduism: Nuts ‘n’ Bolts From roughly 1500 BCE With earlier roots in the Vedas(ancient texts) Many beliefs and forms of Hinduism exist- no one way to practice No single founder Third largest religion (4th is “unaffiliated” is considered) World’s oldest organized religion Currently practiced by roughly 15% of global population Most in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka (Tamils) 1 million in United States

Geography of the Subcontinent Monsoons- Regular winds create regular cycles of rain Influence on religion? River System Indus, Ganges, Bramhaputra Ganges or Ganga is a goddess and most sacred river. People bathe in river to cleanse sins and ashes of dead are placed in river.

atman -the individual soul Brahman the supreme god or spirit, the world soul continually creates, maintains, destroys, re-creates the universe The atman is always one with Brahman but the individual ego creates Maya- the illusion of separation Major Hindu Gods Brahma- Creator Vishnu- Preserver, 10 incarnations Shiva– Destroyer “Indian Monotheism,” Monism or henotheism. Different terms to describe a belief in one god that can take many forms (called avatars or incarnations) literally millions of gods and goddesses

Darsana To see and be seen by gods/goddesses Bhakti- devotion and worship to a personal god Puja- the act of worship Some go to temples to perform puja- appeals to the senses Murtis- images of a deity (iconic image)- often taken home for worshiping at a home shrine- murti puja Shiva linga- symbol of god Shiva- indivisible “two in oneness” of male and female- Shiva and Shakti (aniconic image) Dancing Shiva Aniconic(non-human like) and iconic(human-like) images (See text ‘The Concept of Darsan in Hinduism”)

The Hindu Pantheon Rama Ganesha Sita Hanuman Shiva Lakshmi Lord Krishna Vishnu Buddha Durga

Varna: (1) Brahmin- priests (caste) (2) Kshatriyas- nobles, warriors (3) Vaishyas- merchants, land owners, cattle herders, artisans (4) Sudras- landless farmers, labourers (5) Dalit- untouchables- “outcasts”-16% of pop.- do “impure jobs” Caste is unchangeable in this lifetime(sometimes). Caste is determined by level of rebirth, which is determined by dharma and karma See “Misconceptions” handout

Dharma—duty in life; staying within one’s role/caste Karma--a sort of cosmic balance sheet. The total balance of your good and bad actions Karma ripening The sage traditions of South Asia, beginning with the Upanishads and endorsed by the Buddha, hold that individual beings move from lifetime to lifetime, their destiny, and especially rebirth, determined by a natural mechanism of moral cause and effect called the karma-ripening (karma-vikalpa), a natural mechanism of cause and effect. Although diverse interpretations exist of how it works, fundamentally, it is karma from a previous lifetime or lifetimes that “fates” one to be born as a life form with certain qualities. But since new and ongoing actions (moral acts, rituals, and meditation) increase the accumulation of karma, most adherents are inspired to continue these practices.

Samsara—the continuous cycle of death and rebirth; Westerners gave it the name reincarnation Moksha—release from the cycle of Samsara; the re-merging with Brahman after many lives of following the laws of dharma and karma

Yoga Yoga is the spiritual, mental, and physical practice of Hinduism originating in ancient India. The goal of Yoga is moksha- oneness with God. Guru- the master, teacher, enlightened one- may be alive or dead Yogi- practitioner of yoga

Hinduism’s Holy Texts No one, definitive holy book The Vedas Oral form from at least 2500 BCE; written between 600 and 300 BCE (caste, animal sacrifice, significant to highest caste – Brahmin) Upanishads From 8th cent BCE to 1600’s Discusses meditation, philosophy, nature of god, etc. - karma, samsara, moksha, Atman and Brahman - “tat tvam asi” Ramayana Epic poem from c. 500 BCE Mahabharata Includes the Baghavad Gita Ramayana and Mahabharata – have been the best known works within the Hindu tradition. Children hear these stories from their grandparents or parents. Almost any child can tell you the story of Rama, the young prince who is the hero of the Ramayan, and many households have printed copies of it. Invariably, the narration of the epics is child’s first and most lasting encounter with Hindu scripture. In some houses one will find copies of the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is an episode of eighteen chapters from the much longer epic, the Mahabharata. With approximately 100,000 verses, the Mahabharata has the dubious honor of being the longest poem in the world. The complete Mahabharata is not a book one would find in a typical come, but the Gita’s presentation of the hero Arjuna and the lord Krishna is a widely copied portion of the Mahabharata. The Ramayana has been memorized, recited, sung, danced, enjoyed, and experienced emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually for the last 2,500 years. It has been a source of inspiration for generations of devotees in India and in many parts of the world. The epic is danced and acted in places of Hindu (and Buddhist) cultural influence throughout Southeast Asia. Its characters are well known as far away as Thailand and Indonesia. Battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharata

Diwali “Festival of Light” and the major Hindu holiday Celebrates: Homecoming of King Rama after exile… OR The victory of good over evil in every soul…OR The new harvest…OR… Also celebrated by Jains & Sikhs Date determined by lunar calendar October/November

Bindi Dot (also referred to as tika, pottu, sindoor, tilak, tilakam, and kumkum) Third eye Seat of “concealed wisdom” “point at which creation begins and may become unity” also described as “the sacred symbol of the cosmos in its unmanifested state” dates back to Vedic period

Additional Important Tidbits Because of the beliefs that all beings have souls and that it is wrong to kill, practicing Hindus are vegetarian Cattle are sacred, cannot be killed or eaten, first domestication of them in South Asia Hinduism is an ethnic religion Ethnic vs. universalizing religions

Areas of Conflict(Simplified) Jammu and Kashmir- Muslim majority states under Indian rule; frequent fighting between Indian army and Pakistani backed separatists India vs. Pakistan- Hindu vs. Muslim Rising Hindu Nationalism- BJP party led by Prime Minister Modi; have been connected to anti-Muslim acts and violence; destruction of Babri mosque; discrimination against Sikhs and Chrisitans Caste vs. caste conflict- often targeting Dalits