The Hindu View of the World
World History pages 61-62
Ancient India – home to many religious traditions
Hinduism- one of the world’s most complex religions
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Has no single founder, no single sacred text
No easily identifiable beginning
No central authority or organization
Different beliefs are emphasized by different groups
Grew out of a range of beliefs
Embraces several aspects of Indian culture
It is at once a religion, a history and a way of life
All Hindus share certain basic beliefs
Hindu Divinities
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Accepts worship of gods and goddesses
Some are more important than others
Many divinities appear in different forms but they are all part of one universal spirit called
Brahman
Most important Hindu gods
o Brahman- creator of universe
o Vishnu- preserver of universe
o Shiva- destroyer of universe
All these divinities are part of Brahman that is everlasting and endless
From the Bhagavad Gita “Innermost element, Everywhere, always, Being of beings, Changeless,
eternal, For ever and ever.”
Hindu beliefs
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Reincarnation- being reborn into another body
Laws of karma- every action in a person’s life influences how the soul will be reborn in the next
life
Importance of dharma- a person’s religious and moral duties, seen as a way to escape the
constant cycle of death and rebirth, if person fulfills the duties of his life merit can be gained in
the next life
Ahimsa- non-violence towards all living creatures, absence of desire to harm oneself or others.
Hindu beliefs strengthen the caste system- teach people to accept the caste into which they were born,
if people accept their caste in life, will be rewarded with higher caste in next life
Hinduism (People and Culture Series)
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Caste system firmly interwoven with Hinduism
Has no founder, evolved over centuries
No central doctrine or set of rituals
Something in Hinduism for everyone
What is known about it from books known as Vedas (Veda meaning wisdom)
4 Books make up Hindu bible
o Rig Veda-religious poetry- oldest and most sacred book
o Yajur Veda- guide to religious ritual
o Atharva Veda- chants and instructions concerning the casting of magical spells
o Sama Veda- collection of hymns
The Brahmanas are a group of writings that explain how to perform various Vedic rituals. The
Aranyakas and Upanishads are philosophy texts that explain the inner significance of the Vedic
rites
Eventually recorded in Sanskrit, books indicate the Aryans were singing, dancing, gambling,
worshipped gods in nature, consider water sacred
By 1000 BC-achieved agricultural way of life, gods varied
Brahma the Creator, Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, Brahman- Supreme Being,
Atman-World Spirit
Two long epic poems
o Mahabharata- tells of the great civil war in NW India, Rama and Krishna central
character in this poem, in actuality they were the god Vishnu the Preserver in the form
of man, Vishnu has appeared on earth in 9-10 existences, illustrates in dramatic form
how good Hindus should live, characters are constantly facing tough moral issues and
having to make difficult choices
o Ramayana- tells of feats of Rama- an Aryan prince, epic literature around since 700 BCE
Honored many gods
Enshrined images in temples and other holy places
Refuse to eat meat
Upheld caste system
Forces of Destiny
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Dharma- moral duty, also means obedience to rules of duty and conduct
Reincarnation- upon death creature’s soul assumes another form also called transmigration of
souls
Hindu thinking- soul is timeless, birth and death not beginning and end, death represents
leaving one body for another
Karma- moral consequences of an act, fate or destiny, determined by actions in previous life
Reality lies only in spiritual not material things
Dharma depends on caste to which one belongs
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Highest purpose in life is to live in such a way that he can cross over this cycle of existence and
untie his soul with Brahman-Atman- thus he attains moksha or salvation- releases him from the
cycle of birth and rebirth
Purple Photocopy 37-40
Brahmanism
Gods of Aryans
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Agni – god of fire- great brawling figure
Indra- wielder of thunderbolt and god of war, each year slew a dragon to release monsoon rains
Rudra- divine archer who spread disaster and disease
Varuna- god of order in the universe, hard god, quick to punish those who sinned and upset the
balance of nature
Ushas- goddess of dawn, gentle deity welcomed birds, gave delight to humans, warded off evil
spirits
Core of belief (Upanishads composed between 750-500) - shift from mythical to philosophical
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Focused on sacrifice, belief that proper sacrifice would force a god to grant worshipper’s wish
Shift towards asceticism- severe self- denial and self- discipline
Belief that meditation on ritual sacrifice could produce same results as the physical ritual itself
Ancient Indian cosmology – not focused on creator but on endlessly repeating cycles
Key ideas:
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Samsara-transmigration of souls by continuous process of rebirth
Karma- The tally of good and bad deeds that determine status of individual’s next life
Wheel of life- includes all humans, animals and gods, cycle of birth and death
No all-knowing god
Individual responsible for own destiny in an impartial world
For some ideas attractive- hope for better life, for others- endless cycle of birth and deathyearn for release
One solution- moksha- release from the wheel of life, one must realize that ultimate reality was
unchanging
o This unchanging called Brahman- the multitude of things in the world is fleeting, the
only true reality is this unchanging called Brahman, all people have inside of themselves
the eternal truth that corresponds to a greater all-encompassing reality
These doctrines were intellectually revolutionary, in social and political terms they supported the
existing power structure.
