Who is my Neighbor?

1. Who is my Neighbor? A study of world religions October 17, 2012 First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh

2. Week 2: What is a Cult? OCT. 10 - Megan • Scholarly vs. Popular Definition • Common Traits • Examples • Week 3: Hinduism Brief History OCT. 17 – Megan (Kittie will contribute TM materials) • Vedas • Shaivas, Vaishnavas, Goddess followers • Beliefs & Practice • Week 4: Buddhism OCT 24 – Megan • Brief History • Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana • 4 Truths, Eight-fold Path • Mahayana Sects (Zen/Chan, Pure Land, etc.) • Beliefs & Practice • Week 5: "Minor" Religions OCT. 31 - Megan • Zoroastrianism • Sikhism • Jainism • Taoism • Shinto

3. Week 6: Judaism NOV. 7 – Kittie • Brief history • Ancient vs. Modern • Orthodox vs. Reformed • Beliefs and Practices • Week 7: Christianity NOV. 14 - Kittie • Brief History • Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Other • Beliefs & Practice • NOV 21 – NO CLASS, BREAK FOR THANKSGIVING • Week 8: Islam NOV. 28 - Kittie • Brief History • Four pillars • Shiite vs. Sunni • Sufism • Week 9: New Religions (post 1800) DEC. 5 - Kittie • Mormonism • Jehovah's Witnesses • Scientology • Neo-Paganism/Wicca • Various New Asian Religions • Week 10: Overview/Summary: What Does All This Mean for Christians?

4. Introduction • Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion (1st and 2nd are Christianity and Islam, respectively) • Countries with the greatest proportion of Hindus (as of 2008) per Wikipedia: • Nepal 86.5% • India 80.5% • Mauritius 54% • Guyana 28% • Fiji 27.9% • Bhutan 25% • Trinidad and Tobago 22.5% • Suriname 20% • Sri Lanka 15% • Bangladesh 9.6% • Qatar 7.2% • Réunion 6.7% • Malaysia 6.3% • Bahrain 6.25% • Kuwait 6% • United Arab Emirates 5% • Singapore 4% • Oman 3% • Belize 2.3% • Seychelles 2.1%

5. Hindus in Pittsburgh • There are three Hindu temples in the Pittsburgh area: • Balaji Temple in Penn Hills • Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Monroeville • Hindu Jain Temple in Monroeville (below)

6. A Brief History of Hinduism From the Vedas to the present

7. What is ‘Hinduism’? • Term dates from the Muslim conquest of India c. 13th-16th centuries CE. • Jizya – tax levied by Muslim rulers on non-Muslims; non-Muslims referred to as ‘Hindus’ collectively, i.e. someone native to India • Term continued to be used by the British during their occupation of India • More of a collection of religious practices native to the Indian subcontinent than a single, coherent religion

8. The Vedas • Oldest Hindu texts • Composed between 1500 and 1000 BCE • Consists of four books: • Rigveda – hymns for sacrifices to deities • Yajurveda – ritual mantras for sacrifices • Samaveda – hymns to be sung during libations to deities • Atharvaveda – spells, incantations, and some hymns

9. The Upanishads • Also known as ‘Vedanta’, the end of the Vedas • Each one associated with one of the Vedas • Proposed dates for composition range from 1200 to 600 BCE • Passed down orally • 108 canonical Upanishads • More continue to be written • Philosophical and metaphysical

10. Bhakti • Hindu devotionalism • Experienced tremendous growth during the medieval period • Strongly associated with Vaishnavism • Emphasizes personal experience over liturgy and ritual • Spread by poets of all castes • Influenced other religious traditions in India, including Sufism,Sikhism,Christianity,and Jainism.

11. Modern Hindu Movements • International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON), also known as Hare Krishnas • Bhakti movement centered on Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu • Shirdi Sai Baba movement • Started in the 19th century during Shirdi Sai Baba’s life • Considered a sort of Hindu saint • Seen by some Hindus as an incarnation of Krishna or Dattatreya

12. Hindu Society Castes, Duties, and Stages of Life

13. Castes • First mentioned in the Purusha Sukta in the Rigveda • In Hindu mythology, all things were created from the body of Purusha, a transcendent cosmic being who sacrifices himself to create all things • The four castes (varnas) come from different parts of Purusha: • Brahman (priest caste) comes from his mouth • Kshatriya (warrior caste) comes from his arms • Vaishya (merchant caste) comes from his thighs • Shudra (worker caste) comes from his feet

14. Dalits • Term comes from Sanskrit meaning "ground", "suppressed", "crushed", or "broken to pieces". • Also known as ‘untouchables’, considered outside the caste system • Historically held jobs that were considered ritually unclean, i.e. anything involving animal products, such as butchers and leatherworkers • Discrimination against Dalits is prohibited under the Indian Constitution. • Some converted to other religions en masse as protest

