South Asian Religions Flashcards
Indus Valley
Ancient agriculture civilization. Aryas brought vedas in which are the oldest Hindu scriptures
Proto-Shiva
Part of an ancient seal in the Indus civilization. Is three faced lord of the beasts
Dravidian
Southern Indian language and region displaced by the Aryans. Language does not connect to Indo-European roots
Aryans/Indo Europeans
Brought in Indo European language. Invaded India and introduced Vedic culture
Four Vedas
Rigveda-hymns of praise
Sāmaveda- songs
Yajurveda- how to physically set up cermonies and take offerings
Artharveda- highest Veda, contains mantras and hymns, partly translated form Rigveda
Rg Veda 10.90/ Purusha Sukta
Scripture describing Sacrifice Purusha (ancient man) and divide into four parts.
Arman-Brahman
Arman is the individual soul, while the Brahman is the more universal soul. “Atman is Brahman” is a common phrase meaning all beings are divine in a way
Agni
Divine fire (actually appears as just fire) takes gifts up to the gods
Dharma
Moral duty/ cosmic order
Bhakti
Represents love and devotion to a god of worship
Margas
Margas are pathways
Karma marga- path of duties
Jnana marga- path of knowledge
Bhakti marga- path of devotion
4 stages of life
Brahmacharya-student stage
Grihastha-householder stage
Vanaprastha- hermit stage
Samnyasa- wondering, meditation stage
Advaita Vendānta
Philosophy. We are all separate individuals but are part of a whole. Non dualist take
Maya
Sankara teaching. Maya is a delusion. Tricks people into thinking there individuals and that the universe is made up of different things
Shankara
Author and deified philosopher of the maya and advaita teachings
Shiva
God of destruction, paired with pavarti, father of Ganesha
Lingam
Phallic statue of Shiva
Krishna Gopala, gopis
8th avatar of Vishnu. Mischievous as a child. Raised in farm family. Used flute to teach gopis (females of cow herds). Was very popular and leader of the cowherds
Bhagavad Gita
Hindu Scripture. Prince Arjuna had to be a warrior to fulfill his duty to the gods. His craft was his offering. A new take on how to achieve moksha
Rama
7th avatar of Vishnu. Exiled from kingdom wife joins him. She gets captured and Rama slays Ravana to get her back. Completes exile and returns to being king
Kali
Destroyer of evil, subset of sivaism. She bestows moksha
Parvati
Goddess of fertility love and devotion
Lakshmi
Goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity
Shakti
Goddess of cosmic energy and forces in the universe. Female energy and empowerment
Devi
Female form of god, goddess
Ram Mohan Roy
Argued for religious freedom, denounced caste system and tried to stop sati (widows being burned with there dead husbands). Britains outlawed sati practice
Brahmo Samaj
Movement. Denounced several aspects of Hinduism (polytheism, samsara, vedas, avatars) vouched for women education, adopts more Christian practices
Ramakrishna
Saint. Argued for the universality of religion spread modern Hinduism, influenced Vivekananda (student) to introduce Hinduism to the parliament
Vivekananda
Introduced yoga and Vedanta to western world. Started world parliament of religions
Rabindranath Tagore
Author and poet. Ruled British government. Won Nobel literature prize.
Mahatma Gandhi
Didn’t favor partition, proponent of the peaceful protest
RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)
National volunteer Organization. Was against British rule, Hindu nationalists. Continues to this day
Gautama Siddhartha, Shakyumuni
Buddha, initiated Buddhism
Cakalravartin
Term. Describes an ideal, altruistic universal leader
Middle way
Moderate between indulgence and asceticism
3 marks of existence
- impermanent
- no self (anatman)
- suffering/unsatisfaction
3 refuges
- Buddha; no one is fully enlightened
- dharma; basing life off 4 noble truths and 8 fold path
- sangha; look for support and guidance from all who follow the eight fold path
4 noble truths
- suffering exists
- it has a cause
- it has an end
- it has a cause to bring to the end
Ashoka Maurya
Ancient emperor, spread Buddhism throughout India. Dharma consisted of little sin and many good deeds
Stupas
Housing remains if saint figures (buddha’s toenail and such). Treated with high respect (veneration). Started with Ashoka
Theravada
Teaching of the elders. Abstain from evil and accumulate good to purify mind
Mahayana
From tantra (yoga school) salvation is only obtained though trust in Amitabha. Great Vehicle, and through help of bodhisattvas
Vajrayana
Himalayan take on Buddhism “thunder vehicle”. Also emphasizes the bodhisattva role
Bidhisattvas
Delay own inner peace to help and teach others how to get there
Upaya
Mahayana Buddhist teaching. Means skillful means, helps others with enlightenment
Lotus Sutra
Mahayana sutra
Lotus is not different from the mud. Addressed how enlightened had hard time explaining enlightenment to non-enlightened people
Amitābha
Buddha of life and light
Avalokiteśvara
compassion Buddha incarnation
Śūnyatā
From Theravada Buddhism, talks about not self, and how all things are empty of nature. Acknowledges nonexistence
Decline in Buddhism in India
Brahmins gained power, muslims invaders occurred, tantra (that Hinduism and Buddhism condeveloped was a thing).
