Chapter 2: Hinduism Inquisitive Questions
Select positions on Hindu beliefs and practices endorsed by Ram Mohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj.
A position of Ram Mohan Roy: - Revelation cannot be supported by reason, including the Vedas - Polytheism, idol worship, karma, and reincarnation are superstitions - Designating Dalits as "untouchables" is undemocratic - the Hindu epics are merely myths Not a Position of Ram Mohan Roy: - Religion is ultimately based in faith, not reason
From 1959 through the 1980s, a number of Hindu leaders gained notoriety in the United States as gurus (spiritual teachers). Who of the following were gurus active in America during this period?
An American Twentieth-Century Guru: - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Not an American Twentieth-Century Guru: - Swami Vivekananda
In the Bhagavad Gita, what is Arjuna's dilemma?
Arjuna is bound by duty to fight against his own family. But if he does so, he will be forced to kill his own friends, relatives, and teachers.
Keya's religious tradition involves cultivating intense love for her chosen god (ishtadevata), whom she describes as her spiritual husband. Her spiritual practices include songs of praise, chanting, and ecstatic dancing. Which path (marga) is Keya most likely following?
Bhakti
________ are an oppressed social group previously known as "outcasts" and "untouchables."
Dalits
_____ is one of the most popular Hindu holidays and is also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. In North India, it commemorates Rama and Sita's return from defeating the demon king Ravana. In South India, it commemorates Krishna's defeat of a demon king. Celebrations typically involve lights and fireworks.
Divali
Which goddess was created by the other gods as a superhero in order to defeat an unstoppable buffalo demon?
Durga
Since its founding in or before 800 BCE, Varanasi has been independently governed by Hindus and even today its sacred spaces and places of worship are exclusively Hindu.
False
The Vedas have been found written on stone tablets dating back to 1500 BCE.
False
_________ is often depicted near doorways and thresholds and is known as the remover of obstacles.
Ganesha
The sacred _______ River flows through Varanasi, India. Hindu pilgrims come to this river to bathe in its water, throw coins as offerings, and to cremate and scatter the ashes of deceased loved ones.
Ganges
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra are all names of
Hindu castes
Hinduism is an ancient religion and its focus has shifted over time. Arrange the ideas about what is "important" about Hinduism in chronological order from most ancient to most modern.
Hinduism is about fire sacrifices and ritual Hinduism is about seeking the wisdom to overcome samsara Hinduism is about connecting with a god through powerful devotion (Bhakti) Hinduism is about the nation of India and being a patriotic Indian
The view that only those who view India as both fatherland and holy land are true citizens of India is consistent with the ideas of which of the following?
Hindutva Hindutva is a conservative political movement in India that rejects both secular values and Islamic values.
_____, the warrior god, and ____, the fire god, are two deities featured prominently in the Vedas
Indra Agni
The Indus Valley civilization vanished by 1500 BCE. The so-called "Aryan invasion thesis" theorizes that Northern Europeans invaded northern India from the west, destroying the Indus Valley civilization, and that traces of Aryan culture survive in modern Hinduism. Which of the following are objections, nuances, or variations to the Aryan invasion thesis?
Objection, Nuance, or Variation to the Aryan Invasion Thesis: - Some Indians argue that the "Aryans" came from the Indian subcontinent, not Europe. - Some Indians claim that Sanskrit is the mother of European languages - There is no evidence that the Aryans were invaders, they might have migrated peacefully or arrived as traders Not an Objection, Nuance, or Variation to the Aryan Invasion Thesis - There is no evidence of contact between Europeans and ancient Indian civilizations
________ is a powerful ______ employed at the beginning and ending of many Hindu ceremonies and rituals. It is also written with honey on newborn's lips or tongue during a birth ceremony.
Om mantra
Why was 1965 an important year for Hinduism in America?
The Hart-Celler Act was passed, opening the doors to Indian immigration
Order the events below from furthest in the past to the most recent.
The Indus Valley Civilization flourished. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, is composed. The early Upanishads are composed. The Bhagavad Gita is composed.
Just as to be an American is to accept the Constitution as the law of the land, to be a Hindu is to accept the ____ as true knowledge.
Vedas
The god ____ is said to have ten forms, known as _______, including a fish, a boar, a man-lion, and even the Buddha!
Vishnu avatars
Why was Swami Vivekananda ideally suited to represent Hinduism at the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago?
Vivekananda emphasized that Hinduism was reasonable and compatible with modern science.
Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of ethics and nonviolence drew from multiple religious influences, including the Jain concept of ________, daily readings of the ___________, and even the Christian gospels.
ahimsa Bhagavad Gita
In Vedanta philosophy ___________ refers to the divine principle and ____________ refers to the individual self-soul that migrates from life to life. Advaita Vedanta teaches that these two are actually one and the same, while Dvaita Vedanta teaches that they are distinct.
brahman atman
While visiting family in India, Madhuri has planned a trip to see a famous statue of one of her favorite gods. For Madhuri, this is more than tourism: looking into the eyes of the statue is an intimate connection with a god. What Hindu tradition is Madhuri participating in?
darshan
Hindus have been content to think of theirs as a religion of a people rather than the religion of all people. For that reason, it has typically been classified as a[n] _______ religion (like Judaism and Navajo religion) rather than a _________ religion (like Buddhism and Islam).
ethnic missionary
Karn is a Hindu whose spiritual path involves renouncing the world. Karn has quit his job and lives as a sannyasin so that he can focus entirely on attaining moksha. He studies the Upanishads and hopes to escape samsara by fully realizing that atman is one with brahman. Which path does Karn most likely practice?
jnana
Pia is a Hindu who believes her tradition calls her to ethical and political engagement. She is inspired by Gandhi and she reads the Bhagavad Gita regularly. She interprets the yogic idea of acting without desire for results as a commandment to act through nonviolence. Which path does Pia most likely practice?
karma
Devraj keeps a small shrine in his home. With his family, he lights a lamp and makes offerings of fruit, flowers, or even water to small statues of Hindu gods. What Hindu tradition are Devraj and his family participating in?
puja
Amas is a Hindu whose spiritual path involves awakening shakti energy in the base of his spine and directing it through invisible energy centers in his body known as chakras to the top of his skull. Amas talks a lot about overcoming duality, including the duality of male and female, in order to realize his unity with the divine. What tradition does Amas most likely practice?
tantra
Which text is most important for the emergence of bhakti (devotional) Hinduism?
the Bhagavad Gita
Which text describes a great war between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas?
the Mahabharata
Which text tells the tale of the prince Rama and his wife Sita who is kidnapped by a demon king named Ravana?
the Ramayana
Which of the following Hindu texts is the most ancient?
the Vedas
In 1992, Hindu mobs destroyed a 450-year-old mosque in northern India. Thousands were killed in the ensuing violence. What larger pattern in Hinduism was this event related to?
the emergence of Hindu nationalism as a religious force
