Hinduism Flashcards
Hinduism
oldest eastern world religion, every other religion is stemmed from this
History of Hinduism
hindu –> religion in northern India
3 groups merging: Aryans and Dravidians and animistic people
Aryans
people who migrated into Indian subcontinent from Europe (through many generations) - NORTH
“noble ones” in persian
fare skinned, light eyed
agriculturers
Dravidians
roots in australia
darker skinned
fishermen
went island hopping and moved to India by sea
Animistic people
living in India before Aryans and Dravidians
Blending Animistic Beliefs
- Ritual purity linked to water (bathing is sacred)
- Socio religious unity (person who were political heads/leader became religious head - very powerful)
- Fertility Figures
- lingam (male) - hard and straight
- yoni (female) - round and soft - Holy (shamanistic) persons
- insight into divine, transend normal daily existence
- magical - Nature dieties
Development of caste system
differences in
1. race
2. culture and language
3. Labour and lifestyle
4. all leads to class distinctions
all dependent on technology and education
The cast system
TOP
Brahmins - religious teachers/priests (ARYAN)
Kshatriyas - aristocrats and warriors (ARYAN)
Vaishas - leaders of government (ARYAN)
Shudras - skilled workers, merchants, high farmers (DRAVID)
Parians, harijans, untouchables - outcasts (ANIMISTS)
BOTTOM
- very challenging/impossible to change class/move up
- limitations if you are not in that class (education)
- if you are a man of the top 3 classes, then you have spirit realization
- know class by last name
- if you are a woman of the top 3 casts, then your hope is to be reborn as a man and then have hope for spirit realization
- do not touch people of other casts
- cam not marry outside of cast you are in
- people of higher casts are vegetarians
- how you know what level of cast you are is by looking at what your parent’s job is
- horrible treatment to untouchables - passive because of punishment from earlier life
Which cast are children of god by Gandhi
Untouchables, Parians, Harijans
Brahman
overarching life force, encompasses everything
- do not worship, but still has power
- amoral (not good or bad)
- described as “vast sea” or “dry dessert”
- you are small in the relation to whole universe (drop in the ocean)
- amebic (ebbs and flows with energy) - generous and times of droute
Maya
you are this if you think there is another force besides Brahman or other reality
What are the three dieties?
Brahma and Sarasvati AUSTERITY
Shiva and Parvati AUSTERITY
Vishnu and Lakshmi DEVOTION
Where do the deities come from?
Spill from brahman
Brahma
creator of the universe
omniscient (all knowing) - has three heads
omnipotent (all powerful) - many arms
wise - has beard
Who is Brahma’s consort?
Sarasvati (education and arts)
equal to brahma
Shiva
Destroyer (“auspicious one”)
1. lord of the dance (in fire)
2. lingam (creator) - will to create, unsequentiable, source of life
3. ultimate yogi (meditator) - sustaining the universe
only eternal spirit is important - outer body is useless
Who is Shiva’s consort?
Parvati (and Ganesha)
MOST POWERFUL - called Shiva’s “shakti” or “power”
is yoni
has 4 manifestations
1. Parvati - consort
2. Annapurna - mother (always pregnant) - bounty, fertility
3. Durga - warrior (destroying evil)
4. Kali - death and judgement (“kills you before your karma is too big”)
Who is Ganesha?
Elephant God
wrote scripture and blessings
mookshika - mouse
fertility
Vishnu
preserver
sleeping on the ruminants of the last world (dreaming - 10 dreams)
chanting is important to dreams
brahma comes out of belly from lotus flower from dream