Hinduism Test Flashcards
Rig Veda
a collection of Sanskrit hymns which is Hinduisms oldest text
moksha
liberation or release of the individual self, atman, from the bondage of salvation; one of the four goals of life
monism
the doctrine that reality is ultimately made up of only one essence
Brahman
the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe, beyond the reach of human perception and thought
Upanishads
a collection of over two hundred texts composed between 900 and 200 BC that provide philosophical commentary on the Vedas
Atman
the eternal self (identified with Brahman) also refers to the soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next and is ultimately identified with Atman.
samsara
The wheel of rebirth or reincarnation; the this-worldy realm in which rebirth occurs.
Bhagavad-Gita
The most popular sacred text is a section of the epic poem Mahabharata where the god Krishna teaches the great warrior Arjuna about bhakti marga and other ways to God.
karma
the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one’s reincarnation.
dharma
ethical duty based on the divine order of reality; one of the four goals of life
caste system
traditional division of India’s castes
Bhramin
The priests; the highest of the caste system
Kshatryia
The Warriors; the second highest on the caste system
Viasya
Merchants and Landowners; Third on the caste system
Sudra
Commoners, peasants, and servants; Last on the caste system pyramid
Untouchables
Out of caste caste; The street sweepers or bathroom cleaners
sannyasin
a wandering ascetic who has advanced the fourth and highest stage of life
ascetic
one who renounces physical pleasures and worldly attachments for the sake of spiritual advancements
kama
pleasure, especially of sensual love; one of the four goals of life
artha
material success and social prestige, one of the four goals of life
karma marga (aka karma yoga; the path of works)
one of the three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing performing right actions according to dharma
jnana marga (aka jnana yoga; the path of knowledge
one of the three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing knowing the true nature of reality through learning and meditation
Vedanta
a system of Hindu philosophy and one approach within jnana marga holding that all reality is essentially Brahman
maya
cosmic illusion brought about by divine creative power
sankhya
a system of Hindu philosophy and one approach within jnana marga asserting that reality comprises two distinct categories: matter and eternal selves
yoga
a system of Hindu philosophy and one approach within jnana marga seeking to free the eternal self from the bondage of personhood, culminating in the experience of samadhi
samadhi
a trancelike state in which self-consciousness is lost, and the mind is absorbed into ultimate reality
bhakti marga (aka bhakti yoga; the path of devotion)
the most popular of the three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing loving devotion to one’s chosen god or goddess
avatar
an incarnation, or living embodiment, of a deity, usually of Vishnu, who is sen to earth to accomplish a divine purpose
sati
the traditional practice of burning a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre
Brahma
the creator god
Shiva
the destroyer god
Vishnu
the preserver god
