Hinduism Flashcards
The origins of Hinduism, the Indus Valley, and the Harappa
Although Hinduism may sit outside of the Western common paradigm of faith, it is the world’s third largest religion. Unlike the common faiths of the West, Hinduism exists without a specific founder or even a prescribed moral code.
Known today as a very tolerant religion, traces of its religion can be found in the ancient Harappa culture of the Indus River Valley. As the river valley faced invasions, the ancient Harappa culture fused with the Aryan cultures of the North. Bringing with them Vedism, the Aryan religion fused with the Harappan beliefs to create the Vedic Period of Hinduism.
Although many sects of Hinduism developed throughout history, today Hinduism has at its cornerstone the belief in Brahman, a rather vague, yet divine power that sustains the universe and the human reality.
The Vedas: Hinduism sacred texts
Considered by many to be the oldest of the world’s scriptures, the Vedas are the most sacred Hindu texts. Written in ancient Sanskrit the Vedas are a collection of four different works.
- First there is the Rig-Veda. This work is a vast collection of religious poetry and hymns and is considered to be the most important of the Vedas.
- Closely tied to the Rig-Veda, is the Yajur-Veda, which includes prayers and litanies of the ancient faith.
- There is also the Sama-Veda. This collection of chants is also closely tied to the Rig-Veda.
- More independent from the Rig-Veda is our Atharva-Veda. Used in the homes of the common people, the Atharva-Veda is full of magical blessings, curses, and incantations.
The Vedic and Upanishad Periods
Having its roots in the ancient Indus River Valley, Hinduism has gone through many periods of change, the most famous of these being the Vedic and the Upanishad periods.
The Vedic period had its beginnings in the ancient Harappa culture of the Indus River Valley. As this culture faced invasion by the Aryans of the North, the two cultures began to morph into one. Bringing with them Vedism, the Aryan religion fused with the Harappan beliefs to create the Vedic period of Hinduism. It is during this time that the Vedas, or sacred texts of Hinduism, were believed to be divinely given to humans and then passed down orally to the generations.
As the cultures of the Indian subcontinent faced further invasion and outside influences, the early Hindu faith also changed. As the culture morphed, the Hindu faith shifted toward a desire for critical thinking and a search for the nature of knowledge, and the Upanishad period was born. Aptly named, this period was coined from the ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts known as the Upanishads.
During the famous period of Hinduism, many elements of modern-day Hinduism were formed. Perhaps most famous of these was the belief in karma, the structure of reward and punishment, or cause and effect, based on one’s actions in life. This belief and many others from the Upanishad Period still exist in the Hinduism of today, a religion that is the third largest of our modern-day world.
Hindu deities (the Trimurti)
At the cornerstone of the Hindu faith is the belief that all reality is unified under one sacred or divine entity. Known as Brahman, this sacred, yet rather vague, divinity is represented in many different Hindu gods. The three most important are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and form the Trimurti.
Being the creator god, Brahma’s name sounds very similar to the divine entity known as Brahman. It is Brahma who brought all things into being.
Known as the Preserver, the second of the important triad of gods is Vishnu. It is his job to maintain the precious balance of power between good and evil. Able to reincarnate himself and holding four subjects, Vishnu is very versatile and valuable to the Hindu people.
The last of the mighty triad is Shiva. Known as the destroyer, this rather human yet blue-looking god destroys the imperfections of the world. His actions can bring great pain yet healing.
Hindu deities (the Trimurti)
At the cornerstone of the Hindu faith is the belief that all reality is unified under one sacred or divine entity. Known as Brahman, this sacred, yet rather vague, divinity is represented in many different Hindu gods. The three most important are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and form the Trimurti.
Being the creator god, Brahma’s name sounds very similar to the divine entity known as Brahman. It is Brahma who brought all things into being.
Known as the Preserver, the second of the important triad of gods is Vishnu. It is his job to maintain the precious balance of power between good and evil. Able to reincarnate himself and holding four subjects, Vishnu is very versatile and valuable to the Hindu people.
The last of the mighty triad is Shiva. Known as the destroyer, this rather human yet blue-looking god destroys the imperfections of the world. His actions can bring great pain yet healing.
The Bhagavad Gita (the three paths to salvation)
Encompassed in the sacred words of the Bhagavad Gita are the Hindu Paths to salvation. Told through a lengthy dialogue between Krishna (Vishnu) and Arjuna, the three paths to salvation are the Karma Yoga, the Jnana Yoga, and the Bhakti Yoga.
The Karma Yoga, known also as the Path of Work, states that a person must selflessly act out their faith, despite the consequences. Without regard for reward or punishment, righteousness must always be the course of action and the aim.
The Jnana Yoga, or Path of Knowledge, requires a person to seek to be one with the mystical universe. Rather than seeing themselves as an individual, Jnana, or true knowledge, is attained when a person realizes they are just a part of the cosmic whole.
Lastly, Bhakti Yoga, or the Path of Devotion, is found by those who truly love and desire the divine. Rather than merely worshiping out of responsibility or ritual, a person traveling on the path of Bhakti Yoga does so out of a desire for true intimacy and true soul-burdening adoration.
The Hindu belief system: dharma, karma, and moksha
Although rather foreign to Western thought, Hinduism holds tightly to a belief in atman, karma, dharma, and moksha. Being very personal, atman is used to define the eternal self, or the spiritual essence of who you are. For this reason, we linked it to the Western concept of the soul. Building on the eternal concept of atman, karma is the belief that a person’s actions in life will determine his or her fate in the next life.
With the belief in karma, Hinduism holds firmly to dharma, the moral force that orders the universe. Although dharma is universal, it is also personal and often refers to a person’s duty in life. This is exemplified in the ancient Hindu story about dharma, known as the Bhagavad Gita, in which a ruler is advised to kill in order to achieve the greater good.
With this we come to our last term, moksha, or the liberation from the cycle of birth and reincarnation. Fitting aptly as our last term, moksha can be seen as a Hindu’s main goal.
