Exam 2 - Hinduism

Raksasas

"demons" that can be physical or non-physical. More harmful than bhutas as in the case of Ravana. They are possessed by a desire to do harm.

Bhutas

"ghost" that are non-physical beings who roam the earth looking for a way to either ascend into heaven or return to a physical form. They are not happy and they want to work out their karma and be set free. Hindus believe you should do worship to help set them free.

Matas

"mothers" are female spirits believed to bestow boons and help ward of evil. Often represented by painted stones. Protected spirits. Typically placed on highways and crossroads to protect you while traveling.

Nastika

'not is'. heterodox/non-canonical -jain scripture -Buddhist scripture -sihk scripture

Astika

'that which is'. Orthodox/canonical -Shruti and Smriti Hindu text

Varna classes

-Brahmin (preist) -Kshatriya (ruler, politician, warrior) -Vaishya (merchant) -Shudra (servent) -Untouchables

Purushartha human aims

-Dharma (wthics and duties) -Kama (love and pleasure) -Arthra (policical) -Maksha (salvation)

Ashrama life stages

-student hood -marriage -retirement -renunciation

5 steps of the Scientific Study of Religion

1) Epoche: bracket out. Vershtehen (to understand on a tradition's own terms) 2) Apply principles of scientific method in assessment of data 3) Contextualize data with regard to historical, social, and political contexts. 4) Compare in relationship to the data of other religious traditions 5) Assess

Ninian Smart's 8-Dimensional Model

1) Orientation toward sacredness 2) Beliefs 3) Rituals 4) Community 5) Sacred narratives 6) Ethics 7) Experiences 8) Material cultures

Max Muller

Believed that there is a "true Hinduism that emerges form a 'pure' race named Aryans". Father of the field of Indology. Studied Sanskrit. He influenced Hindu leaders such as Ram Mohan Roy.

Dayananda Saraswati and the Arya Samaj

Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in the 19th century, also in response to criticism of Hinduism from Christian British colonialists. His aim was to promote a "pure" and "original" Hinduism based in what he believed were the true, original teachings of the Vedas.

kataphatic

Describes God as eminent and with characteristics ('god is like father')

Madhva

Dvaita: dualist position (God and self are distinct)

Ramanuja

Dvaitadvaita; dualist and non dualist position (God and self share attributes but are also distinct

Emanational Hierarchical Monotheism

Emanational: to emanate like the sun emanates lighte Hierarchical: an order; some Gods are more powerful than others Monotheism: on God; the one God takes the form of many Gods; there is a polytheism within the one God.

self-rule

Even after massacre, Gandhi remained committed to the practice of non-violence as the political means for achieving India's self rule

archa-āvatāra

incarnation to be worshiped. Hindus believe that when you make an image of scriptural specs, then those forms become the incarnations to be worshiped.

Sansrit

indigenous language of India

orthogenic

insider view

Emic

insider view view of a devotee

Shaktism

those Hindus who regard the god Davi as their supreme God, their Brahman

Shaivism

those Hindus who regard the god Shiva as their supreme God, their Brahman

Vaishnavism

those Hindus who regard the god Vishnu as their supreme God, their Brahman

Yoga

to unite: the self (atman) is liberated from the cycles of rebirth by attaining union with or proximity to God (Brahman)

Shankaracharya

used as a title, like 'pope.' They are believed to be living voiced for God. However, there exist political scandals; some may be holy others perhaps not so much.

Hinduism as a 'field of knowledge'

what we know about hinduism has been contested for thousands of years. Hinduism is a religion, but we are diving into the field of knowledge of Hinduism to learn more

nirvana Brahman

without attributes

Hitler, Aryan race and Swastika

Hitler adopted the ideology of the Aryan race and the Swastika from India. The Aryan race is the 'pure race'. The Swastika with the arms facing left/clockwise is the symbol of creation (Pravrhi) and is what is going on in student hood and marriage. The counterclockwise/arms facing right is the symbol of destruction (Nivriti) and is what is going on as you move toward death. . In Hinduism, this is not bad; Shiva is the symbol of destruction.

