Overview of Hinduism

Overview of Hinduism

• Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, with approximately 15% of the global population practicing it.
• India has the highest concentration of Hindus, with about 80% of the country's population identifying as Hindu.
• Nepal (23 million), Bangladesh (15 million), and Indonesia (3.9 million in Bali) have notable Hindu populations.
• Hinduism has a significant presence in Mauritius, Guyana, Fiji, Bhutan, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Sri Lanka.
• Unlike Christianity or Islam, Hinduism was not originally a missionary religion.
• Jainism and Buddhism originated in India and emerged around the sixth century B.C.E., challenging traditional Indian beliefs.
• Sikhism, which incorporates Hindu and Islamic influences, arose in the fifteenth century C.E.

Historical Context

• Hinduism is often considered the oldest and most complex world religion.
• While modern religions emerged around the sixth century B.C.E., Hindu beliefs trace back to the third millennium B.C.E.
• Hinduism has no single identifiable founder, unlike many major religions.
• The term "Hindu" comes from the Persian word "hindu" (Sanskrit "sindhu"), meaning "river," and referred to people of the Indus Valley, the Indians.
• The name Hinduism was developed in the 19th century to describe the diverse belief systems in India; it was originally known as "Arya Dharma" or the "Aryan Way."
• Flourishing civilizations existed in India as early as 3000 B.C.E., like those in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
• The formations of Hinduism may have originated from the customs of the early Indus Valley people around 2500 to 1500 B.C.E.
• The culture of the Dravidians, and the Aryans who invaded northwest India around 1500 B.C.E., also influenced Hinduism.
• Aryans brought beliefs based on oral texts called Vedas that were composed after they settled in India and mixed with the natives.
• Identifying pre-Aryan and Aryan influences in the Vedas is challenging.
• The Aryans practiced a polytheistic religion similar to other Indo-European cultures.
• The sun, moon, and storms were personified as Aryan gods and goddesses.
• Sacrifice was the primary form of worship, with offerings of animals and dairy products on open-air altars.
• Hinduism contains both pre-Aryan and Aryan elements dating back to ancient times, and the Aryans had no temples as they were nomadic.

Sacred Scriptures of Hinduism

• Hindu sacred texts were passed down through music, recitation, dance, and drama.
• Sanskrit is the language of the earliest writings.
• Hindu sacred writings are categorized into Shruti and Smriti.

Shruti

• Shruti translates to "that which is heard" and refers to eternal truths passed down orally before being written.
• The four Vedas (Rig-veda, Sama-veda, Yajur-veda, and Atharva-veda) form the shruti and are primary, authoritative texts.
• Other shruti writings include the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Upanishads, and Sutras.
• Vedas means "knowledge" or "sacred lore" and are the earliest known Sanskrit literature from the Brahmanic period.
• The Rig-Veda dates back to 1500-1200 B.C.E, making it the oldest and most important Veda.
• It is the oldest work of literature in an Indo-European language and a collection of hymns dedicated to Aryan deities.
• Key deities mentioned in the Vedas include:
  • Indra: Leader of the devas (gods), god of rain and thunderstorms.
  • Agri: God of fire and messenger of the gods.
  • Adityas: Sun-gods.
  • Mitra: Deity of honesty, friendship, contracts, and meetings.
  • Varuna: God of water and the underwater world.
  • Ushas: Deity of dawns.
  • Savitr: Solar deity.
  • Rudra: Deity of wind or storm.
  • Pushan: Solar deity and god of meeting.
  • Brihaspati: Deity and religion.
  • Dyaus Pita: Sky god and father sky.
  • Prithvi: Mother earth.
  • Surya: Chief solar deity and the sun.
  • Vayu: Lord of the winds.
  • Apas: Water.
  • Parjanya: Thunder and rain.
• Yajur-Veda, or the "knowledge of rites," is the second book, composed of materials for rituals and sacrifices (1200-1000 B.C.E.).
• Sama-Veda, or the "knowledge of chants," contains verses from basic hymns used by priests during sacrifices and it dates to around the same time as the Yajur-Veda.
• Atharva Veda, dating back to around 1500-1000 B.C.E., contains rituals and prayers for home use.
• The Atharva Veda contains spells and incantations for medicine and victory.
• Each Veda is comprised of four parts: Mantras, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads..
  • Mantras: Hymns and chants for praising god.
  • Brahmanas: Explanations of the Mantras with sacrificial ceremonies.
  • Aranyakas: Meditations that explain the meaning of mantras.
  • Upanishads: Secret teachings that elucidate the nature of the universe.
• Upanishads translates to "sitting down near" or "sitting close to", implying listening to spiritual teachings or "brahma-knowledge."
• Transmitted orally, Upanishads contain philosophical statements forming the basis of later Hindu philosophy.
• Sri Aurobindo described the Upanishads as the "supreme work of the Indian mind."
• These dissertations cover fundamental teachings such as:
  • Karma (action).
  • Samsara (reincarnation).
  • Moksha (nirvana).
  • Atman (soul).
  • Brahman (Absolute Almighty).
• Fourteen of the two hundred Upanishads are considered principal writings, with the earliest from the ninth century B.C.E. and the most recent from the sixth century B.C.E.

