HINDUISM
HINDUISM
• No formal founder
• No formal church
• roots lie in the beliefs
and practices of the
ancient Aryans
– crossed thru the
Khyber Pass into South
Asia from Caucasus
Mtns
– brought Hindu beliefs
Khyber Pass
Indus River Valley Civilizations
• 2500 -1500 BCE
• over 1000 miles
– worlds largest early civ
• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
most important cities
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capital cities
well organized gov’ts
checkered board pattern streets
walled fortress
supply warehouses
sewer system
taxed in form of food
– traded w/ ancient Sumer of
Mesopotamia
Archaeology
• Theories for decline of
Indus Valley Civ’s
– natural causes
• too dry for farming
• over-farmed land
• floods?
– invaders from the north
• Scholars believe that
the DRAVIDIANS are
descendents from the
ancient Aryans
ARYAN Culture
• migration took 100s of years
• invented Chariots
• brought Hinduism
– developed Sanskrit
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INDRA: warrior god
also farmers & herders
cattle as wealth
Rajahs: hereditary chiefs that
rule the villages
Aryan Migration into South Asia
SACRED TEXTS of HINDUISM
• VEDAS: contain eternal truths that
were revealed to wise men
– ca. 6000 - 1500 BCE
– contain hymns, incantations,
and rituals from ancient India
– give a unique view of everyday
life in India four thousand years
ago
– 4 VEDAS
• UPANISHADS: helps to explain
the Vedas
• Written in SANSKRIT
SACRED TEXTS
• UPANISHADS: helps to
explain the Vedas
• the Epics – Mahabharata: “the great story”
• longest written story
– 100,000 verses
• poem @ 12 yr war btwn
two royal families
• Bhagavad Gita: “song of
God”
– Ramayana: “Rama’s Way”
•
to avoid war, Rama places
himself in exile, thus not
becoming heir to the throne
• written in SANSKRIT
The CASTE SYSTEM
• Varna means color
– suggest that caste was first
determined by skin color
• Brahmins:
– priests
• Kshatriyas:
– warriors, rulers
• Vaisyas:
– landowners, merchants, herders
• Sudras:
– servants, peasants
• UNTOUCHABLES
Harijans
(Untouchables or Dalits)
• Considered to by so lowly that
– they do not have a caste.
• Perform the despicable tasks like killing
animals, tanning hides, sweeping and
cleaning.
• Gandhi called them the children of God
• 1950 Indian Constitution abolished
untouchability…but still exists
Weakening of the
Caste System
• Greater educational opportunities
• Movement of people to cities
– blurs caste lines.
• Constitutional changes:
Cities
– all people have the right to vote.
• The work of Gandhi
• Globalization
– Growth of industry and need for
jobs
– Technology
Gandhi
4 Principles of Hinduism
• Dharma: duties &
responsibilities according
to one’s caste.
• Karma: one’s actions in
this life, will effect the
next lives (vice-versa)
• Samsara: Wheel of Life
– birth, disease, death, rebirth
• Moksha:
– Hindu enlightenment
– escape fm Samsara
– becomes one w/
Brahman
HINDU Beliefs
• Brahman “single supreme
force”
– universal soul
– formless & unlimited
• ATMAN “essential self is
part of the universal soul”
– unity of ALL life
• Reincarnation thru
KARMA-SAMSARA
– “wheel of life”
• good deeds bring joy
• bad deeds bring sadness
• Maya: illusion
The HINDU TRINITY
• Brahma: Creator God
– all other gods come from
Brahma
– Monist
• Vishnu: Preserver God
– ten avatars “incarnations”
– returns to earth as avatars to
bring justice/balance
• Shiva: Destroyer God
– “The Cosmic Dance”
– equivalent to the oscillating
universe theory
BRAHMA
• The Creator God
• all other gods come from
Brahma
• four faces represent the
four corners o/t universe
• He holds
– a sacrificial ladle
– the four Vedas
– jar of holy water from the
Ganges River
– necklace of prayer beads
VISHNU
• “The Preserver God”
• greatest of the gods
• maintain balance of good
and bad
• ten avatars “incarnations”
– returns to earth as avatars to
bring justice/balance
• Krishna
• Buddha
SHIVA
• The Destroyer God
• “The Cosmic Dance”
– the dance of Shiva
symbolizes the creation
and destruction of the
universe
– equivalent to the
oscillating universe
theory
– pg. 241
SRI YANTRA
• symbol of spiritual evolution
• focal point for meditation
• 9 triangles intersect to form 43
triangles
• 3 concentric circles
• framed by a square
• This form is the geometric
expression of the
divine sound of creation... OM
Hindu Religious Symbols
• Sri Yantra
– symbol of spiritual evolution
– focal point for meditation
– This form is the geometric
expression of the
divine sound of creation... OM
• OM or AUM
– Main symbol of Hinduism
– visual and verbal expression of
god
– transcend one’s thoughts &
merge w/ god.
– “a” = beginning
– “u” = progress
– “m” = dissolution
– “reflects the POWER responsible
for creation, development and
destruction of the universe
OM or AUM
• Main symbol of Hinduism
• visual and verbal expression
of god
– transcend one’s thoughts &
merge w/ god.
• “a” = beginning
• “u” = progress
• “m” = dissolution
– “reflects the POWER
responsible for creation,
development and destruction
of the universe”
SRI YANTRA
This form is
the geometric
expression of
the
divine sound
of creation...
OM
SIKHISM
• Combination of
Hinduism and Islam
– reincarnation
– Allah
• Founder: Guru Nanak
• Holy book: Guru
Granth
• Place of worship:
Gurdwara
SIKHISM symbols
• Khanda
– God’s universal and
creative power
• Five K’s
– Kesh: Uncut Hair and
Beard
• honors the way of nature
• A TURBAN covers the
head of males
– most visible symbol
– sign of Sikh power
– Kangha: Comb holding
hair in place
• keeping the spirit in place
SIKHISM symbols con’t
• Kara: Steel bracelet
• worn on right wrist
• symbolizes strength
• unity of god
Kirpan: double edged
dagger or sword
– duty to defend Sikhism
• Kaccha: trousers worn
by warriors
– symbol of modesty and
moral restraint
Sikh Golden Temple
Amritsar, Punjab
Sikh Discrimination
• Discriminated against by
Muslims & Hindus
• Tried to stay neutral during
India – Pakistan partition
• Current Prime Minister of
India is a Sikh:
– Manmohan Singh
• Sikh diaspora
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
• “Doctrine o/t Elders”
• conservative branch
• The Little Wheel
– less followers
• Buddha is a teacher
• Spread to Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Thailand
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
• ideal is arhat
– become an enlightened
saint
– wisdom
• few possessions
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begging bowl
three colored robes
a belt
a mending needle
fan to cover face
razor to shave head
water strainer
MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
• “Great Vehicle” or “Big
Wheel”
– majority of followers
• non-monastic life
• Buddha is a god
• Spread to China, Tibet,
Korea & Japan
• ideal is compassion
– can attain nirvana through
assisting others
• Bodhisattva: holds back on
attaining nirvana to help
others