Hinduism

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.

1. Hinduism is about fire sacrifices and rituals. 2. Hinduism is about seeking the wisdom to overcome samsara. 3. Hinduism is about connecting with a god through powerful devotion (Bhakti) 4. Hinduism is about the nation of India and being a patriotic Indian.

Order the countries below from the country with the highest number of Hindus to the country with the lowest number of Hindus.

1. India 2. Nepal 3. Indonesia 4. USA

Order the events below from furthest in the past to the most recent.

1. The Indus Valley Civilization flourished. 2. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas , is composed. 3. The upanishads are composed. 4. The Bhagavad Gita is composed.

Select positions on Hindu beliefs and practices endorsed by Ram Mohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj

A Position of Ram Mohan Roy: The Hindu epics are merely myths. Polytheism, idol worship, karma, and reincarnation are superstitions. Designating Dalits as "untouchables" is undemocratic. Revelation cannot be supported by reason, including the Vedas. Not a portions of Ram Mohan Roy: Religions is ultimately based in faith, not reason.

Which of the following were positions on Hindu beliefs and practices endorsed by Dayanand Sarasvati and the Arya Samaj?

A Position of Sarasvati: Practices such as pilgrimages, idol worship, and temple offerings are superstitious corruptions of true Hinduism. Arranged marriage, child brides, and widow burning are a corruption of true Hinduism. Hindus should move away from the epics and Puranas and go "back to the Vedas." Not a Position of Sarasvati: All Religions are actually one.

Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of ethics and nonviolence drew from multiple religious influences, including the jain concept of ________, daily readings of _________, and even the Christian gospels.

Ahimsa Bhagavad

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: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Maharishi Mahesh Yogi A.C Bhaktivedanta Prabuhupada Not an American Twentieth-Century Guru: Swami Vivekananda

Hindus have been content to think of theirs as a religion of a people rather than the religion of allpeople. 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 With some exceptions, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (better known as the Hare Krishnas), Hindus do not attempt to convert others to their religion.

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. True or False?

False In its three-thousand-year history, Varanasi has had Buddhist, Muslim, and British rulers. While it is known as a place of Hindu pilgrimage and is home to 3,000 Hindu temples and shrines, it also has 1,388 Muslim sites, 45 Christian churches, and 15 Sikh gurdwaras.

The Vedas has been found written on stone tablets dating back to 1500BCE. True or False

False. The Vedas are ancient texts, but they were passed on by oral tradition and never written down until the ninth century CE.

________ is often depicted near doorways and thresholds and is known as the remover of obstacles.

Ganesha One of the most popular gods in contemporary hinduism. and canoe depicted outside of peoples houses.

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

_______, the warrior god, and _______, the fire god, are two deities features prominently in the Vedas.

Indra Agni

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

Some Hindus insist that Hinduism is ______ and that to describe it otherwise is racist. Others insist that Hinduism is ___________ and that to describe it otherwise is to spout colonialist lies. Still other claim that both of these arguments fall prey yo _________ by assuming that Hinduism is one unchanging thing.

Monotheistic Polytheistic Essentialism

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 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. Some Indians argue that the "Aryans" came from the Indian subcontinent, not Europe. 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

According to classical Hinduism, which of the following are among the four aims of life?

One of the Four aims: Dharma (righteousness) Kama (pleasure) Moksha (freedom) Martha (wealth and power) Not One of the Four Aims Karma (action) Puja (worship)

Which of the following are among the three margas or the three yogas?

One of the Three Yogas/Margas: Karma (action) Bhakti (devotion) Jnana (wisdom) Not one of the Three Yogas/Margas: Dharma (duty)

For most Hindus, the ultimate problem is _______ and the ultimate foal is __________

Samsara Moksha

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 This miniature Indian painting depicts Tantrism's seven chakras as wheels located in the human body. Moving up from the red chakra at the bottom, these are the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras in today's nomenclature.

Hindus think of the ancient city of ________ as a tirtha, or "crossing place," from life to death and from death to spiritual liberation. According to many Hindus, if you die in this city, Shiva will whisper into your ear the mantra of the crossing, enabling you to achieve moksha, or release from rebirth and suffering.

Varanasi

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. Framing Hinduism in this way undermined the argument for Christian mission in India.

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

Which of the following elements is most central to the hymns and rituals described in the Vedas?

fire sacrifices Like many ancient religions, Vedic religion focused mostly on this world rather than the next. Fire sacrifice was the most commonly used technique in Vedic religion.

Which text is most important for the emergence of bhakti (devotional) Hinduism?

the Bhagavad Gita

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.