Theme 2 (Religious Concepts) Flashcards
How can Brahman be described?
The universal spirit/soul
(Macro-cosmic)
What are the 4 forms of Brahman?
Nirguna, Saguna, Bhagavan & Ohm
Brahman Quotes
“In truth Brahman is all”
“He moves and he moves not (…) he is within all”
“I am the original foundation of the Ultimate Truth”
“He is the swan (…) he is the True and the Great”
“But with these present eyes if yours you will not be able to see me”
What are Brahman’s 3 qualities?
- Sat (being)
- Chit (consciousness)
- Ananda (bliss)
How else is Brahman described?
‘neti-neti’= not this, not this
- Brahman cannot be given any attributes at all (we cannot describe him with words)
What is the Sanskrit meaning of Brahman and how might this describe him?
+ analogy to describe Brahman
‘brh’ = to burst forth
- Brahman created the universe and has an unlimited nature
+ like the sun (we can experience the rays (deities) but not the sun (Brahman) itself
How can the atman be described?
Eternal soul
(Personal/Micro-cosmic)
What are the two parts of the atman?
- which part goes to Moksha?
Jivatman = the personality/individual soul
*Paratman = part of Brahman
Atman quotes
“Is never born and never dies”
“Does not die”
“ONE for evermore”
Why are there so many Gods in Hinduism?
- Allow for choice
- Diversity means everyone is included
- All represent Brahman’s personality
- Traditions and stories
What are the four types of belief?
Monotheism
Monism
Henotheism
Polytheism
What is monotheism?
Belief in one God
What is monism?
Belief that everything is made up of one single essence (Brahman/Atman)
What is henotheism?
The devotion of a single God while accepting the existence of other Gods
What is polytheism?
+ What are the two types?
The belief in many Gods
+ Hard= belief that the gods are seperate and distinct beings
Soft= the belief that the many Gods represent aspects of a single supreme God
What does Vedanta mean and what are the two types?
A Hindu philosophy
Advaita Vedanta
Dvaita Vedanta
What are the key points of Advaita Vedanta?
Founded by Adi Shankara
Discusses the unity of the Atman and Nirguna Brahman
The world is an illusion (Maya)
Ignorance of reality causes suffering
Liberation can only be achieved by true knowledge of their unity
What are the key points of Dvaita Vedanta?
Founded by Madhva Archarya
“realist viewpoint”
Discusses Brahman and the Atman as being seperate
The world is real
Following the path if bhakti will allow liberation to be reached
What are the roles of each of the Trimurti?
+ their consorts
+ how do they represent Brahman?
Brahma= creator
(Sarawsati= knowledge)
Vishnu= preserver
(Lakshmi= wealth)
Shiva= destroyer
(Parvati= perfect mother/wife)
+ They are Saguna Brahman (with attributes)
Which elements do each of the Trimurti represent and why?
Brahma = earth
(he created the world)
Vishnu = water
(he sustains the world and we cannot survive without water)
Shiva = fire
(he destroys life)
Which of the stages of life does each of the Trimurti represent and why?
Brahma= student
(student seeks knowledge and Saraswati = knowledge)
Vishnu= householder stage
(individual fulfills role in family including wealth = Laksmi)
Shiva= retirement stage
(he lives a homeless life w basic possessions/they are preparing for death)
Facts about Brahma?
- God of destiny or fate
- vehicle is a swan
- ‘self-born’
- least important member of the trimurti (less than 15 temples devoted to him)
- was born through Vishnu’s naval
-there is a religious festival held in his honour
Brahma Quote
“Brahma was…the Creator of all…, air and fire and water”
Why is Brahma the least important/ least popular member of the tri-murti?
1) His job is complete
2) he had his 5th head cut off by Shiva for obsessing over Shatarupa
3) he replaced Saraswati with another wife when she was late
What are the features of Brahma and what do they represent?