Through Indian Eyes-pages 107-128
According to Hindu worldview- two stages in the first half of life- the student and the householder
It is here a person is guided by:
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Dharma- through Dharma Hindus carry out their student, family and work responsibility, moral
duty, role by caste and stage of life
Kama- through Kama Hindus fall in love and reproduce
Artha- through Artha Hindus pursue success
Samsara- everyday world of pain and joy, work and success, birth and death and death is but one point
on the great span of endless time
Hindus do not live for this world alone; they recognize a fourth and final goal of life- moksha
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Moksha-reunion with the divine- this is the only goal of the second half of life
In pursuit of moksha there are two more stages of life
o Going into the forest- this is where Hindus break free from their karma, their fate that
locks them into endless rounds of birth and rebirth which keep them mired in the
tediousness of samsara
o Different people use different paths or yogas in their striving for moksha
o The wandering holy man- final stage of life, few Hindus reach this stage, culmination of
life
Death- one point on great span of time
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Individual may die but his life source or soul (atman) never dies
Takes on new form with each birth
Rebirth called Samsara- this is the certainty for Hindus on which all life is based
Karma
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Factor that determines the form in which you will be born in your next existence
Good life builds Good karma- next life higher station and happier life
Good and bad karma built up over generations, the balance being passed onto future lives, it is
the balancing of good and bad deeds over hundreds of lifetimes
Quote from Upanishads-page 110
Karma helps explain the seeming unfairness of life , quote page 111
Living is an attempt to build good karma
Cause and effect, consequences
Fate and destiny strongly determined by adherence to dharma in previous life
Build good karma by doing one’s duty- one’s dharma
Each person has a dharma determined in part by position in family, caste, and age
Each must be faithful to his own dharma
Brahman: The Hindu Concept of God
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Final goal for Hindus not to be born into higher station in next life but not to be born again at all
Hindus grow weary of living on earth- quote page 112
This is when we are ready to seek reunion with God
Hindu concept of God- quote 112-113
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Source of all
Single source is invisible
Pervades all things
It is Oneness with reality
To be the ONE, it must combine all opposites within itself
In Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam- God is good, Devil is evil
For Hindus- ultimate reality is both
Rig Veda 1:64
o They call Him Indra, Mitra, Varun,Agni.
o They call Him Garutman.
o They call Him Yama and Matarishvan.
o There is one God; He is known by many names.
What is the relationship to God? Story page 113-114
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Christians and Muslims believe that man stands in relationship to God
Hindus believe all things are God and therefore man is God too, yet god is not you
Story of six blind men and elephant
Perception of physical phenomena are real is called MAYA- (root word for magic- means illusion)
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In Hinduism- one must go past these material forms to the one divine mystery that envelops and
manifests itself as all the little realities. It is the one true reality. MAYA is the mistaken belief
that lesser things are real. We spend our time loving and fighting things that are illusionary
Example- story of the kitten
Moksha: Seeking Reunion with Brahman
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We live in the world of MAYA- experiencing life as separate beings
We begin to yearn for something deeper
Artha and Kama no longer tempt us- quote page 116
What then? We are ready to give up our roles and seek Brahman- the Oneness of all things
Clear instructions on how to do this – quote page 117
Going into the forest- the individual personality (the ego) disappears
Story of king Bharata- page 117-118, another story page 118-120
Yoga: Paths to the One
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Seeking union with the ONE – many paths
Requirements- sincerity, dedication, years of discipline
Yoga means “yoking to God” or union with God
There are a variety of means to experience moksha, becoming selfless and egoless
Involves total dedication
Yoga is a long process, involves attitude rather than technique
Three major yogas:
1. Raja- yoga
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Seeking god through meditation and proper knowledge
Intentional stopping of the spontaneous activities of the mind stuff
Our minds are constantly on the move, it is restless and hard to train
Constant practice and by freedom from passions the mind can be trained
Training to control the mind, stop its images and associations so a deeper level of reality can be
experienced
Divided into 8 stages
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Self- control- practice of the five moral rules- non -violence, truthfulness, not stealing , chastity,
avoidance of greed
