Topic 3: Intro to Hinduism 3 Flashcards
what is the meaning of Moksha?
devotion (to let go/release)
what is Bhakti Yoga?
path of devotion, to merge one’s mind with God
what were the early attitudes towards Gods?
that Gods were distant to commoners, and you didn’t know them on a personal level
what are the modern attitudes towards Gods?
you treat God as a lover, there is an intimate relationship with him
what is the difference between Saguna and Nirguna Brahman?
Saguna Brahman: God with a form
—> images, statues, dreams
Nirguna Brahman: God without form
—> God is hidden to the senses, you can’t see him
what is the difference between Brahman and Brahma?
Brahma: the creator God
Brahman: ultimate reality/truth
what are some ways Bhakti (devotion) is expressed?
- pouring milk over statues
- offerings of food/drinks/flowers
- giving the Gods their own space
- provide entertainment
- treating them as a houseguest
- changing clothing on statues regularly
- let them take a nap
- use a fly whisk in front of their faces
what is Puja?
the action of worship (rituals)
how does Puja relate to the 5 senses??
sight: bright colours, lamps
hearing: hymns, chants
taste: food/drink
touch: powder on the Murti
smell: incense, flowers
what is ghee?
clarified butter
what do the forehead markings symbolize?
they are related to the third eye chakra, considered the seat of knowledge
what do the layers of the coconut symbolize?
fibers: hair
shell: human ego
flesh: human heart
juice: purity
what is Murti?
actual statues or images of Gods (Saguna Brahman)
what is the difference between Puja and Prasada?
puja: the act of worship
prasada: the offerings themselves
what are some guidelines when making food offerings?
- cant taste it yourself
- cant be expired
- can only be offered once
- must be made with clean hands
what is the meaning of Darshan / Darshana?
it means seeing/viewing (God)
why are the eyes of Deities rendered lifelike?
because you want God to see you/you to see God
what is the literal meaning of Aarti?
honouring
how is the Aarti ritual performed?
wave a tray of lamps in a clockwise direction in front of Gods while singing/praying
what is the significance of the clockwise directionality?
the clockwise direction represents the cyclical order of the world
what do the lamps represent in Aarti?
the removal of darkness
why would one wave their hands over the lamps?
to purify
describe the salt water analogy
you know there is salt in the water. but you can’t see it
describe the tree/branch analogy?
the branch represents humans, and the tree represents God. if you cut a tree branch off, the tree still lives (God is eternal, humans are mortal)
what is the river analogy?
when rivers return to the ocean, it signifies that all souls return to God
what is the meaning of Trimurti?
three images/statues
what is the role of Brahma?
to create the world
what is the role of Vishnu?
keep the world sustained
what is the role of Shiva?
to guide the world in its destruction
what does Shiva’s dance represent?
dances on one leg surrounded by flames to symbolize the destruction/instability of the world
what was the earliest form of worshipping Shiva?
the Linga and Yoni
describe the analogy of the pointing finger
when you point at something, you are trying to guide someone in the right direction. the image of the pointing finger is to help point people in the direction of God. once you find God, put the finger down
who is Devi? what are her qualities?
she is the Supreme Goddess, the mother figure
–> she is worshipped alone, does not have a male counterpart
what is a Vaishnavite?
only worships Vishnu, believes he is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer
what is the forehead markings of a Vaishnavite?
“v” on their foreheads
who is Vishnu’s wife?
Lakshmi (prosperity/wealth)
how many incarnations does Vishnu have?
10 total
what is an avatar?
when a God takes a visible form and comes to the bottom of Mount Meru
describe Vishnu’s fish avatar
a poisonous ocean threatened humanity, so he told humanity to build a boat and he towed it to safety, he swallowed the poison in the ocean
describe Vishnu’s Krishna avatar
Krishna is Vishnu’s human avatar, he had a close relationship with humanity
what is a Shaivite?
someone who only worships Shiva, believes he was the creator, sustainer and destroyer
what are the forehead markings of a Shaivite?
three horizontal lines
who is the wife of Shiva?
Parvati (Goddess of love/compassion)
-> when the world is ending, you still need love and compassion
what caste would Vishnu belong to?
Ksatriya (crown, jewels, throne, ruler)
what caste would Shiva belong to?
outcaste/Harijan (animal skins, wilderness)
what is the story of Ganesh’s elephant head?
- Shiva went to battle, Parvati was lonely so she created Ganesh (human boy)
- she bathed in the river, told Ganesh to keep watch
- Shiva returned and wanted to see his wife, Ganesh said no
- Shiva cut off his head, Parvati tells him it’s his son, he sends soldiers to find him a head
- came across an elephant, gave him elephant head, Parvati was worried he would be bullied
- Shiva made Ganesh the Destroyer of Obstacles
in what ways are cows protected in India?
it is illegal to kill cows in India
what crimes occur between borders of India and Bangladesh
the meat trade
why are cows considered holy?
- associated with farm/land
- they are more useful alive than dead
- associated with Krishna (he was a cow herder)
Krishna is the _______ incarnation of Vishnu
8th
how did Krishna reveal his divinity to his mother?
he opened his mouth and she sees the universe
what prophecy was made about Krishna?
that the 8th baby (Krishna) would kill the king
why did Krishna grow up in a village?
because Vishnu told them to take Krishna to the village to escape murder