Four heads
- to look in all directions
- obsession with Shatarupa
Vedas
- symbol of religious knowledge
Mala beads
- used to keep track of time and for meditation
Spoon
- represents pouring of holy ghee during worship
(he is Lord of Sacrifices)
Water pot
- represents beginning of creation
Lotus flower
- represents purity & his birth
‘self-born’
- he has no mother
Facts about Vishnu?
- 10 avatars
- Lord of the Universe
- Vehicle is an eagle (Garuda)
- Over 1000 names
- Most worshipped Hindu deity
Vishnu Quote
“decline of Righteousness (…) I send myself to birth”
“For protection of the good, the wicked put to flight, I come into being age by age establishing the Right”
What are the features of Vishnu and what they represent?
Name
- ‘vis’= to spread (all pervasive nature)
Four Arms
- symbol of all powerful nature
- 2 front= physical existence
- 2 back= spiritual existence
Conch shell
- represents 5 elements (symbol of creativity)
- Makes Aum sound when blown
Discus
- weapon to cut off demon’s heads
- represents power to control six seasons
Lotus
- symbolises power from which universe emerges
- represents truth from which dharma and knowledge come from
Mace
- represents force from which all power derives
Blue skin
- all pervasive nature (sky/ocean)
Crown
-supreme authority
Earrings
- symbolises opposites in creation
What are the first 5 Avatars of Vishnu?
1) Matsya (fish)
- rescued Vedas from waters allowing creation
2) Kurma (tortoise)
- gave earth stability on it back
3) Varaha (boar)
- pulled earth back up from waters w its tusks
4) Narasimha (half man, half lion)
- killed demon ruler and given gift of not being able to be killed
5) Vamana (dwarf)
- defeated the demon king Bali
What are the second 5 Avatars of Vishnu?
6) Parashurama (angry Brahmin)
- killed Kshatriya warriors as they were abusing their power
7) Rama
-killed demon king Ravana in Ramayana story
8) Krishna
- loving and mischievous cowherd
9) Buddha
- founder of Buddhism
10) Kalki
- will destroy all wicked and restart creation
Facts about Shiva?
- Vehicle is Nandi the bull
- Lord of the Dance
- Patron God of Yoga
- 10,000 names
Shiva Quote
“He alone is the one who governs the world (..) riles over their creation and their destruction”
Features of Shiva and what they represent
Cobra necklace
- beyond power of death and drank poison to save the world
Trident
- represents tri-murti
Sits on tiger skin
- Shiva is the master of lust
Nandi
- symbol of sexual impulse (he controls it)
Third Eye
- eye of wisdom
Sacred Ganga
- flows from his head (purifying)
Crescent
- symbolises his power of pro-creation and destruction
Vibhuti (ashes on forehead)
- essence of being after all impurities burnt out in fire of knowledge
Drum
- Aum sound
Ashes on body
- cremation ashes= life after death
Long matted hair in a mop
- Lord of the Wind
Key Gods & Beliefs in Vaishnavism
- Worship Vishnu as the Supreme God as well as his avatars
- All other Gods serve Vishnu
+ God & the atman are separate (Dvaita Vedanta)
+ Vishnu is the soul of the universe
+ Main aim is Moksha
+ Must show devotion and serve Vishnu
Key practices of Vaishnavism
- Best way to achieve Moksha is through the path of Bhakti
- Worship the avatars
- Say mantras and repetitive prayers & make offerings
- Ecstatic dancing and chanting during worship
Key scriptures and symbols of Vaishnavism
Vedas & Puranas
Tilak (worn on the forehead) to show devotion and connection to Vishnu and receive his blessings
Key Gods and Beliefs in Shaivism
- Worship Shiva as the Supreme God
- Acknowledge other gods but as an expression of Shiva
+ Shiva cannot be limited to any form or body
+ Aim is to reach Moksha
+ Atman and Brahman are the same (Advaita Vedanta)
+ Benares is the holiest city
Key practices of Shaivism
- Worship Shiva in linga and human form
- Focus of dancing form (Nataraja)
- Practice raja and astanga yoga and meditation