Observance- regular and complete observance of the five rules
Posture- sitting in certain postures essential to meditation, most famous- Lotus position
Control of breath- respiration is forced into unusual rhythms, believe to be of great physical and
spiritual value
Restraint- Organs are trained to take no note of their perceptions
Steadying the Mind- by concentrating on a single object
Meditation- the object of concentration fills the whole mind
Deep meditation- when the whole personality is temporarily dissolved
Story of warrior in Bhagavad Gita- Arjuna
2. Karma yoga
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Based on action
Requires one to act without regard for fruits of one’s actions
Example of mighty warrior pages 122-124
To act with “holy indifference”
With no concerns for results
Your business is with the deed not the result
Mahatma Gandhi believe in karma-yoga
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No withdrawing from life
Life and the world are the stage on which we live out the truth
Pure Act- important idea in karma yoga ( $10 example page 125)
3. Bhakti-yoga
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Surrender completely to God
To love God with your complete being
Does not require great learning or mastering of scripture or elaborate rituals
One does not have to be well born
Deity most often associated with this form is Lord Krishna
Vishnu, Shiva and Rama are objects of Bhakti worship
Also female deities- Lakshmi, Durga, Kali
Often associated with saints who through their poetry, songs and way of life bring people to the
love of God
Ultimate goal: release from the constant round of birth and rebirth (Ghandi quote page 128)
Why are we here? To do our duty, because of the past good or evil we have done, no change in this,
creator knows all and places you accordingly
Pros
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Contentment
Less stress and struggle
No envy or jealousy
Each strives to do their dharma
Punishment of bad behavior beyond control
Stability- no class struggle or violence
Control
Removes self- responsibility
Virtue and self- sacrifice- good for the rulers and all
Cons
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No motivation to better one’s position now
Western view of luck of of the draw
Control
Untouchables- contradicts /complements belief in divine
Millions of gods, polytheistic vs. monotheistic
Gods:
Brahma
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Creator God
Self-born
4 heads and alms
Shiva, Lord of Dance
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Dance- movement of the universe
Naked sitting on tiger skin with snakes wrapped around his arms, body smeared with ashes
Naked- stark reality of self, sits – meditation, ashes – after universe blown away in cosmic dust
he is left
2 sided drum- creation, pulse of universe
Fire- destruction, leads to creation in fist in left hand
Halo of Flame- samsara- reincarnation, life comes from heat, ends in fires of destruction
Mudra- lower right hand “Do not be afraid” lower left hand “There is a way out” promise of
salvation
Raised left foot- release from cycle of birth- new plane of existence
Dwarf being crushed- ignorance of moksha
Shiva’s hair- Shiva can control nature
Destroyer god
Vishnu
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Maintains law and order in universe
Takes on any form to do the job, sometimes the human form
You can count on his aid when acting to take on benefit of the world
Blue , four armed, discus in fingers slices enemies of good and righteousness in two, also holds
golden baton that flattens our egos when we get too big for our britches, holds shell represents
the OM- primordial sound from which the universe was manifested, holds lotus symbol of
purity
Avatars are Rama and Krishna
Ganesha
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Son of Shiva and Parvati
Elephant head
Lost his head guarding door for Parvati’s bath
Self- sacrifice
Hanuman
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Monkey head and tail
Rama and Sita in his head
Killing monkeys is illegal
Trinity- personification of Brahman (absolute reality)
Brahma- the creator, Vishnu- the protector, Shiva-destroyer/liberator
Goddesses: Shaktis- female power
Sarasvati
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Goddess of intellectual and spiritual knowledge
4 hands hold book (knowledge), rosary(source of spiritual knowledge), vina in two hands
(musical instrument- source of sound vibrations, goddess of sound waves-energy that formed
the universe)
Muse
Wife of Brahma
Lakshmi
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Goddess of wealth and prosperity, health and harmony
Wrapped in red sari, coins stream from her hands, also holds lotuses- not all her greatest boons
are material but also spiritual
Soft hearted, incapable of punishing anyone
Sita with Roma
Vishnu’s wife
Parvati
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Way to god
Meditates and suffers to win Shiva as husband
Shiva as widower- wife- Sati ,kills herself when Shiva not invited to party
Shiva wails, Vishnu cuts Sati up
Sati reincarnated as Parvati
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Skull necklace
Tongue out
Springs from a brief frown of the mother of the world
Fights Raktabija
Represents internal battles against negative thoughts
Kali
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Shiva
Vishnu
Lakshmi
Sarasvati
Ganesha
Kali
Parvati