1. Chapter 3 Hinduism Pg

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. Hindu Gods and Goddesses Project

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Hindu Society

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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 )

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Mahatma Gandhi
Social, political, and religious reformer Mohandas K. Gandhi earned the title Mahatma, or “great souled”
Nonviolence and civil disobedience
Assassinated by a Hindu extremist
Helped India gain independence from Britain

40. 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

41. 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.”

42. 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

43. Chapter Review pg #1-21

44. Gandhi (1982)