HINDUISM By Ted Eby, Derek Jager, Trent Josephson, Sadie Utter, Stephanie Wagstaff

BEGINNINGS Hinduism began in northern India Diffused into southeast Asia without the caste system of northern India Founders are the Aryan peoples of northern India Basis was a prophet, fixed doctrine, single authoritative scripture or specific institutional organization

PROMINENT FIGURES Brahman- –Teachers and priests Devi –Deity of gentleness/fright Shiva –Deity of creation/destruction Vishnu –Deity of preservation

BASIC TENETS AND COSMOLOGY Four Stages of Life: –Student- Boys go to live with teacher and girls learn from the householder, or father, taking the place of the teacher –Householder- Mandatory Marries Have children Household traditions/sacrifices –Forest Dweller- Grandchildren take over the household Focus on nature and meaning of existence Gives up home –Wandering Ascetic- ‘Dead’ in the eyes of his family Renounces the world entirely Abandons all identity An object of worship when in a Hindu Temple Liberation

CONTINUED… Manifestations of a single divine force that pervades the universe Text shows underlying unity Worship centers on the temple Nature is viewed as sanctity Religious duties depend on social standing, gender, and current stage of life Moksha –Union of one’s soul with brahman; ‘release’ or ‘liberation’ from Samsara Samsara –Cycle of birth, death, rebirth in which the soul works out Karma

CONCEPT OF GOD Henotheistic: devoted to one God expressed in millions of forms Brahman- very essence of existence and knowledge which pervades entire universe and every being. –considered highest god to exist –entire universe, all galaxies, and more People choose to worship one certain form of God Devas- celestial entities –one certain Deva may be worshiped to attain a personal desire.

HOLY WRITINGS Bhagavad Gita (500 BCE): greatest single statement of Hindu beliefs; opposes evil in the world. First scripture devoted entirely to yoga. Ramayana & Mahabharata: epics Upanishads: considers nature of Brahman and Samsara Suriti: filled with stories and histories Veda: ‘sacred knowledge’. Consists of four collections of sacred hymns and prayers and supplementary writings **VERY IMPORTANT**- Mimamasa-Sutra (300 BCE): Jaimini composed this, the first authoritative text of Hinduism. turning point of Hinduism. Shift from ancient Hinduism to modern Hinduism.

SYMBOLS Nature was sacred Beauty/embellishment to receive deities Mantra: From the Vedas. A sacred formula repeated in meditation. Murtis: manifest form of the Divinity Sri Chakra Yantra: represents Shiva (masculine) and Shakti (feminine). Symbolic of creation and expresses non-duality Swastika: An Arya, or noble and auspicious symbol. A symbol of action of the Principle on Manifestation Aum (Om)- sacred symbol that represents God Tilaka- mark on forehead that was a sign of faith Vibhuti- holy ash used on the forehead to represent Shiva Ahimsa- advocated non-violence; respect for all forms of life –Vegetarianism –Abstain from beef

PRACTICES Pilgrimages –People would travel very long distances in order to worship. –Distance traveled was a sign of your faith. Festivals Duties –Duties to society were often based on personal characteristics, such as your caste rank, age, gender, and place in the four stages of life. Devotion to Statues –Worshipers would devote their worship to a specific statue. To show their worship, they would often bathe the statue or clothe it, to show an example of their faith. Yoga –Goal of Moksha –Seeking liberation through the disunion of the spirit and nature through meditation, physical, and spiritual practices and firm belief in God.

GEOGRAPHY Geography played an instrumental role in the development of Hinduism The vast diversity of India allowed for a complex and varied religion Due to the isolation of India because of the Kush and Himalayan mountains with the Khyber pass being the only point of contact, Hinduism evolved into a religion that catered to the inhabitants of the sub-continent

CASTE SYSTEM (4) Brahmanas- teachers/priests Kshatriyas- warriors, kings, and administrators Vaishayas- farmers, merchants, herdsmen, and businessmen Shudras- servants and laborers

INFLUENCED BY Vedic religion Islamic invaders Buddhism

SECTS Special knowledge of sacred truth Mental and physical discipline Extraordinary devotion to the deity 4 Divisions in Contemporary Hinduism