Beliefs And Teachings Flashcards
Types of Brahman
nirguna- God as a spiritual presence
Saguna- God shown in form
Symbol of Brahman
Om or Aum
The three ways in which Hindus think of God:
Brahman- existing everywhere
Antaryami- the God within everyone
Bhagavan- a personal Lord or deity
Name the tri-murti and their titles
Brahma the creator
Vishnu the preserver
Shiva the destroyer
Name the four things held by Brahma and what they symbolise
The Vedas (books)- he is guided by the scriptures
Spoon- sacrificial ladle used in worship
Mala (a string of beads)- used in meditation
Water pot- water of life, he began creation
Who is Brahmas consort?
Saraswati (Goddess of music, art and knowledge)
Why is Brahma arguably the least important of the Trimurti?
His work as a creator has already been done
Name the consort of Vishnu
Lakshmi (wealth, prosperity, fortune and love)
Give 4 ways in which Vishnu is special
He represents the soul of the universe
He birthed Brahma
He is the Lord within
He is worshipped through avatars
What are followers of Vishnu called?
Vishnava
The three strides
Bali, a demon world ruler, offered his head for Vishnu to rest his foot on, thus acknowledging Vishnu’s supremacy
Prahlada
Vishnu saved Prahlada due to his devotion
What are worshippers of Shiva called?
Shaivites or Shaivas
Why is Shiva known as the most complex God?
He has many different qualities (people often worship the one which is most relevant to their situation and life)
What is Shivas symbol?
Linga (male sex organ) - represents his ability to recreate after destruction
Name the dancing form of shiva
Nataraja
Name Shivas consort
Parvati (AKA shakti, durga, or Kali)
A parable about light (comparing the Trimurti)
Shiva is an eternal pillar of light
Brahma became a swan but couldn’t find the top
Vishnu became a boar but couldn’t find the bottom
Shiva is the most powerful
Story of Bhrigu
Bhrigu was a holy man, trying to find the kindest deity.
He insulted Shiva and Brahma, who were furious
He kicked Vishnu in the chest, who apologised for injuring his foot.
Thus making Vishnu the most good and superior
Who is Rama
The seventh avatar of Vishnu
Who is Krishna
The eight avatar of Vishnu
Who is Ganesha
An elephant headed deity, son of Parvati and Shiva
Who is hanuman
Monkey warrior, featured in the story of Rama and Sita
Give 6 Hindu ideas about the world
Time is cyclical
The material world is repeatedly created
The universe is one of many bubbles floating in space
Universe is in three tiers- heavenly planets, the earthly realm and the lower worlds
There’s no single account of creation
There are two realities- purusa (spirit) and prakriti (Matter)
Explain the four yugas (or epochs)
Gold, silver, copper, iron
Each age gets shorter and more corrupt
At the end Vishnu appears as Kalki, clearing all evil and starting a new gold age
Story about the atman from Hindu tradition
Salt and water (invisible but ever present)
Story if Svetaketu from the Chandogya Upanishad 6.12
Story about moksha
A Hindu holy man blessed different people with life and death
Many questioned this until he explained:
He gave life to those who love materials, to prevent his suffering in the next life
He gave death to the good, so they could achieve moksha before sinning again
He gave neither life nor death to the butcher, as he is living a sinful life now, and a bad life in his next one
He gave a worshipper life or death, as no matter what she will always be faithful
Name the four aims of human life for Hindus
Dharma
Artha
Kama
Moksha
What’s Santana dharma
The Terence truth and doing what's right eg Remember God in heart and mind Never eat meat or drink liquor Learn from scripture Try to achieve moksha CARE FOR ANIMALS AND PLANTS CARE FOR THE NEEDY AND ELDERLY
Explain the outward appearance of a mandir
Decorate to drive off evil forces
Creates a heaven on earth
Allows Hindus to worship in the space of the heart
