hindu beliefs Flashcards
1
Q
who is brahman?
A
- the supreme being
- considered to be beyond human understanding and the source of all life
2
Q
what is saguna brahman?
A
the idea that god has form and can be pictured
- different images give the supreme being form and personality
- deities and their murtis make brahman visible in the everyday lives of hindus
3
Q
what is nirguna brahman? + quote
A
the idea that god has no form or shape - a spiritual presence only
- “he moves and he moves not. he is far and he is near. he is within all and outside all”
4
Q
what is bhagavan?
A
the supreme being existing in the world of deities
5
Q
what is the significance of the om symbol?
A
- the main symbol of brahman
- considered to be the sound at the start of all creation
6
Q
what is antaryami?
A
the supreme being existing in the heart of all beings
7
Q
what is the vaikuntha?
A
the spiritual realm
8
Q
what are three different ways in which hindus think of god?
A
- existing everywhere as a non-personal god, called brahman
- being within the heart of everyone (antaryami)
- as a personal god called bhagavan and approached through many deities living in the spiritual realm (vaikuntha)
9
Q
what is the tri-murti?
A
they mirror the three main aspects of god
- brahma - thr creator
- vishnu - the preserver
- shiva - the destroyer
10
Q
what are the hindu beliefs about brahma?
A
- the deity responsible for creation; others believe that vishnu was responsible for creating universes and created brahma to continue his work
- created “space and light, air and fire and water… rain and all herbs that grow upon earth”
- “brahma was the creator of all. from him comes all life”
11
Q
what are the features of brahma?
A
- born sitting on a lotus flower - symbol of purity
- four heads - looks everywhere
- holds the vedas which guide him
12
Q
who is saraswati?
A
- she is the goddess of music, knowledge, art and learning
- the consort of brahma
- pictured riding on a swan - spiritual perfection
- the vedas are thought to be her children
13
Q
what are the hindu beliefs about vishnu?
A
- seen as the preserver and sustainer of the universe
- worshipped through his avatars - the human forms in which he appears on earth
- “whenever there appears a decline of righteousness… i send myself to birth”
14
Q
what are the features of vishnu?
A
- he represents the soul of the entire universe
- power to prevent suffering and restore order
- gave birth to brahma
- enters the heart of every living being
15
Q
what is vaishnavism?
A
- followers of vishnu - they all aim to serve vishnu
- they concentrate on the concept of bhakti
16
Q
what are two stories demonstrating vishnu’s power?
A
- the three strides: bali offered his head for vishnu’s foot to rest on
- prahlada: vishnu saved prahlada from his father and rewarded his devotion
17
Q
who is shiva?
A
the god in charge of destruction, and recreating afterwards
18
Q
what are the features of shiva?
A
- third eye - symbolises spiritual knowledge and power and can annihilate evil
- blue neck and body - he drank poison meant for the world and saved it from destruction
- nandi the bull - bull symbolises courage and shows shiva’s calm and gentle aspects
19
Q
what is shaivism?
A
- followers of shiva
- ascetics seeking liberation
- they believe the atman and brahman are the same
20
Q
what do hindus believe about how many deities there are?
A
- there are hundreds of hindu deities, each showing different aspects of god
- but there is only one supreme being
- hindus usually favour one particular god but recognise the others
21
Q
who is lakshmi?
A
- sri - represents beauty, prosperity and wealth
- her marriage to vishnu is seen as the perfect union,so newlyweds pray to her
- worshipped during diwali so that people can welcome prosperity into their homes
22
Q
who is shakti and whate are her three specific forms?
A
shakti is the consort of shiva
- parvati: the reincarnation of shiva’s first wife sati, born again in a new body. she is the perfect image of motherhood, mother of ganesh
- durga - fierce form of shakti - portrayed to have four arms and riding a lion. she is strong, powerful and a leader
- kali - associated with death and destruction, especially of demons. often featured with many arms, blue/black skin, protruding tongue and a necklace of human skulls
23
Q
what is an avatar?
