Lesson 7 Hinduism

THE OLDEST AND MOTHER OF ALL RELIGIONS

1. HINDUISM ALLAN ESTRADA BASUGA

2. MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY Hinduism is also known for its belief in different gods and goddesses. Draw a Hindu god or goddess. Write a four-sentence description of your chosen Hindu god or goddess and explain why you selected that god or goddess. Present your work to the class.

3. HINDUISM Which Hindu god/goddess did you draw? What traits do you possess that made you identify with that particular Hindu god/goddess you drew? Did you find this activity enjoyable and worthwhile? Why or Why not?

4. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why is Hinduism considered a diverse and complex religion? How do the Hindus manifest their spirituality amidst the variety of their traditions and freedom of beliefs?

5. CONCEPT MAP HINDUISM SACRED SCRIPTURE WORSHIPS AND OBSERVANCE BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES SUBDIVISIONS

6. HINDUISM AT A GLANCE Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. It also exists among significant populations outside of the sub-continent and has over 900 million adherents. In some ways, Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, and it is closely associated with other Indian religions, such as Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

7. HINDUISM AT A GLANCE Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous holy books. For these reasons, writers and religious scholars often refer to Hinduism as a “way of life” or a “family of religions” rather than a single religion.

8. SYMBOL: AUM OR OM This symbol is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal absolute of Hinduism-omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence.

9. BASIC FACTS: FOUNDERS ARYANS (1500 B.C.) SACRED TEXTS VEDAS, UPANISHADS, AND BHAGAVAD-GITA DOCTRINES DHARMA, KARMA, ARTHA, MOKSHA, BRAHMAN, ATMAN, THE FOUR YOGAS GODS 33 MILLION GODS AND GODDESSES SACRED SPACE TEMPLE ISSUES GENDER INEQUALITY, CASTE SYSTEM, POVERTY

10. HINDU SCRIPTURES: THE VEDAS These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus. They got their present form between 1200-200 B.C.E. and were introduced to India by the Aryans-the early settlers of India.

11. HINDU SCRIPTURES: THE VEDAS Hindus believe that the texts were received by scholars direct from God and passed on to the next generations by word of mouth. Vedic texts are sometimes called ‘ shruti ’, which means ‘hearing’. For hundreds, or maybe even thousands of years, the texts were passed on orally.

12. CONTENTS OF THE VEDAS The Vedas are made up of four compositions, and each Veda in turn has four parts which are arranged chronologically.

13. CONTENTS OF THE VEDAS The Samhitas are the most ancient parts of the Vedas, consisting of hymns or praise to God. The Brahmanas are rituals and prayers to guide the priests in their duties. The Aranyakas contain worship and meditation. The Upanishads consists of the mystical and philosophical teachings of Hinduism.

14. THE SAMHITAS The Rig-Veda Samhita is the oldest of the four Vedas and consists of 1028 hymns praising the ancient gods. The Yajur -Veda Samhita is used as a handbook by priests performing the Vedic scriptures. The Sama -Veda Samhita consists of hymns and tunes for singing at the sacrifices. The Athava -Veda Samhita preserves many traditions which predate the Aryan influence and consists of spells, charms and magical formulate.

15. THE UPANISHADS T he name Upanishad is composed of the terms  upa   (near ), ni (down) and  shad  (to sit), meaning something like “sitting down near”. The name is inspired by the action of sitting at the feet of an illuminated teacher to engage in a session of spiritual instructions, as aspirants still do in India today.

16. THE UPANISHADS These texts developed from the Vedic tradition, but largely reshaped Hinduism by providing believers with philosophical knowledge . Central to Upanishads is the concept of Brahman- the sacred power which informs reality.

17. THE BHAGAVAD-GITA Bhagavad  Gita   means “the song of the Lord”. It takes the form of   a dialogue between Arjuna (the warrior prince) and Krishna ( an  avatar (incarnation) of the god  Vishnu ). Arjuna was about to join his brothers in a war between two branches of the royal family which would involve killing many of his friends and relatives.

18. THE BHAGAVAD-GITA This made Arjuna quite reluctant to join the war and he planned to withdraw from the battle. But Krishna, reminded him that he must fulfill his duty in accordance with his class, arguing that death does not destroy the soul.

19. THE MAHABHARATA Mahabharata , (Sanskrit: “Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”) one of the two Sanskrit epic poems of ancient India (the other being the Ramayana ). The  Mahabharata  is an important source of information on the development of Hinduism between 400  BCE  and 200  CE  and is regarded by Hindus as both a text about dharma (Hindu moral law ) and a history ( I tihasa , literally “that’s what happened”).