15. Jatis • ‘Sub-castes’ • Hundreds of jatis for every varna. • Indian surnames often indicate a jati. • Provided social support structure • Historically endogamous (married only within the group) • Today, inter-caste marriage is on the rise • Thus talk of jatis and other historical groups are slowly becoming irrelevant

16. Stages of Life Ashram Purusartha • Brahmacharya (student) • Age 5-27 • Grihastha (householder) • Age 27-54 • Vanaprastha (retiree) • Age 55-81 • Sannyasa (ascetic) • Age 82+ • Dharma • Duty, righteousness • Artha • Financial prosperity • Kama • Pleasure • Moksha • Spiritual liberation, detatchment

17. Hindu Belief and Practice Terms, Sects, and Worship

18. Important Terms • Samsara – lit. “continuous flow”, the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth • Reincarnation – belief that the soul is born into a new body after death, the nature of which is determined by karma • Moksha – liberation, the only way to exit samsara; results in oneness with Brahman or entering a sort of heaven, depending on the school of thought. • Karma – “action” or “deed”, cause and effect of one’s actions, good or evil. One accumulates karma through thoughts, words, and actions performed or instructed to others to perform

19. Important Terms • Dharma – law, duty, righteousness; encompasses proper behavior and the natural order of things • Atman – the soul • Brahman – the absolute God, or ‘all-soul’; either a personal God or an impersonal entity depending on the school. • Ahimsa – non-violence; sometimes interpreted to require vegetarianism

20. Major Hindu Sects • Vaishnavism • Worship Vishnu as their primary deity • Popular avatars of Vishnu include Rama (hero of the Ramayana) and Krishna (of the Mahabharata) • Ascribe special importance to the Baghavad Gita • Shaivism • Worship Shiva as their primary deity • Avatars include Virabhadra, Bhairava, Sharabha, Durvasa, and Nataraja (at right) • Most popular form of Hinduism in Nepal • Widespread throughout India and Southeast Asia • Often worshipped in the form of a lingam, a cylindrical stone

21. Major Hindu Sects • Shaktism • Worship Devi (lit. ‘the Goddess’) as their primary deity • Popular forms: • Durga (at right) – fierce warrior goddess • Lakshmi – goddess of wealth and prosperity • Saraswati – goddess of knowledge, music, art, and science. • Sita – wife of Rama • Kali – goddess of time and change

22. Other Important Deities • Ganesha • Elephant-headed god • Revered as “Lord of Obstacles”, “Lord of Beginnings”, and “Remover of Obstacles” • Worshipped during major life changes such as changing jobs, moving, major purchases or business ventures • Non-sectarian deity (i.e. worshipped by all the major sects)

23. Other Important Deities • Surya • Solar god • Worshipped at dawn • Depicted riding a chariot drawn by seven horses • Several temples dedicated to him

24. Puja • Means ‘worship’ • Performed daily in the home; more elaborate puja is performed in temples. • Example of a puja ritual (from Wikipedia): • Avahana(“invocation”). The deity is invited to the ceremony from the heart. • Asana. The deity is offered a seat. • Padya. The deity’s feet are symbolically washed. • Water is offered for washing the head and body. • Arghya. Water is offered so the deity may wash its mouth. • Snanaor abhisekha. Water is offered for symbolic bathing.

25. Puja • Vastra(“clothing”). Here a cloth may be wrapped around the image and ornaments affixed to it. • Upaveedaor Mangalsutra. Putting on the sacred thread. • Anulepanaor gandha. Perfumes and ointments are applied to the image. Sandalwood paste or kumkum is applied. • Pushpa. Flowers are offered before the image, or garlands draped around its neck. • Dhupa. Incense is burned before the image. • Dipaor Aarti. A burning lamp is waved in front of the image. • Naivedya. Foods such as cooked rice, fruit, clarified butter, sugar, and betel leaf are offered. • Namaskaraor pranama. The worshipper and family bow or prostrate themselves before the image to offer homage. • Parikramaor Pradakshina. Circumbulation around the deity. • Taking leave.

26. Yoga • Possibly dates back as far as the 3rd millennium BCE, based on the depictions of a cross-legged man found on seals in the Indus Valley • Tied to meditation • Three types of yoga listed in the Baghavad Gita: • Karma yoga: The yoga of action. • One must surrender the ownership of one’s action. • Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion. • One must devote oneself to the deity in order to become closer to them. • Jnanayoga: The yoga of knowledge. • One must distinguish between the temporal and the eternal.

27. The Baghavad Gita