171 likes | 752 Views
Hinduism Doctrines. Keys to Understanding Hinduism Identify and describe the key developments of Vedic religious practice and its impact on Modern Hinduism Explain how the doctrines of Hinduism affect Hindu religious practice. Vedic religious practice.
E N D
Hinduism Doctrines Keys to Understanding Hinduism Identify and describe the key developments of Vedic religious practice and its impact on Modern Hinduism Explain how the doctrines of Hinduism affect Hindu religious practice.
Vedic religious practice • Modern Hinduism may have parts of religions practiced by native peoples- male and female deities- procreation a focus • Vedas- Body of Knowledge- Originated by 1500 to 1000 BCE- Passed down orally • Vedas are a liturgy manual (concerned with rituals, hymns, incantations) not a narrative (storyline) like the Bible • Rig Veda- oldest • Praises and implores the blessings of the devas (earth gods and deities of the sky and celestial realm.)
Vedas • Samhitas: earliest • Praise and worship of deities • Brahmanas • Directions for sacrifices • Affirm God is immanent and transcendent, and prescribe ritual worship, mantra and devotional hymns to establish communication with the spiritual world. • Aranyatas • Writings of people meditating in forest • Upanishads • Spiritual masters explain personal transformation in ritual process • Outline the souls evolutionary journey, provide yogic philosophical training and propounds the realization of man’s oneness with god as the destiny of all souls.
Priestly rituals example • Vedic worship centered around the fire sacrifice- Offerings • Priests use: verbal formulas, sacred chants, sacred actions • Concerned with ritual purity- (example- eating salad in a restaurant) • Caste system • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ctalomHig
Brahman and Atman • Brahman-breath behind all existence • “one” god • Atman-subtle self within themselves • We are all atman and are a part of Brahman Brahman Atman
Bhakti • Difficult to pray to the abstract depictions of an impersonal deity from the Upanishads so many Hindus worship changes to bhakti worship. • Bhakti- Intense devotion to a personal manifestation of Brahman. • The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Puranas represent god as a person or human-like deities, and aid in this form of worship. • Evaluate why Hindus would desire personal experiences with their deities. • Assess why Hindu worship of Brahman is broken into many aspects/deities and how this impacts their worship.
Reincarnation • Soul leaves the dead body and enters a new one • Countless rebirths (reincarnations) but same soul • Birth as a human is precious and rare opportunity to advance/reach enlightenment
Reincarnation • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWwzFwUOxA • What do you think about the possibility of this boy having a former life?
Karma • Action and the consequences of action • Every act or thought shapes our future • Shaped by what we have done in past • Lasts into subsequent lives • Sow/reap
Castes • Brahmins- Priests, carefully trained and maintain high standard of purity • Kshatriyas- nobility, kings, warriors, vassals • Vaishyas- economic specialists, farmers and merchants • Shudra- manual laborers and artisans • Untouchables • How could a caste system develop out of the doctrines of reincarnation and karma? (beliefsactions) • Draw a conclusion as to why the caste system is still in existence today.
Samsara and Moksha • Goal is not good life but escape from samsara • Samsara- karma run wheel of birth-death-rebirth • Moksha- liberation from space, time, matter to oneness with Brahman, escape from samsara • Takes many lifetimes
Review Questions • Identify and describe the key developments of Vedic religious practice. • Analyze how Vedic religious practice affects modern day Hinduism? Sacrifices, rituals, etc.. • Explain how the doctrines of Hinduism affect Hindu religious practice. • Describe the caste system.
Homework • HOMEWORK: • Complete Essential Questions 3-5, 18-19, 26-28; and Read, summarize and give explanation in class on Hindu gods and idol worship articles • Extra credit • http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_caste.asp • Faith Life article: “Looking to physics for proof of the soul.”