-Often ascetics - Wear ash
- Repeat sacred sounds (Aum & Namasivaya)
- Worship Shiva’s consort Parvati & his sons
Key scriptures and symbols of Shaivism
Vedas (place emphasis on key parts of this) & Upanishads
Tripunda (3 lines of ash on forehead)
Linga
Trident
Facts about Shaivite temples
- many temples are dedicated to Shiva
- Brahmins cannot worship in the inner sanctum if the temples only priests can (Shivacharyas)
- holiest of Shiva shrines is the Nataraja Temple
Beliefs about dharma
‘dhr’=order
- Must be done to maintain cosmic order
- Affects the future (dharmic path)
- Must be done in an ‘appropriate way’
- Santana dharma=all & Varnashramadharma= individual
- Gives us the opportunity to act virtuously
Dharma quote
“Far better to do one’s duty ill than do another’s duty well”
Beliefs about Moksha
- Can only happen when there is no good or bad karma (jivatatman has lost it all=’perfect’)
- Cannot be achieved in only one way
- When Moksha is reached the paramatman merges w Brahman & the jivatman is gone
- It is difficult to get there
- It is the ultimate aim for all Hindus
Moksha quote
“Having gained supreme perfection, the great souled ones who come to Me”
Reincarnation Quotes
“The soul similarly passes into a new body at death”
“The embodied soul cast off his worn out bodies and enters others new”
Karma Quote
“There is a path of joy, and there is a path of pleasure (..) who follows the first comes to good; who follows pleasure reaches no End”
Beliefs about Karma
- Principle of cause & effect on a moral basis
- Used to explain the problem of evil despite Brahman’s power
- Our karma can be purified & reversed
- Karma is caused by & stored in the jivatman
- Karma is affected by actions and thoughts
- Good karma= punya & bad karma= papa
- Our life now is a result of karma in past lives
What are the 4 aims in life?
Kama
Dharma
Artha
Moksha
Arguments for the Samsara Cycle
+ gives you multiple chances
+ BG has evidence
+ provides order
+ practice to avoid sins
+ relates to all loving beings
+ some people believe they have lived before
+ Buddhism agrees
Arguments against the Samsara Cycle
- restricts your life
- Christianity disagrees
- makes people scared
- how reliable is the Bhagavad Gita?
-almost impossible to get to Moksha - tricky to get back up hierarchy
- people may do good deeds for bad reasons
What are the three types of Karma?
Sanchita Karma (accumulated karma)
Prarabdha Karma (fruit-bearing karma)
Agami Karma (karma in the making)
1) What is Sanchita Karma?
2) What is Prarabdha Karma?
3) What is Agami Karma?
- baggage of karma from all past lives that has been brought forward
- the portion of past karma which is responsible for the present body
- karma that will take effect in the future
How are the 3 types of Karma represented by a Bowman?
SK= arrows on his back
PK= arrow he has shot
AK= arrow he is about to shoot
How does the game of snakes and ladders (Moksha Patamu) represent karma?
- Ladders are located on squares representing good karmic behaviour and the rewards at the top are good in terms of reincarnation
- The opposite is true for the snakes
- Moksha is square 100 (ultimate aim)
What are 3 positive karmic behaviours and 3 negative karmic behaviours?
+ Generosity
+ Faith
+ Knowledge
- Vanity
- Vulgarity
- Greed
Name three ways how one can reach Moksha and escape Samsara
- meditation
- knowledge of Brahman
- good actions (dharma)
How does the law of karma explain the problem of evil?
+ What is a common misunderstanding of karma?
Those who show goodness will reap goodness and those who show evil will reap evil
+ that Hindus blame suffering on karma but karma means understanding that everyone is responsible for their own lives
Joseph Castro quote- Karma
“Karma is concerned not only with the relationship between actions and consequences, but also the moral reasons or intentions behind actions”
