Hinduism

The Evolution of Hinduism Vedic Religion – a) Vedas, b) Brahmins c) Agni – the god of fire, Indra – the storm god. Axial age 800 BCE – 200BCE 2) Philosophical Hinduism – a) rebirth, b) moksha – liberation, c) Brahman – Absolute reality, c) Upanishads 3) Devotional Hinduism – Worship of the Hindu gods

The Medical Model of Religion Williams James The Varieties of Religious experience (1902) There is a problem What the problem is There is a solution The Solution

The Hindu version of this Model The Problem is rebirth (samsara). Our ignorance and selfish desires are why we keep getting reborn (Karma) The solution is to stop being reborn by getting rid of our ignorance and selfish desires (Moksha)

Attempted solutions

The Way of Pleasure

The Way of Worldly Success

The Way of Moral Duty

Moksha The Problem is the ego. We see ourselves as separate and finite beings In reality we are not the finite, fragmented egos, we are “atman.” We are one with “Brahman” Realizing our true nature is the key to genuine liberation from the cycle of “samsara.”

Brahman is reality itself at it's most fundamental and ultimate level. Infinite Being (Sat), Infinite Consciousness (Chit), Infinite Bliss (ananda). Brahman is reality itself at it's most fundamental and ultimate level. Brahman

Paths to Brahman Jnana Yoga – Knowledge Bhakti Yoga – Love Karma Yoga – Good works Raja Yoga – Physical exercises

Hindu gods

Tridevi

Ganehsa

Bhakti Devotional Hinduism Pick your favorite God and serve them with love and devotion (Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Rama, Shiva) Puja – Take an image of the God, feed, bath, clothe, make an offering to, and finally engage in eye to eye contact with it. Dances, poems, story-telling, and Holy-days (Diwali, Holi, Ganesa Chaturthi)

Great Bhakti Stories Mahabharata – 1b) Bhagavad Gita Arjuna, Dharma (duty) 2) Ramayana – Diwali Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Ravanna 3) Krishna’s stories