A
an incarnation or representation of a god, usually as a human
24
Q
what do hindus believe about vishnus avatars?
A
- that he shows himself at different times and for different reasons
- he has ten avatars of which the most significant are rama and krishna
25
what is the story of ramayana?
- the story of rama, sita and lakshman being exiled and returning from exile
- it illustrates loyalty, wisdom, justice, obedience and equality
- their return is celebrated during diwali
26
who is hanuman?
- monkey warrior god who is remembered for his devotion to duty, especially to rama and sita when sita was kidnapped by ravana
- he represents strength and loyalty
27
who is krishna?
- most well-known avatar of vishnu
- his love and devotion for radha represents god's never ending love for his followers
- he has dark blue skin and wears yellow robes to represent earth
28
who is ganesha?
- he is seen as the god of good luck and remover of obstacles so is worshipped before big events
- the son of shiva and parvati
- the story is that shiva believed him to be an intruder and cut his head off in a rage
29
what is the cycle of the four ages?
they believe that the cycle of time is made up of four yugas. the ages continuously rotate and each age gets shorter and more corrupt
- yuga of gold
- yuga of silver
- yuga of copper
- yuga of iron (most corrupt)
30
what are some ideas related to hindu cosmology?
- time is cyclical
- the material world repeatedly cursed
- there are three tiers of our universe: planets, earth and lower worlds
31
what are the two realities?
- purusa (spirit) -> cannot be seen or touched
- prakriti (matter) -> can be seen and touched
32
how do hindus understand the universe?
- there are many universes in clusters of bubbles which are thought be vishnu’s breath
- there are three different realms
- each creation has its own place in the universe
33
what do hindus believe will happen at the end of the age of iron?
- the avatar of vishnu will appear as kalki, riding a white horse
- he will kill of people that do evil and bring the birth of a new golden age
- a new cycle of time will start
34
what do hindus believe about spirit and matter?
- they believe the world is made up of spirit (purusa) and matter (prakriti)
- some believe that these exist separately and spirit must overcome matter
- others think that the spirit and matter are needed together for the universe to be complete and creation fulfilled
35
what are the three stages that matter goes through?
- creation
- maintenance
- destruction
each of which represent the tri-murti
36
what is tri-guna?
- three qualities that are seen in human life: passion, goodness and ignorance
- a person's actions can be explained by the balance of gunas in their personality
37
what is the atman?
- a person's inner self, soul or spirit
- the real eternal self
38
what are two hindu beliefs about the atman?
- some believe that the atman is the same as brahmanbecause brahman is all powerful ans everywhere at the same time
- others believe that the atman contains only part of brahman because if they were the same then brahman would not be supreme
39
what are the differences between the body (atman) and the body (matter)?
the atman: never-changing, eternal, alive
the self: ever-changing, temporary, dead
40
what happens to the atman when the body dies?
- the atman doesn't die because it is eternal and made of spirit, brahman
- "atman is never born and never dies... he does not die when the body dies"
41
what is samsara?
the cycle of life, death and rebirth
42
what is the law of karma?
there will be positive and negative consequences in the next life depending on what a hindu has done in this life
43
what is dharma?
they have freewill: a hindu's duty to do good deeds without any of personal reward; they must do good deeds because it is the right thing to do and to be selfless - that is how they are expected to live
44
what do hindus believe about rebirth?
- the body changes at rebirth but the atman always remains the same
- the atman taking on a new body is called reincarnation
45
what is transmigration?
the transferring of the atman into a different body
46
what is moksha?
- a hindu's ultimate goal in life which is liberation from the cycle of rebirth into union with god
47
how does one's karma help them reach moksha?
- if they do good deeds and are devoted: they both gain inner peace and have a better reincarnation in the next life - a step to reaching moksha
- if they do bad deeds and is unkind: they will be punished and become a lesser being in the next life
48
what is included in a hindu's dharma?
- ahimsa (non-violence)
- mind/sense control - the focus on the spiritusl
- humility - involves doing things for the right reasons
- showing love to others
49
what is ahimsa?
respect to all living things, they shouldn't inflict pain on others
- "be friendly and compassionate, released from ego, selfishness, hate not any being, the same in pain and happiness
50
what are the four aims of life for a hindu?
