Ch3, Sec3-Hinduism

Great works of Indian religious literature Hinduism does not have just one holy scripture, like the Bible, but several.

Great works of Indian religious literature Hinduism does not have just one holy scripture, like the Bible, but several. Vedas: The Vedas are the oldest, and the holiest, Hindu scriptures. There are 4 Vedas, of which the oldest is the Rig Veda. The Vedas are collections of prayers and hymns to the gods, composed orally by the Indo-Aryans between 1500BC-1000BC & passed down orally; eventually they were written down in Sanskrit. They are very poetic, and some parts are difficult to understand.

UPANISHADS Upanishads: philosophical writings that explain Hindu thought, written beginning about 700BC. They set forth Hindu religious ideas more clearly than the Vedas. They were passed down orally at first, and then written in Sanskrit.

Mahabharata Epics-long poems based on historical or religious themes Mahabharata- a very long Hindu epic about a war between two sets of cousins, 5 good brothers called the Pandavas, who fight a way with their cousins, 100 evil brothers called the Kauravas. It is an exciting story of heroes and battles, but also contains philosophical teachings about Hinduism. It represents the struggle of good against evil.

BHAGAVAD GITA The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the Mahabharata. It is the most famous part, and often stands alone On the eve of the great battle, the hero Arjuna is full of doubt, realizing that he will be fighting his own relatives. His charioteer is really the god Krishna. Krishna reveals himself, and explains to Arjuna the nature of the universe.

Ramayana The Ramayana is another epic story. It is about Prince Rama, and his bride Sita. Sita is captured by a demon and Rama rescues her. Rama and Sita became the role models for men and women in Hinduism.

CASTE SYSTEM As time went on, the caste system became more elaborate. The four main varnas: Brahmins, Kshatryas, Vaisyas, Sudras, were further divided into subgroups called jati. A person was born into his caste, and could not change it. People married and had their close social relationships within their caste. Hindus believed that if a person of a lower caste system lived a good moral life, doing his duty, he would be reborn in a higher caste.

Caste system Below the 4 varnas, a fifth group, called the Pariahs, or Untouchables developed. People avoided them, and they carried clackers so others could get out of the way They did the lowest jobs, that were regarded as unclean: skinning animals for leather, cleaning sewers, etc. Today, the status of untouchability has been abolished by law in India.

The parent religions Judaism No historical founder No beginning date The scriptures were passed down by word of mouth for hundreds (thousands?) of years before they were written down Hebrew Bible composed 1500BCE-700’sBCE Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) written down 500’sBCE-700’sBCE Hinduism No historical founder No beginning date The scriptures were passed down by word of mouth for hundreds (thousands?) of years before they were written down Veda’s composed 1500BCE? Vedas: written down 300’sBCE-500’sBCE.

Parent religions Judaism There was nothing before God, and there is nothing beyond God. Evil is real, and it is the result of human choices. God is completely good. Humans create evil. People only live once. The universe has been created once. Hinduism Beyond the Gods is an eternal divine essence called Brahman. All the individual Gods (as well as our souls) are part of Brahman. What we think of as evil is really more like a mistake. All mistakes will eventually be corrected, in this life or the next (or the next). When people die, they are reincarnated. The universe has been created and destroyed countless times.

Parent religions Judaism Parent religion of Christianity and Islam Hinduism Parent religion of Buddhism and Jainism.

HINDU BELIEFS Brahman: the divine essence that fills everything in the universe. All the individual Gods are part of Brahman. Atman: the essence of an individual person, like a soul. The Atman is a little spark of Brahman. Monism: term for the belief that all things (all “real” things) in the universe are of one essence, and this essence is the same as God.

Hindu beliefs Maya: the illusion of the world around us. What we see around us, the physical world, is an illusion, that is, maya. We must learn to recognize maya for what it is. Reincarnation: rebirth in another body, human or animal. If someone lives a good moral life, he will move up in the next life. The whole cycle is called Samsara

Hindu beliefs Dharma: one’s moral duty in this present life. Karma: the good or bad spiritual force created by a person’s actions, that follows you into your next life. If you fulfill your dharma, you get good karma, and move up in the next life. If you life an immoral life, you may move down.

Hindu Beliefs Ahimsa: non-violence, especially to all animate beings Moksha: liberation of the cycle of rebirth, achieved when the soul has achieved perfection, and is reunited with Brahman.

Hindu Gods The three most important Hindu Gods are: – Brahma, the creator; – Vishnu, the preserver; – Shiva (Siva), the destroyer. All are part of Brahman, the single divine essence. Sometimes Brahma is thought of as all three; sometimes Vishnu is thought of as all three; sometimes Shiva is thought of as all three.

– Brahmin-a member of the highest caste (human) – Brahman-the single divine essence – Brahma-the individual God, usually thought of as a member of the Hindu trinity.

Other Hindu Gods Ganesha-Elephant deity riding a mouse. Durga-Mother Goddess

Shiva as Nataraja, Lord of the Dance

Avatar: an incarnation of a deity

Hindu Beliefs Some people consider Hinduism polytheistic, because if has many Gods Some people consider Hinduism monotheistic, because all the Gods are part of the single divine essence, Brahman Perhaps it is best to say Hinduism is monist, which means that it believes that everything in the universe (all really real things) are part of the same divine essence).

Hindu religious practices Yoga-mental and physical exercises to free the mind of thoughts about the body Bathing in the Ganges River

Respect for all animals, especially cows Vegetarianism: many Hindus are vegetarians