Smriti

• Smriti means "that which has been remembered" and reinforces shruti, interpreted by sages.
• Smriti texts are sectarian and less important than shruti.
• Smriti consists of stories, legends, codes of conduct, and guidebooks for worship.
• The Ramayana and Mahabharata are national epics of India that comprise Shrmriti.
• They are revered texts that embody ideals and values.
• The Ramayana, or the "Story of Rama's Journey", a Sanskrit epic poem by Valmiki with 24,000 verses in seven books and 500 cantos and was written between 200 BCE and 200 CE.
• The Ramayana's central figure is Rama, a prince and avatar of Vishnu, exiled on the eve of his coronation.
• The Ramayana story is performed in Southeast Asia, and its characters are popular in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.
• Mahabharata is a Sanskrit literature work consisting of approximately one hundred thousand verses, making it the world’s longest poem.
• The Mahabharata was written around 500 B.C.E..
• The Mahabharata tells of a struggle among the descendants of King Bharata.
• This epic features the Pandavas (good) and Kauravas (evil).
• With 100,000 couplets and 1.8 million words, the Mahabharata is longer than the Ramayana, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and the Bible.
• The Mahabharata ranks alongside the Bible and the Quran.
• The Mahabharata is an epic vision of the human condition, including intrigue, romance, duplicity, moral issues and lamentations.
• The Bhagavad Gita, translated as "the Lord's Song," is integrated in the Mahabharata and it was written between the second century B.C.E. and third century C.E.
• A 700 verse narrative of a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna it is considered one of the holiest books by the Hindus.
• The gita instructs that one can reach god through devotion, knowledge, and duty.
• It is considered the layman's Upanishads for presenting complex teachings in an accessible manner.

Beliefs and Doctrines of Hinduism

• Hinduism offers followers various paths to salvation, including devotion to gods.
• Deities are worshipped in temples, where devotees offer prayers and sacrifices.
• Bhakti signifies the soul's longing for god.

