Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings Flashcards
What type of faith is Hinduism
Pluralistic,monotheistic and henotheistic
Define pluralism
believeing all religions are vlaid ways of reaching the one true god
Define henotheistic
Believing in a heriachy of Gods
How is Hindiusm monotheistic
There is one supereme being called brahman
‘In truth Brahman is all’’ Mundakkal Upanishad 2.2
Define Nirguna Brahman
No attributes and no form Brahman
Define Saguna Brahman
Form and attributes Brahman
Define Bhagavan
The supreme being exists in the spiritual worlds called vaikuntha
Define Antaryami
The supreme being existing within the hearts of all beings. The atman refers to the God within
What are the Trimurti
- Brahma: The Creator
- Vishnu: The Preserver
- Shiva: The Destroyer
Why is Brahma considered the least important deity
as Shiva ordered him to be worshipped the least as he was obsessed with a female deity called Shatarupa
What is Brahma pictured on
on a lotus flower showing purity as he was born sitting on a lotus flower emerging from the navel of Vishnu
Who is Brahma’s consort
Saraswathi she is the goddess of music, knowledge, art, and learning
What is Saraswathi pictured on
riding upon a swan which symbolises purity and the ability to discriminate and be fair
How is vishnu worshipped
mainly though his incarnations, Krishna, and Rama with the Bhagvad Gita and repetitive prayer called ‘japa’
Why is Vishnu special
- He represents the soul of the universe
- He gave birth to brahma
- He enters the heart of every living being to become the ‘lord within
What is important about Vishnu’s avatars
quote from Gita
• Vishnu steps in when necessary to restore moral order as he has the power to prevent suffering and disaster
Bhagavad Gita 4:7
‘Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness, then I will manifest myself’
What are the followers of vishnu called
Vaishnavas
what stories show Vishnu to be powerful and good
- His victory over bali in the three strides and his helping Prahdala defeat the demon king show him to be a strong God who helps his followers
- Shown by story of Bhrigu to be full of goodness
What are the followers of shiva called
Shaivites
What is shiva’s symbol
• His symbol is the linga (male sex organ) which represents his ability to recreate after destruction.
How is shiva worshipped
by focusing on the male linga or on his dancing from
What do shivas believe about the atman
believe there is only ONE reality that that atman and Brahman are one
What do Vaishnavas believe about the atman
are describes as ‘dualists’ because they believe the atman is separate from the supreme being
What else do Shaivites and Vaishnavas also disagree with
disagree about which deity is superior
Who is Saraswathi
Saraswathi is the goddess of learning and she is usually shown holding a musical instrument. She is the consort of Brahma and they have a son called Manu.
Who is Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty. She is shown holding lotus flowers and with a pot of money pouring from her lap.
Define Shakti
Shakti represents divine feminine energy and is seen by Hindus as having many different forms.
What are the 4 forms of Shakti
Saraswati – inspires music, drama, science and poetry. Many pray to her for help in these areas.
Lakshmi - many Hindus pray to her for a happy family life and financial security.
Parvati - known to be caring for others and both patient and wise.
Durga - a warrior goddess who symbolises the ‘hidden strength’ of women, and divine opposition to evil.
Who is Kalki
The final avatar who will ride a white horse to destroy all evil
What is an avatar
quote from bhagavad gita on it
An incarnation of vishnu sent down to earth for special reasons
Bhagavad Gita 4:7
‘Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness, then I will manifest myself’
What does krishna represent (8th Avatar)
An example of personal devotion and brought peace and righteousness. Thought t be approachable and mischievous
What does the Ramayana represent
show the ideal man by portraying all the human virtues of wisdom, justice, equality, obedience, loyalty, and devotion
What is an example of krishna’s love
He also duplicated himself 1000s of times so he could enjoy will all the gopis. This shows Gods never-ending love for his followers
What key text explains Hindu Cosmology (Hymn of Creation’
‘Who knows from whence this great creation sprang?
He from whom all this great creation came.
Whether his will created or was mute,
The Most High seer that is in highest heaven,
He knows it - or perchance even He knows not.’
