Bible Test Hinduism Flashcards
5 religions of Eastern Religions
Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Jainism
Describe the prime reality of eastern religions
impersonal force that functions as ground for all beings, nothing exists that isn’t god
Compare/Contrast the Biblical and Eastern views of history
Eastern: cyclical
Western: linear
What is “moksha”
liberation
Liberation in Buddhism
Nirvana
Cosmic principle that determines ones life in the next life
Karma
Rebirth
Reincarnation
Hindu concept of eternal soul
Atman
concept of incarnation or earthly manifestation of a deity
Avatar
Sanskrit for “song of the Lord,” crowning achievement of Hindu sacred literature
Bhagavad-Gita
Hindu concept of devotional service to personal god
Bhakti
Hindu god of creation
Brahma
Hindu concept for spiritual oneness of all reality
Brahman
Priestly caste of indian society
Brahmin
“race,” stratified system of social classes in Hindu society
Caste
Spiritual teacher
guru
physical/psychological/social self that acts, but is not eternal
jiva
incarnation of Vishnu; main character of Bhagavad-Gita
Krishna
Hindu concept of false or illusory reality
Maya
Focused, disciplined concentration to enable experience of the sacred
Meditation
Liberation from death to rebirth cycle
Moksha
Cycle of rebirth
Samsara
Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation
Shiva
“below” the caste system, outcasts
Untouchables
Philosophical materials in Vedic literature
Upanishads
“knowledge,” entire collection of Indian sacred literature
Vedas
Hindu god of preservation and love, appears on earth in various forms in crisis
Vishnu
revelation
sruti
tradition
smriti
Mythology of thousands of Hindu gods
Puranas
24,000 couplet poem about the god Rama
Ramayana
100,000 verses of poetry in 13 volumes; most famous is the Bhagavad-Gita
Mahabharata
Duty
Dharma
How does Hebrews 9:27 counter Eastern religion
People die once and then face judgement, no cycle
What is the focus of Hinduism
the illusion that the world is real and we as people are real (overcoming this belief)
What aspects of Hinduism cause them to believe that all life is equal?
Reincarnation
Hinduism developed from polytheism as response to the invasion of what nation?
The Aryans
4 Major types of Vedas
- Rig-Veda: knowledge of hymns to gods
- Yajur-Veda: knowledge of sacrifices to gods
- Sama-Veda: knowledge of chants to gods
- Atharva-Veda: knowledge of wisdom of sage Atharva
4 examples of Hindu scriptures
Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata
4 major sections of each veda
- Mantras: hymns
- Brahmanas: instruction for religious ritual
- Aranyakas: instruction for hermits
- Upanishads: major theological teachings
Compare/Contrast Hindu and Christian trinity
In Hinduism, it's polytheistic: -Brahma: creator god -Shiva: destroyer god -Vishnu: restorer god In Christianity, it's 1 God in 3 persons -God the Father -God the son who submits to God the Father -The Holy Spirit who acts as comforter and messenger
How many gods are in Hinduism
330 million
4 classes of caste system
- Brahmin-priests
- Kshatriya- warrior
- Vaisya-peasant
- Shudra-untouchable
3 main branches of yoga and how they deal with Hindu salvation
Hindus believe these are the 3 paths to salvation:
- Karma Yoga: way of good works
- Jnana Yoga: way of knowledge and contemplation/meditation
- Bhakti yoga: way of devotion to particular god
Irony of moksha
There is no personal survival after moksha. So you try to achieve it your whole life and then cease to exist…sounds like fun right
How many Hindus worldwide? in the US?
800 million; 1 million
Specific ways Hinduism has influenced the US
Transcendental meditation, hare krishna, new age movement, yoga
6 philosophical schools of Hinduism (I wouldn’t worry too much about this one)
- Advaita Vedanta: monism of Shankara and Ramanuja
- Samkhya: dualism of spirit and matter
- Yoga: salvation through physical and mental control
- Purva Mimasa: worship of shiva
- Vaisheshika: somewhat athiestic belief in 9 eternal elements
- Nyana: somewhat athiestic logical analysis
Essay*
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