Prasādam (prasād)

Identifies that moments of the transmission of grace that occurs through sarshana. This is celebrated by food that has been blesses during puja. This blessed food is also called Prasad.

Gandhi's attitudes towards indigenous Africans in his early life

In his early years, Gandhi sought to distinguish the Indians from the Zulus (Africans). This made Africans regard his a racist.

East India Company

In the 18th century, the EIC forcefully established India as a British colony and lasted until 1947

Colonialism (India as colony of Britain)

India became a colony of Britain in the 18th century. Hitler took the symbol of the Swastika as the symbol of the Nazi regime; he wanted to rid the world of impure races.

Harappa and the Indus Valley Civilization

Indus River valley is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world. Many western scholars view the Indus Valley civilization as the site of an indigenous ancient Indian community was overrun by an Indo-Aryan race 3500 years ago. This Indo-Aryan community is believed by scholars to have brought with them the scriptures, practices and social structures that became the foundation for what we know as classical Hinduism. The oldest archaical evidence of India is the Indus River valley. It is a civilization because it has buildings, written languages, etc.

Kabir

Kabir was a poet whom emphasized the transcendent and formless aspect of God. He was influenced by both Muslim and Hindu teachers yet criticized both religions freely.

Definition of Karma and relationship to destiny and samsara

Karma: law of cause and effect that dictates that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, the sum total of which constitutes one's destiny. Samsara: belief that our actions (karma) determine the circumstances of current life, future death, and eventual rebirth, life after life after life.

Mahatma Gandhi

Led a non-violent revolution that led to the overthrow of the British Empire in India.

Ram Mohun Roy

Max Muller influenced Hindu leaders such as Ram Mohan Roy. He lived during the time of the British colonial reign over India. Some have argued that he and other Euorpean scholars were biased in believing that there is a 'true' Hinduism that emerges from a 'pure' race named the Aryans - a race that is believed to connect upper-class Hindus to Persians Europeans.

Who speaks for Hinduism?

Michael Witzel: supports Indo-Aryan migration theory. David Frawley: supports Indigenous Aryan Theory

Smartism

People who accept all major Hindu deities as Brahman

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (disagreements with Gandhi)

Powerful leader of Muslims. He wanted a pluralist India as home to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, and Christians.

Babri Masjid, the Rāmāyaṇa and Hindu Nationalism

The Babri Masjid is a Muslim mosque in which is the spot Rama was born. Hindus looked at this mosque as a symbol of oppression. Just as Ravana took Sita from Rama, Muslims had taken India from Hindu. Thousands of Hindus demolished the Mosque as a way to eradicate "demons" and restore India.

Where and how does one find Hinduism?

The Rig Veda is the oldest scripture in Hinduism. Early European scholars assumed the most important aspect of religion is found in scriptures. Thoughtful exchange with Hindus themselves made scholars come to realize that Hinduism expresses itself in many ways that are outside and beyond scriptures, such as the festival of Holi (festival in India where they throw colors on you; a great way to discover Hinduism)

Madurai and Mandala

The ancient city of Madurai in south India represents a mandala. The divine is emanating from a central point out into a body. When the king is placed in the center, he is represented as an incarnation of God ruling as God-king.

Symbolism of the cow in Hinduism

The cow is a symbol for Hinduism to Hindus. Gandhi and other leaders have argued that the cow needs to be protected. Muslims and Christians both slaughter cows and is further evidence that these are outsider traditions and need to be removed from India.

Puja

The sacred ritual of worshipping the murti

Understanding of Hinduism

The understanding of Hinduism is different based upon who you ask. An Indian Brahmin understands Hindusim differently from a tribal woman because he is at the top of the caste and the tribal woman is a dalit (untouchable). Sivaya Subramuniyaswami is different; he was born in US, later converted to Hinduism and founded the powerful journal, Hinduism Today.

Indo-Aryan Migration: outsider view

Aryan people migrated into India, the Persian world, and to Europe. Theory states that the best parts of India came from the migrants

Partition of India

As India was liberated, it was also the time of the division of India in to 3 distinct regions. The result of the partition was wide scale rioting and slaughter.