No point in thinking about it too much
What are 6 Key hindu ideas about cosmology
- Time is cyclical
- The material world is repeatedly created
- The universe is one of many bubbles floating in space
- There are 3 tiers of our universe: the heavenly planets, the earthly realm, and the lower worlds
- There is not a single account of creation; instead, there are many interrelated stories
- There are 2 realities- spirit (purusa) and matter (prakriti)
- Hindus believe that time goes in cycles and that each time period is a long one,called yugas
How many yuga’s are there and which are we in
They go in order from least evil to most evil
Gold,Silver,Copper and Iron. We are in Iron
What is usually used to represent the universe
a cluster of bubbles created from Vishnu’s breath
What happens when you reach enlightenment
the world no longer has any substance and is shown to be an illusion (maya)
What 3 stages do matter go through
creation, maintenance, and destruction. Called the tri-guna
How are the tri-guna seen in human life
passion, goodness and ignorance. The balance of a person’s guna is there personality
What is the atman
the etenal spirit made out of Brahman inside them
What are the properties of the atman compared to the Body
Atman Body
Never changing Ever-changing Eternal Temporary Conscious Unconscious Active Unable to move Alive Dead
Define samsara
life is a continuous cycle of birth death and rebirth Where the body becomes different at rebirth, but the atman always stays the same
Define transmigration
The transferring of atman into a different body
Define reincarnation
taking on of a new body
What is a Hindu’s aim in life
To achieve enough akarma to become enlightened and escape the cycle of moksha
What is karma
That whatever you do in life has consequences
behave badly, they will be punished in the next life as they become a lesser being like a snake. Behave well and
What is akarma and why is it important
If Hindus do good just to receive rewards, they will never reach moksha. They must do good deeds without any thought of personal reward; akarma
What is virkama
Virkama is bad karma
Define Dharma
Hindus duty in Life
Define Artha
earning one’s living responsibly
Define Kama
enjoying the pleasures of life responsibly
‘ The wise man chooses the path of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure’ – Katha Upanishad 2.1-2
What 3 things do VarnaSharmaDharma refer to
Varna refers to the 4 main social groups
Sharma refers to the 4 stages of life
Dharma refers to duty based on these first 2
What are the Dalits
making up over 15% of India’s population. The Dalits are excluded from the caste system, and they have experienced persecution
What are the 4 main social castes
Brahmins; Teachers and Priests
Kshatriyas; Warriors and leaders
Vaishyas; Merchants, traders and farmers
Shudras; Manual workers, labourers
How do Hindus justify the caste system
That all the castes have to work together to be successful; castes are human body:
- Brahmins are head
- Kshatriyas are chest
- Vaishyas are legs
- Shudras are feet
What are the 4 sharma (stages of life)
Brahmacharya = The student stage Grihastha = The householder stage Vanaprastha = The retirement stage Sannyasa = The sacred pilgrim stage
How do the 4 sharma relate to your dharma
The student stage; Go to school and learn the scriptures and duties.
The householder stage ;Marry and have children. Work and earn money to support the family.
The retirement stage Concentrate on reading the scriptures, meditating, worship, visiting the temple and going on pilgrimages.
The sacred pilgrim stage; Move away from material possessions and be a wandering holy person who teaches others about the scriptures and spends time in prayer.
What are the main 11 virtues taught in Hinduism
- Protection: essential duty to shelter less fortunate
- Tolerance
- Ahimsa; nonviolence
- Hospitality; demonstrating magnanimity
- Wisdom
- Respect; for all beings
- Celibacy: only one of the 4 ashrams is permitted
- Mind and sense control
- Austerity: means disciplined spiritual practice to gain wisdom
- Honesty
- Compassion; based on the notions of atman
What is Sanatana Dharma
Refers to the eternal truth of doing what is right and the Hindu way of life
What are some ways to perform Sanatana Dharma
- Always considering what is right or wrong
- Remembering God in your heart or mind
- Learning more about God and dharma
- Trying to reach moksha
- Offering worship
- Feeding birds and animals, and caring for plants and trees
- Showing respect to elders and caring for needy