Devotion to the Trimurti

• Central to Hinduism is Brahman, the ultimate reality.
• Brahman is seen in three forms (Trimurti or Trinity): creation, preservation, and destruction which includes Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
• The Hindu Trimurthi is not found in the earlier Vedic writings, but a later systematic addition
• Brahma is the creator.
  • Brahma receives the least attention, because only two temples are dedicated to him in India and he has no cult of devotees.
  • Saraswati, the goddess of science and wisdom, is Brahma's consort.
  • Brahma's vehicle is a swan or goose which symbolizes knowledge.
• Vishnu is the preserver.
  • Vishnu cares for humanity and is worshipped in various avatars.
  • Vishnu has appeared in nine forms and will come a tenth time .
  • His manifestations intend to help humanity with preserving, restoring, and protecting powers.
  • Vishnu's avatars include:
    • Matsy: Saved humanity and the Vedas from a flood.
    • Kurma: Helped create the world while supporting it.
    • Varaha: Raised the earth out of the water.
    • Narasimha: Destroyed a tyrant king.
    • Vamana: Subdued King Bali.
    • Parshurama: Destroyed the warrior class.
    • Rama: Rescued his wife Sita and killed Ravana.
    • Krishna:Told the epic poem Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna
    • Buddha: The enlightened man.
    • Kalki: Yet to come to earth.
  • Vishnu is depicted with four arms and a dark complexion and his most popular manifestation is Krishna who is blue.
  • Lakshmi is Vishnu's consort and she is seated in a lotus between two elephants.
  • Both Vishnu and Lakshmi ride Garuda.
• Shiva is the destroyer.
  • Shiva is concerned with death, destruction, and disease.
  • He is the god of dance, vegetable, animal, and human reproduction.
  • Death is a prelude to birth.
  • He is revered through the lingam and the yoni.
• Routes to Moksha follow three doctrines:
  • Rebirth (samsara).
  • Deeds impacting current or future life.
  • Escape from death and rebirth.
• Humans have an eternal soul or atman which is reborn, based on karma.
• Achieving moksha involves four yogas which include:
  • Jnana Yoga entails contemplation.
  • Bhakti Yoga entails devotion and service to God.
  • Karma Yoga entails service.
  • Raja Yoga entails meditation.
• Hindus have four goals of life:
  • Dharma (appropriate behavior).
  • Artha (worldly success).
  • Kama (pleasure).
  • Moksha (release from rebirth).

Worship and Observances of Hinduism

• Hindu scriptures state that 330 million gods or devas are manifestations of natural phenomena.
• Hindu worship or puja involves images (murtis), prayers (mantras), and diagrams (yantras).

Puja

• The puja involves offerings and rituals at an altar to communicate with the Divine.
• The goal of puja is darshan.
• Temples house deities and can be revered with intermediary priests.
• Mantras summon deities for gift offerings.
• Ceremonies have offerings and music, occuring any day of the week, with Thursday being more opportune.
• Main festivals include: Holi, Diwali, and Dusserah.
• Diwali entails India's biggest holiday celebrated to safeguard people from evil forces.
• Hindu festivals include:
  • Lohri: Celebrated in the Punjab, marks the end of winter.
  • Pongal-Sankranti: Held in South India to celebrate the rice harvest.
  • Holi: Celebrated as the national holiday of Spring and the New Year.
  • Shivaratri: A national honoring of Shiva.
  • Sri Vaishnavas: Honouring of Vishnu and his consort Sri.
  • Rathyatra: Birthday of lord Jagannath.
  • Janmashtami: Birthday of Krishna.
  • Dusserah: Triumph of good over evil.
  • Ganesh Chaturthi:The birthday of Ganesh.
  • Diwali: A national celebration in honor of Rama and his concert .

Subdivisions of Hinduism

• Followers beliefs and practices will vary.
• The four principal denominations within the Hindu faith are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishavism, and Smartism.
  • Shaivism entails the lord Shiva.
  • Shaktism entails the goddess Shakti.
  • Vaishavism entails the lord Vishnu.
  • Smartism entails all Hindu gods.

Hinduism Today

• Hinduism continues to be the religion of 80% of the Indian people, with India as a secular state over religious convictions.
• India faces numerous religious challenges.
• The Manusmriti or the “Laws of Manu” states that women should be honored in Hindu society, although women are normally inferior.
• A woman’s life revolves around the men in her life.
• Traditional society women perform sati wherein widowed women jump on the funeral pyre of their husbands.
• The caste system is present based upon family origin.
• The Brahmins are the highest in the hierarchy.
• The caste system had vocal critics, including Mahatma Gandhi who legally abolished the caste system.