Adi Shankaracharya and the Shankaracharya

Adi Shankaracharya, the original Shankaracharya, livedin the 8th century. He is celibate monastic whio founded one of the prememinent philosophical systems in India; Vedanta, of the Completion of Wisdom. He also established the monastic order of Shankaracharyas known as Mathas: -I am Brahman (God) -Thou are that -This Atman (soul) is Brahma (God) -Everything is Brahman (God)

Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Advaita: non-dual position (God and self are one)

4 reasons to believe the Indo Aryan invasion occurred

1) Sanskrit suddenly emerged in India around 25 BCE - no connections to the Harappa script (indigenous Indian language) 2) Sarasuati rivert argument doesn't stand. (Sarasuti river in India 5000 years ago. The river went completely underground. Insider theories believe that the Harappan people/indigenous people knew about the river before the invasion 3) The horse and chariot theory (this technology was brought to the Indian region by outsiders) 4) Migrate is what people do. Multiple other regions have been formed due in part ot migration

Anekantavada and the Jain parable of the blind men and the elephant

4 blind men in a forest with a teacher who is helping them see. Each day the teacher gives them practical lessons. On one day, the teacher told them there is an object in the forest so what is it? They all came back with different reports. The teacher says they were wrong; it was an elephant. The teacher said they all went out and only looked at the object in one dimension. The elephant has many components to it. Religion is like an elephant; it is not just one thing, it has many regards. Ninian said that religion is way too complex in order to define in one definition. Instead of defining it, he has a classification system. ANEKANTAVADA: more than one side = multiperspectivism

David Frawley

A commited Hindu and ardent critic of the Indo-Aryan migration theory. He supports a theory called Indigenous Aryan theory. He is an insider.

Henotheism

A label applied to Hinduism by Europeans. It means it is a theological tradition that combines monotheism to polytheism fluently. Within the realm of polytheism, any given God in Hinduism can represent one God for an individual. It gives Hindus a choice about their intimate God it they choose just one.

Sati

A widow throws herself into her husband's funeral pyre. Hindus believe this ritual acts transforms the widow into an incarnation of Sita. When this was outlawed, Hindus say this robs women of their best opportunity to obtain salvation or moksha.

AC Bhaktivedanta and the Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON)

AC Bhaktivedanta founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He believes we should spend our lives worshipping and loving Krishna as the supreme God. We should live our lives as vegetarian and celibate. ISKCON used to give away copies of the Bhagavad Gita as airports

Harappan seal and Shiva

For those who believe in the insider theory, they argue that the Harappan seal is the original image of Shiva. Both images show Shiva seated in meditation with cows around him. Also suggest that yoga goes back 5 thousand years.

Ambedkar (Disagreements with Gandhi)

Gandhi coined the term 'harijan' or 'children of God' for the untouchables with the attempt to raise their dignity. Ambedkar argued that the term obfuscated the plight of the untouchables.

Kasturba Gandhi

Gandhi married Katurba whom gave birth to 6 children. Later, Gandhi would take a vow of celibacy

Religious influences on Gandhi

Gandhi was influenced by multiple religions, particularly Christianity. His deep friendship with the Christian pastor reflected his political vision grounded in interfaith views that all religions share common truths.

Fasts unto death

Gandhi was willing to die for the causes of liberating India, keeping all Indians united, and improving the rights fo the lower cast peoples. He engaged in 21 hunger strikes.

