Hinduism beliefs Flashcards
three main aspects of trimurti :
brahma - the creator
vishnu - the preserver
shiva - the destoryer
three aspects of the divine :
Brahman - non-personal, existing everywhere
Antaryam - within the heart
Bhagavan - through deities, living in the spirtitual worlds
Nirguna :
God as a spiritual presence
Saguna :
God in a specific form
Aum/Om :
The sound and symbol of brahman
Brahma stories : poor behavior
- Brahma created a female deity called shatarupa and fell in love with her. Shiva thought this obsession was wrong so he punished him by making him no longer be as worshipped as other gods.
- Brahma was too busy listening to the music of Saraswati to pay attention to a high-priest who wanted him to lead a fire sacrifice so he was punished.
Vishnu : importance
- represents the soul of the entire universe
- he gave birth to brahma who created the universe
- he enters the heart of every living being to become ‘the lord within’
- worshipped through avatars
Vishnu Stories :
- Disguised as a dwarf, Vishnu tricked the demon world-ruler, Bali, into giving him everything he could cover in three strides. Vishnu covered the earth and skies in two strides. The third strides was to rest his foot on Bali’s head, acknowledging Vishnu’s supremacy as God.
- Prahlada was a devotee of Vishnu but the son of a demon king who thought he was the
greatest. His father repeatedly tried to kill him, but Vishnu saved him every time and remained devoted to Vishnu. He was rewarded with eternal bliss in heaven.
Male and female deities : importance
- suggests equality
- havving a ‘favoured’ deity helps hindus decide who to worship.
Saraswati
- consort of brahma
- goddess of learning
Lakshmi
- consort of vishnu
- goddess of beauty, prosperity, wealth
Shakti : parvati, durga, kali
parvati = caring goddess
durga = warrior goddess
kali = fierce goddess of death
Cosmology : ideas about the world and how it works
-Time is cyclical
-The material world is repeatedly created
-The universe is one of many bubbles floating in space
-There are three tiers of our universe: the heavenly planets; the earthly realm; the lower
worlds
-There is not a single account of creation; instead, there are many interrelated stories. -There are two realities: spirit (purusa) and matter (prakriti)
Yugas : Four ages
gold
silver
copper
iron
Atman : scripture
‘Atman, the spirit of vision, is never born and never dies’
4 goals of life :
- Dharma: To act virtuously and righteously
- Artha: To gain prosperity
- Kama: To gain enjoyment/delight in the senses
- Moksha: To reach enlightenment