Religion Matters - Stephen Prothero (Hinduism) Flashcards

1
Q

What is substantive definition in relation to religion?

A

leaving out religions that do not have that category that you say all religions have

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2
Q

What is functional definition in relation to religion?

A

lose sight of distinguishing religion to other things of the world
(ex. “religion gives people hope” other things besides religion can give you hope)

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3
Q

Genealogy of religion

A

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4
Q

Dalits

A

the “untouchables”

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5
Q

Hindu gods number…

A

an estimated 330 million

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6
Q

Moksha

A

release from rebirth and suffering

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7
Q

Essence of the human being (Hinduism)

A

a self or soul cycling through multiple bodies in multiple lifetimes

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8
Q

Ashes (Hinduism)

A

not collected, no gathering, no ceremony; pushed into the GANGES

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9
Q

Vedas (“knowledge”)

A

the oldest and most sacred Sanskrit scriptures; unauthored revelations that offer one common source of a shared Hindu identity
- binds Hindus together is a shared reverence for the Vedas.

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10
Q

Shiva’s lingam…

A

miraculously appeared as a “shaft of light” in 12 places in India
- often understood to represent the male and
female sex organs

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11
Q

Conversion in Hinduism?

A

Traditionally, Hindus have not attempted to attract converts

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12
Q

Ethnic Religion

A

A religion of a people rather than the religion of all people

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13
Q

Ascribed identity

A

externally opposed; born into

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14
Q

Achieved identity

A

“you come to” (ex. born-again Christian)

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15
Q

Hinduism in Bali

A

no images of god, have shrines depicting the high god of Balinese Hindus in the form of an empty chair.

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16
Q

Majority of Hindus live in…

A

India

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17
Q

Is Hinduism the 3rd largest religion in the world?

A

Yes (13.6% of the world’s population)

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18
Q

Hindu Tradition absorbs many OUTSIDE influences

A

(ex. Buddha was adopted into the Hindu family—as one divine “descent” of Vishnu)

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19
Q

Why is Hinduism able to have an absorptive strategy?

A

because of how decentralized the religion is (no founder, no creed, no single living religious “leader”)

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20
Q

Decentralized

A

lack of a single unified authority structure
(no one can declare ex. who is/is not a Hindu…right/wrong belief/practice”; not unified/cohesive)

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21
Q

Orthodoxy

A

right doctrine, the correct thing to practice/adhere to

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22
Q

Orthopraxy

A

right practice

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23
Q

Mughal Empire (1526-1857)

A

any non-Muslim was considered a Hindu

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24
Q

EIC/British Raj

A

Western critiques of polytheism, idol worship, and child marriage; Protestants had employed against Roman Catholics, by praising ancient scripture and denouncing devotions to “idols;” viewed Hinduism as morally depraved and fallen faith, overly ritualized, insufficiently intellectualized, and hypersexualized; these colonists had a sense of cultural and theological superiority.

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25
Q

Before Hart-Cellar Act

A

limited immigration to the U.S. due to these quotas from the censuses data; WHY? To keep USA consistent through racial lines

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26
Q

Hart-Cellar Act

A

Shift of bringing families back together; shift towards employment who was able to fill jobs; shifts towards refugees; huge influx of people (w/ different ideas etc.) from Asia (South, East, Central/South America) that were underrepresented; huge change in the demographic (and religious) makeup

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27
Q

Counter-cultural revolution/movement

A

“hippies;” a whole host of new-age movements being created that were influenced by religions coming into America (like Hinduism)

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28
Q

Practice of Puja

A

offering some kind of sacrifice (flowers, food etc.) to a god; coming face to face with your god (god is SEEING YOU); do it on their own or at home/sacred space set up

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29
Q

Practice of pilgrimage (“yatra”)

A

“special religious journey”
- go to sites where religious powers, knowledge, or experience are deemed especially accessible
- way of showing devotion to the gods of their choosing

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30
Q

Diwali (Hindu holiday)

A

fall festival; light defeating darkness

31
Q

Holi (Hindu holiday)

A

harvest festival

32
Q

Hindutva

A

ideology/movement seeking to establish the dominance of Hindus and Hinduism in India (nationalism)

demeans many groups and individuals; violence (especially to Muslims)

33
Q

Yogas used to be…

A

released from samsara

34
Q

Karma

A

ritual moral action you engage in; fulfilling the expectations the role in life (position in the world)

35
Q

Jnana

A

effort to escape the cycle from cultivating knowledge and understanding

36
Q

Bhakti

A

through intense devotion/worship to god/gods, they will release you from this cycle

37
Q

Problem (Hinduism)?

A

Samsara = the unsatisfactory cycle of life, death, rebirth, and redeath

38
Q

Solution (Hinduism)?

A

Moksha = release from this cycle

39
Q

Techniques (Hinduism)?

