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Hinduism: A Way of Life. Ancient Civilizations. Introductory Material. Hinduism is the world’s oldest organized religion. It is also the third largest world religion; accounting for ~ 1 billion of the world’s people.
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Hinduism:A Way of Life Ancient Civilizations
Introductory Material • Hinduism is the world’s oldest organized religion. • It is also the third largest world religion; accounting for ~ 1 billion of the world’s people. • Hinduism does NOT have a specific founder, its roots lie in the tradition of the Vedas. • Hinduism is complex, and sometimes contradictory and reveals the nature of life.
Role of Animals in Hinduism • Cows are seen as sacred. They provide the power for the plow, food, fuel and fertilizer. • Vegetarianism is not a requirement for Hinduism, but recommended as a “purifying lifestyle.” • ~ 30% of Hindus are vegetarian.
Role of Animals in Hinduism • Other animals also play a key role throughout Hinduism. • As Hindus have a strong belief in the sacredness of all forms of life, many of their deities take the form of animals. • Elephants • Monkeys • Turtles & fish • Tigers • Crocodiles • Snakes • Deer
Sacred Texts • The Vedas ~ Contain eternal truths that were revealed to wise men during the Vedic Age. • The Upanishads ~ Help to explain the ideas in the Vedas. • Ramayana • Mahabharata Epics used to explain moral laws of Hinduism as well as law codes.
Brahman • Brahman is the nameless, formless and unlimited basic divine essence that fills the world. • Only a few people can truly understand this. • This is not to be confused with BRAHMINS – or the holy people (priests) of Hinduism.
Atman • Atman is the essence of an individual person. This is similar to the concept of a “soul.” • Each person’s atman (soul) is part of a larger, universal soul. (All humans are part of the same soul.) • Because of this, atman and brahman are one and indivisible.
Maya • The world known to our senses is an illusion. • Our senses will deceive us which will bring us sorrow and pain. • We can be delivered from suffering if we can identify maya. (The illusions.) • Unfortunately this can take lifetimes. • People suffer from pain and sorrow because they pursue false goals, material riches and personal pleasure.
Reincarnation • Official name ~ “Samsara” • Cycle of birth, death and re-birth. • Refers to the rebirth of the soul, or when the soul enters the body of another being (either human or animal). • This stresses the importance of respecting all life forms. • GOAL ~ MOKSHA ~ Free the soul from the cycle of reincarnation & the soul can unite with Brahman.
What determines what your soul will become in the “next” life? • Dharma • Karma
Dharma • The fulfillment of one’s moral DUTY in this life so that the soul can make progress toward moksha in the next life. • DUTIES & OBLIGATIONS refer to: • Obedience to caste rules and moral laws. • Offer hope of a better life in the future. • Encourage Hindus to behave morally.
Karma • Comes from the Sanskrit word for “To do” • Is the positive or negative force generated by a person’s actions that will determine his/her status in the next life. • Good deeds bring you happiness; evil deeds will bring you sorrow. • A person’s present situation is a result of deeds or misdeeds done in a past existence.
How does KARMA work? • People who fulfill their dharma are rewarded with good karma and are reborn into a higher social group. • If you don’t live a moral life, you will be reborn into a lower social group, or potentially animals or insects. • Do we see any examples of this in U.S. society?
The Goals of a Good Hindu: • Fulfill your DHARMA. • Be rewarded with good KARMA. • End cycle of SAMSARA. • Attain salvation. • Enable your soul to reunite with the universal spirit, Brahman. This would be MOKSHA.
Is Hinduism Polytheistic? • It appears polytheistic, but it is truly monistic or more accurately “henotheistic.” What does that mean? • Monistic ~ Mind and matter are essentially the same. All gods and goddesses are part of the same “oneness.” • A parallel to this is the Christian Trinity • All the gods are merely different representations of the oneness of the universe.
Henotheism • Henotheistic ~ Single deity that recognizes all other gods and goddesses as manifestations of the one supreme god. (Brahman) Vishnu Ganesh
Overview of Hindu Gods/Goddesses • There are thousands of Hindu gods/goddesses. • We will focus on: • Brahma • Vishnu • Siva/Shiva • Ganesh • Hanuman The Hindu Trinity
Brahma • The “Creator” God • His activity creates the cycle of light and dark throughout the day. • In order to create the world and the human race, Brahma created a goddess out of himself. • He is usually depicted with four heads, (and sometimes) 4 faces and arms. • Also shown holding the 4 Vedas.
Vishnu • Preserver and protector of creation. • Embodiment of mercy and goodness. • Preserves the universe and maintains cosmic order. • He never sleeps, but is associated with a “peaceful mood.”
Incarnations of Vishnu • Vishnu is often depicted with four weapons. • Most often there is a balance of good and evil in the world, but sometimes the demons get the upper hand. • When this happens ~ Vishnu takes one of 9 human/animal forms (these are called avatars) to return to earth and re-set the balance.
Goddess Ganga is trapped In Shiva’s hair to prevent The Ganges River from Flooding the world. Siva (Shiva) • Shiva is the destroyer of the world. • He is also the god of change – which can be good. (Ex. Getting rid of bad habits.) • Shiva often represented in dance to represent the creation and destruction of universe and reveals the cycle of birth, death and re-birth Final destruction of creation. Crushes the demon of ignorance.
Ganesh (Ganesha) • Human form with head of an elephant – symbolizes perfection. • Large head symbolizes wisdom and understanding. • Trunk ~ Strength • Right Tusk ~ Wisdom • Left Tusk (broken) ~ Emotion • One must conquer emotion with wisdom to attain perfection.
Hanuman • God/protector of provider ofcourage, hope, knowledge , intellect and devotion. • Shown holding a mace – sign of bravery. • Also shown with tattoo of Rama and Sita to show his devotion to the couple. • “Monkey God”
What is an “AVATAR?” • An avatar is an “incarnation” of a Hindu deity. • This is seen in Hinduism as gods that will often take on human forms.
YOGA! • Physical and mental discipline to harmonize the body and the soul. • Goal is to shut out the illusionary world of maya and free the mind of bodily concerns.
The Bindi • The bindi is a colored dot. (Sanskrit for dot or point.) • It is a sign of piety that reveals that the wearer is a Hindu. • It symbolizes the “Third Eye” ~ the one that focuses inward toward God. • It is generally worn by women, with black representing that you are single, and red that you are married. • Nowadays, any color is accepted and is sometimes simply matched to clothing to be fashionable.
Why is the Ganges sacred? • Ganges is believed to be “life-giving” water. • Bathing in its water washes away sin. • To die along the banks assures eternal peace to the soul.
Funeral Rituals • For married persons, cremation is the norm. • Usually cremated on the bank of a river and the ashes are deposited in the river. • Family members remain in the home for 10 days (the length of time it takes for the soul of the deceased to acquire a new body).
Hindu Temples • Called “mandir” or “mandira” in Sanskrit. • Usually are dedicated to one primary deity and any other subordinate deities.
Interior of Temples • The interior is highly decorated and colorful. • Idols to the Hindu gods are prominently displayed. • This is a house of worship, prayer and meditation.
Hinduism and the Swastika • The swastika is a holy symbol in Hinduism. • It represents the creator god, Brahma. • It points in all 4 cardinal directions: N,S,E,W representing stability and groundedness. • It is used as a decoration for religious purposes.
It can be used to decorate temples, signs, altars. • The use of the swastika by Nazi subverted the original intent of it by the ancient Hindus almost 5,000 years before Nazism even existed.
