Hinduism(Incomplete) Flashcards
When and where did Hinduism originate from?
Recent origins: Western or Euro-North American; no such term within the tradition
Comes from the Sindu/Indus River
Is Hinduism an Indian word?
No
Who coined Hinduism?
It was coined by European scholars
What does Hinduism not refer to?
The term Hinduism does not refer to a unified group
What are the Lack traits of Religion?
No founder
No single set of defining beliefs
No single scripture
No church
Personal divinity not always important
Does India have a term to designate religion?
No
What is the closet term to religion? What are its roots?
‘dharma’ - Sanantana Dharma -( external truth )
Sanskrit root DHR - “that which upholds”[ef, Latin firmus]
What is Sanantana Dharma variously translated as?
Variously translated as law, duty, justice and virtuousness
What are some classifications of Hindu Concepts of God and the Gods?(five covered in the course)
Theism
Monotheism
Polytheism
Pantheism
Henotheism
What is henotheism?
A religious doctrine attributing supreme power of one of several divinities in turn
Belief in one god, without denying the existence of others
What are the five segments of the historical outline?
Formative Period(2500-800 BCE)
Speculative Period(800-400 BCE)
Epic and Classical Period(400-600 CE)
Medieval Period(600-1800 CE)
Modern Period(1800-Present)
What are the Four Major Traditions?
Vedic Tradition
Devotional Tradition
Ascetic Tradition
Popular Tradition
What is the Indus Valley?
Birthplace of Indian civilization
What are the two cities along Indus River?
Harrapa and Mohenjo-Darro
What are the seals not yet deciphered?
Indus Scripts
When did the formative period end?
Ended around 1500 BCE when Indo-Aryans arrived
What structures did the earliest stage of Indian religion have?
Streets, house, running water - complex and advanced
What forces did people of the earliest stage of Indian religion worship?
Worship of the feminine forces and of tree spirits
When did a certain group enter India? What did they cause?
2000 BCE, a group entered India from the northwest greatly contributing to later religion of Hinduism.
What did this certain group bring in terms of societal structure?
active, warrior-dominated, patriarchal society
Horse -drawn chariots; 3 class system(priests, warriors, commoners)
What did this certain group bring in terms of religion?
Religion of male gods that controlled forces of nature.
Outdoor fire worship, offerings of milk, melted butter, grains, some animals
Oral tradition from priests
What are the Vedas?
Earliest sacred books of Hinduism
What does Veda mean?
It means knowledge or sacred lore
What is the assumed timeline of the origin of the Vedas?
Scholars date them at 1,500 BCE; some Hindus consider them to be far more ancient, carried earlier by oral tradition
What is Shruti?
that which was heard
What is the pizza effect?
The pizza effect is a sociological and anthropological phenomenon that describes when a cultural practice or item is exported to another country, transformed, and then re-exported back to its original culture.
What is Arya?
Arya has multiple meanings, including “noble”, “honorable”, “illustrious”, “spiritual”, “song”, “air”, “mist”, and “wind
What is Veda?
the most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion
What is karma?
Action
What is Rsi?
Poet-sages
What is Yajna?
Sacrifice
What is Purusa sukta?
Hymn of the Supreme Person
Indra
God of the storm(lightning)
Drives away evil beasts
Kills demons of the dark sides
What is Agni?
God of fire
Through fire rituals and sacrifice( smoke as a carrier of sacrifice )
What is Rta?
Cosmic order
What is Upanisad?
The Sanskrit term Upaniṣad originally meant “connection” or “equivalence”, but came to be understood as “sitting near a teacher,” from upa “by” and ni-ṣad “sit down”, “sitting down near”, referring to the student sitting down near the teacher while receiving spiritual knowledge (Gurumukh).
What is samsara?
Cyclic existence, often referred to as reincarnation
What is Moksa?
Relase
What is marga?
Yoga is the path to the absolute
What is varna? What are the three classes?
Varna means class
brahmin - priest
Kshatriyas - warriors, nobles, rulers
vaishya - merchants
shudra - servant
Jati
The caste(class) of an individual when they are born
What is puranas?
any of a class of Sanskrit sacred writings containing Hindu legends and folklore of varying date and origin, the most ancient of which dates from the 4th century AD.