- dharma
- artha
- kama
- moksha
- "the wise man chooses the path of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure" - implies that these four aims will bring joy moving nearer to moksha and liberation
51
what is artha?
- lawfully learning a living - wealth can be enjoyed as long it is earned in a morally correct way
- "it is better to perform your own duties in life poorly than perform another person's well" - instructs hindus to fulfil their own duties and fulfil their moral responsibilities
52
what is kama?
- enjoying the pleasures of life responsibly
53
what do hindus believe about suffering?
- hindus believe that suffering occurs as a result for all the karma from people's previous lives
- other suffering occurs as a result of 'moral evil' - the bad things that people do
- moksha is a way of hindus freeing themselves from suffering
- it is part of a hindu's dharma to relieve the suffering of others
- suffering is caused because people are ignorant of their relationship with god and their karma
54
what are the four ashramas?
each stages in a hindu's life, each of which is meant to complete spiritual development
- the student stage (brahmacharya)
- the householder stage (grihastha)
- the retirement stage (vanaprastha)
- the world-renouncer stage (sannyasa)
55
what is ashrama dharma?
stages of life for a hindu which each come with religious and social duties
56
what is first ashrama?
the student stage; brahmacharya
- sacred thread ceremony happens for a young hindu boy (9-11)
- it is a sign that he will take his religious duties seriously and focus his mind on god
- they go to school and learn about their religious duties alongside his
57
what is the second ashrama?
the householder stage; grihastha
- when a hindu marries and takes responsibility for their own families
- they should practise artha and kama
58
what is the third ashrama?
the retirement stage; vanaprastha
- starts when a hindu has their first grandchild, to carry on family traditions
- some choose to go on pilgrimages and focus on spiritual traditions
59
what is the fourth ashrama?
the world renouncer stage; sannyasa
- it means giving up the comforts of a home and become a sannyasin who spends their life in prayer and meditation
60
what is sanatana dharma?
the 'eternal truth', the duties that hindus have towards god
it involves the duties that linkthe eternal soul to god -> the right way to worship
- "the disciplined who stays content with thoughts and mind on Me intent... is dear to me"
61
what does sanatana dharma involve?
- trying to reach moksha
- remembering that god exists in the heart and mind - considering right and wrong
- learning about god through scripture
- offering worship to god in temples
- caring for elders and people in need + respecting animals
62
what is an example of an organisation that practices sanatana dharma and how do they do this?
BAPS swaminarayan sanstha
a group of hindus that guide their members on their actions
by only living according to dharma
63
what is vanashrama dharma?
the system of organising society that brings together the social groups and their duties
- "in priests and soldiers, in all their actions are distributed by inborn qualities" - different varnas have different roles in accordance to their qualities
64
what do the varnas mean to hindu society?
- everyone has a role to play in society and each varna is dependent on the other for life to run smoothly
- originally, people could move between groups but over time the system became hereditary and the caste system developed
- the caste system was rigid and may outcasts were traeted terribly
- the caste system did not allow people to move in between groups
65
what are the four varnas?
social classes or groups that hindus are traditionally born into
- brahmins
- kshatriyas
- vaishyas
- shudras
66
what is the role of a brahmin
priests, teachers, doctors, thinkers
- role: to interpret svripture and perform sacrifices and rituals
67
what is the role of a kshatriya?
warriors, those who govern and keep the law and order
- role: those who defend people, by fighting if needed
68
what is the role of a vaishya?
business people, people who make money and own land
- role: to keep the economy going
69
what is the role of a shudra?
people employed by others, craftsmen, artists, musicians
- role: to support and uphold the other groups
70
how is vanashrama dharma viewed in modern hindu society?
- many hindus do not agree with caste practices
- many young people do not feel strongly about varna tradition and condemn the treatment of outcasts and prejudices towards lower classes
- many value the ashramas more than the dharmas and castes mix together without the prejudices