"truth grasping" (Satyagraha) as political platform

Gandhi's non-violent civil resistance platform. It was grounded in the religious ideal that politics should be grounded in universal, eternal truths established by God. Hall humans have right to live free of tyranny

Non-cooperation

Ghandi discovered that Indian immigrants were being treated like second hand citizens to he was inspired to use non-cooperation resistance as a method for improving the rights of Indians

apophatic

God as transcendent, beyond form and beyond use of language. Described in use of negatives (God is beyond what we can understand)

Śabda Brahman

God as word and sound. Image of the Sanskrit syllables AUM which is believed to be the most potent and original of sacred sounds contacting creation, life, death and transcendence in one sound. All sounds are believed to emerge for this 'seed' syllable which is identified as the sound body of God. God expresses himself thorugh sound vibrations. The universe arises from sound. AUM is the most sacred sound. A: act of creation - Brahmia U: life - Vishnu M: death or return - Shiva Bindu: dot at top - transcendence (God emerges the cycle of creation, life, and death). God is above all and within all cycles of creation, life, and death.

Saguna Brahman

God with attributes (Krishna adorned with attributes: 'Krishna is adorned with many jewels, etc')

Nathuram Godse (Gandhi's assassin)

Godse claimed the ha assassinated Gandhi for his support of Muslims

Indo-Aryan migration: insider view

Hinduism as eternal truth that originated in time immemorial as revelation to the original peoples of India.

Brahmin

Priest; knowers of the Brahman; supreme God. Highest social class of Hinduism. Wear white cloth with a robe indicating their status. They are preserving their original revelation. They connect the Hindu society with the Gods.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Prime minister with the liberation of India in 1947

Implications of tribal peoples in Rāmāyaṇa being depicted as "demons"

Ravana is a Brahmin with knowledge of the Vedas making him the #1 villain in the Ramayana at once an 'outsider' and an 'insider' to Brahmanical culture. This leads some to criticize the theory that the demons in the Ramayana ought to be linked to tribal people.

Murti

Sacred icons that contain the living spirit of the deity they embody. As affirmation of this, they believe there have been many accounts of statues that literally drink the liquids they offered.

Michael Witzel

Scholar of Hinduism who upholds the Indo-Aryan migration theory. He believes the outsider theory

Sita's "trial by fire"

Sita walks into a raging fire to prove that she is unsullied. She is protected by the lord of fire, Agni.

Guru

Teacher. Many levels of teachers in India. They transmit knowledge through initiation and instruction thereby preserving the lineage (sampradaya. EX. Ammaji: the hugging saint. A reincarnation. A yoga and spiritual teacher.

Darsana

To see. The moment in the puja when the devotee's gaze upon the murti is countered by the gaze of the living deity that is the essence of the image. In that moment, the devotee receives a blessing of grace (Prasad) that makes salvation possible.

Sampradāya

Transmission of knowledge. A living lineage of teachers who preserve knowledge. Hinduism sees itself as a religion that includes sampradayas. A series of lineage that have been transferred through time. The knowledge of Hinduism takes you back to eternity

Varnashrama Dharma and Purusharthas

Varna: class; distinguishes roles or functions. The top three are known as the classes of the twice born. They have gone through the right of passages. Going through these stages of life, you get to the human aim.

Why Hindus believe the Self is not our thoughts

Your mind takes the actions of your thoughts. The mind and thoughts are transient; here in the moment and gone another. The self is permanent, indestructible. The Hindus believe you can observe your thoughts; the self never goes to sleep; the self always observes oneself.

Mathas

also called Shankaracharya churches

Brahma

creator deity

Dvaita

dualism God and self are distinct

Dvaitadvaita

dualist non dualism God and self are both one and distinct

Moksa

freedom: Hindu for salvation: the state in which the self has been freed from the cycles of rebirth (samsara) determined by Karma. If yoga is the path, moksha is the goal of that path. One in the state of moksha is freedom from samsara.

Shruti

heard. revelation. comes strait from God and not another human author -Veda -Upanishads

Brahman

neuter Sanskrit word for supreme God

Advaita

non dual The human self (atman) and God (Brahman) are one being

heterogenic

outsider view

Etic

outsider view view of a sholar

Smrti

remembered. authoritative commentary. comes from humans inspired by God -Epics -Sutras -Puranas

Brahmanas

ritual text found in vedas

Atman

self

Orientalism

study of Asia

Indology

study of India

Epistemology

study of knowledge

vedanta

synonym for Upanishads; prominent Hindu philosophical school