Hinduism Flashcards
About when did Hinduism begin?
About 3000-2500 B.C.E
Which three religions have their roots in Hinduism?
Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism
Which country has the largest amount of Hindus?
India
What is Hindu?
Religion of the people of India
What are the Aryan?
In Sanskrit, “the noble ones”, these are applied to migrants who moved into the Indus Valley from Persia in 2000 B.C.E
What are the Vedas?
The oldest and sacred books in Hinduism
What are the Vaishayas?
Commoners and merchants, part of the Indian caste system
Where did the Indian Hindus spread Hinduism?
Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America
Where did Pre-Aryans develop their civilization?
In the Indus River Valley
What does Iran mean?
“Land of the Aryans”
How long did Mahatma Gandhi live?
From 1869-1948; about 79 years
Who is Indra?
God of the thunderbolt, clouds and rain, and ruler of heaven
Who is Agni?
God of fire
Who is Vrtra?
God of chaos
Who is Yama?
God of the dead
Who is Varuna?
presides over order in the universe and offers forgiveness to these who have sinned
What is Brahman?
Only one reality
What is Maya?
False knowledge, ignorance of true reality
What is the purpose of this religion?
To reveal his/her divine nature
What is Kharma?
To do or to act
Ex:
Positive results from positive past
Negative results from negative past
What is Samsara?
To wander across
What is Dharma?
One’s duty
What is Moksha?
Breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation
What are the 10 characteristics of a Hindu?
1: Pleasantness
2: Petence
3: Control of Mind
4: Non-stealing
5: Purity
6: Control of one’s senses
7: Intelligence
8: Knowledge
9: Truthfulness
10: Non-Irritability
What is the greatest sin a Hindu can commit?
Killing a cow
Who do Hindus believe created the world?
Brahmin by self-birth
What is Brahman?
Also known as Trimurti, it is
Creation
Destruction
Preservation
Who is Brahma?
Creator
Sarasvati is his wife
Shown as red with four faces and arms
Who is Vishnu?
Preserver (10 avatars)
Lakshmi is his wife
Hare Krishna is one of the Avatars
Love, benevolence, and forgiveness
Who is Shiva?
Destroyer
Paravati is one of his wives
Death, destruction, disease, and dance
Who are the Devi?
Goddesses of Hinduism
What are the women roles of Hindu society?
Under control of the father, husband or sons
Not encouraged to be independent
No desire for separation from father, husband and children
Main expectation is to produce children
What does Yoga mean?
To yoke or to join
What is the Yoga system?
One should attempt to join the individual spirit to god, the atman, to Brahman
Main feature is meditation
Focusing on breathing
How many types of Yoga are there?
6 types
What types of Yoga are there?
Hatha Yoga- physical
Raja Yoga (pg. 98)- mental and spiritual (achieve trance and the superconscious level)
Mimansa Yoga- obeying laws and rites
Vaisheshika Yoga- 9 distinct elements
Nyaya Yoga- arriving a truth by logical analysis
Vedanta Yoga- reality of Brahman is all
Many practicing Hindus consider Hinduism to be what type of religion?
Monotheistic
People who analyze Hinduism for educational purposes Hinduism to be what type of religion?
Polytheistic
How many people participate in Jainism?
About 2 million
What are the Varnas?
The four basic classes of people: Brahmins or priests Kshatriyas chieftans and warriors Vaishyas commoners and merchants Shudras slaves or servants
Which is older, Vedic or Sanskrit?
Vedic
What are the 4 basic Vedas?
Rig-Veda: knowledge or sacred love
Sama-Veda: knowledge of chants
Yajur-Veda: knowledge of rites, how you practice religion
Atharva-Veda: knowledge given by Athabaskan
What are the four parts per Veda?
Hymns (Mantras) to the gods
Ritual materials (Brahmans)
Forest treatises (Aranykas)
Upanishads (Philosophical material)
What is the “untouchable” group called?
Dalit
Which men are born twice?
Men in the top three castes
What is the process the men in the top three castes have to go through to achieve a second birth?
Student
Householder and marry within the caste
Retreat to the forest and live as a hermit, meditating and offering
Wandering beggars (Sannyasi)
The group who invaded India through the Indus River Valley from 1750-1200 B.C.E. were the?
Aryans
What are the Upanishads?
Philosophical material
In Hindu belief, the ultimate goal or reward is called ________ or release from life.
Moksha
The belief that one’s status in life is determined by actions in a past life is also referred to as what?
Kharma
Samsara also means what?
Reincarnation
The holiest river in India is the what?
Ganges River
Law of Manu
Specific to the duties of the 4 Varnas
Ascetic
A person that denies everything; lives off of what people give them; they are a hermit