20. THE MAHABHARATA Mahabharata   is the world’s longest poem. It consists of a mass of mythological and didactic material arranged around a central heroic narrative that tells of the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas (sons of  Dhritarashtra , the descendant of Kuru ) and the Pandavas (sons of Pandu). 

21. RAMAYANA Ramayana is one of India’s best known tales. It tells the story of Prince Rama who was sent into exile into the forest with his wife, Sita , and his brother Lakshamana . Sita was abducted by the demon Ravana but ultimately rescued by Prince Rama with the help of the monkey god, Hanuman .

22. RAMAYANA The story is written in 24,000 couplets. The symbolism of the story has been widely interpreted but basically it is the story of good overcoming evil. Many Hindus believe that Ramayana is a story about dharma or duty .

23. THE STORY OF CREATION BASED ON HINDU TRADITION There is no single Hindu creation story. Numerous cosmogonies ( a theory regarding the origin of the universe) can be found in almost all of the important Hindu Scriptures. One of the most sublime accounts of creation occurs in the Rig Veda 10:129 . I t ponders on the mystery of origins and offers more questions than answers.

24. THE STORY OF CREATION BASED ON HINDU TRADITION ( Rig Veda 10:129) “Who really knows, and who can swear, How creation came, when or where! Even gods came after creation’s day, Who really knows, who can truly say; When and how did creation start? Did He do it? Or Did He not? Only He up there, knows maybe; Or Perhaps not even He.”

25. BOOST YOUR MIND!!!!!! Do the Hindus have a solid concept of a creator? Explain your answer.

26. THE COSMIC EGG THEORY OF CREATION The Creation Story in the Upanishads The Chandogya Upanishads 3:19:1-4 relates how the world which was then non-existent became existent and then became an egg. After a year the egg broke open and silver part and a gold part emerged. The silver part became the earth and the golden part became the sky. The various parts of the egg became the features of the heavens and the earth. The sun, which in this myth is equated with Brahmin, was born from the egg along with all beings who arose.

27. BOOST YOUR MIND!!!!! Interpret the creation story you read. How do you compare this theory of creation with that of the “Big Bang” theory on the origin of the universe?

28. MAJOR HINDU DEITIES Although Hinduism believes in only one Supreme Being, it is considered polytheistic because of its concept of god: the one Supreme God manifests Himself in different beings (human, animal and non-material) which are also gods themselves. In fact on their records, Hinduism has a total of 33 million gods . However, among these gods, there are only four considered by Hindus as major gods.

29. BRAHMAN Central to Hinduism is the Brahman who is the ultimate reality, one and undivided-the Supreme God . The Brahman is often seen in three forms or functions. Called the Trimurti , these are creation, preservation, and destruction. These functions are expressed in god forms, namely, Brahma (the creator); Vishnu (the preserver); and Shiva (the destroyer).

30. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE? How do you compare the Hindu concept of “Trimurti” with the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity?

31. BRAHMA Brahma is the first god in the Hindu Triumvirate called “Trimurti” or “triune god.” Brahma’s job was creation of the world and all creatures. He is the creator god in Hindu belief. However, his name should not be confused with Brahman (the Supreme God force present with all things). Has 4 heads and 8 hands.

32. BRAHMA Brahma is the least worshipped god in Hinduism today. There are only two temples in the whole India devoted to him, compared with the many thousands devoted to the other two gods.

33. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE? Based on this figure describe how Brahma looks like?

34. VISHNU Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu Triumvirate or trimurti. He is the preserver and the protector of the universe . His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, according to Hindu belief, he has been incarnated nine times, and that he will be incarnated one last time close to the end of this world.

35. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE? Describe Vishnu based on the picture. Identify the four elements associated with him and describe each element.

36. BOOST YOUR MIND!!!!! Ponder on the underlined statement ( he has been incarnated nine times, and that he will be incarnated one last time close to the end of this world) . How would you relate this Hindu belief with the Christian belief on judgement day or the second coming of Christ?

37. SHIVA Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. Shiva’s role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it . Hindus believe that his powers of destruction and re-creation are used even now to destroy the illusion and imperfections of this world paving the way for beneficial change.

38. SHIVA According to Hindu belief, this destruction is not arbitrary but constructive, and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements.

39. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE? Describe Shiva based on the picture. Identify the four elements associated with him and describe each element. Note the marking on his forehead and explain what this means.

40. LAKSHMI Lakshmi is the consort of the god Vishnu. She is one of the most popular goddess of wealth and purity. Lakshmi is commonly portrayed as a beautiful woman with four arms, standing on a lotus flower. There is usually one, or sometimes two elephants behind her, anointing her with water. She is often depicted sitting beneath Vishnu, massaging his feet.

41. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE? Describe Lakshmi based on the picture. Identify the two elements associated with her and describe each element.

42. KEYS CONCEPTS OF HINDUISM: ATMAN Atman means “eternal self.” The atman refers to the real self beyond ego or false self. It is often referred to as “spirit” or “soul” and indicates the true self or essence which underlies man’s existence. The understanding of the self as eternal supports the idea of reincarnation and that the same eternal being can inhabit temporary bodies.

43. ATMAN The concept of Atman includes the idea of the self as a spiritual rather than material being and thus there is a strong dimension of Hinduism which emphasizes detachment from material world and promotes practices such as asceticism.

44. CONCEPT OF DHARMA In Hinduism, dharma means ‘duty ’, ‘ virtue ’, ‘ morality ’, even ‘ religion ,’ and it refers to the power which upholds the universe or society . Dharma is the power that maintains society, makes the grass grow, the sun to shine, and makes people moral or gives human the opportunity to act virtuously. Additionally, dharma is universal but is also particular and operates within particular circumstances. Each person therefore has his/her own dharma known as “ sva -dharma.”

45. CONCEPT OF VARNA An idea that developed in classical Hinduism is that the dharma refers specially to a person’s responsibility regarding class ( varna ) and stage of life ( ashrama ). This idea give birth to the Hindu class system or “ caste system ”.

46. CASTE SYSTEM Brahmans or Brahmins- the intellectuals and the priestly class who perform religious rituals.

47. CASTE SYSTEM Kshatriya is the class of nobles or warriors who traditionally had power

48. CASTE SYSTEM Vaishyas are the ordinary commoners and merchants who trade and produce commodities, tend the farms and earn a living.

49. CASTE SYSTEM Shudras are the workers who traditionally served the higher classes, including laborers, artists, musicians and clerks.

50. CONCEPT OF KARMA Karma is a Sanskrit word which means “ action ”. It refers to the law that every action has an equal reaction either immediately or at some point in the future. Good or virtual actions (actions in harmony with dharma) will have good reactions or responses. While bad actions (actions against dharma) will bring negative effects. In Hinduism, karma operates not only in this lifetime but across lifetimes- the results of an action might only be experienced after the present life in a new life.

51. BOOST YOUR MIND!!!! You probably heard or used it yourself so many times the expression: “ Na karma siya ! ” How do you interpret it now that you already know the Hindu concept of karma?

52. CONCEPT OF SAMSARA Samsara in Hinduism is the process of rebirth or reincarnation. It is a continuous cycle in which the soul is reborn over and over again according to the law of karma. At death many H indus believe, the soul is carried by a subtle body which can be a human or non-human form (an animal or divine being).

53. BOOST YOUR MIND!!!! Do you believe in reincarnation? If given a chance to be reincarnated, what form of life would you choose? Explain your answer?

54. CONCEPT OF MOKSHA Moksha is the ultimate goal of Hindu believers. This is the goal of liberation or freedom from the cycle of action and reaction and from rebirth. This concept is related to the idea of atman- that in this world, a spiritual being (the atman) has a human experience, rather a human being having a spiritual experience.

55. CONCEPT OF MOKSHA The attainment of moksha for a Hindu is for the atman to be completely detached from the material world and identify itself with the Supreme Spirit (Brahman). This state of liberation, Hinduism explains, can be attained by going through the process of the Four Yogas .

56. THE FOUR YOGAS Yoga literally means “union”. This union can be understood on different levels: philosophically , as that of the relative, limited self with the absolute Self; religiously , as that of the individual soul with the Infinite Spirit; psychologically , as the integration of the personality – a state wherein a person no longer lives at cross-purposes with himself; emotionally , as the stilling of the waves of likes and dislikes, permitting one to remain in all circumstances complete in himself.

57. JNANA YOGA Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge, wisdom, introspection and contemplation. It involves deep exploration of the nature of our being by systematically exploring and setting aside false identities.

58. JNANA YOGA Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge, the most difficult of paths. It requires great will power and intellect. The Jnana yogi is a philosopher.

