1. Hinduism Tiffany Geyer
“Om”-the first sound in the cosmos that led to creation.
Tiffany Geyer

2. The Beginning No specific moment of origin, or a specific founder.
No specific moment of origin, or a specific founder.
Traced to ancient Aryan migrations into southern Asia in the 2nd millennium B.C.
Vedic hymns were composed, which described pantheon of gods.
Vedic religion was centered on a sacrificial cult of these gods
Increasingly became the preserve of the Brahman priestly class of early Indian society.

3. The Vedas & “Hindu”
Indian religious communities would regard the texts of the Vedas as eternal, perfect truth.
Written in Sanskrit
First holy texts of the Aryans, from Vedic Aryan civilizations (during Brahmanic period)
Veda means “knowledge.”
First, Hindu simply meant “Indian.”
Later Hindu characterized the most prominent religious & social institutions of India as a whole.
Shankara=major Vedantin thinker.

4. Hindu Tradition
Major developments that shaped a complex Hindu tradition:
Consolidation of the Caste system, Brahman ascendancy, & the “high” culture of Sanskrit learning.
The increasing dominance of theistic devotionalism (especially Vishnu & Shiva).
The intellectual reconciliation of these developments with older ascetic and speculative traditions deriving from the Upanishadic age.

5. Shiva Vishnu Hindu Deities
Vishnu = peace-loving deity, preserver of life.
Shiva = avenging & destroying deity.
Have many forms and names
Easily identified with other deities, who are then worshiped as 1 form of the Supreme Lord or Goddess.
Brahma=creator deity of many universes.
Most Hindus view 1 deity as their Supreme Lord, but see others as manifestations of the Ultimate at lower levels.
Vishnu
Shiva

6. Hindu Deities Continued
Some main Indian Gods and Goddesses (Devas and Devis) have their own vehicles, mounts or vahanas-various types of animals and birds.
Any god/goddess a Hindu worships, it’s common to pay homage on proper occasions to other deities as well.
She is the destroyer of darkness and ignorance. She rides on a Lion donkey.
Lord Vishnu came down to earth to protect Gajendra, the Elephant from the clutches of Makara, the Crocodile and awards him moksha, or salvation.
Maa Kalratri

7. Basic Hindu Terms
The immortal part of each human being, “atman”, is trapped in existence, but not ultimately of it.
“Samsara”=(cycle/wheel) Nature of existence-a continual round of cause & effect determined by inescapable consequences of “Karma,” or action.
With karma, every act has unavoidable results; as long as mental or physical action occurs, life & change go one repeatedly.

8. Hindu Beliefs
Birth determines one’s place & duties in the traditional Indian caste system.
Caste system is most concrete & visible reminder of the pervasiveness of the Hindu concept of absolute casualty that keeps us in existence.
Final goal=transcend (rise above) samsara.
Only way out=“moksha”-gained through knowledge, action, or devotion.

9. Bhagavata Purana “Puranas”-epic, mythological, and devotional texts.
“Bhagavata”=Divine-Eternal tales of Supreme god.
One of the “maha”, or great, Puranic texts of Hinduism.
Focuses on bhakti, Supreme god Vishnu (Narayana), and Krishna (Vishnu’s reincarnation).
An illustration of an episode from the Bhagavata (IV.17), in which Vishnu avatar Prithu, chases the earth goddess Prithvi in the form of a cow, to end a famine in his kingdom.

10. “Bhakti” & The Dravidian People.
Means “Loving devotion.”
Evident at 200 C.E., in the Bhagavad Gita’s (another sacred text) treatment of Krishna.
Derives from Tamil, & poets who first sang praises to Vishnu and Shiva as Supreme Lord.
Hinduism and the caste system are believed to have been established as the result of the meetings between the intruding Aryans (from the north) and original residents of India, the Dravidians (from the south).
Great theologian of devotional Hinduism, Ramanuja, later came from Dravidian tradition, and argued Bhakti’s significance and importance.

11. The Upanishads
Contained mystical doctrines of ancient Hindu philosophy.
Hindus consider it most sublime/inspiring philosophical texts in the Indian tradition.
Notions have been part of the complex vision of existence-known as Hinduism.

12. Sacredness of the Cow
Respected as the source of food and symbol of life and may never be killed.
The Vedas, Laws of Manu, chapter 5:
Rule 56. There is no sin in eating meat… but abstention brings great rewards.
Hindus stopped eating beef for both practical and spiritual reasons.
“Ahimsa”=noninjury to living beings.

13. Meditation Mental exercise Some channel spiritual energy Inner quest
Self-realization
Calms the senses, quiets the mind and relaxes the body.