Hinduism Flashcards
How old is Hinduism?
Oldest religion of the remainder major world religions.
2nd Millennium B.C.E.
Where does the word Hinduism come from?
The Sanskrit name for the river, Indus-Sindhu.
Who are the Aryans?
The Vedic Indic people.
Believed to be the first to tame old horses on a wide scale and use them to pull war chariots.
What kind of religion did the Aryans follow?
The Aryan’s followed a sacred text called the Rig-Veda, which provided a basis for Hinduism.
What are some of the main differences between classical and post classical Hinduism?
Classical:
- Emphasizes dualism, which is the idea that humans and gods are two separate and distinct forces
- Gods were worshipped with sacrifices and rituals
- Literature focused on Indian history
Post-Classical:
- Non-dualism emphasized monism, which is all is part of one supernatural force
- Development of the Vedas and other religious literature, such as the Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita.
- Worship focused on a few gods who were expressed in many forms and came to be about love and devotion, rather than sacrifices
- Literature focused on gods and goddesses
What kind of religion is Hinduism?
Polytheistic
Do Hindus believe in the soul? What is it called?
Hindu’s believe that we have an eternal soul, called the atman.
What is Brahman?
The ultimate reality and is at the core of Hindu thought-he is one and undivided.
What are the basic beliefs of dualism?
The idea that human beings and the gods are two separate and distinct forces.
What are the basic beliefs of non-dualism?
Emphasizes oneness or monism with the forces of reality.
What is the goal of Hinduism?
Realize that our experience of separation is an illusion.
What is dharma?
The rules about how one should live or one’s righteous duty.
A person’s dharma is affected by their age, caste, class, occupation, and gender.
What is karma?
The law of cause and effect. Every action and every thought has consequences.
Could be reborn into a higher caste system as a consequence for a well-lived life or reborn into a lower caste system as a consequence for a life not well lived.
What is samsara?
The cycle of action, reaction, birth, death, and rebirth as a continuum.
Belief that the life-force of an individual does not die with the body, but moved on to another time and another body where it continues to live on.
What is moksha?
The goal of most Hindu schools or religion is to break the cycle of karma and samsara and be free of the burden of life.
The breaking free from life is called moksha.
Non-dualist: no longer identifies with an individual but identifies with Brahman
Dualist: identify themselves as being part of Brahman but remain an individual
What are the 3 basic aspects of Brahman in Hinduism? Which 3 gods represent these aspects? Who are the female consorts of these 3 gods.
Aspects:
Creation=Brahma, Saravati
Destruction=Shiva, Kali
Preservation=Vishnu, Lakshmi
What does monism mean?
All is part of one supernatural force.
How does Hinduism conceive time?
Time moves endlessly in repeating cycles:
- Brahma creates the world
- The world begins to decay
- Vishnu intervenes on behalf of humanity
- The world continues to decay
- Shiva destroys the world
- The cycle begins all over again
What are some of the different ways to achieve liberation (moksha)?
- Realization of one’s union with god
- Realization of one’s eternal relationship with god
- Realization of the unity of all existence
- Perfect unselfishness and knowledge of self
- Attainment of perfect mental peace
- Detachment from worldly desires
What is yoga and how is it practiced?
Main feature is meditation and liberation is achieved through practice.
Also involves the practice of asanas, which are physical postures aimed at helping one transcend the body by conditioning it.
What does the Mombasa school believe/practice?
Focus on a study of the Vedas.
Liberation from samsara is achieved by obeying the Kara outlines in the Vedas.
What does the Vedanta school believe/practice?
Focus on the Upanishads
Monistic-Assumes there is only one true essence in the universe which is Brahman
Material reality doesn’t exist
Ignorance of the true nature of reality (Brahman) is what binds one to samsara. Liberation achieved by realizing the truth.
What does the festival of Holi celebrate?
Most popular and celebrated in February/March.
Emphasizes pleasure
Connected to the god, Krishna (god of pleasure)
What does the festival of Divali celebrate?
Celebrates the Hindu new year (November)
Honors the goddesses, kali and Lakshmi
What does the festival of deshera celebrate?
Honors the goddess, Durga
Celebrates her victory of slaying a demon
9-10 day festival honoring the slaying of all demons by gods/goddesses
Who wrote the Vedas?
Authors unknown.
Assumed that god either taught the hymns to the sages or they revealed themselves to the sages who were the seer’s of the hymns.
Compiled by dwaipayana.
What are the central doctrines/scriptures?
Bhagavad-Gita (scripture)
Vedas
What was the first Veda?
Rig-Veda- oldest, largest, and contains just over a thousand hymns
What information can be found in the law of manu?
Contains the roots of many social and religious traditions.
Outlines the early caste system and gives specific duties for each
Life stages for upper-caste men:
- Student
- Householder
- Hermit
- Wandering beggar
Explains that mobility through the cages is only possible through reincarnation
What is the Bhagavad-Gita about?
Part of the Mahabharata
Comprised on the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna during the battle of kurukshera.
