Hinduism
Hinduism
• What is the relationship between god and
man?
– The essence in all living things is Brahman
– All a manifestation of Brahman
• Ahimsa
• nonviolence
– Throughout everything
– He is in all things
– Created Gods to aid people
– God=man
– Release from reincarnation become one
Hinduism
• What is the purpose or goal of religion?
– End cycle of reincarnation
– Reach Brahman
– Moksha = release form reincarnation
– Time on earth you suffer
– Release is ultimate bliss
– Tolerant of other religions
– “many paths, yet only one truth”
Hinduism
• How does one reach this goal?
– When you die your atman (soul) goes on
• Inner spark
• Source of all actions
• Not responsible for quality of the actions
• “worn out garments are shed by the body. Worn out
bodies are shed by the dweller” Vedas
– Life is determined by your Karma (duty)
– Affects where your being born next
– Present life determined by past life
– “Do your dharma have good karma”
• Follow caste/faithful to self and family
• Do your “Duty”
Hinduism
• The “Holy Trinity”
– Brahma
• Creator
– 4 faces “four
corners of the
earth
– Holds sacrificial
ladle, four Vedas,
jar of holy water
from Ganges,
necklace of prayer
beads, sits upon a
lotus
Hinduism
• Vishnu
– Preserver
– Role is to maintain
balance between good
and evil
– 10 incarnations of
Vishnu
• Rama
• Krishna
• Kalki – yet to come /
white horse / flaming
sword / things get
“fixed”
– Holds 4 weapons
• Conch, disc, club, lotus
also bow (Sarnga) and
sword (Nandaka)
Hinduism
• Shiva
– Destroyer
– Most popular form “lord
of the dance”
– Dances in a halo of fire
= cycle of death and
birth
– Crushes the dwarf =
demon of ignorance
– Drum = hold the rhythm
– Flame of destruction
– Around arms and neck
snakes = power over evil
forces
Sacred
Texts
अग्ननमीळे ऩुरोहहतं यऻस्य दे वं रत्वीजम |
होतारं रत्नधातमम ||
े
अग्ननिः ऩूवभिग््षिभिरीड्यो नूतनैरुत |
• Vedas स दे वानेह वऺभत ||
– Contain hymns, अग्ननना रभयमश्नवत ऩोषमेव हदवे-हदवे |
incantations, rituals यशसं वीरवत्तमम ||
अनने यं यऻमध्वरं ववश्वतिः ऩररिूरभस |
– Rig Veda स इद्दे वेषु गछभत ||
• Most popular/oldest अग्ननहोता कववक्रतुिः सत्यग्ित्रश्रवस्तमिः |
around 1500 BC दे वो दे वेभिरा गमत ||
• Tells of 33 Gods यदङग दाशुषे तवमनने िद्रं कररष्यभस |
• Tells of Brahma, Vishnu, तवेत तत सत्यमङभगरिः ||
and Siva उऩ तवानने हदवे-हदवे दोषावस्तभधिया वयम |
• Goddesses Lakshmi, नमो िरन्त एमभस ||
Sarasvati and Kali राजन्तमध्वराणां गोऩां रतस्य दीहदववम |
– Yajur Veda वधिमानंस्वे दमे ||
स निः वऩतेव सूनवे.अनने सूऩायनो िव |
– Sama Veda सचस्वा निः सवस्तये ||
– Atharva Veda
Hymn written in Sanskrit in Rig Veda
Sacred Texts
• a continuation of the Vedic
philosophy (800 – 400 BC)
• Upanishads
– Adds more ideas
• Atman (soul)
• Uniting with the ultimate truth
(Brahman)
• meditation
– To leave body and mind
– To be put in contact with “God”
• Karma – the effects of a
person’s actions
Epic Poems
• Mahabharata and Ramayana
– the longest poems in any
language
– The Mahabharata (540 to 300
B.C.)
• tells the legends of the
Bharatas - a Vedic Aryan group
• War between Kauravas and
Pandavas
• Causes that lead to the war
– Over land/Kingdom
– Panavas were exiled for 13 yrs
– the Bhagavad Gita
– most famous
– in Book Six of the Mahabharata
– dialog between the god Krishna
and the warrior Arjuna
• The Ramayana
(1st C. AD)
• love story with
moral and
spiritual theme
• The perfect boy
and girl (Rama
and Sita)
Ganesha
• Name means “Lord of all beings”
• First son of Lord Siva
• Removes all obstacles, overcome all challenges of life
• Has a human for with an elephant’s head
• All symbolize state of perfection
– large ear = listen more
– Axe = cut off all bonds of attachment
– Hand blessing = protection of spiritual path of ultimate awareness
– Large stomach = able to digest all good and bad in life
– Food = whole world is at your feet, yet indifference towards
them
– Rope = pull you nearer to the higher goal away from your worldly
entanglements
– One tusk = retain good through away bad
– Trunk = high efficiency
– Rice balls = rewards of Sadhana
– Rat = desire, greedy little animal
The Caste System
Background
• Caste system – social group within
India (Hindu only)
• Endo-European people (Aryans –
nobles) crossed into India
• Left little archaeological records
• What is knows is from the Vedas
• Called the natives Dasas (dark)
• Very different than the Aryans
Dasas Aryans
•Town dwellers •Pastroal people
•Dark skin •Lighter skin
•Shorter than Aryans •taller
•Worshiped life-giving •Cows determined
principles wealth
•Made sacrifices to
nature Gods
•Class determined role
in society
• A first mixed freely
• Aryans wanted to maintain own separate
identity and power
• Skin color distinguishing feature of
separating into Varnas
• Portugal encountered social system called
it Kasts (castes)
• With in each caste many sub castes
Brahmins
• Emerged from the
mouth of Purusa
• Dharma- to teach the
people, perform
religious ceremonies,
preserve scripture
Kshatriyas
• Emerged from the
arms of Purusa
• Warriors and rulers
• Dharma – to
protect the people,
weak, helpless,
relieve suffering,
Lord Sri Rama (center) with wife Sita,
punish wrong doers brother-- Lakshmana and devotee
Hanuman. Rama and Lakshmana are
always shown to be ready for battle
(with bow and arrow) as it is their
Kshatriya dharma to fight.
Vaishyas
• Emerged from the
legs of Purusa
• Farmers, peasants,
traders, landowners
• Dharma – to
provide for the
people, work for the
joy of the job, spirit
of service not for
selfish gains
Sudras
• Emerged from the feet of Purusa
• Laborers, servants, craftsmen
• Dharma – to serve the people, do the work
Untouchables “Harijans”
• Most impure
because of their
work
• Butches,
gravediggers,
collectors of trash
• Their touch could
endangered the
purity of others
Restrictions
• Eat
• Marriage
• Work
• Livelihood