59. BHAKTI YOGA Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion and service to God and others. All actions are done in the context of remembering the divine.

60. BHAKTI YOGA Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion; it is the path chosen by those of an emotional nature. Through prayer, worship, chanting and singing the yogi surrenders completely to a higher energy. The love of a bhakti yogi is unconditional and unreserved.  

61. KARMA YOGA Karma Yoga is the path of action, service to others, mindfulness and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our actions or karma in the world.

62. KARMA YOGA A Karma yogi practices selflessness, dedicating all actions to others and expecting no results.  Karma yoga transforms the individual ego and purifies our karmas. In Karma yoga , it is not the action itself the counts, it is the attitude that we carry whilst we perform our tasks that matter. What is our real motive? Are we truly acting selflessly? That is the goal.

63. RAJA YOGA Raja Yoga is the comprehensive method that emphasizes meditation while encompassing the whole of Yoga. It directly deals with the encountering and transcending thoughts of the mind.

64. RAJA YOGA Raja Yoga is the yoga of the mind and is considered the king of all yogas . Raja yoga is the path of meditation and management of the mind, usually chosen by those of a psychic nature . Raja yoga is sometimes called ashtanga yoga, the yoga of eight limbs . The limbs are steps which purify the body and mind, ultimately leading the yogi into enlightenment.

65. RAJA YOGA The eight limbs are:  Yamas , Niyamas , Asanas , Pranayama, Pratyahara , Dharana , Dhyana and Samadhi. 1.  Yamas : Practices of self-restraint to discipline the senses and purify the mind. 2.  Niyamas : Observances to increase our willpower and strengthen the mind. 

66. RAJA YOGA 3 .  Asanas : Postures to purify the body and make it steady for meditation. 4.  Pranayama : Breath control to balance the vital and mental energies. 5.  Pratyahara : Abstraction of the senses to withdraw the mind from the senses.

67. RAJA YOGA 6. Dharana : Unwavering concentration to attain the state of one-pointedness 7.  Dhyana : Meditation - This is not a practice, but a state achieved by the practice of the first six limbs. 8.  Samadhi : Super-Consciousness - This is not a practice but a state which arises when Dhyana is perfected. 

68. DOCTRINE OF PARUSHARTA Hinduism developed a doctrine that life has different goals according to a person’s stage of life and position. These goals became codified in the “goals of a person” or “human goals” which are called “parusharthas.”

69. DOCTRINE OF PARUSHARTA These are dharma (appropriate behavior), artha (the pursuit of legitimate worldly success), kama (the pursuit of legitimate pleasure), and moksha (release from rebirth).

70. DOCTRINE OF PARUSHARTA By faithfully performing duties in social and family life, this involves one person pursuing artha or appropriate worldly prosperity and material well-being. A person must also rightfully satisfy the demand for enjoyment and pleasure or kama .

71. DOCTRINE OF PARUSHARTA In all goals, one must be guided by righteousness or dharma toward achieving moksha . A person who achieves moksha while in life is a free soul.

72. SUBDIVISONS There are four principal denominations within the Hindu faith. These are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishavism , and Smartism . It is important to note, however, that while these gods have different names, Hindus all worship one supreme being.

73. SUBDIVISIONS: SHAIVISM Lord Shiva, the Compassionate One, is God for the Saivites . Followers of Shaivism value self-discipline and philosophy. They worship in temples and practice yoga.

74. SUBDIVISIONS: SHAKTISM The Goddess Shakti is supreme for Shaktas . She is the divine mother and assumes many forms, be it a gentle one or a fierce deity. Believers use chants, magic, and yoga to summon cosmic forces.

75. SUBDIVISIONS: VAISHNAVISM Lord Vishnu is God for the Vaishnavites , especially in his incarnations Krishna and Rama. Adherents have multitudes of saints, temples, and sacred texts.

76. SUBDIVISIONS: SMARTISM For the Smartas , devotees are left to choose their own deity in one of six manifestations, namely, Ganesha , Siva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya, and Skanda . Smartas are known as liberals as they embrace all major Hindu gods.

77. ASSESSMENT TASK Recite the creation story in Rig Veda Identify the names of the major Hindu deities as well as their corresponding functions or powers Explain the core teaching of Hinduism as the attainment of liberation in the identification of Atman and Brahman through the Four Yogas Simulate a particular yoga and write a reflection paper or insights on Hinduism