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Hinduism

Hinduism. World Religions Mr. Kilbridge McQuaid Jesuit. Background. The dominant religion of Indian subcontinent Oldest living major tradition ( Vedas 1700 – 500 BCE) Origins and development largely un-chronicled Myths reveal instances of supersession, co-option, etc

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Hinduism

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  1. Hinduism World Religions Mr. Kilbridge McQuaid Jesuit

  2. Background • The dominant religion of Indian subcontinent • Oldest living major tradition (Vedas 1700 – 500 BCE) • Origins and development largely un-chronicled • Myths reveal instances of supersession, co-option, etc • Tremendous diversity of forms • No central institution • Sacred Texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana. The well-known BhagavadGitais a portion of the Mahabharata • Sanskrit

  3. Vedic Period • Vedas – oldest Hindu texts (1700 – 500 BCE) • Rigveda is best known • Narrative and ritual texts • Main Deities: Indra, Agni, Varuna • Fire-sacrifice detailed (Yagya) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYpbbcin-ag • Horse Sacrifice • Brahmin: Priestly caste

  4. Classical Hinduism • 400 BCE – 400 CE • Mahabharata • 100,000 verses: 20x the Odyssey or Iliad • Story of the Bharata dynasty and contains BhagavadGita • Ramayana • Rama, Sita, Ravana (King of Lanka), and Hanuman • Upanishads and the rise of mysticism and philosophy (subsequent decline of Brahmin). Coincides with Buddhism and Jainism.

  5. Samsara • Time as cyclical rather than linear • “continuous flow”: birth, life, death, rebirth • Vishnu’s boar avatar? • Atman: individual soul • Karma: nature of actions and their consequences • Dharma: duty or law • Moksha: release, liberation, or escape • Brahman: universal soul (not the god Brahma or Brahmin priests) • Yoga: disciplines or practices (Karma, Raja, Jnana, Bhakti)

  6. Kathenotheism • One god at a time (Max Müller coined the term to describe the nature of worship in the Vedas) • Three principal deities (Trimurti): Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer

  7. Brahma • Creator • Four-headed and faced • Not commonly worshipped • Emerges from Vishnu’s navel on a Lotus flower http://wisdomofthewest.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html http://www.wishboxproject.com/1/category/artwork/1.html http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/09-09/features1477.htm

  8. Shiva or Şiva • Destroyer or Transformer • Paradox: Ascetic and Father • Shiva’s Lingam • Consort: Parvati/Devi • Son(s): Ganesh (and Skanda) http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/chola/shiva,305,AR.html http://www.islandcrisis.net/2010/02/maha-shivaratri-pooja/ http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/legends-of-lord-ganesh-part-2/ http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/FIERY%20LINGAM,%20BRAHMA%20AND%20VISHNU.htm

  9. Vishnu or Vişnu • Vaishnavites • Preserver and sustainer • Maya- Illusion • Avatars (descents or incarnations) • Mount – Garuda • Consort - Lakshmi • Attributes – chakra, mace, lotus, conch • “ Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evil, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age.” (Gita:4.7–8)

  10. Narada and Vishnu’s Maya • Maya - Illusion

  11. Ten Principal Avatars of Vishnu • Matsya (fish) • Kurma (tortoise) • Varaha (boar) • Narasimha (man/lion) • Vamana (dwarf) • Parashurama (sage) • Krishna (king) • Rama (King) • Buddha • Kalki (End of Kali Age) Varaha, the Boar Matsya, the Fish Images: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(Hinduism)#Avatars_of_Vishnu

  12. Krishna • Foster Parents: Yasoda and Nanda • Consort: Rhada • Bhakti • Stories: • The Butter Thief • Defeats Kaliya, the Serpent • The Gopis(cow-girls or milkmaids) • King/Charioteer for Arjuna(in the Gita)

  13. Krishna: The Butter Thief • Krishna as truly Vishnu • MysteriumTremendum et Fascinans(R. Otto) http://namahatta.org/en/node/8181 http://www.srimeru.org/balavihar/krishna.html

  14. Krishna Defeats Kaliya • Good overcoming evil • Forgiveness • Supersession http://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?place%5B0%5D=118&material%5B0%5D=28&narrow=1&material%5B%5D=522&offset=0&slug=0 http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/chola/

  15. Krishna and the Gopis • Bhakti • Must strip away the material • Intimacy with each devotee http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/GITAGOVINDAM%20BY%20JAYADEVA.htm http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=08&region=ssa

  16. BhagavadGita • Duryodhana vs. Yudhisthira • The battle at Kurukshetra • Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna • Dharma

  17. Four Varnas/Castes • Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests) • Kshatriyas (kings and warriors) • Vaishyas (agriculturists, artisans and merchants) • Shudras (service providers and laborers)

  18. Miscellaneous Offshoots • Ahimsa – non-violence • Om (aum or om) • Buddhism • Jainism • Mahatma Gandhi

  19. Sources • All images from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

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