Topic 2: Intro to Hinduism 2 Flashcards
what are the Vedas?
the earliest set of scriptures divided into four collections
what were the contents of the Vedas?
they contained hymns (meant to be sung to the Gods), asking for wishes to be granted
what is cosmology?
how religions view the world, how it explains the world
what is the most popular creation myth?
Vishnu and the Serpent
why are there multiple creation myths?
- because the world is cyclical
- Hinduism clumps together make religions and traditions (including the stories)
what is the story of the golden egg?
- there was an egg that rose from the ocean, it floated for one year
- the egg then split in half
- the earth was born from one half, the Gods and the sky was born from the other
what is the one thing that existed before anything else?
the ocean
what common name is pyrite known by?
fools gold
what is geomythology?
the study of how fossils inspire mythology
what are Gaudhas? what is their role?
a creature of a human body with wings of a bird, it is a protector
what is a Naga? what is their role?
a serpent, it is the guardian of treasures
what is the meaning of “Asthipura”?
town of bones
what are Ammonites?
sea creatures with a hard shell, they are connected with the sun disk of Vishnu
what are Chakras?
energy centers within the body
how di fossilized tusks influence myths?
fossilized elephant tusks inspired myths of war elephants that the giants rode on
how are Ammonites connected to the Gods?
the river ammonites were placed on altars and given to the Gods as offerings
what is the story of Vishnu and the Serpent?
- Vishnu floating on a serpent on the ocean, umbilical cord rises from naval and Brahma is born
- Brahma wonders “what should I do?”, and Vishnu tells him to create the world
- Brahma meditates, and hears the “Om” sound from the ocean
- from a lotus, he creates the heavens, Gods/sky, and the Earth
what is the name of the serpent Vishnu was riding on?
Sesha
who is Lakshmi?
the Goddess of Prosperity
what happens to Brahma after he creates the world?
he gets lonely and splits into 2:
- Brahma (male)
- Saraswati (female)
what is Brahma the God of?
he is the creator God
what is Saraswati the Goddess of?
she is the Goddess of learning
what is Vishnu the God of?
he is the God of light, he keeps the world going and sustains it
what is the story of the Hymns of Purusha?
- Purusha is an ancient giant with 1000 hands, feet, and eyes
- the Gods decided to sacrifice him
- from each body part, creation was born
how is Purusha related to the discovery of fossils?
the elephant thigh bone was found, and because it is similar to the human thigh bone they believed that giants once roamed the earth
what are the origins of the word caste?
it is a Portuguese term that means breed or stock (of cattle)
what is the meaning of the word caste?
birthright
what castes came from Purusha’s body parts?
mouth: Brahmin
arms: Kshatriyas
thighs: Vaishyas
feet: Shudras
how is a person’s caste determined?
by their last name
what is the difference between a Brahmin and a Pandit?
Brahmins are those who have the birthright to become a priest, Pandits are actual practicing priests
what is the role of the Brahmin?
they are priests, role is to safeguard knowledge and the Vedas
what are the roles of the Kshatriyas?
they are the warriors and rulers in society, they create/enforce laws, carry firearms, etc.
what are the roles of the Vaishyas
they are the merchants, artisans, farmers, etc.
what are the roles of the Shudras?
they are servants, role is to serve the upper 3 castes (described as darker skinned)
which castes can study the scriptures?
only the upper three castes can even hear the Vedas
what are Jatis?
each caste is further divided into Jatis (e.g. shoemakers -> Vaishyas)
what are Dabbawalas?
men who deliver homemade lunches to people throughout Mumbai
define casteism
discrimination against another person due to their caste, which is illegal today
what are some examples of casteism seen in villages in India today?
1.not allowed to walk in slippers in higher caste areas
2. if a Harijan gets on a bus, everyone else will get off
3. they are not allowed to enter a house once it is built
4. remove slippers before entering restaurants
what are untouchables/Dalits/Harijans?
they are ultimately outcastes, they don’t fit in any of the castes and others view them as polluted
what does Harijan mean?
children of God
what does Dharma mean?
duty, way of living, rights
what do the Laws of Manu say about castes?
that it is better to follow one’s own dharma than another
how is purity restored?
- prayers
- fire rituals
- cleanse with water
how does one become an untouchable?
through prolonged contact with bodily substances (e.g. a Shudra who’s job it is to clean the sewers)
how are the Laws of Manu related to open defecation?
if you need to use the washroom you have to do it as far away from the house as possible
what is the most holy animal in India?
cows, every part of them is holy except for leather
where did the term Harijan come from?
Gandhi proposed it when he decided to fight for the rights of untouchables
how did Gandhi protest casteism?
he put on a white robe
what happens to a caste when a woman marries?
her caste changes to the man’s caste (changes with last name)
what are the conditions when wanting to change your caste?
you have to put the name change in the newspapers for three months (to make them searchable)
what does Sramana mean?
seeker, they don’t accept the caste system and left society behind
what are Sadhus?
extreme practices that deprive the body of basic needs to stand against society and casteism
what are Yugas?
they represent the four cycles of time
what is the Krita Yuga?
the world is born, good prevails over evil, long lifespans, (4 legs -> stable)
what is the Kali Yuga?
very unfavourable, more evil than good, (1 leg -> very unstable)
what happens after Kali Yuga (the final yuga)?
the world ends and there is a blackout period where only the ocean exists (creation begins again)
what is the story of the Goddess Kali?
- there was a battle between Gods and demons, the Gods were losing, so they decided to combine their powers and create Kali
- she began cutting off their heads, but from their blood more demons spawned
- she ends up killing both Gods and demons because she cant separate them, until Shiva comes and lays in front of her
- it is when she steps on him that she can see the difference between good and evil again
