Hinduism Test Flashcards
What stems from the Sanskrit word for river…
Hindu
Monism
belief that all reality is one
Sanskrit is…
the official language of Hinduism
Hindus answer questions of self - identification…
with their caste or village
Samsara means…
reincarnation
2 divisions of scripture are…
Shritu and Smriti scripture
Ramayana Epic
prince, his wife/brother into exile — wife captured, he rescues her
Upanishads…
includes cycle of rebirth, liberation from rebirth, brahman and atman
Mahabharata epic
poem of war between 2 families over inheritance
Vedas are…
not to be passed to anyone other than priests
Puja is…
a ritual of awakening a god/goddess, give flowers/food, hope for blessing in return
Sikhism is…
a religion founded by Guru Nanak, blends hinduism/islam
Karma is…
moral law of cause/effect, determines where we wind up in our next life
Holiday celebrated by hindus/sikhs/jains o commemorate return of Rama after 14 years exile…
Diwali
Jainism…
was founded by Mahavira
rejects some sacrificial elements of buddism/hinduism
Pursuit of pleasure within limits of one’s dharma…
kama
Households is…
stage of life, pursuing of career/family
Pursuit of material success, social power, prestige…
Artha
Sannyasin is…
stage of life, return to society where one lives w/ no memory of previous life
Pursuit of union w/ infinite being, awareness, and liberation…
Moksha
Teachings on suicide is…
prohibited, except for prayopavesa (starving oneself)
Teaching on abortion is…
prohibited except when mother’s life is in danger
Status of a fetus…
its a person, reborn soul present from conception
Arranged marriages are not forced because…
the bride and groom have to agree
Aprishya is…
the worst caste to be born into
Jains is BIG on nonviolence, and will…
only eat things that don’t harm plants/animals
Hinduism is…
the world’s oldest living religion
Gods/Goddesses are revelations of…
the one absolute/ultimate reality
Brahman can’t be separated from…
atman
Tree that explains hinduism…
Banyan tree
SHORT ANSWER Q.1: Discuss the caste system
social order affects one’s dharma (ethical duty) and people are bound to caste they’re born in
4 levels = Brahmin (priests), Kshatriva (warriors/administrators), Vaishva (producers), Shudra (servants/laborers)
SHORT ANSWER Q.2: Fully discuss ashrama
4 Stages of life:
1. students = study the vedas/sacred literature
2. households = pursue a career, raise a family
3. forest dwellers = retreat from worldly bonds, spiritual question
4. sannyasin (wandering ascetics) = return to society, detach from social life, live with no memory of previous life
SHORT ANSWER Q.3: Fully discuss 4 goals of life
- kama = pursuit of pleasure within limits of dharma
- artha = pursuit of material success, social power, and prestige
- dharma = pursuit of harmony with dharma as primary concern
- moksha = pursuit of union w/ infinite being, awareness, and bliss of liberation
MANDATORY ESSAY: discuss Hinduism’s approach to other religions, make sure to highlight what we know about their response back
No religion knows the absolute truth, ultimate reality (God) is unknowable (all info collected from religions = only close to truth).
Muslims conquered northwest = some rulers tolerated hinduism, temples/statues still destroyed, toleration ended w/ death of Akbar
India plagued by poverty = good inter-religious dialogue w/ catholics, Jesus as pure of heart (teachings/beatitudes as attractive)
catholics = respected Hinduism’s contemplation of divine mystery, emphasizes w/ desire for freedom from anguish of human condition
