Hindusm Beliefs + Practices Flashcards
Brahman
- The Hindu word for God
- ultimate Dalit, limitless, universal soul, beyond human understanding, source of all life
Nirguna-Brahman
When god exists without a physical form/shape, as a spirit
Saguna-Brahman
When god exists with a physical form/shape
Deity
When Brahman takes on a physical shape, this being is called a deity
Tri-murti
The3 most worshipped/most famous deities
Brahma
- One of the tri-murti deities: responsible for creation
- teaches humans wisdom and important truths
- 4 heads, looking in all directions, responsible for crating whole world
- lotus flower: symbol of purity
Vishnu
One of the tri-murti deities: responsible for sustaining the universe
Shiva
On of the tri-murti deities: responsible for destruction
Vaishnavas
Hindus who focus on Vishnu for their worship
Shaivites
Hindus who focus on shiva for their worship
Avatar
When the deity of Vishnu become human/animal
How many avatars have there been
10
Antaryami
Brahman existing inside each living thing
Saraswati
- consort of brahma
- goddess of learning
Lakshmi
- consort o Vishnu
- goddess of beauty prosperity and wealth
Parvati
- reincarnation of sati, shiva’s first wife
- she became goddess of motherhood
Hanuman
- monkey warrior
- son of shiva and Parvati
- patron of wrestlers, sportsmen, and soliders
Krishna
- most well-known vats of Vishnu
- approachable, loving, mischevious
- taught people how to live a peaceful and good life
Rama
-7th avatar of Vishnu
-killed evil em on king Ravanna to save his wife Sita
- helped bring peace and harmony to the world
Why is Vishnu important
- represents soul of entire universe
- gave bath to brahma who created the universe
- he enters the heart of every living being to become ‘the lord within’
- worshiped through avatars
Prakriti
Matter
Illusion
Maya
Ganesha
- elephant-headed god
-son of shiva and Parvati - Godoy do luck and remover of obstacles
What are Shaivites like
- often ascetics who are trying to gain liberation from samsara cycle
- they practice astanga yoga
- believe atman and Brahman are one so therefore there is only one reality
What are vaishanavas like
- worship is base on scriptures and focuses on bhakti through saying mantras ad repetitive prayers (japa)
- they believe that the atman is separate from the supreme being
What is a yuga
- periods of time in the cycle of 4 age
The cycle of 4 ages
- Hindus believe that time is separated into 4 long periods of time
-gold, silver, copper, iron - get shorter each time and more corrupt
- we’re in iron right now
- at the end Vishnu will arrive as Kalki, 10th avatar, and destroy remaining evil and new cycle will begin
Purusa
Spirit
What is atman
- the real and eternal self
- made of spirit Brahman
What is the samsara cycle
- the continual cycle of brith and death
- the atman (soul) gets passed onto next body
What is transmigration
- the transferring of the atman into a different body
What is moksha
- the ultimate goal in human life
- reaching enlightenment
- breaking samsara cycle
What is karma
- destiny
- consequences of one’s actions
What’s is Kama
- to gain enjoyment
- enjoying pleasures of life responsibly
What is Artha
- to gain prosperity
- trying to gain more wealth through lawful means
What is Dharma
- duty or path in life
- to act virtuously and righteously
Purusharthas
Objectives of a human
Things to do to achieve dharma
- worshiping god
- doing job properly
- not hurting people or living animals
-being honest
4 aims in life
- Dharma
- Artha
- Kama
- Moksha
Sanatana dharma
- the ideal or perfect way of life that all Hindus try to follow
What does sanatana dharma consist of
- always considering what is right and what is wrong about any action
- remembering god in you heart and mind
- learning more about god and dharma from holy scriptures
- trying to reach moksha
- offering worship to god either in the temple or at home
- feeding animals, caring for environment
- showing respect to elders and arming for the needy