Hinduism Flashcards
Hindu worship ceremony
Puja
Images of God in many forms
Deities
“Hindus” is a word that comes from the name of the _____ _____, which also gives the name of the modern state of India.
Indus River
Three largest religions in the world (in order)
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism
For centuries, the native religion of ancient India was known as ______________ “the way of life.”
sanatan dharma
The period of Hinduism where an ancient civilization thrived in the fertile valley of the Indus River in the 3rd & 2nd millennium BCE—about 2500-1500BCE
Pre-Vedic Period
(during Pre-Vedic Period)
society in which women, especially mothers, took a leading role
matriarchal society
— period in Hinduism that began around 1500-600BCE
— named for the 1st sacred writings of Hinduism
Vedic Period
Early sacred scriptures of Hinduism
Vedas
“_____” is the Sanskrit word for knowledge
Veda
The language of ancient India
Sanskrit
The third and final preiod in the history of Hinduism that began around 600BCE
The Upanishad Period
Sacred scriptures; the final dialogues ending the Vedas
Upanishads
________ and __________ are both offshoots of Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
The most common form of Hindu worship
Puja
An image of Hindu deity
Murti
A hindu temple
Mandir
Sacred sounds, words, or phrases, repeated in ritual
Mantra
— another importang ritual that involved offering fire
— worshippers remind themselves God is within them
havan
Wise teacher
Guru
The law of birth, death, and rebirth, or the process of reincarnation
Samsara
Freedom or liberation from samsara, or the cycle of rebirth
Moksha
The law of cause and effect, of one’s actions having an impact on one’s future life
Karma
One personal code of conduct relating to family and society; one’s duty
Dharma
In the early Vedic period, this unity of all reality was thought to be ________.
fire
The supreme cosmic foce
Brahman
With the Upanishads, the great shift in Hindu belief was that _________—not fire—united all.
consciousness
The true self
Atman
Illusion
Maya
The principle of non-violence
Ahimsa
A traditional Hindu social level or class
Caste
In the traditional Hindu social levels, the lowest outsider class
Untouchables
— priestly caste
— role: to study and teach in matters of faith, especially the Vedas
— lead most key rituals
Brahmins
— warrior caste
— role: to protect the people and run a fair government
Kshatriyas
—caste contains producers (traders, merchants, farmers, artists, businesspeople)
— traditionally taken care of economic needs of the community
Vaishyas
— lowest caste
— main purpose: serve the 3 higher castes (unskilled workers, servants, anyone doing menial work)
Sudras
— stage 1
— 7-20
— religious edu + willingness to search for truth
Student
— stage 2
— 20-50
— duty to fam, raising kids, work
Householder
— stage 3
— when fam is self-supporting
— retreat from worldly life, focus on spiritual matters
Semi-retired
— stage 4
— when ready
— holy, detached life, no possessions or responsibilities
Wandering ascetic
Sanyasin
Someone who practices severe self-discipline of abstains from physical pleasures for religious purposes
Ascetic
— Life Milestones
— Hindu scriptures note how many of these moments?
16
— boy 7-12
— ceremony marks his become a student
Sacred Thread Ceremony
scriptures meaning that they have come from the deities through holy people
“heard” or “revealed” scriptures
scriptures that are mostly popular stories about the deities
“traditional” or “remembered” scriptures
Example of revealed scriptures
the Vedas
“______” means literally “sit down near”
Upanishads
A hindu epic about Prince Rama and Sita
Ramayana
A sacred Hindu story about Prince Arjuna and Krishna
Bhagavad Gita
The creator of the universe
Brahma
(Deity) The preserver, often descends into the world i human form 7th - rama 8th - krishna 9th - gautama
Vishnu
A deity who has descended into the world in earthly form
Avatar
(Deity)
destroyer + redeemer, a complex deity
Shiva
all female deities embody stronb cosmic feminine energy known as ______
shakti
the word we use to describe how a god, deity, or saint is shown in art
Iconigraphy
Hindu path (or discipline) to liberation
yoga
3 yogas
knowledge
devotion
path
concentrating and focusing the mind to control one’s thoughts
Meditation
a word, phrase, or sound that is repeated
mantra
a symbolic circle diagram that may represent the universe or even the self
Mandala
sacred sound or mantra that some hindus use in meditation
Aum (or Om)
Path that expresses spiritual ____ and truth
Path of Knowledge
Path where hindus choose a particular deity and spend their lives worshipping that deity
Path of Devotion
— karma yoga
— hindus doing their dharma to the best of their abilities
— “intention”
Path of Action
Hindu scripture that governs actions and virtues
Laws or Manu
Money or other valuables that the bride brings to her marriage
dowry
only _____ may be brahman priests and lead public worship
men
most marriages in india are _______
arranged marriages
Those hindu marriages that are not arranged
love matches