A

Discipline of karma (action), jnana (wisdom), and bhakti (devotion)

40
Q

Caste System (Hinduism)

A
  • System of social stratification (hierarchy)
  • Tied to vocation (your work)
  • Connects with dharma
41
Q

Colonization (Hinduism)

A

British colonizers coming to India and trying to understand Hinduism
- Connect with the Brahmans and Kshatriya (warriors)
- Just getting a SLICE/interpretation if only talk with Brahmans (like through the sacred text)

42
Q

What does the caste system play a huge role in?

A

in understanding what Hinduism IS!!

43
Q

Merchant Class (Hinduism)

A

Vaishyas

44
Q

Servant Class (Hinduism)

A

Shudras

45
Q

Brahma (Hindu gods)

A

the creator

46
Q

Vishnu (Hindu gods)

A

the sustainer

  • said to have ten avatars, who come to
    earth to make things right when the world has gone wrong.
47
Q

Shiva (Hindu gods)

A

the destroyer/recycler
- worshiped in the form of the lingam and as an “erotic ascetic”

48
Q

Hanuman (Hindu gods)

A

monkey god; companion of the god Rama

49
Q

Goddesses of the TOOTH

A

violent, wild, and independent

50
Q

Kali (tooth goddess)

A

“The Black One”
depicted as ferocious because of her willingness to fight for justice for her devotees

51
Q

Durga (tooth goddess)

A

“The Inaccessible”
fierce goddess, wife of Shiva, ten-armed warrior, slayer of demons

52
Q

Goddesses of the BREAST

A

nurturing, gentle, and joined to their husbands

53
Q

Ganges (River)

A
  • divine/sacred on Earth
  • very POLLUTED (b/c of individual and industrial practice)
  • depended for religion and LIFE (Hindu + Indian Society)
54
Q

Shaivas

A

worshipping Shivas as supreme

55
Q

Vaishnavas

A

worships Vishnu

56
Q

Most common Hindu Tradition?

A

BHAKTI TRADITION

57
Q

What is Bhakti Tradition?

A
  • expressing intense love and devotion for gods and goddesses
  • have A PARTICULAR (or spectrum) or a certain god/goddesses to devote
58
Q

How is Bhakti Tradition a “two-way street?”

A

devotion is returned from these gods one devotes to back to their followers
- divine will RELEASE you from SAMSARA

59
Q

Egalitarian impulse

A

caste become less meaningful

60
Q

What does Bhakti Tradition allow for?

A

more equitable and accessible (across caste lines and householders); does not require renunciation like Sannyasins

61
Q

Sannyasins

A

“renouncers”
- give up their wealth, relationships, personal possessions to achieve MOKSHA (release from samsara); cultivate wisdom to be released from SAMSARA (through discipline)

62
Q

Tantric Tradition

A

NOT MAINSTREAM
- passed down from a master to a disciple (relationship)
- secretive; often transgressive (engaging through things that are forbidden)

63
Q

How do Hindus divide the Vedas?

A

Into two categories = Smriti & Shruti

64
Q

Smriti (Vedas)

A

“what is remembered;” lesser scriptures, made by human hands

65
Q

Shruti (Vedas)

A

“what is heard;” eternal and unauthored revelations merely “heard” by ancient sages and then memorized and transmitted orally; more authoritative texts

66
Q

Karma

A

“action”
crucial way to escape samsara; ritual action; early emphasis of ritual action

67
Q

Before Classical era

A

Brahamns (priest); emphasis on KARMA (action); action is understood as ritual action under the Brahamns (to be released from samsara)

68
Q

Classical Era

A
  • emphasis on tradition
  • “sacrifice”
  • growing emphasis on reasons behind sacrifice and need to put in effort to understand the why ON YOUR OWN (WHAT YOU CAN DO YOURSELF TO ACHIEVE MOSHKA and not needing priest)
    -putting effort and emphasizing the WHY on performing a ritual than HOW to do it (attaining knowledge to be released from samsara)
69
Q

What kind of shift is there in dharna during Classical era?

A

shift in dharma in a sense that is it an ethical importance (behaving morally correctly)

70
Q

Ramayana (Epic)

A

Ram (avatar of VISHNU); story of love and wandering in which Ram recuse Sita from the demon king Ravana

71
Q

Mahabharata (Epic)

A

a war story punctuated by an extended meditation on duty and the divine
- war between two families (over who rules the kingdom)

72
Q

How does dharma play out in the Mahabharata?

A
  • Krishna is wrestling in with what is his dharma (his responsibilities as a family member/prince)
  • Warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna discuss karma and dharma AND present the BHAKTI PATH as an alternative to the paths of action and wisdom
73
Q

How are epics influential?

A
  • people are learning to think about their faith and its history
  • making accessible some of these teaches of these traditions in a way that Vedas are not written as
  • Engages = learn how to go about living your lives through Hindu traditions
74
Q

What other huge role does EPICS have?

A

HUGE ROLE in communicating/engaging these to a WIDE range of people
- not everyone knows or reads at all