Hinduism Inquizitive

From 1959 through the 1980s, a number of Hindu leaders gained notoriety in the United States as gurus (spiritual teachers). Which gurus were active in American during this period?

- Bhagwan Shree Rajnees -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

According to classical Hinduism, what terms are among the 4 aims of life?

- kama (pleasure) - artha (weather and power) - dharma (righteousness) - moksha (freedom)

these statements include Hindu beliefs endoresed by Dayanand Sarasvati and the Arya Samaj. Drag each statement to the appropriate box

- practices such as pilgrimages, idol worship, and temple offerings are superstitious corruptions of true hinduism - arranged marriage, child bridges, and widow burning are a corruption of true Hinduism - Hindus should move away from the epics and Puranas and go "back to the vedas"

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

- the Indus valley civilization flourished - the rig veda, the oldest of the 4 vedas is composed - the early Upanishads are composed - the bhagavad gita is composed

In vedanta philosophy, brahman refers to the divine principle and atman refers to the individual self sould 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.

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Similar to Swami Vivekananda, who founded the Vedanta Society, the Self Realization Fellowship (SRF) was founded by Swami Yogananda and it quickly became the largest Hindu organization in early twentieth century America

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some hindus insist that hinuism is monotheistic and that to describe it otherwise is racism. Others insist that Hinuism is polytheistic and that to describe it otherwise is to spout colonialist lies. Still others claim that both of these arguments fall prey to essentialism by assuming that Hinduism is one unchanging thing.

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True or false: Since its founding, Varanasi has been independently governed by Hindus and even today its sacred spaces and places of worship are exclusively Hindu

false

Which element is most central to the hymns and rituals described in the Vedas?

fire sacrifice

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. emphasized action without lusting for results

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

For most Hindus, the ultimate problem is samsara and the ultimate goal is Moksha

samsara, moksha

which text is most important for the emergence of bhakti (devotional) hinduism?

the bhagavad gita

Which of these Hindu texts is the most ancient? - The vedas - the Ramayana - The Puranas - The Bhagavad Gita

the vedas

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 Vedas as true knowledge

vedas

Narendra Modi is the current prime minister of India and a member of what political party associated with Hindu nationalist policies?

BJP

Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra are all names of:

Hindu Castes

the view that only those who view india as both fatherland and holy land are true citizens of India is consistent with which idea?

Hindutva: conservative political movement in India that rejects both secular values and Islamic values.

Which goddess was created by the other gods as a superhero in order to defeat an unstoppable buffalo demon?

Durga

True or false: The Vedas have been found written on stone tablets dating back to 1500 BCE

False

The sacred Ganges 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 river

Karm is a hindu whose spirtual path involved renouncing the world. Karn has quit his joba nd 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 Karm most likely practice?

Jnana: considered the path of "wisdom or knowledge". based around mediation and ascetic spiritual practice.

A column of light, a pillar of ice, or a phallic shaped stone can all be examples of what Hindu sacred object?

Lingam

Om is a pwoerful mantra 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

Amas is a Hindu whose spiritual path involved awakening shakti energy in the base of his spine and directing it through invisible energy centers in his body knows 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 texts describes a great war between the Pandavas and their cousin, the Kauravas?

The Mahabharata